Chapter 2: Elizabeth

After many customer's had entered and left the store and the sun was lowering down behind the trees and houses, Felicity and Ben could finally go home. It was 5:00 and time for the store to close. And just like every day, Felicity let Ben going along Duke of Glouster street and to the Merriman house while Felicity went another way. She was going to see Elizabeth and tell her of all the adventures she had today. Ben had known about their meetings but promised to keep it a secret. Felicity and Ben had kept many secrets together. Like when Felicity had gone out at night to see Penny or when Ben had ran away from home to join the army but Felicity ended up talking him into not going.

As Felicity walked alone on the empty road, it began to get darker and darker. She stopped and took off her pattens which kept her shoes off the snow and were very hard to walk in, held her skirts up, and took off down the street. If she didn't hurry, she would be late for dinner.

When she finally reached Elizabeth's large brick house, she saw that one of the windows was lit up by a single candle. This was Elizabeth's room. Felicity knew Elizabeth was waiting for her. She picked up a pebble on the ground and threw it at the wall. Felicity heared some shuffling around from inside. Felicity waited impatienly and shivered from the cold. She could see her breath as she breathed. Finally the window opened and a blonde haired girl in a blue gown and pinnercap poped her head out. "Hello, Lissie!" she whispered loudly.

"Hello, Elizabeth! Oh, Elizabeth! You wont believe what happened to me today!" she whispered back. Felicity told her about her whole day with Charles Smith rescuing her from the charging carriage.

"He was SO handsome!" Felicity said dreamily.

"Oh, I'm sure he was!" Elizabeth said.

"But Ben tesed me about it.But it was alright because we both ended up laughing about the whole thing.

"Ah. So his name was Charles Smith?"

"Aye"

"Hmm...where have I heared that name before...?" Elizabeth said, "Oh, yes! I believe my Father is good friends with a man named Smith. Mayhaps he's his son."

"Aye probably. Ben didn't know him though." Felicity said.

"Oh. I think I know why. The Smiths are Loyalists." Elizabeth said quietly. Elizebeth herself was a Loyalist. There was a long, sad silence. This made them think of why they couldn't see eachother. Because they were on opposite sides of the war.

"Oh. Well..." Felicity said breaking the silence. "He is still VERY fine!" They both laughed. Felicity loved to make Elizabeth laugh. When they were done laughing Felicity said, "Also, Mrs. Richards came to the store today. She was getting Lydia some candy. I suggested rock candy. I love rock candy! It is so sweet and crunchy and-"

"Stop!" Elizabeth said with a laugh, "You are making me hungry!" They both laughed and Felicity agreed to stop. Elizabeth had seen Lydia many times but only at church. After awile of talking Felicity had to interupt Elizabeth talking about how Anabelle is so upset that she doesn't have a husband yet.

"-Elizabeth I am SO sorry but I really must be going. I'll be late for dinner. Good night!" Felicity had always eaten dinner later than Elizabeth. Elizabeth had finished dinner.

"Good night, Lissie!" Elizabeth said sounding a little disappointed that Felicity was leaving. Felicity picked up her pattens and left.

When Felicity got home, She took her red cloak off. Everyone was at the table already. There was Polly, her 3 year old sister, Nan, her 10 year old sister, William, her 6 year old brother, her mother, and Ben. Felicity curtsied to her mother and sat down in her chair at the table.

"Felicity you are late for dinner again! What ailes you, Lissie?" Mother said.

"I truly sorry mother. There was a long line of costumers at the store and I simply couldn't just shoo them all away." Felicity invented quicky.

Mother looked at her for a few seconds and accepted it. Felicity had to make up many acuses when she came home late for dinner. But she never got caught. Felicity feared that one of these day she would get caught meeting with Elizabeth and they would never see eachother ever again. That would be simply horrible. But she would brush off the thought of it.

After a long day at the store, Felicity was very hungry. Her mother and Rose, their cook, had made alot of delicious foods Felicity enjoyed. At the table was chicken pudding, veal balls, corn chowder, salmon, bread, green beans, and tarts for desert. Nan was eating it rather daintily while William was playing with it more than eating his food. Rose was giving Polly spoonfuls of chowder.

Felicity was just digging in, trying not to eat too fast. When she had eaten nearly half of her soup, she stopped eating to look at Father's chair. It was right next to her. Felicity missed her father so much! But she knew he was helping the patriot army win the war. Everyone was doing their part. Felicity's mother no longer bought things from England and they had to sew their own dresses. Felicity hated to sew. And mend. And stitch! All those sitting down kinds of things but she had matured since she was 10 and accepted having to be a gentlewoman.

After dinner, Felicity and mother worked on their sewing and then Mother taught Felicity her lesson in writing. She was improving on her cursive because Mother made sure Felicity didn't wander off daydreaming and drawing pictures instread of writing. Finally, the day was over and Felicity went up to her room and took off her gown, many petticoats, hoops, pocket, and last, her horrid stay that helped her stay up straight and gave her a very skinny, cone-like figure. But they were very hard to breath in and sometimes pinched hershe she tried to move. She was relieved to unlace them and was left in only her shift which she slept in. Rose filled the bedwarmber with hot coals and smoothed it over her sheets to keek Felicity warm at night. Felicity then went under the warm covers and fell asleep.