The wind blew Ginny's hair into her face. She sighed as she took a deep breath of the salt air. Today was the day they could arrive in America! The captain had predicted that it would happen sometime in the next week or so. Ginny prayed it would be today. She longed to see land, and not just any land, American land. America! It seemed like only yesterday they had left Britain. Though she was nervous, she was ready. It was time for a new land, a new home, new people, a new life.

Ginny looked over the rail and stared at the sea green water. Water, that's all she had seen for months. She longed to see land, to know it still existed! It had been so long since she had seen land, she could not be sure if it still existed. Today, hopefully today, she would find out.

“Oh Blythe, isn't it wonderful!” Ginny called to her sister, who leaned over the rail with her.

“Oh yes! We are going to land soon! Oh how I hope it will be today!” Blythe cried with childlike joy. It was as she was a young child on Christmas morning. Ginny chuckled; her sister was so excited it seemed more like she was ten as opposed to nineteen.

“How long do you think till we land?” Ginny asked.

“Land ho! Land ho!” a crew mate cried, scrambling down from the crow's nest.

“I would say very soon. Come, let us go and get the rest of the family, I am sure they will want to hear this news!” Blythe called, hiking up her dress and skipping towards the lower decks where the rest of the family waited. Ginny couldn't believe her sister had that much energy so early in the morning. She glanced out over the horizon at the rising sun. If it hadn't been for Blythe demanding she see the sunrise, she wouldn't even be awake at this hour!

Ginny started after Blythe, then stopped and turned back. She leaned over the rail, and reached for the water. Her arm was not long enough to touch it though. Letting her hand drag along the side of the ship, Ginny stared at her reflection. She still looked the same as when they had left Britain. Yes, she still had the same fiery red hair and forest green eyes, and of course, those dreaded freckled sprinkled across her face. Looking at her reflection, Ginny could not help but wonder what kind of change America would bring. Would it be good or bad?

“Ginny!” Blythe called, impatiently tapping her foot.

“I'm coming!” Ginny said, hurrying after her sister.

Ginny followed Blythe to the cabins where the rest of the family was. “Land ho! Land ho! They have spotted land!” Ginny cried, bursting through the door. The heads of Ginny's three youngest siblings popped up. Edward, Nelly, and Lissy all seemed elated to hear the news.

“Can we see? What's going on? How soon can we see?” cried three little voices all overlapping one another.
“Come here Lissy,” Ginny said, swinging the small girl onto her back. Lissy cried with joy as she grabbed onto Ginny’s shoulders. Ginny glanced at her older siblings, but decided not to bother them. They had heard the news. If they wished to come, they could come on their own.

Lissy, still on Ginny's back, squealed with delight as Ginny ran to the bow. The children yelled as they leaned over the edge, each of them desperately searching for land, eager to be the first one to spot it. After nearly five minutes of searching, little Lissy cried, “Land, I see land!” Her cry was answered with several cries of “Where, where? I do not see it! There it is!” Until every child saw the land, the land called America.

“I bet Delly would have loved this,” Edward sighed, and the chatting of the children ended, with the reminder of the sad event. All you could hear was the waves crashing against the boat, and the wind rustling.
Delly was Ginny's younger sister who had passed away recently. Ginny closed her eyes and pictured her younger sister's sweet little face. No, Ginny thought, you cannot think of Delly right now. Now is not the time to cry.

“Yes, yes she would have,” Ginny said, shaking her head, clearing her eyes. “But let's not dwell on it.”
“That is correct,” Blythe piped up quickly, doing her best to change the subject.

“Hello! Who is up here?” a grumpy voice called. Heads spun around to see Lottie, one of the many other Miller children.

“Hello Lottie!” Lissy called, waving to her sister. Lottie huffed in response. 

“For the last time, my name is Charlotte and I expected to be called so. Charlotte is the name of a lady; Lottie is just a childish nickname.”

“Well, it seems we should still call you Lottie as you certainly aren’t a lady,” Edward replied, sneering. He loved to tease his sister, but especially Lottie because she reacted the best. 

“Edward!” Lottie cried. “Oh the things I will do to you one day!”

“Those are very ladylike words, Lottie,” Nelly said, smiling widely. She was like a mini Edward, always teasing, always joking. She smiled, showing her missing front teeth. 

“I can scarcely understand you with that lisp Ellen,” Lottie said, calling Nelly by her real name.  Nelly stuck her tongue out at her. She had been in a phase where she refused to respond to her Christian name as “Ellen was such an ugly name,” in her words.  

“Anyways, you younger children, mother wants you, I don’t know why, don’t ask me,” Lottie said.

“Why does Mother want us?” Edward cried.  Lottie through up her hands in exasperation. 

“Charlotte dear, why don’t you let me take the children to Mother?” Blythe said, placing her hand on Lottie’s shoulder. Ginny knew that she was doing this more for the children’s sake, than Lottie’s. Ginny knew full well that Blythe could not care what Lottie thought. 

“Oh would you. Thank you darling,” Lottie said, smiling at Blythe. Lately she had taken up the habit of calling everyone darling. Ginny hated it. It was more annoying than anything else. 

“Follow me children,” Blythe said, leading the children, leaving Ginny, to her horror, alone with Lottie. Ginny wished she could have an excuse to follow after Lottie. 

Ginny stared at Lottie. How different they were, not only in temperament but also in Lottie. Where Ginny was short and thin, Lottie was tall and curvier. Lottie loved it though. She always claimed that men loved women with meat on their bones, and Lottie did have especially wide hips.  Lottie also took special pride in her auburn hair, refusing to cut it. For now she wore it down and it glistened in the sunlight. 

“How are you Charlotte?” Ginny asked. She normally would have called her Lottie, but she was not in the mood to spark an argument. Lottie was already in a bad mood. 

“I’m fine, Virginia,” Lottie said, her anxiousness creeping into her voice. “Are you not excited? We are hopefully arriving in Boston today!” 

Ginny knew why Lottie wanted to arrive in Boston. One reason was she despised ships. Lottie did not possess a pair of sea legs and spent many days dispelling the contents on her stomach into the ocean. The main reason, however, was the fact that she missed her society. Lottie loved to entertain and to show off. She loved to go off to party, stay up late into the night dancing in the arms of eligible bachelors. Ginny, however, would have much rather stay home, curled up in her bed. 

“Yes it is,” Ginny said, annoyed. “And it’s Ginny, not Virginia.” Ginny despised her real name almost more than anything else. It was too formal. Ginny fit her rowdy personality better. Virginia seemed like a regal lady, Ginny seemed like a care free girl, more like her.

“You should learn to answer to the name Virginia; after all, it is your Christian name, and the name that society will know you by.” 

“I think society will know me by the name I chose and the name I chose is Ginny. If you expect me to call you Charlotte you better call me Ginny,” Ginny said, her annoyance with Lottie leaking out. Why could the two of them never get along? 

“Well then,” Lottie scoffed. 

Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Stefan, Ginny's brother, who came running up to the two girls, sweating and out of breath.

“Lottie, Ginny, mother wants you,” he said, panting.

“Stefan, why are you all out of breath?” Ginny asked. Stefan hated physical work so it seemed odd that he would have run the whole way.

“I, I ran here,” he gasped. Ginny saw tears beginning to form in his brown eyes.

“Why?” Lottie asked, as puzzled as Ginny.

“So I could get back to my book sooner.”

“Oh Stefan!” Ginny cried, as they began to walk back to their cabin.

When they arrived, Ginny's mother, Suznna, was waiting for them. She sent Stefan and Edward into the hall. Stefan moaned when Suzanna would not let him take his book. He sounded more like an eight year old, than a seventeen year old.

“Good,” Suzanna said, once the boys were out. “All right girls, we want to look our best for our arrival, so it is time to pull out your clean dress.”

The girls all cheered. Each girl, before leaving, was allowed to pick out one new dress for the arrival in Boston. Today was the day they finally got to wear them. The girls quickly got dressed. Ginny ran her fingers through her red curls, and then swished them around her head. She loved that feeling. When they were ready, the girls started to head to the bow.

Ginny stared at her mother for a second before she left. Her mother had deep wrinkles pressed into her face. Bags were under eyes from many sleepless nights. Her red hair and green eyes gave the only hints of her Irish heritage. The loss of Delly was written on her face.

Ginny knew her mother had once been considered a beautiful woman, but after eleven children, and only nine of them living it was no longer true. Ginny knew Suzanna would be the first to admit that. Ginny still thought her mother was pretty, but not in the way you would expect. She was pretty in soul.

“Missing Father, Mother?”  Ginny asked, gently. Ginny’s father, George, had come over several months prior to get things settled in America for them. His absence had been especially hard on Mother. Though her beloved brother stayed with them, Ginny knew her mother longed for her husband. Ginny missed her father as well. They weren’t very close, but she felt an absence in her life when he was not there. 

“Yes, yes I am,” Mother said, wiping a tear from her eye. “We shall see him soon, won’t we though? Now go join your siblings and make sure they are all right.” 

Ginny hurried into the hall after her sisters. The boat wobbled as they began to reach shore. Little Lissy tugged on Ginny’s sleeve. “Is Boston going to be like London?” she asked.

“You know Lissy, I do not know, no one does,” Ginny replied.

Suddenly, the ship lurched to a stop. They had docked! America was just out there. The rest of the Millers ran out of the room and the eleven of them ran up to the deck. Ginny smiled as she leaned over the rail and saw land. Land, it still existed! Soon her smile grew wider. “Hello Boston, my name’s Ginny and I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Ginny grasped Lissy's hand as they began to lower the platform for them to reach land. Ginny had a smile that stretched from cheek to cheek and eyes that seemed to glow. This was it, this was her chance.

“Are you ready Lissy?” Ginny asked, Lissy nodded, but gripped Ginny's hand harder. It seemed she was just as nervous as Ginny, maybe a bit more.

Soon the platform was lowered. The crowd of people running off resembled a mob. It seemed everyone was just as eager to get to land as Ginny was. Ginny held Lissy tightly and ran for the platform. America, that single word was repeated over and over again in her head. Oh how she wanted to touch land!

When Ginny feet first touched American soil, she wanted to scream for joy. All eight Millers had survived the journey, something that was no short of a miracle. Sickness was ever present of the ship. Ginny could recall several passengers who had succumbed to illness and had to be thrown into a watery grave. Ginny was forever thankful that no one in her family had suffered a fate like that.

Ginny grabbed Lissy and threw her into the air. “America!” she cried, and Lissy laughed, her petticoats fluffing out so she gently floated to the ground.

Ginny glanced around the harbor they landed at. This was America. To be truthful, from what she could see, the Boston Harbor reminded her of any old harbor back in London. Yet, there was something different about it. Though there were the same types of shops, same type of people crying the same cries, something felt different. Ginny vowed to figure out what it was.

It was then Ginny heard someone calling her name. She saw her eldest sister, Rebecca, and her little family, her husband Thomas and daughter Georgie.

“Becca!” Ginny cried, running into her sister’s waiting arms. Rebecca had been living in Boston for a year now, and Ginny hadn’t realized how much she missed her. 

“Aunt Gin-Gin!” Georgie cried, waddling over to Ginny. Ginny scooped her up and held her in her arms. 
“Oh my sweet niece, how are you?” She cried, smiling. She hosted the little child in the air and she squealed with laughter. Ginny set the child down and she ran to see her other aunts and uncles. 

Ginny turned to her brother-in-law and smiled. Thomas Everhart was a tall man, so tall the youngest of Ginny's siblings thought he could touch the sky if he wished. He had tar colored hair that fell across his leg as if it was actually tar. His eyes were a shade lighter than Rebecca's.

“Good day Thomas! Did Abigail come with you?” Ginny asked, cheerfully.

Thomas smiled down at her. “Afraid not. She's a bit ill right now, but she should be back on her feet soon enough. I bet she shall be excited to see you again.”

Abigail was Thomas's younger sister and was Ginny's best – and truthfully, her only- friend. Ginny tried to hide her disappointment. She had waited more than three months for this moment. Oh how she yearned to see Abigail again. She had forgotten what it felt like to have a friend.

It was then Ginny saw her father. Without even thinking, she ran into his arms. He held her tight against his chest. Ginny felt tears well up in her eyes. It had been so long since she had felt her father’s strong arms around her. “Oh my little Virginia, how I missed you,” father whispered.

“How are you Father?” Ginny asked, taking a step back to look at her father. He was short, like she, nearly a full head shorter than Thomas. His once thick bark brown hair that now barely covered his head. He had lost more hair since Ginny last saw him. He was nearly bald. His eyes were the same color as his hair and illuminated his pale skin.

Before he had a chance to answer the rest of the children ran over to him. All of them, even Rebecca and Lottie, joined in a group hug. Ginny smiled as she was crushed by her siblings. Soon they all landed on the ground, laughing.

Ginny looked up from her giggles and saw her mother approached. Her smile was wide and her eyes were bright. She walked slowly, waiting for her husband to notice her. 

Father stopped laughing and looked up. He untangled himself from the many hands and rose to her feet. “Suzanna,” he whispered, breathlessly.

“George,” Mother replied in the same manner. Ginny gasped as she saw her mother - the same mother who was the daughter of Baron- run into her husband’s arms, laughing like a little child. 

“Oh how I’ve missed you,” Father whispered, as he held Mother close. He kissed her on her nose and Ginny heard her younger siblings all cry, “Ewww!!!”

Mother and Father laughed as they look at their brood of children, laughing on the ground, happy to be on dry land. Out of the nine living children, eight were there. 

“Father are you taking us to our new house?” Lissy asked, jumping up and down, excitedly. Thomas, who was standing next to Lissy, put his head on Lissy's head to keep her from jumping. “Calm down little girl,” He said, arousing gales of laughter from the children.    

Father chuckled to himself and said, “To answer your question, yes, I am taking you to your new home.”

Lissy, Nelly, and Edward, squealed, their childish joy coming out. Soon all three of them were jumping up and down. Georgie, not knowing what was going on, decided to follow suit. Watching them, Ginny barely suppressed the urge to begin jumping herself.

Lissy, out of character, stopped jumping and turned to Father. “Father, will we be able to see Mark in Boston?” The question was left unanswered as a peculiar silence filled the air. Ginny held her breath.

Mark was the eldest Miller child. For the past two years he had been serving with the king's army in America, helping to put a stop to the rebellious behavior. His letters back home were rare and Ginny had begun to forget what her eldest brother's face looked like.

Father gathered Lissy up in his arms and held her close. “I am afraid not, Lissy dear, Mark is stationed in Pittsburgh, a city near Boston. Maybe, one day we will be able to visit him. If not, it’s only a few more years till he is released from duty.

Lissy looked at the ground, saddened. Ginny could tell she desperately wanted to see Mark. “I miss him Papa.”
“I know Lissy, we all do, but he shall come home soon, I promise.”

Lissy nodded, satisfied, and then wriggled her way out of Father's arm. She ran over to join the other children.
“Now everyone, we will arrive at our new home soon enough. Now, please follow Father to the carriage,”

Mother said, herding the children towards the carriage. Ginny, and the rest of her siblings, followed.
The carriage was a simple, a less expensive design. The inside was not very well furbished, but it did have two comfortable benches. The carriage was just big enough for the Millers, with Thomas, Father, Stefan, and Edward sitting at the front. Ginny climbed into the carriage, and sat between Blythe and Nelly. Nelly was chatting and talking on and on about random things, not really caring if anyone was listening. She seemed to know no one. Blythe stared off into the horizon mumbling about freedom and something or other. That left Ginny alone with her thoughts. America. That single word rang through her head. This was the new world. Ginny's mind wandered back to Britain, but she crushed it down. Britain was in the past now. She didn't need to waste her time thinking about it.

However, Boston reminded Ginny of Britain. It looked like any old simple town. She saw the same types of shops, the same type of people, the rich walking like they were better than everyone, the beggars on the streets. The town still echoed with noise, and there was almost no place you could escape it. Ginny closed her eyes, trying to get the noise to stop echoing. She couldn't.

After a while -though it seemed to take a forever and a day- Father stopped in front of a small two story house. “Welcome,” he said, “to the Miller home.”

A smile crossed Ginny's face. The house reminded her of the cottage home they had had back in Britain. Though she was trying to forget Britain, this house brought back the comforts of home. “Can we go inside?” Edward asked, already jumping out of the carriage.

“Yes, yes-” Father wasn't even done speaking before Nelly, Edward, and Lissy were jumping out of the carriage. Georgie tried to follow and Ginny just managed to catch her before she fell. Ginny gently lowered Georgie to the ground. She cheered and ran off, chasing after the other children. Ginny carefully climbed out of the carriage, and slowly walked towards the house. It was made of large bricks that were black-gray in color. Large windows adorned the sides of the house and Ginny smiled. She loved having a fresh breeze blowing through the house. Flowers bloomed in front of the house in lovely shades of pink and yellow. Ginny's grin only grew as she walked up to the door of the house.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny pulled open the wooden door. The house smelled like fresh cooked bread, as if someone had already been here. Ginny inhaled the smell and then slowly set off to explore the house.
On the ground floor, there was a kitchen and a small parlor. She also found two bedrooms; one which she assumed would go to her parents, the other for her brothers. The rooms were already filled with some furniture, a couch here and a bed there. It seemed Father had been busy well they were still in Britain

Ginny found a set of stairs and climbed to the next floor. The second floor was small, only two bed rooms: one that would be Blythe and Ginny's other sister, Lottie. The other for Nelly, Lissy, and Ginny.

A blew flew past Ginny screaming. Ginny laughed when she realized the blur was Lissy. Of all the children, Lissy hated being locked in the cramped ship the most. She had so much energy that could not be locked up anymore. Her cage had been broken and she was free. Ginny listened to her screams about how thrilled she was to have her feet on solid ground.

“Lissy! Slow down!” Ginny cried, trying not to laugh. If Lissy heard her, she did not care. She just kept running around, screaming like a mad person. Ginny decided that nothing was going to be able to stop her and left her alone.

Trying to avoid getting run over, Ginny clambered down the stairs. She found Mother, Father, Rebecca, Thomas, and Lottie sitting in the parlor.

“Ginny! How do you like the house?” Father asked when he saw her.

Ginny entered the parlor and sat down in one of the empty chairs. “It reminds me of our old cottage house.” Ginny loved that home, with its open plain where she was free to run. One day, she wanted to live in a place like that. She wanted to live where she could be as free as she wanted, where she would not have to bend to anyone's rules, especially society's.

Father laughed a deep and throaty laughed that echoed off the walls.  “That is what I wished!”

“Rebecca's and mine house looks similar to this one. You shall have to come and visit. Oh, and my mother will want to see you of course. Abigail, as well, once she recovers,” Thomas said, a wide smile on his face. He draped his arm around Rebecca’s shoulder and pulled her closer. 

“What is Abigail ill with?”

“Virginia!” Lottie scolded, Ginny was not sure why. She did not see anything wrong with asking what her friend was afflicted with.

“It is fine Charlotte. Abby just has a mild fever, she shall recover soon enough, do not worry yourself.”
“Ginny, would you mind taking Lissy out and about? She is so excited I am afraid that she shall break something and we have yet to be here for an hour,” Mother asked.

“Out and about, but I have yet to go anywhere other than this house.  I do not know my way around,” Ginny said.

“I have a solution for that. Paul, my apprentice, can show you around. He knows Boston like the back of his own hand. I shall go and fetch him for you. I am sure he will be willing to help.”

“Thank you Thomas, I shall go get Lissy,” Ginny said, rising. She left the parlor and began to look for Lissy. That turned out to be a job harder than she expected. She roamed the house calling Lissy's name, but either Lissy was constantly out of the range of her voice or she just was not listening. Ginny had a feeling it was the second option.

“Lissy!” she called again. She received no response. She tried again. Still nothing. Ugh, Lissy, Ginny thought. “Lissy, would you like to go exploring?”

Lissy then appeared in front of Ginny before Ginny even had the chance to see where she was coming from. Her little red hair was bobbing up and down. “Exploring? Exploring what?” Lissy asked, jumping up and down.
“What else, our new home! Thomas's apprentice, Paul, is going to show up around.”

Lissy opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a loud knock on the door.

“I shall get it!” Lottie cried, dashing towards the door. When she arrived, she stopped, straightened her dress, fixed her cap, and messed with her hair. Then she opened the door.

“Hello Miss Miller, I am here to get two other Miss Millers,” a gentle voice said. The voice sounded warm and friendly.

“Oh, I mean, of course. Do come in Mr...”

“McClearly, Paul McClearly at your service,” the man said, bowing. Lottie moved away revealing a tall man with cinnamon colored skin, lush brown hair, and bright brown eyes. From her guess, Ginny would say he was about twenty years old. As she looked at Mr. McClearly, she noticed a jagged scar that ran from the base of his jaw to halfway up his cheek. She wished to know how he had received that scar, but she knew it would be impolite to ask.

“Virginia, Alice, your guide is here,” Lottie called, grabbing them from the entrance. As Ginny passed Lottie grabbed her arm and whispered, “Have fun.” Ginny sighed, but followed Lissy to the door. She did not know what went on inside Lottie's mind. She was not sure she wanted to know.

Ginny curtsied – as best she could- and said, “Good day Mr. McClearly,” once she arrived at the door.

“Good day Miss Virginia, Miss Alice,” Mr. McClearly said, smiling brightly. It seemed Thomas had mentioned their names to him.

“It's Lissy,” Lissy replied.

“Lissy!” Ginny scolded. “What she means is she would prefer to be called Lissy, as I would prefer to be called Ginny.”

“All right then, Miss Ginny and Miss Lissy it is. Now, would you girls like to go on a tour of Boston?”

“Yes Mr. McClearly, thank you for doing this,” Ginny replied, shooting a glare at Lissy, trying to scare her into behaving.

“Be good girls!” Mother called from the parlor.

“We shall!” Ginny called, as Mr. McClearly led them outside.

As Mr. McClearly led Ginny and Lissy through Boston, Mr. McClearly and Lissy talked constantly. Lissy had finally found someone who was willing to listen to her, and not alone listen to her, but listen and reply. Ginny, however, said nothing. She just stared at the buildings, memorizing where everything was. Buildings rose up next to the wide road; a road that was crowded with people, horses, and carriages.

“Good day miss!” people cried. Ginny was in her own world and barely remembered to wave. Ginny could not believe how much open sky there was. The sky seemed to go on for miles and miles till it seemed to reach the end of the world. The air even seemed to be cleaner. Ginny wondered if that was just the lack of salt in the air, but she prayed it was not. Clean air was a privilege one could not always get in London.

“Ginny!” Lissy cried, snapping Ginny out of her daydream.

“What?”

“Were you listening? Mr. McClearly said he is going to show us where the general store is. Something you might wish to remember,” Lissy said, her eyebrows raised.

“Oh, my apologizes,” Ginny mumbled as they entered a large white building.

Inside was everything Ginny could imagine, fruits, vegetables, quills, spectacles, sugar, flour… the list went on and on.

“Paul!” a tall man called.

“Robert, how have you been?” Mr. McClearly asked.

“I’ve been good, thank you. Now, who are these two fine young ladies? I do not believe I have had the privilege of meeting them before.”

“I’m Ginny Miller. This is my sister. Our family just arrived here from Britain,” Ginny said, curtsying.

“My name is Alice, but I hate that name, call me Lissy, please!” Lissy but in, doing a hasty curtsey after seeing Ginny perform one. The man chuckled and shot Lissy a warm smile.

“Well then how old are you two wondrous ladies?”

“I am six sir!” Lissy chipped in.

“I am going to fifteen in week Mr…”

“Eby, Robert Eby. Say my daughter, Grace, recently turned seventeen. My son, Benjamin, turned fifteen just a while ago. You should come by the store some time and meet them.”

“I will Mr. Eby, thank you.”

“You are welcome. Good day Miss Miller, and you too Miss Miller.”

After visiting the general store, Mr. McClearly took Ginny and Lissy home. Shortly after the two girls went to bed, tired after a long day. As Ginny slipped on her nightdress and climbed into bed, she thought, July 4, 1773 the day everything changed.

“Ginny, Nelly, and Lissy, come downstairs at once! I have someone who I wish you to meet!” Mother called from downstairs. Ginny sighed and rolled out of bed. She hated when her mother woke her up by yelling; though she hated it when her mother woke her up by shaking her. Frankly, she just hated it when her mother woke her up.

Ginny looked at her sisters and saw they were being just as sluggish as her. Neither of them seemed either to drag themselves out of bed. “Now!” Mother called from downstairs. Ginny grabbed her robe off the chair as she hurried downstairs. Whoever could Mother want them to meet? 

Mother stood at the foot of the stairs with a woman Ginny had never seen before. She was a shorter woman, leaning more towards the larger side. She wore a calico dress that was bright yellow and almost made Ginny want to shield her eyes. Her eyes were bright and her brown hair flowed freely down her back. Ginny thought she was quite pretty despite her older age. 

“Girls, this is Emeline Ecker, and she is going to your governess,” Mother said, addressing the three girls. 
“A governess? Why do we need a governess?” Lissy cried her anger showing. Lissy did not like the being controlled by anyone and a governess would probably be a very controlling force.

“It is time you girls learn to be proper women of society. Ms. Ecker is here to help you learn to do that. Ms. Ecker is quite a brave soul, agreeing to take on the three of you, since, heavens know, you can be quite a handful.” 

“What about Blythe and Lottie? Are they to have a governess?” Nelly asked. 

“No, Blythe and Charlotte are old enough to take care of themselves. Now why don’t you three girls go get dressed and meet Ms. Ecker in the parlor, so she can have the chance to get to know you.”

“Yes Mother,” the girls replied, turning to go back upstairs. Nelly and Lissy whined the whole way.

“A governess? She is not going to let us play pranks!” 

“How can Mother expect us to become proper women of society? Does she know us at all?”

“Oh you two just stop your complaining. Complaining is not going to make your situation any better,” Ginny said, annoyed with her sisters. 

Nelly and Lissy mumbled something Ginny couldn’t understand as they entered their room. The three girls quickly got dressed, not speaking to one another, each lost in their own thoughts.

A governess? Ginny thought to herself.  What does Mother expect us to learn from a governess? They had never had a governess back in England. Mother had wanted them to have one, but she could never find one who would agree to take on so many unruly girls. It seemed Ms. Ecker thought she was up for a challenge. She’s in for a surprise, Ginny thought. 

The three girls hurried downstairs, not wanting to make Mother any angrier than she already was. It was not hard for the three of them to anger Mother. She was always annoyed with them, telling them they should behave more like their older sisters. Ginny really knew they she meant Becca and Lottie for Mother would not want them to behave like Blythe. 

“Ms. Ecker is waiting in the parlor for you girls. Please try to be on your best behavior. I’d like Ms. Ecker to stay.” 

“Yes Mother,” the girls said, dutily bowing their heads. Ginny knew that Nelly and Lissy were not going to be on their best behavior. They probably had plenty of pranks planned for poor unsuspecting Ms. Ecker. 
The girls entered the parlor and took their seats on their respective chairs. Within days of moving in, each child had claimed a chair as their own. The chairs were taken very seriously, you were not allowed without permission to sit in another’s chair. Ginny noted that Ms. Ecker was nowhere to be seen. 

Nelly, Lissy, and Ginny sat awkwardly for a moment. Nelly and Lissy whispered to themselves, probably plotting. Ginny pretended to be oblivious to it all. Nelly and Lissy were not going to bring her down with them. 
Finally Ms. Ecker entered a wide smile on her face. She was carrying something behind her back. Ginny craned her next to see what it was, but she could not see. Ms. Ecker sat down, keeping whatever it was hidden. Ginny noted that she sat in Blythe's chair.

“Hello girls. I am very excited to get to know you all. But first things first, no more of this Ms. Ecker stuff. My name is Emeline and I would much prefer if you called me that. Now I know your names are Virginia, Ellen, and Alice, but I do not know who is who.” 

“My name is Virginia, but I must prefer Ginny,” Ginny said, speaking up quickly. She didn’t want Nelly and Lissy to jump the gun. Ms. Ecker – or Emeline- seemed decent. “That’s Ellen, though she likes to be called Nelly. That’s Alice, though she likes to be called Lissy.” Ginny pointed at her sisters as she said their names. 
“Thank you Ginny. Hello Nelly and Lissy. I have something I wish to give to you.” She reached behind her back and pulled out three freshly backed pastries. Nelly and Lissy quickly took theirs and shoved them into their mouths, their pranks quickly forgotten. Ginny was more hesitantly, mumbling a thank you. 

“The cook, Dolly Amend, is an old friend of mine. I normally am able to sneak food out of the kitchen. If you can be nice girls I think there might be more where this came from. Would you like that?” 

“Yes!” Nelly and Lissy said through full mouths. Ginny made a note that pranks could easily be forgotten about when food was given. 

“Now why don’t you run along? We can start our lessons later, say ten o’clock?” Emeline said a smile on her face. Ginny glanced at the clock, it was only eight thirty, they had a full hour and a half to themselves. 

Nelly and Lissy nodded gleefully and then scampered off to get in some kind of mischief. Ginny, however, remained seated. She wanted to talk to Emeline for a moment. 

“Are we actually going to have a lesson?” She asked, suspiciously. 

“Well we have to have some sort of a lesson, or I would lose my job. However, it may not be as strict as your mother wishes it to be. That can be our little secret,” Emeline said, putting a finger on her lips. 

Ginny smiled. “I can’t believe my mother hired you. I don’t mean anything by that, it just seems like you are too,” Ginny paused thinking of the right word, “loose for her.” 

Emeline laughed. “I know how to please people. I know what they want to hear. Your mother wanted to hear that I would be strict and make you into proper society women. Your sisters wanted to get time to themselves and food.”

“What about me? What do I want?”

Emeline paused for a moment and then smiled. “I’m still learning that. Will you allow me time to learn?”

Ginny stared at the ground. Did she trust Emeline, someone her mother hired to train her? Could she trust her? Ginny looked up at Emeline and noticed her eyes were a similar shade to her own. Emeline smiled at her and Ginny couldn’t help but smile back. “Yes.”