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Announcement
Turning away, Meg took a deep breath. Clarity began to sink in, and she couldn’t help but hope that her mother was out for the day or else she’d likely be upstairs giving them both the what for. She knew she needed to be happy for Kelly, but it was so difficult when it seemed that Kelly was realizing everything Meg had always wanted for herself. She’d fallen in love with a good man—one she’d chosen for herself, and even though he was a simple carpenter, he was a hard worker who loved her back and wanted to do whatever she needed to be happy. Now, she was talking of going to America, and even though that had always been Meg’s dream, she hadn’t bothered to tell Kelly that she hoped one day they would both go off to America together, to start again, as sisters, to find love and happiness together. Now, here she was, all alone again, wondering if she had the strength or courage to defy her parents and run away to America on her own.
It cr
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Ghosts of Southampton Arrangement
Meg’s mother was nowhere to be found, but when she walked into the kitchen, she found Kelly there scrubbing a pot, and she couldn’t tell if the beads of liquid running down her face were tears or perspiration. She instantly felt awful for how she’d treated her friend.Noticing her entering the room, Kelly shouted over her shoulder, “Don’t worry. As soon as I finish this pot, I’m off to find a stocking.”Leaning on the counter next to her, Meg said, “I’m sorry, Kelly.” She ignored her, still concentrating on the pot, scrubbing so viciously, Meg thought she might tear a fingertip off. “I only said those things because… because I was afraid of losing you. That’s all.”“I already told you that will never happen,” Kelly replied, setting the pot back into the sink and turning to face her.“I know, but you can imagine, from my perspective, how worrisome that mi
Ghosts of Southampton Angry
CambridgeThough it was still rather hot outside for a late September day, Charlie didn’t mind the temperature so much as long as they sat in the shade. Visiting the park in the spring or late fall was always more appealing—even the winter was generally better than the summer—but this was the best place for him to meet Stella without anyone of consequence taking note, so he waited on their park bench for her now, his thoughts darting back between the conversation he’d recently had with his father and the letter he’d sent to Mary Margaret a few weeks ago.The last year and a half had been a whirlwind ever since Quincy introduced him to a new sort of social life he’d never experienced before. While part of him wanted to blame Quincy for being a bad influence, Charlie knew that his friend had only been the catalyst. A young man with money, influence, a new set of wheels, and eventually, alcohol, along with a few girls with coy smiles, a
Ghosts of Southampton Chased
SouthamptonMeg had never liked playing the piano, though she reputedly did it well. Now that her coming out party was over, and no suitors had begun showing up because they felt it was a waste of time, she decided practicing piano could possibly keep her mind off of what was—or was not—happening. After all, the purpose of coming out was telling the world she had learned everything she’d ever need to know. So why keep up the pretenses of studying with a governess who wasn’t any more qualified to give instruction than Meg herself?Her mother had agreed and sent Ms. Cunningham off just a week after Meg’s ball. The event had been a lovely affair, though crowded. Her house wasn’t made to hold so many people, and even though the crowd wasn’t what it might have been if her uncle hadn’t soiled their reputation, there were still nearly a hundred people present.Meg honestly didn’t care, though. None of it mattered, a
Ghosts of Southampton Press
New York City“I can’t make heads or tails of it,” John Ashton was saying as he sipped a whisky in his study, Charlie and Pamela seated nearby. “She swears she’s not the one who contacted the newspapers, but if she didn’t, then who did?”“Why would she make a declaration in the press—in Southampton, London, and New York—and then deny it? It honestly makes no sense at all,” Pamela agreed, shaking her head.“Well, what did she say when you asked her if she intended to honor the content of the newspaper article?” Charlie asked. Though he thought it was ridiculous of Mrs. Westmoreland to deny making the announcement of his engagement to her daughter public, when clearly she had to have done it since his parents had not, what really mattered was whether or not this meant he was, in fact, engaged to Mary Margaret, and what should happen next.“She said it would be difficult to t
Ghosts of Southampton Surprise
SouthamptonTwo long days passed between the incident between Kelly and Uncle Bertram without Meg being allowed to see her friend. As soon as the doctor had arrived, he’d assessed the situation and moved her to the sofa in the parlor. After the bleeding was controlled, she’d been moved to her room. Daniel and Kelly’s mother had been allowed to visit, but the doctor explained he thought it best if everyone else allow her to rest. She’d overheard him explaining to Mildred, “If she isn’t allowed to get some sleep, she’ll lose the baby for sure.”The baby. Kelly was carrying a child, and she hadn’t told Meg yet. Now that she was allowed to speak to her friend, she wasn’t sure if she should say anything about it at all for fear of upsetting her, but how could Kelly keep such a secret from her?Patsy was sitting on the end of Kelly’s bed when Meg came in, and when she realized who had interrupted their
Ghosts of Southampton Warning
As the months passed, Kelly recovered nicely, and by late spring she was showing. Though Mildred struggled with displaying kindness to others, she was willing to give some leniency, and Kelly’s duties lightened after the incident. Clearly, she had a soft spot in her heart for Patsy, though Meg was a bit surprised to see any evidence that her mother had a heart at all.When Meg questioned her about the newspaper, Mildred insisted she knew nothing about the article or who had posted it. She said she would inquire to see if the Ashtons had released the information, but whenever Meg brought the subject up again, she would simply change the topic of conversation to something else or pretend not to hear. Meg was certain her mother must have been the one to make the information public, but she couldn’t understand why she would do such a thing and then not take responsibility for it. Was she just trying to see how far the Ashtons were willing to go?Meg continued t
Ghosts of Southampton Foiled
John Ashton had found himself in a bit of a predicament. He had to arrange a business meeting with Dexter Townly to ensure his calendar was clear and that he would be in town. Yet, he planned to surprise Mildred Westmoreland while he was in town. Coming out and directly telling Townly that Mildred knew nothing of the visit wouldn’t do; it would seem odd and suspicious. Likewise, he couldn’t lie and say that he was certainly visiting the Westmorelands or else Townly might feel compelled to bring it up, should he see Mildred or Bertram at an event. Therefore, he decided to leave the entire topic alone and hope that everything turned out for the best in the end.As he sat in the Townly home, Charlie at his side, across from Mr. and Mrs. Townly and their two daughters, Beatrice Townly Huxton and Alise, his mind began to wonder. He’d already met with Dexter earlier that day, and while he’d allowed Charlie to have a hand at the negotiations, which had taken
Ghosts of Southampton Aggravation
Meg found the letter on her pillow, and hesitated to open it. On the one hand, she hoped with each letter that Charlie would say he refused to be her husband and they could call the entire arrangement off. On the other hand, she hated to disappoint her father, and while she wasn’t sure whether or not God was looking down on her or not most of the time, she was fairly certain her father was. With a shrug and a sigh, she tossed herself down on the bed and tore the envelope open.April 9, 1909Dear Miss Westmoreland,I apologize that it has been quite some time since I have written. I wish that I had an excuse, but in all honesty, it has been out of aggravation more than anything else. I will apologize for my frustration, since I’m certain there was no way you could have guessed that my father and I were planning to pay you a visit on our trip to Southampton, but I was sincerely looking for
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