My Dear Laurens (Lams)

A. E. P. Schuyler

Anxious-nervous or anxious-excited?  

Angelica Schuyler and her younger sister, Eliza, identified with the latter. The youngest of the three, named Peggy, preferred the former.  

These three sisters lived a life of luxury and ease because of their father's position in life. Philip Schuyler loved his daughters with all of his heart. He wanted the best for their welfare, so he set them on a path of knowledge and prosperity. 

Philip wanted his daughters to experience life outside of a mansion. To grant them this wish, he let them go into town unsupervised with two simple rules: do not go downtown and be home before dark. Rules so easy to follow, even a born and raised anarchist could obey.  

Apparently, his daughters were much worse than life-long anarchists.  

. . . 

The three girls were about to embark on an adventure. Like I said before, Angelica and Eliza were itching to be outside, but Peggy might have been more comfortable waiting in the carriage.  

"We shouldn't be doing this..." 

Peggy's unenthused attitude radiated from her skin in waves infecting her carefree sister, Angelica. Angelica wrapped her arm around Peggy's shoulder, joining a reluctant Peggy on a slow walk through a thick mass.  

"You don't have to worry," Angelica tried smiling as a gesture of reassurance and leisure. "Daddy will never find out. He doesn't need to know our every move. So, why don't you look around and see if you find anything that interests you? If you need something, Eliza and I will be right here." 

Peggy tilted her chin upward at her sister, Angelica, and rolled her eyes.  

"I'm not a child anymore, Angelica. I just think we should be cautious. But whatever, I would love to take our father's orders and spit on them! Best day of my life!" 

Peggy's crazed and overwhelmingly sarcastic expression found its way to a group of soldiers. She had discovered something that interested her. 

Eliza watched the interaction with an amused smile. She caught up with Angelica and stood at her side as they strolled past endless numbers of different stores and shops. All the colors, fabrics, food, and people made Eliza's head spin with excitement. She happily joined her sisters on their brief expedition out of their comfort zone. She, however, had no specific goals when wandering through town. 

"Angelica, remind me what we're looking for?" 

As Eliza relayed her question to her sister, who couldn't seem to focus on a single object or person, a young man bumped shoulders with Eliza and matched her stride.  

"She's looking for me," he said, winking slower than most would.  

Eliza scrunched her face and backed away from the irritation, no older than sixteen.  

Angelica raised an eyebrow at the child and waved him away with a single flick of her hand. She turned to face Eliza with an answer on the tip of her tongue.  

"Eliza, I'm looking for a mind at work." 

While the adolescent boy had left, he was promptly replaced by a rather handsome, but overconfident man in wine-red and white.  

"Mmm, mm! Nothing like summer in the city, huh?" His dark eyes scanned Angelica up and down. Drinking in as much of the gorgeous woman as he could.  

Angelica hadn't time for overzealous distractions like him, but she loved to entertain herself every once in a while.  

"Do you have a name to match that stare, or do you want me to guess?"