LexKiop

4

You find yourself captivated by these two women. Their dark hair, neatly styled with elegant ribbons, and their dresses, straight from Paris, initially blend them seamlessly into the ranks of society women. Yet, any initial impression of meekness vanishes as soon as they begin to speak. Unlike the demure women you’ve grown accustomed to—those who typically yield the conversational floor to men—the Cary sisters are anything but reserved. They engage the circle around them with an intensity you’ve rarely witnessed in public, their expressions as fierce as their words, bantering and sparring with the men as if at home on a ship’s deck in the midst of a storm.

Curious, you inch closer, catching snippets of their exchange. Their voices carry a sharpness that seems to electrify the crowd, and you sense that their topic is hardly the stuff of polite, frivolous society chatter. It’s no wonder, then, that the gathering around them feels more charged than merely polite. You recognize the expressions of their listeners—a mixture of admiration, shock, and perhaps even a bit of intimidation. It is a rare spectacle indeed, and you wonder what on earth has caused such a tempestuous debate.