Prelude by ID Johnson

Author:ID Johnson [Johnson, ID]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ID Johnson

Chapter Twelve

Southampton

Meg entered her room and noticed an envelope on the desk, something she hadn’t seen for several months, and was a bit surprised to see that Charlie had finally written her back. The last time he had corresponded he had seemed quite distant. He’d discussed his classes at Harvard and a few of his friends, but the letter was short and not very personal. She wondered if it was in response to the sort of letter she was forced to send him, but she couldn’t imagine what it might have been that had changed his tone.

She picked the letter up and was about to open it when she heard footsteps behind her. Setting it back on the table, she found Kelly approaching her bed, the expression on her face quite serious. “What is it?” Meg asked, sitting down next to her.

“I have something important to tell you, and I’m not quite sure how you’re going to react,” the redhead said with a heavy sigh.

Meg was quite concerned, her mind jumping all over the place. “Has my mother let you go?”

“Oh, goodness, no. Nothing like that,” Kelly assured her.

“Well, what is it then? It isn’t my uncle is it?”

Kelly’s eyes grew quite large. By now, everyone in Southampton seemed to know that her uncle had nearly forced himself upon a young lady at Christina Edgebrook’s coming out, an act that had him banned from every social activity ever since and had lost the factory quite a deal of money in contracts pulled away by outraged individuals, friends of the Edgebrooks and the young lady in question.

“Do you honestly think I wouldn’t have told you immediately if he were to try something like that with me?” Kelly nearly spat.

Meg considered the question and then shrugged it away. She still had never told Kelly, so yes, she could understand. “What is it then?”

“I’ve met someone,” Kelly said, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

Confused, Meg asked, “What’s that now?”

“A man. I’ve met a man,” Kelly clarified.

“I’ve met dozens of men,” Meg replied, leaning back against the headboard. “Each time I attend a ball, I meet half a dozen more. So what?”

“So what? Oh, Meg, you are truly ridiculous,” Kelly said picking up a nearby pillow and tossing it at the younger girl. “I mean to say, I’ve met a man and fallen in love, Meggy!”

This had her sitting bolt upright. “What? You’ve fallen in love? How is that possible, Kelly? You’re only…”

“Nineteen!” Kelly reminded her. “I’m plenty old enough to be married. You’re nearly there yourself, though one wouldn’t know it from the amount of running about you still do. At any rate, I’ve met a man and he’s proposed, and we are to be married soon.”

Meg leaned back again, taking it all in. The thought of Kelly getting married…. Before she knew it, she’d be having babies and then going off and leaving her. She really couldn’t think of much to say. She was happy for her friend, but at the same time, she hated the thought of losing her.

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