would have fulfilled her sole purpose in life. Perfect obedience was required of Jane because her husband would expect it from her. Jane tried her best to be obedient, but sometimes she felt as though she might suffocate under the tremendous burden of making herself spiritually perfect for the man who would one day be her husband.
It was not until the second time Mrs. Smithwayne called on the Willards that Elizabeth and Jane became friends. When they came in Elizabeth was sitting on the floor near the fire petting the kitten Beaufort Latchley had given to Amelia. Mrs. Willard and Amelia straightened up from their perusal of a fashion magazine. Mrs. Smithwayne frowned when she saw it, as she considered such occupations to be frivolous.
"Elizabeth." Mrs. Willard waved her hand in the direction of the fireplace. "Do get up and say good afternoon to the Smithwaynes."
"Oh, please don't," Jane cried when she saw the kitten curled up in Elizabeth's lap. She quickly sat down next to her and stroked the kitten's back. "What's its name?"
"Charlotte."
"She's so tiny."
"Jane is never more happy than when she may make the acquaintance of some small animal," her mother said, looking dourly at where the two girls were sitting.
Jane said nothing but reached to scratch the kitten's chin. "Such a ball of white fluff you are, Charlotte," she murmured to it.
Elizabeth decided Jane had just proved she possessed a great deal of sensitivity by knowing where to scratch and exactly the pressure to apply to make the kitten purr even more loudly. She'd already suspected that she might like Jane Smithwayne more than a little, and now she was certain of it. The two talked quietly while Mrs. Smithwayne kept up a one-sided conversation with Mrs. Willard and Amelia. By the time Mrs. Smithwayne rose to leave, Elizabeth and Jane had discovered they had enough in common to sustain a friendship.
They were fast friends by the time Jane gave in to her mother's prodding and asked Elizabeth to come to the Smithwayne Foundation for Abandoned Children one afternoon to help sort donated clothing. Elizabeth agreed only because of Jane. She did not relish the thought of being scrutinized by Mrs. Smithwayne. She arrived at the foundation feeling certain Jane's mother would lecture her about her many deficiencies. To her relief, Mrs. Smithwayne only frowned at her before leaving her and Jane settled in a room to themselves where they were to sort clothing.
"If this is a foundation for children, why is there so much clothing for adults?" she asked Jane not long after Mrs. Smithwayne had left them.
"Children are helped when their parents are helped. If we give clothing to parents, it's one less expense for them. It's the mother and father who must be convinced to send their children to school and to church."
"Do you think you do any good?"
"Sometimes. And many times not. For example, right now we are helping a man whose wife's death left him with two children to provide for, one twelve and the other but seven. He lost his job when he attended his wife's funeral. Now he's turned to crime in order to feed the two."
"But that's awful!"
"I know. Poor Mr. Howard—that's the man's name, Mr. George Howard. I'm not sure if we can do him any good. He makes more money housebreaking than he did working as a clerk. Apparently he's gotten better at it; he hasn't been arrested for weeks. He'll be transported if he's caught again, so perhaps he's more careful now."
"It would be nice if something could be done to help him," Elizabeth said.
"Yes, it would. Some of these clothes will probably go to him."
They were quiet for a time, until Jane put down the breeches she was examining to see what repairs would be necessary. "Your cousin is very brilliant," she said. "She always has a crowd of gentlemen about her."
Elizabeth had nothing to say in response. It was perfectly true, after all.
"Do you suppose she is in love with any of her admirers?" Jane asked.
"One might as
It was not until the second time Mrs. Smithwayne called on the Willards that Elizabeth and Jane became friends. When they came in Elizabeth was sitting on the floor near the fire petting the kitten Beaufort Latchley had given to Amelia. Mrs. Willard and Amelia straightened up from their perusal of a fashion magazine. Mrs. Smithwayne frowned when she saw it, as she considered such occupations to be frivolous.
"Elizabeth." Mrs. Willard waved her hand in the direction of the fireplace. "Do get up and say good afternoon to the Smithwaynes."
"Oh, please don't," Jane cried when she saw the kitten curled up in Elizabeth's lap. She quickly sat down next to her and stroked the kitten's back. "What's its name?"
"Charlotte."
"She's so tiny."
"Jane is never more happy than when she may make the acquaintance of some small animal," her mother said, looking dourly at where the two girls were sitting.
Jane said nothing but reached to scratch the kitten's chin. "Such a ball of white fluff you are, Charlotte," she murmured to it.
Elizabeth decided Jane had just proved she possessed a great deal of sensitivity by knowing where to scratch and exactly the pressure to apply to make the kitten purr even more loudly. She'd already suspected that she might like Jane Smithwayne more than a little, and now she was certain of it. The two talked quietly while Mrs. Smithwayne kept up a one-sided conversation with Mrs. Willard and Amelia. By the time Mrs. Smithwayne rose to leave, Elizabeth and Jane had discovered they had enough in common to sustain a friendship.
They were fast friends by the time Jane gave in to her mother's prodding and asked Elizabeth to come to the Smithwayne Foundation for Abandoned Children one afternoon to help sort donated clothing. Elizabeth agreed only because of Jane. She did not relish the thought of being scrutinized by Mrs. Smithwayne. She arrived at the foundation feeling certain Jane's mother would lecture her about her many deficiencies. To her relief, Mrs. Smithwayne only frowned at her before leaving her and Jane settled in a room to themselves where they were to sort clothing.
"If this is a foundation for children, why is there so much clothing for adults?" she asked Jane not long after Mrs. Smithwayne had left them.
"Children are helped when their parents are helped. If we give clothing to parents, it's one less expense for them. It's the mother and father who must be convinced to send their children to school and to church."
"Do you think you do any good?"
"Sometimes. And many times not. For example, right now we are helping a man whose wife's death left him with two children to provide for, one twelve and the other but seven. He lost his job when he attended his wife's funeral. Now he's turned to crime in order to feed the two."
"But that's awful!"
"I know. Poor Mr. Howard—that's the man's name, Mr. George Howard. I'm not sure if we can do him any good. He makes more money housebreaking than he did working as a clerk. Apparently he's gotten better at it; he hasn't been arrested for weeks. He'll be transported if he's caught again, so perhaps he's more careful now."
"It would be nice if something could be done to help him," Elizabeth said.
"Yes, it would. Some of these clothes will probably go to him."
They were quiet for a time, until Jane put down the breeches she was examining to see what repairs would be necessary. "Your cousin is very brilliant," she said. "She always has a crowd of gentlemen about her."
Elizabeth had nothing to say in response. It was perfectly true, after all.
"Do you suppose she is in love with any of her admirers?" Jane asked.
"One might as
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