14 July
I cannot stand him. I simply. Cannot. Stand him! Once again, once again, he has done his best to make my life miserable. And once again, he has succeeded. Can a girl possibly have a worse older brother? Hah! I think not! I've heard the village girls moan and whine about their families, but I have no patience for their complaints. None of them have a brother like Howard.
And now, I suppose, you expect me to describe just what he did? Very well. He pulled my hair. but no, that's not mean enough for him! He pulled it just as I was pouring the tea for mother. You know what that means? Scalding hot water, all down my front! Do you have any idea how painful that is? Allow me to answer for you. No. You don't. You—
Later
I panicked and blew out the candle because Mother stirred. Fortunately, she did not awaken. I say "fortunately" because I am writing this near midnight by the light of one of our few candles. I am not supposed to be doing this. It goes against Mother's strict rules—but then, I do not care for Mother's rules right very much at this time. She took Howard's side—again—after the "incident" today. That's what she calls it. An "incident." Never—