Love & Second Chances

Chapter One - Elizabeth's POV

- 1829 -

I clamped a hand over my younger sister's mouth as we tip-toed down the corridor, taking every possible precaution to ensure that we were not heard. The advantage of stealth was a necessity if we wanted to accomplish this most difficult task. Not a soul could be allowed to hear us, at the risk of endangering our lives. We froze in our steps at the sound of shuffling coming through door beside us. Mother was awake! My heartbeat increased rapidly as I prepared myself for what would surely happen to us when the door opened.

The shuffling dissipated and was quickly replaced by the sound of footsteps. I took a deep, shaky breath, as my sister clung to my arm, slipping behind me for protection. If we were caught outside of our bedrooms at this hour of the morning, we would both be dead. Goosebumps danced up my spine at the recollection of the last time we had been caught. My arms were still sore from having to scrub the entire ballroom floor. And then to make matters even worse, we were both made to wear the dreaded chicken skin gloves for three whole days afterwards.

When the footsteps came to a sudden stop, we decided that this might be our sole chance to survive. Bursting into a run, we rushed past the door and were about to turn to go down the stairs when a pair of hands shot out and grabbed us each by the shoulder, pulling us back. I jumped at the icy contact of skin on my barely clad shoulder. We had been caught! The end of our lives was drawing near. All hope of escaping was lost.

"When will you girls learn to stop sneaking about?."

I released a deep sigh of relief, recognizing the voice right away. "Papa, you startled us," I complained, turning to face him.

Father shook his head disapprovingly, "Be thankful it was not your mother."

Although our father was generally quite strict, he had a bit of a soft spot in his heart for his two daughters, and as a result, he was much more forgiving than our mother. We were exceptionally fortunate in that regard. Unfortunately, our older brother, Daniel, did not possess such good fortune. As the only son and heir to the family's wealth, he was expected to be without fault in both of our parent's eyes. I thanked God each day that I was not born a boy. My life may be difficult at times, but it certainly was easier than Daniel's.

"Dare I assume that you were planning to swim in the lake again?" he asked.

I suppressed the urge to scowl. I knew that such plans would not meet with his approval. He did not approve of the idea of refreshing ourselves by such means, despite being in the heat of summer. When it came to matters of propriety, he was of equal mindset with Mother. The very thought of swimming in nothing but our undergarments was enough to cause them both to become mortified. Frankly, I thought it rather silly. We were not the first women to do so, and our nearest neighbor was over a mile away. The lake itself was surrounded by a tall layer of shrubs and trees, granting us the privacy required. We would not be in any danger.

"Please, Father!" my sister begged. "The heat is unbearable!"

"I am sorry, Alice, but your mother would have my head if I allowed you to indulge in such improper behavior," he replied sternly. "Now, you had best begin preparing yourselves for the ball tonight, seeing as you are already awake."

"Yes, Papa," my sister and I said in unison, retreating down the corridor.

Pulling open the door to my bedroom, we stepped inside, closing the door firmly behind us. At times, it seemed as though we were not allowed to do anything fun. The only time-consuming activity that met our parent's approval was sitting in a corner quietly with a book or sampler in our hands. As much as I loved to read, one could not spend her entire life in the library. There were so many wonderful things to enjoy in life, yet we were more often than not forbidden from experiencing them. It was simply cruel to deny two young girls at the tender ages of eighteen and sixteen such pleasures!