Resolution: Day 15

Word Count: 90,007

Year to Date: 180,009

Summary of Events:

Georgiana was invited by Shelton to attend a family gathering his parents were hosting, where things went poorly because Shelton's grandparents had presumed Georgiana's father owned a construction company, and were not pleased to hear — from Shelton's younger sister — that her father was merely an employee. After taking Georgiana home early because of poor treatment all around from his relatives, Shelton went back and got into an argument with his father, seeking to know just why Georgiana wasn't good enough for him, an answer he still didn't receive . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“I love Georgiana,” Shelton replied. “If I were to break off my engagement I would be as much devastated as she would be. My heart has already suffered enough because of you, I do not want to suffer the death-blow.”

“And how has your heart suffered because of me?” Father asked scoffingly.

“You don’t listen to me,” Shelton replied. “You don’t understand me. You don’t know me, and you don’t want to, because if you did we wouldn’t be arguing right now. It is obvious you don’t want me. You want a puppet, and I refuse to be one.”

“You are being excessively emotional Shelton,” Father said.

“Godfrey felt the same way,” Shelton said. “Trust me.”

“You know nothing of Godfrey,” Father scoffed. “If only he hadn’t died so I could have an obedient child.”

“See?” Shelton said. “You don’t even want me.”

“Shelton Roderick Lacy Keith, how idle your tongue is,” Father scolded. “If you want to feel like you’re wanted them maybe you should do what is right.”

“Fine,” Shelton replied tautly. “I will then.”

Turning, Shelton walked to the door — behind which he could hear Mother’s anguished sobs, which had started some time before — he unlocked it, opened it, and stalked past Mother, who blindly grabbed at him, obviously meaning to try and stop him from getting away.

Shelton managed to elude her efforts, however, and walked briskly from Father’s study to his bedroom.

Collecting up the two suitcases, Shelton took them out to where Wes was waiting; Wes saw him coming and had the trunk open and waiting for him before he got there.

“You need any help?” Wes asked.

“No,” Shelton replied, his tone a little more clipped than he’d honestly meant it to be.

He went back inside and up to his room, noting that the location of his mother’s wails had changed to be more toward the location of her and Father’s bedroom, and fetched the boxes, which he stacked atop each other and carried down to the car, where they were stacked in the trunk.

“That’s it?” Wes asked.

“That’s it,” Shelton replied, looking at his best friend resolutely.

Wes shut the trunk with some force and Shelton walked to his door, into which he got while Wes turned the crank to get his car going before getting inside. He looked at Shelton.

“What?” Shelton asked.

“You’re not even going to watch it fade away?” Wes asked.

“No,” Shelton replied calmly. “Father told me to do what is right, and I’m doing it.”

Wes nodded and shifted the car into gear before pulling away.

Shelton kept his gaze locked forward and refused to give into any temptations to look out his peripheral vision or glance in the rearview mirror at the fine house that had once been his home.

His resolution was to marry Georgiana Teagan, and he wasn’t even going to let his family stop him. She was the best woman for him as far as he could tell, and he wasn’t going to let himself be talked out of marrying her and into marrying someone else.

Next Post: March 2.

Resolution: Day 14

Word Count: 84,028

Summary of Events:

Shelton met with Sgt. Oake and learned that the men who'd chased him had mistaken him for someone else, and that it would likely take awhile for everything to be solved, particularly relating to his having been robbed. Georgiana and her older sister discussed Georgiana's worry over the desperation she suspected Hilda was feeling. Shelton spoke with his mother a little bit about Georgiana, but was quickly frustrated when she didn't seem to be listening to his questions, and, as a result, she ended up bursting into tears and leaving the room . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

A shot of anger propelled Shelton to his feet and he stalked back to his room. Seeing as he didn’t actually know what would happen when he enlisted in the army, he wanted to have his things packed, that way he’d be prepared if he was stationed somewhere outside of Edmonton — even if it was with some sort of an Edmonton-based unit like Lord Strathcona’s Horse.

And, if Wes was going to keep waiting with the whole enlistment business, he had to admit it might be a good idea to be packed up and ready to move in with Wes if his parents continued to be obstinate and refuse to give him a good and logical reason just why he shouldn’t marry Georgiana.

Her lack of standing compared to his own didn’t matter to him, and since he was the one who meant to pledge himself to be there for her for all the rest of his life, what did it matter what anyone else thought of it?

He wanted them to give him a reason he could understand regarding why they disapproved of his marriage to Georgiana, and if they weren’t going to give him one soon then it was obvious that they didn’t have a good reason at all, and there was no sense in him sticking around to get even more angry and frustrated.

Was it so hard to give him a straight answer? Was it so hard to explain to him what they hoped for him? Or did they think that he did understand what they wanted and was just choosing to be contrary? How could they not tell that he didn’t understand? He’d even just told Mother straight-up that he didn’t understand; how much clearer did he need to make it?

Frustratedly, Shelton pulled his clothes from the closet and tossed them into his suitcase. It was only once he’d emptied his closet into a heap in his suitcase that he was able to calm himself down enough to fold the clothes neatly and pack them in properly so that they would all fit much better.

Although, on one hand, it felt reassuring to know Godfrey had known what he was going through right now, he had to confess that it was also rather unhelpful, seeing as Godfrey was almost seven years dead.

It would be more comforting to know Godfrey knew what he was going through if Godfrey were here to talk about it with. In fact, if Godfrey were still here he would be able to have an example to go off of without necessarily having to get advice. He might’ve even had someone who was able to convince his parents to listen to him before he’d had to do it — as obviously his sisters saw no need or yearning to be listened to like he did.

Resolution: Day 13

Word Count: 78,084

Summary of Events:

Georgiana, her mother, and her sisters attended a church social event and try as she might to avoid it, her impending wedding came up in the conversation, with another woman expressing disdain that Georgiana would dare get married before her older sister. Shelton and Wesley had a discussion that caused Shelton to realise his older brother had felt just as unacknowledged by his father as he did. Georgiana had Hilda over to talk about their dresses; Hilda brought along a picture from the paper of Elizabeth Taylor, who'd just been married, and suggested Georgiana should have a dress in that style, which Georgiana was quite disinclined to do . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“But you suggested no little sleeves on your underdress,” Hilda said. “You’ve never showed your full bare arms before.”

“I’m inclined to have little sleeves on my underdress,” Georgiana said. “But I might let them be shorter than I usually have by a bit.”

“So why can’t you have the neckline lower?” Hilda asked.

“But that low?” Georgiana asked, pointing at the picture. “I couldn’t possibly, not even under lace.”

“Surely no one would be scandalised if it were under lace,” Hilda said.

Georgiana looked at Hilda with eyebrows raised. Hilda really thought that? Didn’t she remember that there were women in their church who were still scandalised that any woman would dare show her calves in public? The ceremony was going to be open to everyone, and Georgiana had to admit she didn’t want to have people questioning her morals.

Yes, she felt fine wearing shorter dresses and shorter sleeves than some women did, but low necklines? Those were the most suggestive of all, to be honest, and she didn’t want her parents to be thought poorly of because they allowed her to have a dress in the style of a Hollywood actress.

“You’re not going to, are you?” Hilda asked.

“No,” Georgiana replied. “I am not going to, not even under lace. I may have the neckline of my underdress lower than that of my overdress, but I am definitely not going that low with my underdress.”

She pushed the clipping back across the table to Hilda, who turned it to look at for a moment before folding it back along the creases she’d made and tucking it back away whence it’d come.

“I think it’s a beautiful dress,” Hilda said.

“It is decently pretty,” Georgiana agreed. “But it’s too immodest for me. In fact, I’m sure it would absolutely shock the congregation and they’d wonder where Father and Mother went wrong.”

“The world is changing,” Hilda said. “They’re going to have to get used to it.”

“But is all that change for the better?” Georgiana asked. “Is it better to have shorter dresses? Lower necklines?”

“I don’t know,” Hilda replied. “They look pretty.”

Georgiana opened up her notebook to a blank page.

“You don’t seem to think the changes in women’s fashion are good,” Hilda said.

“And we’re each entitled to our own opinion,” Georgiana said. “But that aside, maybe we should see about going to look for fabric and patterns.”

“I’m going to have to have a high neckline like you right?” Hilda asked.

“You said yourself your dress was supposed to be a subdued version of mine,” Georgiana said. “Mine is supposed to be more eye-catching. Besides, I’m sure you’re going to know everyone at the wedding and aren’t going to find yourself a husband.”

“A girl can hope, right?” Hilda asked.

Georgiana shrugged. This seemed a little unlike Hilda, and it made her wonder if her engagement and pending marriage weren’t upsetting Hilda and making Hilda wonder why she didn’t have a fiancé yet. It made her feel badly, but what could she really do?

Resolution: Day 12

Word Count: 72,043

Summary of Events:

Shelton went to visit his oldest sister, who he felt understood him the best, but was upset to find that even she didn't seem to see Georgiana's character as more important than her social standing. Georgiana and Shelton went out with friends again; this time they were at a dance hall, but because Shelton was too concussed to dance and Georgiana didn't know how they ended up sitting and talking instead. Shelton was called by the police with a lead on one of his stolen possessions; on the streetcar there he was surrounded by two men who shot at him and chased him out of the streetcar . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Immediately he went south to the next intersection, circling the block to go back the way that would take him to the police.

Circling the block, however, didn’t allow him to get far enough away from his pursuers that they stopped trying to shoot him, even though he didn’t feel any pain that suggested he might actually have been struck.

He darted into a pawn shop — suspecting that was where Sgt. Oake was waiting for him — and momentum carried him against the counter.

“Did you run all the way here?” Sgt. Oake asked.

“What else do you do when you’re being shot at?” Shelton asked.

“Shot at!” Sgt. Oake exclaimed.

“They didn’t want me to get off the streetcar,” Shelton replied.

Sgt. Oake whirled around when the door opened. Shelton did too and saw his two pursuers startle at the sight of the officer before making to run.

“Halt!” Sgt. Oake shouted, holding his police-issue sidearm in both hands. “Drop your weapons and put your hands up!”

Exhausted from the running, the men obliged and Sgt. Oake cuffed the two men together before getting the pawn shop proprietor to send for another officer.

“Show him the watch,” Sgt. Oake ordered once the summons for another officer had been made.

The proprietor took Shelton over to a cabinet filled with all kinds of jewelry and such, much of it looking old and tarnished. He recognised his watch before the proprietor had drawn it out of the case.

Shelton popped it open and looked at the familiar engraving. He compared its time with that of the clock on the wall. It was still right on time.

“Is it yours?” the proprietor asked.

“Yes it is,” Shelton replied.

“Do you recognise either of these two?” Sgt. Oake asked.

“No sir,” Shelton and the proprietor said in unison.

“Come show them the watch,” Sgt. Oake said.

Shelton obliged, showing them the inside and outside.

“Either of you two recognise it?” Sgt. Oake asked.

Both men shook their heads.

“What were you shooting at him for?” Sgt. Oake demanded.

Neither man spoke.

“I wouldn’t think my parents would stoop to hiring hitmen to kill me because I won’t break off my engagement,” Shelton said. “I mean, we’re not getting along on the best of terms right now, but it’s not that bad.”

“You can’t think of any other reason anyone might pursue you?” Sgt. Oake asked.

“Unless maybe they’re mad at Father for locking up one of their friends,” Shelton replied. “I mean, criminals aren’t prone to liking judges.”

“We’ll see what they have to say for themselves yet,” Sgt. Oake said.

Shelton nodded. He definitely wanted to know what was going on with all of this, as he really didn’t know any reason why he would be pursued by gunmen aside from the reasons he’d mentioned.

Resolution: Day 11

Word Count: 66,006

Summary of Events:

Georgiana was insulted by the mother of her older sister's boyfriend, who had called to speak with Georgiana's mother — and thought she had been doing so. Shelton called the police to answer some questions and ended up realising he'd been attacked and robbed while semi-conscious. Afterwards he went to see Georgiana and they talked a little bit about their wedding before moving on to other topics . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“Well, have you talked with any of your sisters since?” Georgiana asked.

“Loretta came in and had tea with me yesterday,” Shelton replied.

“And what does she think of me?” Georgiana asked.

“She thinks you’re too poor,” Shelton replied. “Although we spent more time talking about me than you.”

“Why you’re not breaking it off?” Georgiana asked.

“Yes,” Shelton replied. “That somewhat.”

“Somewhat?” Georgiana asked.

“Well, she asked me a rather compelling question I still haven’t really figured out the answer to.”

“And what is that question?” Georgiana asked.

“Why do I want to be in the army?” Shelton replied.

“You don’t actually know why?” Georgiana asked.

“Well, I do somewhat,” Shelton replied. “I’ve always wanted to. I mean, yes I went to a school that required a uniform, but a military uniform is different. There’s a . . . prestige, a sense of honour, something bigger, something beyond yourself. People respect you when they see you in a uniform like that.”

“Does it maybe come from the fact that your parents don’t listen to you?” Georgiana asked. “You want to be in the military because the uniform commands people to listen without saying a word?”

Shelton shifted his jaw and looked at Georgiana. “All your quiet observation gives you time to think about things like that.”

“Well you’ve outright told me you don’t feel like your parents listen to you,” Georgiana said.

“Even still,” Shelton said. “That’s something I like about you. You’re smarter than a lot of people give you credit for. You just need to get more confident in saying what you see, I think it would make you more friends than enemies.”

“I don’t look foolish, do I?” Georgiana asked.

“No,” Shelton replied. “But seeing how you don’t really make yourself well-known, like Pearl, people don’t necessarily notice you or expect you to do anything. Some probably even forget that you’re there.”

“So what I just told you might surprise people?” Georgiana asked.

“Absolutely,” Shelton replied. “I wonder if Mother and Father might be more inclined to like you if they realised how unsuspectingly intelligent you are.”

“I don’t know if we could convince them,” Georgiana said. “They’d either just have to observe it of themselves or have someone else whose opinion they regard speak highly of me.”

“You really don’t think we could convince them?” Shelton asked.

“No,” Georgiana replied, shaking her head.

Shelton sighed.

“Just like everyone else who’s opposed to our marriage,” Georgiana sighed.

“Everyone else?” Shelton asked, looking completely confounded.

“Yes,” Georgiana replied. “There’s a couple women in the church who aren’t happy I’m getting married. I don’t even know why. But I don’t mean to tell them I’m marrying you, I don’t want them to suddenly change their minds and approve just because I’m marrying the son of a judge. I don’t think it should matter who I’m marrying. They should be fine with my getting married even if I were to marry the son of a milkman.”

Resolution: Day 10

Word Count: 60,166

Summary of Events:

Shelton, Georgiana, and all of their friends talked together, with Pearl asking several questions about the wedding, only to be shocked by the answers — particularly when she learned there was to be no dance. Georgiana thought some about what she'd like for a wedding dress before getting an idea of what Shelton could do while trying to be easy on his head; but when she called to tell him his mother answered the phone and hung up on her. Shelton was reading, as it didn't involve any movement aside from his eyes and hands, when his youngest sister brought him tea, intent to discuss Georgiana; unfortunately, she not only didn't get why he liked Georgiana, but why he continued to butt heads with their parents . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“You get an inheritance,” Loretta said.

“Money can’t listen to you,” Shelton said. “Money doesn’t care about your opinion.”

“Oh don’t be so dramatic Shelton,” Loretta said.

“You don’t understand,” Shelton said. “All you have to do is marry a handsome boy, give him a son, and look pretty by his side. I have to uphold a family reputation and follow in the occupational practise and marry a decent girl who will give me a son and look pretty by my side, and then I have to provide for her and the children and be able to support Mother and Father when they’re old.”

“I don’t really think what you have to do is all that much harder than what I have to do,” Loretta said. “You’re overdramatising it.”

“It’s hard to put into words,” Shelton complained. “But there’s a lot more expectation riding on me than on you. I have to make sure that the Keith name is well-represented and all sorts of things, and even just the way Mother and Father talk suggests that there’s so much more that I have to do, but yet do they tell me what it is? No.”

“Then maybe you’re reading too far into what they’re saying,” Loretta suggested, idly looking at the back of her hand.

Shelton sighed heavily. “They want me to get married, I picked a girl who loves me and is willing to have children. Are they happy? No. Why? She’s too poor. What does that matter? They won’t tell me. Isn’t her willingness to have children more important? No. Why not? Again, they will not tell me.”

Loretta sipped her tea and stared at the wall. Shelton got the distinct sense she wasn’t really listening to him at all.

“And Father served in the Army in the Great War,” Shelton said. “I’m supposed to follow in his footsteps. Sure I can’t reenact the Great War specifically, and I was too young for the last war, but I want to be in the military for at least a few years. Are they happy with that? No. Why? I don’t know. I’m supposed to become a lawyer and a judge. Apparently it’s supposed to happen right now. Why? I don’t know.”

“Because if you become a lawyer and a judge first you won’t die in battle,” Loretta said. “After all, they’ve already lost one son to an enemy’s gun.”

“There’s not even a war going on,” Shelton protested.

“There could be soon, what with the way the papers are going on about Korea,” Loretta said.

“Korea’s a lot smaller than Europe,” Shelton said. “And the more battle-ready, battle-experienced men who are in the Army would be the ones who would go first anyways. Who says I’ll even get there before the war is over?”

“The last two times wars were expected to be quick they dragged on for years,” Loretta said. “Why do people keep thinking so foolishly?”

Shelton sighed. “It’s a perennial optimism.”

Resolution: Day 9

Word Count: 54,087

Summary of Events:

Georgiana was dropped off at home by Ches and told her mother what had happened before going to bed. Shelton was picked up from the hospital by Wesley, who then drove him to visit his middle sister, whom Shelton was appalled to learn believed Georgiana to be completely immoral and after his money and wouldn't let him tell her what Georgiana was really like; he and Wesley speculated afterwards that she'd come to her conclusions because she'd never actually spoken to Georgiana before. The following night Georgiana and Hilda were picked up by Wesley — who was being Shelton's chauffeur because Shelton's car wasn't running and, even if it were, he had a concussion — to go hang out with everyone; as they drove there Hilda was brought up to date on the accident and the discussion turned to the state of the car . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“Oh,” Hilda said. “So the car isn’t too damaged at all then.”

“No,” Georgiana replied. “The windshield will need to be replaced and there’s some dents and scratches that’ll need to be tidied up.”

“It’s really only that bad?” Shelton asked.

“That’s what Chester said,” Georgiana replied. “You may want to ask him for more specific details.”

“I have to admit I wonder if Father will even want to fix it,” Shelton said.

“Why wouldn’t he?” Georgiana asked. “It’s not going to be that expensive is it? Even if it is a McLaughlin-Buick?”

“Well, they don’t make McLaughlin cars anymore,” Shelton said. “So it might be hard to find parts.”

“But doesn’t Buick still exist?” Georgiana said.

“If the Buick parts have been updated in the last ten years there’s the possibility they wouldn’t match,” Shelton said.

“Really your only concern is replacing the windshield, isn’t it?” Wesley asked.

“But there were trees,” Shelton said. “If I drove over any they could’ve damaged things on the underside that might be important.”

“So you might be getting a new car,” Wesley said. “What kind?”

“Probably a Chevrolet because that’d be all I could afford,” Shelton replied caustically. “As I doubt Father would contribute anything.”

“You think he’s that mad at you about Georgiana?” Wesley asked.

“We haven’t spoken in over two weeks,” Shelton replied. “And if my sisters have spoken to him at all he’ll know that I’m not intent on calling off the engagement like he wants me to, which surely won’t make him inclined to give me any financial help.”

“But you don’t have a job,” Wesley said.

“I should by the end of the month,” Shelton said. “And in the interim, seeing as we’d be working at the same place, you could just drive me with you. I mean, what’s even the point of us each taking our own cars anyways?”

“True,” Wesley agreed. “And it’s not like there’s really anything wrong with a Chevrolet, it’s a good car. My cousin has one.”

“My parents would think it’s terrible,” Shelton said.

“Then why have they been letting you drive a nearly ten-year-old car from a defunct company?” Wesley asked.

Shelton sighed. “Because it was in good working order. They’re not frivolous.”

“I guess that is true,” Wesley said.

“But if they’re concerned about your image reflecting on them surely they’d buy you a nice new car,” Georgiana said.

“They’d probably pit the car against you,” Shelton replied. “They’ll only buy the car for me if I break off the engagement with you.”

“I never thought of that,” Georgiana said quietly, tears filling her eyes.

“That’s terrible of them,” Hilda said.

Georgiana couldn’t believe his parents would be that terrible as to make him give her up if he wanted a new car with their help, if his car was beyond repair, that was; she had to admit she really hoped that it wouldn’t be beyond repair.

Resolution: Day 8

Word Count: 48,041

Summary of Events:

Shelton and Wesley met and decided that they'd both join the Army, as opposed to joining the Navy or the Air Force. Georgiana and her mother went to visit Georgiana's friends Ches and Darlene's mother; while there Georgiana got a strange call from Shelton that she and Ches went to investigate, and discovered Shelton had been in an accident. Shelton was hospitalised with minor injuries and he talked with Georgiana about a variety of things, including the feeling he had that his parents didn't love him . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“How can you say that they don’t love you?” Georgiana asked, looking scandalised.

“If they loved me they wouldn’t want me to marry a rich girl,” Shelton replied. “If they loved me they would be happy to see me enlist in the army. If they loved me they’d love you, because they’d see how you’re the perfect match for me.”

Georgiana stared across the bed. Shelton held her hand tightly and looked at her pleadingly. He didn’t want to let go of her hand until he knew she wasn’t going to take the ring off and leave him forever. She dabbed at her eyes with the side of her finger.

“Please don’t leave me,” Shelton begged. “I’ll have no one left without you.”

Startling slightly, Georgiana looked at Shelton.

“Look, they haven’t even come to see if I’m alright,” Shelton said, gesturing to the door. “You were here right away.”

“But do they know?” Georgiana asked.

Shelton bit his lip. That was true. Did they even have any clue what had happened to him?

“Surely they do love you,” Georgiana said.

“No they don’t,” Shelton replied, looking away. “If they loved me they wouldn’t be trying to make me into someone they know I don’t want to be. What’s dishonourable about being in the army? At least I’m not aspiring to become something unsavoury like a criminal or whatever. No, it’s not the lawyer and judge they want me to be, but it’s not a bad thing, is it?”

“It is dangerous,” Georgiana replied.

Shelton sighed. “Father served in the Canadian army in the Great War for a couple of years and I’m pretty sure he even made it to the Front. I mean, yes, he doesn’t talk about it much, but, still, it’s not a bad thing. He hasn’t even given me any reasons why he doesn’t want me to be in the army, he just keeps telling me I’m supposed to follow in his footsteps and be a lawyer.”

“Oh,” Georgiana said.

“So I am still, technically, following in his footsteps,” Shelton said. “I just went to law school first. Why do I have to become a lawyer now? Does it really matter whether I become a lawyer while I’m young or wait until I’m old, if I really want to?”

“I don’t know,” Georgiana replied quietly.

“I also still haven’t figured out why they’re so vehemently opposed to the idea of your being my wife either,” Shelton said. “I don’t see why you need to be rich for them to like you.”

“I don’t either,” Georgiana agreed.

“It’s frustrating,” Shelton said. “If they would just explain why they want me to do what they want I might do it, but so long as they keep just saying that they want me to do what they want me to without giving me a reason I see no need to oblige them.”

Resolution: Day 7

Word Count: 42,014

Summary of Events:

Georgiana and her mother talked wedding flowers after Shelton left and agreed that the bouquets would be made up exclusively of purple and white crocuses. Shelton went to visit his second-oldest sister, who was of the opinion that Georgiana didn't think independently and accused Shelton of having a superiority complex. Georgiana and Shelton went out for sodas with their friends again, where Shelton and Wesley were asked what branch of the army they planned on serving in; they agreed not the navy, but contemplated the air force . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“It might even help if you had pilot’s licenses before you showed up,” Chester said.

“I don’t know if you can get a pilot’s license in a month,” Shelton said.

“Of course, maybe we could just meet and discuss the matter of what branch of the military we want to sign up for,” Wesley said.

“I have to admit that I was always thinking of the ground army,” Shelton said. “As in the foot soldiers.”

“Me too,” Wesley conceded. “Maybe we’ve just made our decision.”

“Not that flying wouldn’t be fun,” Shelton said. “But who says that we won’t be able to fly as passengers?”

“Exactly,” Wesley agreed.

“We’ll let you know the official answer once we’ve come to a final decision,” Shelton said.

Viktor nodded. “Dat is what I tot.”

“You’re going to be helping with the family farm still, aren’t you Viktor?” Wesley asked.

“Yes,” Viktor replied.

“You probably haven’t started sowing yet, have you?” Wesley asked.

“No,” Viktor replied. “Dere is too much water yet. We always wait until after Modder’s Day.”

“Is it looking like the soil’s got enough moisture in it to bring a good crop?” Wesley asked.

“Yes,” Viktor replied. “It is looking to be a very good year dis year. We have built some extra granaries to store what we get for extras. Dese last years have been very good, we hope dere is no bad years like we had for a very long time.”

“We all do,” Shelton said.

“Yeah,” Chester agreed. “Even if we weren’t farmers, there was nothing for money or work anywhere. It’s hard to say on one hand, but on the other, I have to admit, that war was the best thing that could’ve happened. It was the biggest make-work project anyone could’ve imagined, and it seems to have given everyone a good solid footing to stand on again.”

“Yeah, that is something of a hard thing to say,” Wesley agreed. “But you have to be honest, if that war wouldn’t have happened, we could still be in that depression. No disrespect to the people who died, but not just because the Allies won, but even because of the economic stimulation their deaths weren’t in vain.”

Georgiana glanced over toward Virgil and Pearl. They both seemed unusually quiet, and she noticed a contemptuous expression on Virgil’s face particularly, although as the conversation to her right moved on, the expression faded and Virgil looked at Pearl dotingly while Pearl idly sipped her soda.

Usually Pearl was in the thick of the conversation; oftentimes even steering the conversation where she wanted it to go, yet here she sat silently while conversation flowed around her. Was she even listening to what was being said?

She looked distant enough to make Georgiana wonder, but Georgiana wasn’t sure if she should ask, seeing as that simmering whatever-it-was still was near to the surface, Georgiana could tell, even if she had no clue as to what it was specifically.

Resolution: Day 6

Word Count: 36,218

Summary of Events:

Shelton went to visit Verna, the youngest of his older sisters, and ask her opinion on Georgiana; he was displeased to find she considered Georgiana boring. Georgiana felt badly for how she'd told off Mrs. Ellenwood, even though her parents were both actually somewhat glad that she'd been able to stand up for herself against such a forceful personality. Shelton went to visit Georgiana and nearly got backed into by an inattentive driver, but thankfully no damages or injuries were incurred . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“Sheila said you were almost in an accident,” Georgiana said.

“A woman reversed into the road in front of me in excess of five miles an hour,” Shelton replied. “I am uninjured, my car is undamaged, all is well.”

“You don’t seem to be in a pleasant mood though,” Georgiana said.

“I’m not,” Shelton conceded. “I have little to be happy about.”

“Oh,” Georgiana said, looking distressed. “Why?”

“I was just about backed into by an inattentive driver, Verna thinks you’re boring, and Reverend Baron thinks Baptists are terrible people because they’re against drinking.”

“I don’t hate you because you’ve done it,” Georgiana said. “I merely hope that you never imbibe to the excess, and that you never ask me to imbibe at all.”

Shelton sighed. “We’ve settled location though, we’re getting married at your church.”

“Okay,” Georgiana said.

“Reverend Baron wasn’t even pleased to hear I was marrying a Baptist, much less wondering about becoming one,” Shelton added.

“I’m sorry,” Georgiana said.

“It’s not your fault,” Shelton replied. “Your family aren’t against Presbyterians, so I see no reason why a Presbyterian should be against you, but if they are they’re the ones in the wrong for it.”

“And your sister thinks I’m boring?” Georgiana asked. “Why?”

“Because you haven’t done anything daring,” Shelton replied.

“Oh yes I have,” Georgiana replied.

“What?” Shelton asked, honestly surprised.

“I told off the church’s foremost gossip for trying to meddle with my wedding,” Georgiana replied.

“Oh,” Shelton said. “Why was she trying to meddle with your wedding?”

“Because Mother is one of several women in the church praying that she will realise how bad gossiping is and stop,” Georgiana replied.

“That doesn’t seem at all related,” Shelton said.

“That’s the best reason Mother and I could come up with,” Georgiana replied. “She’s never done it before, so it was the only reason we could think of as to why she might be doing it.”

“Interesting,” Shelton said.

“Have you learned anything on the army uniform front?” Georgiana asked.

“No,” Shelton replied. “I haven’t inquired. Wes and I’ll be enlisted by the beginning of June though, so I should be able to ask when we enlist.”

Georgiana nodded, a worried look coming over her face.

“Please don’t worry about it,” Shelton pleaded. “I’m not going into the army in an effort to get myself killed.”

“But it’s an inherent risk,” Georgiana said.

“I know,” Shelton conceded. “But if this proves to be the time of unprecedented peace Father believes it will be then I’m probably not going to see any combat whatsoever.”

“But Prime Minister St. Laurent is committed to combatting Communism,” Georgiana said. “Assuredly by means of force if necessary.”

“You don’t think the Communists are unstoppable, do you?” Shelton asked.

“No,” Georgiana replied. “But they’re certainly rather intimidating, seeing how they control the largest country in the world.”

Shelton nodded. They definitely were an intimidating group of people, but if all the people who were against Communism were tallied up they probably would make a decently equivalent number.