Announcement
Turning away, Meg took a deep breath. Clarity began to sink in, and she couldn’t help but hope that her mother was out for the day or else she’d likely be upstairs giving them both the what for. She knew she needed to be happy for Kelly, but it was so difficult when it seemed that Kelly was realizing everything Meg had always wanted for herself. She’d fallen in love with a good man—one she’d chosen for herself, and even though he was a simple carpenter, he was a hard worker who loved her back and wanted to do whatever she needed to be happy. Now, she was talking of going to America, and even though that had always been Meg’s dream, she hadn’t bothered to tell Kelly that she hoped one day they would both go off to America together, to start again, as sisters, to find love and happiness together. Now, here she was, all alone again, wondering if she had the strength or courage to defy her parents and run away to America on her own.
It crossed her mind that it should actually make it easier to do so if Kelly were there waiting, but what if she and Daniel weren’t ready to go when Meg was? What if they had a child and decided to stay so that they’d be near Patsy? What if… there were a lot of what ifs, and thinking about them made Meg’s head hurt and her heart ache.
She crossed back over to the table where Charlie’s letter sat, still unopened. She knew by now that her mother wasn’t coming to yell at her or else she’d have already made it up the stairs. Picking up the envelope, she noticed it was a bit heavier than usual and she decided it must contain a picture. With a sigh, she pulled it open, thinking perhaps hearing from Charlie would bring about some normalcy.
August 28, 1907
Dear Miss Westmoreland,
I hope that this letter finds you well. I apologize that it has been several months since I have written. My coursework at Harvard is quite demanding. I’ve also made a number of friends, and we’ve been enjoying the new freedom college life allows. I don’t know how things are in Southampton, but over here, things are changing. I see it all around me. New inventions are making lives easier. New ways of thinking are allowing more independence. New music, new modes of transportation. It’s all rather exciting.
My father has mentioned the fact that you are nearly sixteen now and that a formal announcement of our engagement wouldn’t be unheard of at this point, though you are still a bit young. I should like to know your thoughts and feelings about this. It would be wonderful if we could meet in person before the announcement, though I’m not exactly certain how that may work. I’ve enclosed a recent photograph of myself. It would be lovely to have something current of you. You certainly do a nice job of staying out of the newspapers.
I’m afraid my time is up, and I need to get back to studying. I hope you are doing well. Would love to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Charles J. Ashton
Meg placed the letter on the table and picked up his photograph. He certainly was a handsome young man, but she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. It was difficult to tell through a letter—one that perhaps someone had also read before he sent it, though she doubted it since it was post-stamped Cambridge and his parents were still in New York—exactly how he felt about this entire arrangement. Meeting him in person would be nice. It would give her the opportunity to discuss the entire situation with him and see if he truly wanted to marry her or if he was just going along with what his parents had to say.
After all, she might have done a good job of staying out of the papers, but he did not. There were articles about him spending time out and about the city with his friends, the philanthropic endeavors he partook in and helped to organized, even discussion of his pristine academic career. Surely, while he was out and about enjoying galas and events, driving around in his new motor coach, he had met a girl or two. Wouldn’t one of those lovely ladies be a better option than marrying someone he’d never met who lived across the ocean and honestly wasn’t nearly good enough for him by society’s standards?
“By society’s standards,” Meg mumbled. Who was she fooling? She wasn’t good enough for him by anyone’s standards—even her own. If he had any idea the things she’d done, the problems she’d caused, the things that had happened to her, he’d certainly be just as happy to go on with his life without her in it as she would be to have the freedom of her own choice.
Nevertheless, this was the predicament they were in. She couldn’t possibly send him a letter to let him know that she was dreadful, nor could she even consider letting him know that her mother and uncle had ruined the company he was supposed to take over. If he was just looking to make some money through her father’s business, he’d be in for a rude awakening. Attempting to tell him anything about herself or her family would absolutely not make it through the scrutinizing eye of the house police. Meeting in person, however, now that was different. If she could have him to herself for a few moments, perhaps she could manage to explain a few things to him that would certainly have him scurrying for the exits as quickly as his athletic legs could carry him.
Glancing at the photograph one more time, she decided to go downstairs and see if she could find her mother and ask her if it would be possible for her to meet Charlie at last. After all, her mother should be excited about this match. She had the opportunity to look important in front of society again and possibly take some of the light off of the scandal her uncle had caused nearly a year ago.
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