After a good night's sleep I have realised just how foolish I was being
yesterday. There was really no need to upset myself so much, it was only a
letter after all, and I am sure that Archie will not read anything in to it
that was not intended when I wrote those words. I have acknowledged his
note and that is all - I need do nothing more, and that will be an end to
it. I should not let matters bother me so much, there is really nothing in
it, and I have decided to firmly push the topic from my mind once and for
all.
Besides, I have rather more interesting matters to attend to at the moment, such as my approaching birthday. It is not every year that a girl turns 18, and I have to say that I am feeling both excited and apprehensive about it. I am hoping that it will mean I am treated less like a child by certain people, but I have a feeling that could be too much to ask for. I really cannot understand it, on the one hand I am considered to be ready for marriage and all which that entails, but on the other, I am not thought capable of being allowed to travel further than Meg's without an escort of some sort. I cannot help but find it rather tiresome, but as there is nothing I can do about it I will stop fretting over it, for now at least.
Mother has been asking me for weeks now what I would like as a gift, but I can honestly say that I can think of nothing that I wish to ask her for, and her continuous harping on the subject has become more than a little tiring. Anything that I needed I received at Christmas, my wardrobe is fit to bursting and I have all the books I could possibly want to keep me occupied for many a month to come yet. I will have to think of something however, even if it is simply to keep her from driving me to distraction with her constant questioning. It could be worse I suppose, at least she has thought to ask me first rather than taking the approach of some and inflicting the first thing that captures their attention upon their unfortunate daughters. I still shudder when I think of the monstrosity of a gown that Aunt Beatrice gave Charlotte for her sixteenth birthday last year which she had to pretend to be completely in love with so as not to hurt her feelings.
On the positive side though, I have managed to persuade her that I do not want a party this year, something that I was rather dreading. I used the excuse that celebrations coming so close to Meg's party would surely be looked upon as an attempt at competition, something which was not a complete lie as I would hate for anyone to stir up bad feeling between us by making such an observation, however false it may be. The truth is, I simply cannot bear the thought of the fuss and bother that would inevitably result from trying to arrange such an event and would much rather forgo the pleasures that might be gained from it if it means keeping such upheaval to a minimum. Now if I can only think of something to tell Mother I would like as a gift, then all will be well. There must be something I would like, I only need to dwell on it for a while and I am sure to think of an idea.. I must stop writing now, my brother William and his wife are coming to dinner and I really do not want to make Mother cross by being late.
Besides, I have rather more interesting matters to attend to at the moment, such as my approaching birthday. It is not every year that a girl turns 18, and I have to say that I am feeling both excited and apprehensive about it. I am hoping that it will mean I am treated less like a child by certain people, but I have a feeling that could be too much to ask for. I really cannot understand it, on the one hand I am considered to be ready for marriage and all which that entails, but on the other, I am not thought capable of being allowed to travel further than Meg's without an escort of some sort. I cannot help but find it rather tiresome, but as there is nothing I can do about it I will stop fretting over it, for now at least.
Mother has been asking me for weeks now what I would like as a gift, but I can honestly say that I can think of nothing that I wish to ask her for, and her continuous harping on the subject has become more than a little tiring. Anything that I needed I received at Christmas, my wardrobe is fit to bursting and I have all the books I could possibly want to keep me occupied for many a month to come yet. I will have to think of something however, even if it is simply to keep her from driving me to distraction with her constant questioning. It could be worse I suppose, at least she has thought to ask me first rather than taking the approach of some and inflicting the first thing that captures their attention upon their unfortunate daughters. I still shudder when I think of the monstrosity of a gown that Aunt Beatrice gave Charlotte for her sixteenth birthday last year which she had to pretend to be completely in love with so as not to hurt her feelings.
On the positive side though, I have managed to persuade her that I do not want a party this year, something that I was rather dreading. I used the excuse that celebrations coming so close to Meg's party would surely be looked upon as an attempt at competition, something which was not a complete lie as I would hate for anyone to stir up bad feeling between us by making such an observation, however false it may be. The truth is, I simply cannot bear the thought of the fuss and bother that would inevitably result from trying to arrange such an event and would much rather forgo the pleasures that might be gained from it if it means keeping such upheaval to a minimum. Now if I can only think of something to tell Mother I would like as a gift, then all will be well. There must be something I would like, I only need to dwell on it for a while and I am sure to think of an idea.. I must stop writing now, my brother William and his wife are coming to dinner and I really do not want to make Mother cross by being late.