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My life was a collection of scraped knees and bruised elbows. Most sentences to leave my lips included vulgar language that earned me a slap upside the head from Catherine. I tried my best to behave around her I really did, but I was not the kind of girl to stay quiet. It was no lie I spent my free time hiding in bushes smoking cigarettes and drinking stolen whisky with my best friend. This always made Catherine cry to my uncle that I needed structure. That a good cavalry man would put me in my place. I found this to be ridiculous. I was no worse than my older sisters they were just better at keeping their rebellious tendencies in the shadows. So now as I tried to sneak up to my bedroom I felt very on edge. Catherine was sure to be waiting up in the kitchen fuming at the fact I was out past the curfew she had been trying to enforce. Edward never gave us curfew he knew us Jennings women could handle ourselves. Catherine was not cut out to be one of us. All of small heath would agree.
"Oh good you're home," Beth grabbed my wrist and quickly pulled me up the stairs to my bedroom. "I convinced her you had been home for hours. Tried to place pillows under the bedding to look like a body and had Dot hiding under the frame faking the way you snore." Beth began to help me out of my dress and brush out my curls. "Did Finn like your dress?"
"Do you like my dress?" I questioned back making both of us snort from laughing so hard. We quickly slapped our hands over our mouths to muffle the noise we didn't need Catherine walking in on us. "He said I looked like a doll, then called me cute as a button. So I punched him."
"You do realize if you keep hitting the poor boy he's going to think you only see him as a friend," she shook her head disapprovingly. "Now off to bed I'm taking you on errands with me tomorrow. Edwards away and we don't need Catherine playing dress up with you again."
— The sun was barely peeking through my window when Beth came to shake me awake. I knew if we wanted to avoid Catherine we had to get up early but this was ridiculous the birds weren't even chirping yet. I let out an exhausted groan before flopping out of my bed and heading to the dresser to find something to wear. Once I got dressed and tamed my hair I snuck down the stairs and out the door to find Beth talking with Arthur and John.
"What are you two doing here?" I question locking arms with my sister.
"Visiting our favourite girls what else," John grinned.
"Bullshit." I rolled my eyes. "You're just heading home aren't you."
"I've been home for hours." John laughed clapping Arthur on the shoulder. "Arthur however has not so Pol sent me to fetch him. Oh and Jo suppers at 7 don't be late or Pol with murder Finn!" John lead Arthur away before I could ask what dinner. Finn had not mentioned a dinner and I knew it wasn't anyone's birthday so why was I needed there. I shook off the feeling of not knowing something and skipped down the street with Beth. What was the point about worrying over nothing.
"Are you seeing Jacob tonight? I know there's a new show at the pictures." I asked watching as my sister picked through a barrel of apples. A large grin danced onto her face as she paid for the fruit and led me to her next stop.
"I'm going to his to make dinner, his older sister and her husband will be there," she told me. "I think he may propose soon. If he's smart he will ask both Dorothy and Edward for their permission." Beth has been dating Jacob since she was sixteen. The fact that he hadn't proposed yet had surprised us all. They were an amazing couple. Both incredibly beautiful and brilliant in there wit, but Beth was known for taking things very slow. She guarded her heart and her virtue not wanting to let the wrong people near it. They had once broken up for a few months both seeing other people, and that seemed to only bring the pair closer together.
"About damn time," I said. "Do you think Fran is getting her hopes up to high with Tommy. I don't think he's over that barmaid Grace. She just up and left after all."
"Fran has never not gotten what she wanted," Beth sighed. "Best not worry too much about it though. We are all a little to head strong and worrying about us will drive you to the asylum." She ruffled my hair. "Besides only one of us will be marrying a Shelby boy and we all know it's you." She stated cheekily.
"We do not know that!" I argued.
"Okay let me rephrase that. Everyone in small heath except Catherine and you know that Finn is completely enamored with you and has been since birth." Beth kissed my cheek handing me a bouquet of daisies. "Take these to Pol tonight don't want to show up empty handed." I wanted to argue further that no Finn was not. It was me who the one stupidly in love with him, but I knew there was no point. And if I admitted my feelings for my best friend my sister would get the rest of the family involved and ruin everything. I liked what was going on between us currently. It was simple. It was warm. We were Jo and Finn that's all we ever needed why ruin that with proclamations of love.
