"Hettie, have you hung the wash out to dry?" I manuvered through the kitchen, expertly gathering the dishes all the while avoiding Nelly, who sat square in the middle of the floor, dressing up one of her many dolls, yet again.
"Not exactly." I could here the annoyance in her voice as she dipped her pen back into the ink bottle, all but ignoring me. "I have a very urgent letter I must finish, Nora. Surely you'll see it is of a higher importance than petty chores."
I refrained from rolling my eyes myself, knowing yet again, I'd end up being the one who hung out the wash. Before I could express my annoyance to Hettie, I turned my back to her and placed all the dishes into the small wash basin, and our maid, Peggy, gave me a grateful nod before turning her full attention towards the dishes.
"May I ask why this letter is so important?" I raised an eyebrow out of habit and turned to her, my patience failing by the second. I knew it was a vice of mine, but my sisters tested me to my limit, and, well, as much as I tried, it always seemed to show.
Hettie had no time to answer me as a "He's here! He's just arrived!" came ringing through the house. The kitchen door slammed shut, and I didn't even have to face that direction to guess who had just waltzed in. Just as I had reasoned, Minevera came breezing by, her focus solely for Hettie. "Oh Hettie, you must meet him!"
"Who is he?" Hettie looked up, for the minute distracted from her letter writing. Minevera giggled and bounced across the room, taking a seat right next to Hettie.
"He, is none other than a single cousin of the Lettingham's. Quite the gentleman, I hear, and as handsome as they come. He's staying on with the Lettingham's, for the time being, and I hear he's planning on getting a house of his own, in no time." Minevera looked pleased with herself, knowing she had not only Hettie's attention, but Nelly's, as well as mine. "But that's not even the best part. Rumour has it, he's filthy rich. Loaded with money, up to his ears! And-"
"Minevera, what have I told you about idle gossip?" I chided, grabbing the small basket of wash that had yet to be hung out.
"But it's not gossip if it's true!" Minevera protested. "It's all confirmed. Mary, who talked with Peggy, who is a cousin to the Lettingham's maid, who has personally seen Mr. Lettingham's cousin, with her own two eyes. Go ask Mrs. Lettingham herself. I'm sure she'll be able to acknowlege the truth to the story."
I shook my head. I wasn't noisy enough nor curious enough to go around knocking on neighbour's doors to get into their buisness. That was more of a Minevera-thing to do.
"I wonder if he'll be on the look out for a wife?" Hettie exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Oh, no doubt about it!" Minevera agreed. "He'll need someone to spend all his money upon!"
"If he's wise, he'll spend his money upon himself." I uttered quietly, already tired of the two's conversation. Last week their talk had been all about a Nathaniel Scott, who had come for a visit from London. Now it was some cousin of the Lettingham's. It didn't really matter who, so long as they had a gentleman to oogle. I, on the other hand, had more important duties to take care of.
"Can I meet him! I want to meet him!" Nelly piped up, just as I headed outside.
"Oh, you will Nelly, if father let's you come to the ball next Friday. I'm sure this man will be there, and then we can all see for ourselves, how handsome he truely is." Minevera's voice faded as I moved farther and farther away from the house and to the backyard.
I frowned. If only my sisters would spend as much energy working as they did gossiping, maybe we would all be better off. Sighing, I began to clip the washings up, knowing the faster I got it done, the sooner all the chores would be complete.
"Not exactly." I could here the annoyance in her voice as she dipped her pen back into the ink bottle, all but ignoring me. "I have a very urgent letter I must finish, Nora. Surely you'll see it is of a higher importance than petty chores."
I refrained from rolling my eyes myself, knowing yet again, I'd end up being the one who hung out the wash. Before I could express my annoyance to Hettie, I turned my back to her and placed all the dishes into the small wash basin, and our maid, Peggy, gave me a grateful nod before turning her full attention towards the dishes.
"May I ask why this letter is so important?" I raised an eyebrow out of habit and turned to her, my patience failing by the second. I knew it was a vice of mine, but my sisters tested me to my limit, and, well, as much as I tried, it always seemed to show.
Hettie had no time to answer me as a "He's here! He's just arrived!" came ringing through the house. The kitchen door slammed shut, and I didn't even have to face that direction to guess who had just waltzed in. Just as I had reasoned, Minevera came breezing by, her focus solely for Hettie. "Oh Hettie, you must meet him!"
"Who is he?" Hettie looked up, for the minute distracted from her letter writing. Minevera giggled and bounced across the room, taking a seat right next to Hettie.
"He, is none other than a single cousin of the Lettingham's. Quite the gentleman, I hear, and as handsome as they come. He's staying on with the Lettingham's, for the time being, and I hear he's planning on getting a house of his own, in no time." Minevera looked pleased with herself, knowing she had not only Hettie's attention, but Nelly's, as well as mine. "But that's not even the best part. Rumour has it, he's filthy rich. Loaded with money, up to his ears! And-"
"Minevera, what have I told you about idle gossip?" I chided, grabbing the small basket of wash that had yet to be hung out.
"But it's not gossip if it's true!" Minevera protested. "It's all confirmed. Mary, who talked with Peggy, who is a cousin to the Lettingham's maid, who has personally seen Mr. Lettingham's cousin, with her own two eyes. Go ask Mrs. Lettingham herself. I'm sure she'll be able to acknowlege the truth to the story."
I shook my head. I wasn't noisy enough nor curious enough to go around knocking on neighbour's doors to get into their buisness. That was more of a Minevera-thing to do.
"I wonder if he'll be on the look out for a wife?" Hettie exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Oh, no doubt about it!" Minevera agreed. "He'll need someone to spend all his money upon!"
"If he's wise, he'll spend his money upon himself." I uttered quietly, already tired of the two's conversation. Last week their talk had been all about a Nathaniel Scott, who had come for a visit from London. Now it was some cousin of the Lettingham's. It didn't really matter who, so long as they had a gentleman to oogle. I, on the other hand, had more important duties to take care of.
"Can I meet him! I want to meet him!" Nelly piped up, just as I headed outside.
I frowned. If only my sisters would spend as much energy working as they did gossiping, maybe we would all be better off. Sighing, I began to clip the washings up, knowing the faster I got it done, the sooner all the chores would be complete.
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