And Peggy

Working on vacation

The rest of the holiday melts into a blur of beach days. By the second week, I already have a bathers tan and my hair is curlier from the water.

Now that Stephan isn't lurking about and adding his two cents to our conversations, my sisters and I can finally confide in each other.

"Alex has been working more than ever." Eliza starts one day. "Ever since he finished the federalists essays, a quill that isn't pressed to parchment is a quill wasted. From eight in the morning till nine at night he'll be in the study, writing, only coming down for meals or to use the loo. Always smeared with ink stains."

"Mmhm." I murmur. "I know what you mean. Stephan is wearing himself out with long hours working in the study and then spending big amounts of time recovering in the bedroom."

"John Church is always working, as you know   But I'm used to it and I always have the children." Angelica says.

"It's so unfair!" Eliza complains. "John Adams, the vice president, who has a much more time consuming job still spends holidays with his family despite his massive workload and my husband can't even sit down for a family dinner!"

I pat her on the back gingerly.

"Speaking of political persons," Angelica starts mysteriously. "Guess who I've booked an appointment to see tomorrow?"

Eliza and I exchange confused glance before it comes to me.

"You didn't!" I gasp.

Angie nods but Eliza is still confused.

"Tomorrow I will be meeting Thomas Jefferson at his hotel for a discussion on women's rights!"

Eliza frowns. "Isn't he the man who was against starting a national bank and paying state's debt? The one who Alex was debating against?"

Angelica rolls her eyes. "Yes Liza. But he's not as bad as your husband makes him out to be. He's compassionate and he stands against slavery and he's a lawyer, just like your Alexander. He brings more good to the world than bad."

"Hmph!" Eliza scoffs. "He seems like a stuck up hypocrite from Alex tells me."

###############################

"Oh. My. God."
Angelica enters the living room where Eliza and I are knitting.
"You will not believe what just happened to me."
I drop my sock and listen to Angelica's recount of her time with Jefferson while Eliza sticks her nose in the air and continues to knit.

"Well, first he treated me to a glass of wine. He is very polite and agreeable. Then we discussed our political views."

Even though Eliza is still knitting and she isn't looking at us, I can tell she is listening.

Finally, Angie gets to the real point of discussion.
"Then I asked 'And what think you of the rights of women in this day and age?'
And he said 'I believe that fathers and husbands have too much power and dominance over women. Women are shamed if they don't follow the social norm or if they have an affair. but if a man commits to something like that, he can get away with it and people just embrace it. It's appalling!' And he told me that he gave his own daughter lots of freedom and gave her permission to marry a mere soldier even though he didn't posses any riches or title. Isn't that amazing!"
Angelica says this very fast and her voice is all squeaky as it does when she is excited.

She continues "And I said 'I agree and it's about time that we did something!'

And then Jefferson said 'we can start by giving women the right to vote and giving them the same rights as men in court.'