Chapter 26

"How dare you think you can force me to perform such an atrocity?" Marjorie's enraged voice carried through to the backyard where Michaela sat curled in the arms of her maple tree. Michaela sighed helplessly and waited for her father's voice to reply, it had been like this all day. Marjorie had spent the majority of the morning yelling at one person or another. Joseph, Rebecca, Martha, even Michaela herself caught the fire from Marjorie's mouth. It had gotten to the point where Michaela couldn't even stand to be in the house any longer; she retreated to her safe haven, the gentle swooping arms of her inhumane friend, just after lunch but this didn't seem to be any better. Inside Joseph's voice never counteracted the angry accusation of his daughter. No doubt, he was still trying to keep his temper in check.

"I'm not someone you can control like you do Michaela!" Again, Marjorie seemed to scream loud enough to announce her anger to everyone in the neighborhood. Michaela began to scratch nervously at the bark under her hands, chipping away the wood that got in her way.

"That is uncalled for. You will leave your sister out of this!" Finally, Joseph's voice rang out, shattering his attempt to stay in control as his protectiveness for Michaela took over. Michaela cringed. She wasn't sure she'd ever heard him yell before that, certainly not at her. Usually when they had disagreements he got very quiet and went to sit in his office. That was enough to make Michaela feel awful. She pulled her knees to her chest in an effort to ward of the persistent chill she felt.

"Oh yes, defend her. You're always looking out for your precious little Mike while you don't care what's best for me!" Michaela was glad she couldn't see her father's face at the moment because she knew Marjorie's words had hit the mark. The accusation was entirely false, but it hurt nonetheless. Joseph however countered even before Marjorie had finished and they shot back at one another relentlessly.

"This is what's best for you. This is what needs to be done!" Michaela covered her ears, willing herself to block out the anger.

"Mother would never make me do this!"

"This is precisely… what your mother would make do!" Despite her best efforts, Mike could still hear the angry shouting, first speaking of Marjorie then bringing her into the mess and now turning toward her mother. Her mother. Tears burned her eyes and she wished it would stop. Just make it stop, anybody. She squeezed her eyes shut. She wouldn't cry now it was pointless. She sniffed against her runny nose.

After a few minutes sitting there, humming loud enough to herself that she couldn't hear anything else, Michaela became more and more aware that something was hitting her on the side. She opened eyes to find a familiar boy standing underneath her with a handful of rocks.

"David." She wiped at her nose and eyes as she crawled further across the limb in order to see him better.

"Hello Rapunzel. Decided to take a little nap?" He smiled at his own little joke as Michaela blushed at the attention before realizing what it was that he had actually said.

"No," she said sadly. As if to further illustrate her situation more words echoed from the house. David, standing on the outside of the fence stared over the wooden beams toward one of the back windows. He could see the fuzzy outline of people as they moved around in what he knew was Dr. Quinn's office. He turned sympathetic eyes back to Michaela. "I was just trying to transport myself somewhere else." She added quietly.

David chewed on the inside of his cheek, unsure of what to say next.

"Father and Rebecca are telling Marjorie that she's to have a coming out party." Michaela explained further. "The only downfall is that it will be after her birthday in November and she'll have to stay here after school starts."

"How dare you say that? Mother was too good for you!"Marjorie's hate filled voice echoed once more and Michaela visibly recoiled. Again, she had to fight the desire to cry.

"Hey, do you know what?" David chipped in a little too enthusiastically for the situation at hand.

"What?" Michaela's tone didn't really hold the same excitement.

"I was just going for a walk to nowhere in particular. I thought about going down to the bay or strolling through the park. Would you like to come with me?" He watched with pleasure as Michaela's eyes grew big.

"Really?" She sat up in the tree. David just shrugged.

"Yea, I'd love the company."

"Come around to the front and I'll see if it's ok with Martha." Michaela hopped out of the tree in one leap and in a flash was inside.

David turned to stumble around the house and make his way to the front. Initially when he had set out this morning he had planned to have a quiet walk to the park. He had a book in his pocket and had thought he'd do a little reading while people watching. It was only by chance that he was walking near the Quinn house or that he looked up to see Michaela in her tree when he did. She just looked so miserable, eyes squeezed shut with tears running down her cheeks that he had to see what was wrong. He hadn't minded so much, giving up his day of solitude after he saw the look of relief that had graced his little friend's face. She didn't need to sit out there by herself; he needed to get her away for a while.

By the time he made it around front Michaela was coming down the steps.

"All set?"

"Yes, Martha just said I needed to be home before dinner time."

"All right, then. Shall we?" With a playfully exaggerated bow, David offered his arm to Michaela who was taken aback by the gesture. Usually her father was the only one who offered her his arm. Despite the evident amusement in her friends gaze, she couldn't help but feel tingles through her spine. She felt like a lady, even if she was only eleven years old.

The pair wandered down to the bay and stared at the ships loading and unloading their cargo talking between themselves but neither feeling as though they had to keep up a conversation.

"Would you like a sweet cake?" David asked after a bit, turning toward a vender and walking away. He didn't ever wait for her reply.

"On no it's alright. David? David!" She followed him as he headed down the walk.

"Two please." He said, gesturing the number with his hand and exchanging his coins for the two cakes. By the time he turned around Michaela was standing next to him, frowning. "What? You don't like it?"

"You really didn't have to. It was enough for you to bring me with you." David shrugged leading them away from the vender.

"That guy's name is Stephen O' Riley." He started with a low voice, tossing his head back in the direction they had just come from. "He came here with his family from Ireland sometime last year. He hasn't been able to find any stable work and he has a wife with two children with one on the way. I like to see him whenever I come down here." David stopped abruptly and held the wrapped pastry before Mike. "So what do you think? Sweet cake?" He watched Michaela as she stared at the morsel in his hand. After a bit, the edges of her lips began to curl until she was fully smiling. She took the cake and breaking off a piece, took a bite.

"Oh. That's good."

"I'm glad. So you never did tell me where you were transporting yourself to."

"I'm sorry."

"When you were in the tree. Where were you trying to be?" Michaela just shrugged as she reached the railing. If she stood on her tiptoes, she could see over the railing into the water that splashed beneath them.

"I don't know. Anywhere."

"Nowhere in particular?"

"Well, perhaps someplace, but it's silly." Michaela lowered her head.

"Surely it can't be that silly."

"Well..." she still hesitated. "I read this book about the Indians out west. I was wondering what it would be like to be out there and meet those people."

"I imagine it would unlike anything you've ever experienced."

Michaela nodded "and a little scary, but I think it could be exciting, seeing the wide-open plains without another soul around. It would be so different from Boston where there are people and horses everywhere you look. Can you imagine what it would be like to ride a horse through the prairie, to feel the wind blow through your hair?"

"You know how to ride?"

"No." Michaela blushed, "but I've always wanted to learn. Father used to know how, but he says that the trade isn't very useful in the city." She took another bite of her pastry, taking the time to lick her fingers before changing the subject. "Tell me about school, David."

"What about it."

"I sort of overheard you saying that you were thinking about going to medical school."

"Oh yes, we'll that'll be a ways off. Once I finish my preparations at the Academy I hope to attend Harvard. Then I'll look at what I can find in ways of medical schools."

"Oh, we'll that's not bad at all. I was very interested to know what you were thinking. I'm planning on attending Medical school you know."

David nodded, a dry smile stretching his lips. "So I've heard. I was thinking that maybe your father may help me obtain an apprenticeship."

"Oh I'm certain he would."

"I was hoping I could talk to him about it soon."

"If you'd like I'll put in a word for you. I'm sure he'll know of something." The two shared a smile, comfortable in each other's presence. Soon, David pulled off the railing and tapped Michaela on the back.

"Come on, we need to get you home before dinner."

By the time they returned home, everything had settled down or at least quieted. Marjorie, in her room refused to come out for the rest of the night, leaving Joseph rather discouraged over how the evening had gone. He and Michaela took their meal in his study, him immersing himself in his work and she in her thoughts.

It had been a nice after noon. One unlike anything she had ever experienced before. She enjoyed spending time with David and having his attention. She liked the way she felt when he offered her his arm and even bought the sweet cake for her. Even their conversation about his future aspirations was fulfilling to her. Somehow, she saw that he had come to her with an idea wondering her thoughts on the matter. Yes, he only asked about her father, but he had asked with the consideration that she was an adult and could carry on her end of the conversation. There were no smiles of 'isn't she cute' or head patting. She had felt like a young lady, pretty and smart and she found she loved the way that label made her feel. At the end of the night, Michaela found herself with one question that begged to be asked. Did she always want to be the tomboy that she had always been, to climb trees, and run around the yard; or could she truly enjoy being a lady?

Michaela stood at the edge of Rebecca's desk, staring at the notes that were scattered across the top. Each note was for something different, a different task, something else to remember, and yet all of them would come together to plan the task at hand. Michaela picked up a paper that had a list of flowers scribbled down the side. The first two were scratched out with a single line.

"So why exactly do we have coming out parties?" Michaela looked over the desk to Rebecca, who was coming into the room with a new catalogue.

"Well, it is somewhat of an introduction to society. This is the event that says Marjorie is old enough to have suitors now and that she is of a certain social status."

"Even though she doesn't want to be introduced to society?"

"Yes, even then. A debutante ball is very important in the life of a young woman. On the night of her ball Marjorie will be introduced to many of the young men in Boston who are eligible to court her."

Michaela frowned. It all sounded so… ritual, like an elaborate ceremony whose only purpose is to marry Marjorie off. Was that her only option, to go through with this and marry?

"What happens if she doesn't want to court?" Rebecca was taking slightly off guard by the question, particularly because no one really ever asked it. What young woman of high social standing didn't seek the opportunity to marry and marry well? She sighed, a young woman who perhaps had aspirations of one day becoming a doctor. She saw no need to pull Michaela into the dim world where many childhood dreams never saw the light, not yet at least.

"Well," she wrapped her arm around Michaela, "I suppose then she'll just enjoy the evening for what it is and bask in the attention." She gave her sister a slight squeeze before letting her go. "There is much that needs to be done before then and we aren't helped by the fact that Marjorie refuses to cooperate."

"So what are you doing now?"

"We need to order Marjorie's ensemble, her dress and underpinnings. We need to secure music flowers and refreshments. Then we move on to decorations and guest lists." Rebecca pulled a neatly written list out from under the mass on her desk. She could remember sitting and helping her mother pick out everything about her own ball so many years ago. It was such a special occasion, and she would never forget just how close she felt to her mother at the time. Being the first-born daughter to the Quinn's her coming out had been one of the social events of the season and Elizabeth had spared nothing. Everything was perfect, the flowers, the music, and the dress. A notable debutante ball was one of the best gifts a mother could give to her daughter and since Marjorie no longer had the gift of knowing her mother Rebecca was determined to do that for her even if she did refuse to help at all.

"Oh that's pretty." Michaela's arm shot across the desk to tap at the fashion plate open on the desk.

"I thought about that one, but then I saw this." Flipping a few pages, Rebecca pointed out a beautiful full-skirted ball gown. It had three tiers along the skirt and the bodice was outlined in lace. The neckline was cut straight, sitting low on the shoulders and the sleeves were loose waves of lace that matched the design across the bodice. Michaela audibly sighed.

"That's beautiful, and she could were a broach there, in the center of the neckline." As Michaela continued to study the template, Rebecca studied her. Never before had her baby sister shown any interest in balls or dresses. It was only last year when she had to drag Michaela shopping for the ballet kicking and screaming. Of course, she enjoyed dressing up, but usually when someone was there to tell her what to wear and how to do her hair. Michaela had never been much interested in fashion. Rebecca smiled sadly; perhaps this was the beginning of the end. The fire and impulsiveness would diminish to be replaced with more ladylike qualities. Rebecca couldn't help but wonder if Michaela's ambitious dreams would die with it. As easy as that would make it on the girl in the future, Rebecca had to admit that she would be sad to see it go.

"She could wear some pink amaryllis in her hair and then those could double as the flowers in the décor." Michaela added.

"Pink amaryllis?"

"Yes, I think that would be lovely. Pink Amaryllis with powder blue ribbons." Michaela bobbled her head, certain of her decision.

"I like it." Rebecca nodded envisioning it all in her head. "Here," She pulled at another list from the bottom of her stack. "Tell me what you think about refreshments?"

What did you think of chapter 26? I Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!