Author's Note: Why hello there. This is the extremely sorry Band Geek Letter 1. Yesterday I had only four hours at my house, what with starting Marching Band Camp. So, here it is.
Conceit and Contemptuousness
Chapter Fourteen
That letter continued to bother me long after I read it. The first time I read it I refused to believe it. I thought the very idea of of here having any excuse for her actions was absurd. Her actions were inexcusable, especially towards poor Valerie.
But again, my curiosity won me over and I read the letter a second time. Upon my perusal I found that it shared some history with Miss Wickham had told me herself. So I had to wonder who was telling the truth. Was Miss Wickham a poor innocent victim, or had she actually seduced Sam's younger brother Gibby? At first I was inclined to believe Valerie, but I soon realized I bore some prejudice towards Sam for her rude proposal yesterday.
I read farther into the issue. There were some glaring details that cast a bad light on Miss Wickham's character. There was the fact that she did not reveal her past to general pblic until after Sam had left. There was also the matter of her non-appearance at Carly's ball, when she claimed Sam was the one who should be ashamed. And not much was known about Valerie's past except what she told us. She did not seem to have many acquaintances outside of Seattle, whereas I knew Sam's acquaintances to be amiable, excepting Spencer Bingley, of course; but that could not be helped. Being the brother of her best friend she was forced to be acquainted with him.
And thus I decided, that, no matter how much I wished it to be false, Sam was most likely telling the truth. I managed to take that conclusion back with me to Seattle.
Upon my return I found everything in an unusual disarray. Kenny was pouting on the couch, lamenting the fact that he was not closer friends with Mr. Forster. Mark was off somewhere practicing his fencing and John was discussing something with our aunt and uncle.
My youngest brother was skipping around the house in the most ungentlemanly manner, flaunting an invitation. "Oh Freddie, have you heard the news? Mr. Forster has invited me to stay with him when the Models set up camp in Tacoma! Isn't this most wonderful new you've ever heard?"
"Yes, splendid," I answered sarcastically, then ran off to converse with father upon the subject matter.
"Dad, you can't let him go," I pleaded. "He'll simply make a fool of himself."
"Freddie, Lionel won't rest until he's exposed himself in some public manner, and I am convinced Tacoma's the safest possibility. He will be under the constant supervision of the Forsters, and he has little money so I do not believe he will be considered an object of prey. In fact, I am hoping this trip will teach him how insignifigant he really is."
"Father…"
"No, my mind is made up." At this point I stormed out of the study, upset. I knew Lionel was going to do something incredibly stupid there, and he quite possibly could be the ruin of us all. But my father did not believe me, so there was nothing left of the matter.
Later that night, as we all worked on the laundry, I received an invitation from my uncle and aunt to accompany them on their vacation to the Yakima County. I immediately agreed, eager for a chance to escape all this stress. We set out a few weeks later.