Astounded: Day 11

Word Count: 66,012

Summary of Events:

Penrod met with the man who'd bought Mr. Vaughan's cattle and found the man more than willing to legally buy the cattle from Jemima and give Penrod a couple for Jemima's brother to keep. Jemima helped Penrod put the cattle away and then got dressed to go to town and open a bank account in which to put the money from the sale. Penrod was impressed by Jemima's confidence in the bank, and got upset at one of the men in town whose morals he disliked who tried to flatter Jemima. Jemima compared Penrod and her father and thought about how much they were alike and how she'd much rather marry Penrod than Mr. Bateman. Penrod received a letter from his fiancée and was then sent to get the doctor for Mr. Plumley, albeit too late.

Excerpt of the Day:

"Sliding his finger under the flap, Penrod broke the seal and opened the letter. It was another one of Susanna's, and he felt it'd come too quickly to be a response to the letter he'd last sent to her.

Unfolding the paper, Penrod looked on Susanna's neat and looping script, elegant and well-written, evidence of her mother's emphasis on good and proper education being given to her children despite the lack of a school in the area.

Dearest Penrod,

I'm writing to tell you that positively the worst thing has happened for me. Father approved of Mildred courting Mr. Griffith Sissons, the young hand Mr. Primrose hired to replace you. The two of them have been positively besotted since they first set eyes on each other, and now Mr. Sissons is coming over to dinner and everything.

I have been positively desperate in my longing to see you again as it is, but I've solaced myself that your return to wed me this summer would come soon enough, but now it is that I cannot stand it, I absolutely must see you again before summer comes.

Father says that I can wait, and that I should, as none of the boys can be spared to escort me, and being as Mother still has Mary to school, along with Irene somewhat, although she's pretty much learned everything, she can't either, but I absolutely must, and being as I am going to see my fiancé I really don't think that I need an escort.

I have decided, though, that I will not come in all due haste, as much as my heart begs me to do so, I am instead going to enforce upon myself a greater patience, and I will come to visit you the week before Easter.

I also think it would be wise for us to get together and discuss some of the affairs regarding our wedding, such as what date we should like to be wed on, and how we should be transporting all of my things to your residence.

I do desperately look forward to the week before Easter and hope that we will be able to have an immensely enjoyable time together for the last time before it comes to pass that we will be wed, which it is that I greatly anticipate.

Sincerely with all my love,

Susanna

Shifting his jaw, Penrod refolded the letter. Right. He was getting married this summer. He needed to find a place to live. He couldn't share this place with Mr. Bateman and Susanna. She'd detest the idea.

He was also pretty sure Susanna wouldn't like to live in a house attached to a barn either, she would want to live in a proper house, so Penrod could leave Mr. Bateman in this place and go find one of his own."