FRIENDS FROZEN AND FRIENDS FOR THE SEASON: CHAPTER 2

 SISTERS BEFORE MISTERS

My dear Cassie,

I was delighted to receive your letter on Monday. It was the highlight to an utmost dull week. It has been such a relief to hear that dear Georgie has been feeling better. Please do send my love to him.

Tom had promised to drop by last afternoon but his aunt had some urgent appointments that required his presence. I sometimes wonder if she does this on purpose to keep us apart. I, however feel it is never going to work out anyway. But it had very much felt like an adventure. Oh! What a most scandalous thing had led me to dance with him for such a long while and then create that unnecessary banter! 

His manners had amused me for a while but now I have started to find it quite childlike and not appropriate for a man of his stature. It was the queerest thing ever, me being reticent and making an effort to not be utterly vulgar with my retorts; whilst he made the most outlandish remarks about love and women's role in depicting it.

Mrs. Mayworth thinks that the Lefroys might be thinking of an offer- for me to consider Tom as a suitor. If he chooses to, I think I might refuse him. What would our lives be like betrothed? What would I do with a man who considers his ghastly coat to be à la mode and his ponderings about love so plain? I had him known that womankind's force of character, her wits and intelligence are what would make them ardently loved by their suitors and marrying for material wealth would become secondary. Perchance, I have ideals of love that are even grim for such refined gentlemen to live up to. Imagine being burdened in an espousal with such a man - having to bear witness to such whims! Indeed what wearisome would it be! Papa says that an offering from the Lefroys might be a fanciful idea from Mrs. Mayworth, considering Tom and I are penniless.

Pertaining to pennies, all these events have made me ponder over an idea which I will ask Georgie if he could try to send to London and about. This idea is a tale of how making acquaintance of a person can lead to certain prejudgments and set the characters in their own little disbandment. I have recently been trying to compose something of this nature but to no avail. My wits have been stifled being troubled over Georgie's poor health.

I have this feeling too that- dear sister, we have been apart for too long. Our summer together was the most wondrous thing and now, as I write to you this letter, I gaze outside and find only a single yellow leaf clinging on to the tree branch for its dear life. I am eagerly awaiting Christmas, when we could be sisters up to some mischief once more. Yours affectionately,

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