never asked her these questions before?
"Nobody wanted us to wed. Your pa had no money. We were wed in the parlor at Rural Plains."
"I know, Mama, but did you love him?"
"Guests wore powdered wigs, high stocks, hoop-skirts, and all kinds of furbelows. Silk stockings and silver buckles. Oh, there was feasting and dancing, mint julep and eggnog. The wedding feast lasted several days. Then we went to our honeymoon cottage at Pine Slash, given to me by my own pa. The land was poor, but it was three hundred acres. And six Negroes."
"But, Mama, did you love him?"
Her eyes came alert. "They say a true lady should never admit she loves a man," she said solemnly. "It is not consistent with the perfection of female delicacy."
"'Female delicacy'?"
"For a married woman to declare the full extent of affection for her husband might produce disgust in him."
"Who told you that, Mama?"
"A book.
The Ladies Library.
I was raised on it." She giggled. "I went against its teachings once, and what happened? I got in the increasing way with you. But I've tried to make up for it. Always I cultivated a modest reserve and retiring delicacy."
She made up for begetting me?
"Our wedding feast and dancing went on till morning."
She was talking about the gown she wore when I left the room. She was saying something about blue striped satin and pale blue calamanco shoes.
***
I HEARD A NNE and William clattering into the house.
"Anne bit the head off a butterfly! Look!"
They stood there, just inside the back door. Anne, William, John, and MyJohn. Anne held the creature in her hand. It was spotted, of a lovely golden tone. And true enough, it had no head.
"Stop making up stories!" I scolded. "And where have you both been? Didn't I tell you to be here for your tutor? I've had to dismiss him again!"
"She bit off its
head,
" William insisted. "I'm not making up stories."
"Did you?" I demanded of my sister.
She nodded solemnly. Yes.
"Did you eat it?"
"I spit it out."
I could not believe it. Nor the willfulness with which she admitted it.
"Why? Why would you destroy one of God's beautiful creatures like this?" I was filled then with a sudden fear.
Suppose Anne was of Mama's bent? Mayhap
she
was the one who would inherit the madness.
I must take firm action with her, in spite of what Pa had said. I must not let her run wild and unstructured. I must keep a careful eye to her doings.
She stood unafraid before me. "Because I want a new dress the color of the butterfly. That's what you get if you bite off its head."
MyJohn kissed me lightly. "Go easy," he whispered, "they're confused on account of their mama." Then he and John went back downstairs.
"Who told you this?" I demanded of Anne. "Pegg?"
Her refusal to respond gave me the answer.
"And what do you need a new dress for, pray?"
She retrieved a dirty and crumpled paper from her pocket.
It was from Mrs. Hooper. An invitation. "I am pleased to invite your Anne to the delightful Mr. Onslow's Dancing School, which is held in rotation in the homes of pupils in the Williamsburg area. Each pupil will have an individual lesson. There will be picnics, games, and formal dinners for the occasion. Please send your young William and a servant to accompany Anne."
"Evelyn saw us playing by the river and rode over to deliver it," Anne said. "And Evelyn has a new silk dress, the color of a red bird, and she's no older than I am."
I breathed a sigh. "You want to go to this dancing school?"
"It would be great sport."
Her wanting this surprised me. "What about William?" I asked.
"He said he'd sooner be tarred and feathered."
"He'll go with you. But I cannot. I shall send Silvy. But if I hear that you have acted like a rapscallion, or sullied our good name, I shall punish you, you hear?"
"And what about my dress?"
"I shall stitch one up for you of blue cotton."
"Evelyn's got silk!"
"They import it. They go against the nonimportation agreements."
"Everybody will be wearing silk."
"Everybody's
"Nobody wanted us to wed. Your pa had no money. We were wed in the parlor at Rural Plains."
"I know, Mama, but did you love him?"
"Guests wore powdered wigs, high stocks, hoop-skirts, and all kinds of furbelows. Silk stockings and silver buckles. Oh, there was feasting and dancing, mint julep and eggnog. The wedding feast lasted several days. Then we went to our honeymoon cottage at Pine Slash, given to me by my own pa. The land was poor, but it was three hundred acres. And six Negroes."
"But, Mama, did you love him?"
Her eyes came alert. "They say a true lady should never admit she loves a man," she said solemnly. "It is not consistent with the perfection of female delicacy."
"'Female delicacy'?"
"For a married woman to declare the full extent of affection for her husband might produce disgust in him."
"Who told you that, Mama?"
"A book.
The Ladies Library.
I was raised on it." She giggled. "I went against its teachings once, and what happened? I got in the increasing way with you. But I've tried to make up for it. Always I cultivated a modest reserve and retiring delicacy."
She made up for begetting me?
"Our wedding feast and dancing went on till morning."
She was talking about the gown she wore when I left the room. She was saying something about blue striped satin and pale blue calamanco shoes.
***
I HEARD A NNE and William clattering into the house.
"Anne bit the head off a butterfly! Look!"
They stood there, just inside the back door. Anne, William, John, and MyJohn. Anne held the creature in her hand. It was spotted, of a lovely golden tone. And true enough, it had no head.
"Stop making up stories!" I scolded. "And where have you both been? Didn't I tell you to be here for your tutor? I've had to dismiss him again!"
"She bit off its
head,
" William insisted. "I'm not making up stories."
"Did you?" I demanded of my sister.
She nodded solemnly. Yes.
"Did you eat it?"
"I spit it out."
I could not believe it. Nor the willfulness with which she admitted it.
"Why? Why would you destroy one of God's beautiful creatures like this?" I was filled then with a sudden fear.
Suppose Anne was of Mama's bent? Mayhap
she
was the one who would inherit the madness.
I must take firm action with her, in spite of what Pa had said. I must not let her run wild and unstructured. I must keep a careful eye to her doings.
She stood unafraid before me. "Because I want a new dress the color of the butterfly. That's what you get if you bite off its head."
MyJohn kissed me lightly. "Go easy," he whispered, "they're confused on account of their mama." Then he and John went back downstairs.
"Who told you this?" I demanded of Anne. "Pegg?"
Her refusal to respond gave me the answer.
"And what do you need a new dress for, pray?"
She retrieved a dirty and crumpled paper from her pocket.
It was from Mrs. Hooper. An invitation. "I am pleased to invite your Anne to the delightful Mr. Onslow's Dancing School, which is held in rotation in the homes of pupils in the Williamsburg area. Each pupil will have an individual lesson. There will be picnics, games, and formal dinners for the occasion. Please send your young William and a servant to accompany Anne."
"Evelyn saw us playing by the river and rode over to deliver it," Anne said. "And Evelyn has a new silk dress, the color of a red bird, and she's no older than I am."
I breathed a sigh. "You want to go to this dancing school?"
"It would be great sport."
Her wanting this surprised me. "What about William?" I asked.
"He said he'd sooner be tarred and feathered."
"He'll go with you. But I cannot. I shall send Silvy. But if I hear that you have acted like a rapscallion, or sullied our good name, I shall punish you, you hear?"
"And what about my dress?"
"I shall stitch one up for you of blue cotton."
"Evelyn's got silk!"
"They import it. They go against the nonimportation agreements."
"Everybody will be wearing silk."
"Everybody's
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