Jesse left the next day, after his horse had been watered and a meal had been packed. I watched him ride away, towards the town, with a sad longing in my chest. I would never know when the next time that we would see each other would be. The only thing that kept me without thinking of him was the children, and even then I would picture what our children would look like and the pain only seemed to increase.

A week after Jesse's visit, I was sitting at the kitchen table, tending to the little Nathaniel. Debra was moving around more, which gave me more opportunities to spend time with my little nephew. I studied his tiny sleeping face and kissed his warm chubby cheek. Debra was humming to herself as she peeled a potatoe, saved from this years harvest. I looked at the younger children, who slept peacefully in front of the fire. Aggie's head rested on a pillow, while Samuel's rested on her stomach. After a day playing in the snow, anyone would need a nap. Luckily chores small enough for them to do were scarce so they could nap.

I wrapped the wool blanket tighter around the 8-day old baby and gently patted his bum. I looked up when the door opened and David rushed in.

"Shut the door!" I said, shivering at the crisp air and covering the baby better. David jumped and quickly turned around shutting the door. He shook the snow out of his hair and then turned his blue eyes on me.

"What is it David?" Debra asked him.

"I've got a letter." He said his eyes wide and bright.

"A letter? A letter for what?" Debra asked moving closer.

" Is it from a girl David?" I teased smiling down at the baby.

"No Susanna. It's for you."

"I thought you said…" I started teasing again and David sighed impatiently. He stepped towards me, holding it out for me.

"It has the royal seal on it." He said slowly, eyeing me carefully. I blinked at him, not sure what that meant.

"I-I don't know what to do." I said unaware that I was even speaking.

"Well open it silly!" Debra said anxiously. I looked at the letter in David's hand, still confused and shook my head.

"I cant." I said, looking down at the baby. Debra took the letter from David with a frustrated sigh and tore it open.

"Addressed to Miss S. Simon." She said, smiling at me brightly. "You are cordially invited to the coronation of Prince Adam McTavish, Lord of Buckingham and Future King of England. Oh good God! Susanna, they've invited you to attend the coronation!" Debra exclaimed, startling the baby.

"Shh!" I said, glancing over at the children, who never even noticed. I turned back to them. "Let me see?" I said holding out a hand and taking the letter from Debra. The king had died the night after Jesse had left. The town was forced to wear black for the week and on Sunday all work was ceased in order to mourn the loss of our king. They say that it was the king's dying wish that his son was to be crowned shortly after his death, which explained the haste in the coronation. I read over the cursive writing and blinked at the date. "Next week? It's less than a fortnight away!" I said gasping and looking horrified at Debra.

"So what's the problem?" David asked.

"I don't have a dress even thought of." I said, trying to think over all the dress designs I had thought of.

"We can go into town." Debra said. But even as she spoke, a worried crease appeared on her forehead.

"Those dresses cost a fortune!" I said with a sad sigh. "I can't go."

"Don't be ridiculous! You're going to attend this coronation if we have to steal from the neighbours just to buy material!" She said, her eyes looking over the letter again. "You get to bring a guest!" She said looking at me hungrily.

"You want to come with me, sister?" I asked. She smiled brightly and then it faded.

"I better not. I can't leave the baby." She said sadly. I looked down at little Nathaniel and for the first time I thought of how inconvenient children can be. "Besides imagine how lost the men would be with both us women gone?" She joked to hide her disappointment.

"Who will I bring?" I asked, disappointed that Debra would not be able to attend.

"Andrew of course." David said, puffing out his flat chest. I smiled at my little brother, who was so desperate to be a man.

"No, Andrew isn't the right traveling partner." Debra said coming to my defense.

"What about Papa?" I said and both looked at me with horror.

"Papa? Why would you want him to go?" David asked.

"I agree. Not that he isn't lovely, but he wouldn't have very much fun dancing and…" Debra's voice trailed off as she realized my plan. We shared a secret smile before I turned back to the baby. "He would really like to see the court I suppose."

"He's always talking about it." I said. David looked at me and shook his head.

"Well I suppose I'll go and tell him then." He said. As he shut the door, Debra raced to my side.

"You are a genius girl!" She said, kneeling beside my chair. "This way you will have more freedom."

"Yes but with my luck Papa will see right through it and send Jacob with me." I said, groaning slightly. Jacob would watch me like a hawk watches the rabbit in the field below. Debra nodded but then smiled.

"I think we should pay a visit to your young friend Gina."

"Gina? Why?" I said shocked.

"She has some…lovely dresses." Debra said smiling.

"I couldn't. They're very…"

"Grown-up." She said, her smile growing brighter. "I'm sure she wont mind. Besides she can't fit into them now anyways." She spoke with a sly smile and a twinkle in her eye. I gasped and then laughed.

"Debra, that was mean." I said and she just shrugged.

"Well it serves her right." She said, her expression indicated that she smelt something foul. Debra had never like Gina. Gina had once told Jacob that she always pictured herself marrying him, and that if he ever found himself without a wife to consider her. I was horrified and Debra was so angry, she didn't talk to my brother for a whole week. "Tomorrow, we'll take the baby into town."

"The baby? Won't he get cold?" I asked, looking down at him.

"My goodness Susanna." Debra said, shaking her head and returning to her potatoes. I smiled at her as I watched her start to hum again. Butterflies filled my stomach. I found myself trying to figure out which was more likely the cause of the nerves, seeing Jesse again or meeting with Gina after almost a year of little to no contact.

The next morning, Jacob set up the wagon for Debra and I to go into town. After promising Papa that we would be no longer than 2 hours, he let us use the horse and we were on our way. Debra held the reins while I held the baby close to me under my coat.

We arrived at Gina's house faster than I thought we would. As we rode up the way to her house I found myself remembering things from our youth. When we were five we sat under the now bare oak tree and talked about Gina's mother. Then she climbed the tree in a haste to change the subject. She stepped on a weak branch and fell out of the tree. She had to stay in bed for a week, and had two wooden sticks tied to her arm, healing the break in her bones.

At the sound of the hooves, Gina's small head appeared in the window. When our eyes made eye contact I watched hers grow wide and then shrink with a smile. She disappeared behind the badly made curtain and I looked at Debra nervously.

"Well, Good day to you stranger!" Gina called from her doorway a second later. I smiled brightly at my friend, forgetting everything that had happened. Once the buggy had stopped moving I handed Nathaniel to Debra and climbed down the wagon. I raced to my friend and hugged her tightly. She still smelt like peppermints. Her father used to joke that because she ate them all the time her body would start to smell like one big peppermint.

"It's so good to see you!" I said, holding her close. I stepped back and studied her. In the past year she had changed a lot. She went from being young, pretty and thin, to tired, wrinkly and chubby. But her eyes still shone the same way and her smile was still the same cheeky smile.

A man appeared at the wagon and I blinked at him. Gina's father had changed a lot in the year that passed to. He was very thin, and his hair was short, with patches of his scalp showing. He wore a faded blue scarf that was ripped along with his favourite old brown coat and work pants. He nodded to me, not sure if he should be happy about our surprise visit or not.

"Hello." I said smiling brightly. He studied my face and then smiled back.

"It's been a long time since you have been here." He said sadly. I walked towards him and wrapped my arms around him, as I used to as a child. To me, Horris Pickferd was always like a second father and I had never realized how much I missed him until I hugged him.

"What brings you here?" He asked, looking up at Debra in the carriage.

"I need a favour." I said shyly, looking back at Gina.

"Well come in. It's freezing out here." She said rubbing her covered arms vigorously. "You too." She called to Debra. I watched Debra bite her tongue and passed the baby down to me as Horris helped her out of the wagon.

"I'll put the wagon in the shed and water your horse for you." He said, smiling a toothless smile. I smiled back and nodded.

"Thank you." Debra said, smiling politely.

"You are going to join us, right?" I asked.

"Later. You visit with Gina first. She needs some better company." He said, that same sad expression on his face. He grabbed hold of the reins and led the brown mare into the barn. Gina smiled at us and disappeared into the house. Debra sighed and I passed her the baby.

"Lets get this over with as quick as we can." She said grumpily. I smirked and nodded.

When we entered Gina's house the first thing I noticed was the familiar feel. Like our house, Gina's front door led into the kitchen and it was apparent that they too were sleeping in the kitchen. There were blankets and pillows folded neatly in a straw basket by the fireplace. The next thing I noticed was a chubby little baby lying on the floor fast asleep. My eyes studied his peaceful face and I smiled. I looked at Gina, who was setting teacups on a tray.

"He's adorable." I said, trying not to gush. Gina looked at him and smiled at me.

"He's a handful. But you probably know, because of Samuel."

"Implying that he's a bad child?" Debra said defensively. Gina studied Debra's hard face and smirked.

"Not at all. I am implying that all boys are a handful." She said.

"He's not…"

"He does have his moments." I said, cutting off Debra, making it obvious that I was trying to make this a good visit. Gina smiled and carried the tray to the table.

"Have a seat, won't you?" she said. I sat at the table as did Debra, but she was on edge, never really relaxed. The baby let out a tiny cry and Debra, as quick as could be, covered herself with her coat and started feeding the baby. Both Gina and I sat mesmerized.

"What is it?" Debra asked when she noticed our faces.

"I'm impressed." Gina said, causing Debra to smile proudly. "It normally took me at least two minutes of a screaming baby before I could feed him."

"It gets easier. You'll see with the next baby you have." Debra said, forgetting the situation. But when she remembered her face went pale and she blinked at Gina. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I imagine I will marry eventually." She said sadly. I shot Debra a stern look and she frowned.

"So Gina, I have a… favour to ask you." I said trying to change the subject. Her eyes brightened and she smiled.

"Get right to it don't you?" she said with a laugh. "You haven't changed a bit."

"I suppose not." I said laughing.

"What is it? Your not pregnant are you?" She said with a smirk. At my horrified expression Gina belted out a laugh.

"Absolutely not." I said, my face heating up. I heard Debra snicker this time.

"I bet that cousin of mine has attempted to impregnate you by now. It's been what four years?" Gina asked, pouring us each a cup of hot tea.

"I-I…" I stammered.

"Yes it's been four years." Debra answered.

"But I have not…done that."

"She's wanted to, he just wants her to save her virtue." Debra teased and my face went even redder. Gina chuckled.

"He was always a good boy growing up, never one to get in trouble." She said with a look of distaste. "How much fun is life if you don't test its limits?" She asked us. I smiled and shook my head.

"You haven't changed at all either." She smiled sadly.

"Grown a little wider but other than that no."

"That's why we're here." Debra said and I looked at her horrified.

"You're here because I'm an old fat cow now?" Gina asked, trying to hide her amusement.

"No!" I said quickly. "I was wondering…if I could possibly borrow…" Gina raised her eyebrows.

"She needs a dress to wear to the King's Coronation next week." Debra said. Gina looked from Debra to me and back to make sure she had heard right. She blinked at me.

"Your going to the coronation?" She said and I nodded, looking away.

"She's grown quite close with the king's right hand man." Debra smirked and Gina squealed.

"Well look at you!" She said clasping her hands, startling the baby on the floor to awaken with a start. He let out a loud cry and Gina sighed. She picked him up and smiled at me. "Tell me all about him!" She ordered.

"There's nothing really to tell. We've just helped him out a couple of times."

"Yet he didn't invite the whole family, just you." Debra said.

"I… Only because…"

"He fancies you." Gina stated, bouncing the dark hair baby on her lap. "He wants to bring you to his bed." Debra laughed this time, and I couldn't help but smile at their laughter. Even the baby started to laugh.

"We are just friends."

"There is no such thing between a man and woman, Susanna." Gina said. I shook my head, yet was still smiling.

"So you'll need some nice dresses." She said giving me a wink. Here hold Henry while I go and look. She excited passed me the baby and evaporated from the room. I looked at the baby and he studied my face carefully. His cool grey eyes looked at me with curiosity. For a second I felt like I had seen this expression before, like he had looked at me before. But then his pink cheeks puffed up and he smiled at me, showing 6 teeth and I forgot all about his eyes. I smiled back and tickled him, causing him to squirm and giggle, his brown curls bouncing on his head.

"These ones were my favourites and unfortunately they don't fit anymore." Gina said reappearing in the kitchen; her arms were filled with material of different colours and fabrics. She looked at me brightly.

"Here, go try them on."

"All of them?" I said, looking at the numerous dresses in her arms. It would take me hours to get into those dresses and then to get out of them.

"Just try one on. If one fits then the rest will." Debra said and Gina gave her a disappointed smile.

"Ok, try this one on. It will go perfectly with your green eyes." Gina said picking out the emerald green dress that was on top of the pile. I looked at it and blanked. It looked so expensive and beautiful, that I was afraid to even touch it. "Go on, take it!"

"Are you sure?" I asked, touching the soft, light material gently.

"Of course silly. These dresses were just collecting dust up there anyways." She said smiling and pushing the dress towards me.

"Go one Susanna. We told your father we would be home soon." Debra said, smiling slightly. "David has a short attention span when it comes to watching the kids." Debra explained to Gina. I smiled brightly at my friend and took the dress.

"Thank you."

"Thank me after you find out if it fits." She said, but her smile indicated that she was more than happy that she could help me out.

I took the dress and climbed the stairs very quickly. I looked at the two doors and instinctively reached for the door on the left. When I opened it I was pulled back in time. The room was bright with a large bed in the middle, covered with a flower-covered quilt. The large wooden wardrobe was still in the corner along with a long mirror that Horris had gotten in a traders deal. Apart from the cradle beside the bed, it was the same as it had been our entire lives. I sighed and closed the door.

Changing into the dress had proved to be more difficult that I had thought it would be. The dress was meant to wear a corset underneath, but I could not lace the corset by myself, so I did not put it on. I unlaced the back of the dress and stepped into it, pulling the soft green dress up over my shoulders. I slipped my arms into the sleeves and turned to look at myself in the mirror.

The dress was long, bunching up on the floor, indicating that I need heeled shoes. The bodice of the dress reached the top of my breasts and clung to my ribs nicely. The sleeves reached my elbows and white lace trimmed the edges of the sleeves. The front of the dress spilt open and a gold material could be seen underneath the split. The gold material was soft and cool against my skin, and I knew it must've been silk. There were gold beads sown into the material in a nice curvy pattern that gave the dress and extra sparkle. I looked at my self in the mirror and smiled excitedly.

I gently glided down the stairs, making sure the dress didn't fall off and that I didn't step on it. I walked into the kitchen and they both looked at me. Gina smiled brightly and jumped off her seat.

"I'll tie it for you." She said placing Henry on the floor. She started pulling on the strings before I could object and within seconds she was done.

"Now I'm impressed." Debra said and Gina laughed.

"I've done it so many times for Aunt Molly that it's become an art. " She said with a chuckle. "Ok, now twirl around for us to see." I smiled and did as she asked, feeling the way the dress moved against my body.

"Of course this is one of the dresses that you would wear when touring the castle. You wouldn't wear this one to the ball." Gina said fixing the dress carefully. I frowned at her.

"Why not?"

"Because…it's so common." Gina said. "You want people to look at you and be jealous of your dress. So on nights where you are to go dancing you are going to wear the red, blue, or pink dress. During the day you wear the dresses like this one. I think there's a yellow and a white dress like this."

"I'm going to be so lost." I said, feeling butterflies fill my stomach.

"They'll assign someone to tend to you." Gina said.

"How do you know?"

"You are a guest at the castle. They have to." Debra said.

"People are going to be so jealous when they hear that you are going to the King's coronation." Gina said, looking hungrily at me.

"So it's probably best that we don't tell them." I said giving her a stern expression.

"Oh all right. But you're taking some of the fun from my life." She sighed and looked at the dress. "It looks beautiful on you." I could feel myself beaming at her. I flung myself at her and wrapped my arms around her neck.

"You are my dearest friend and I would be at a complete loss without you!" I said hugging her tightly.

"Stop it." She said with a laugh. I hugged her tighter.

"I'm serious Gina. You have saved me today." I stepped back and there were tears in her eyes. "I will no longer stay away from you because everyone else is. I think you've been punished long enough." I said and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Look, now I'm crying." She said laughing and wiping her face. I smiled and hugged her again.

"Stop hugging me and go change back into your old clothes. You're father will be sending the sheriff over soon." She laughed and I let go.

I kissed my friend goodbye and thanked her for the 12th time before I climbed into the buggy. I wrapped the dresses over my arm and held them as close as I was holding Nathaniel. I felt completely happy and excited and nervous; a million different emotions were running through my body that all I could do was smile. When we got home we noticed the carriage outside the house. I looked at Debra who gave me the same expression. We pulled up to the house and David came running out. He helped Debra down and then me. I noticed that it was Dr. Smith's buggy and fear took over.

"What's happened David?" I asked, studying his young face.

"Is it the children?" Debra said, heading quickly towards the house.

"No, their fine. I kept a good eye on them."

"What is it David?" I snapped.

"It's Papa." He said and I gasped, my eyes filling with tears. I handed Debra the baby and the dresses and raced into the house, not even worrying about the snow and mud that I was brining into the house. I raced up the stairs, my heart pounding against my chest and swung open Papa's door. Four faces looked at me with shock.

"What's happened?" I asked, looking from Jacob's calm face, to Bradley's annoyed expression, to Dr. Smith's kind eyes and finally resting on my fathers tired, wrinkly face.

"Your father has hurt his back." Dr. Smith said. I felt my whole body relax, despite its need for more air.

"He tried lifting a bag of oats by himself." Jacob smirked.

"Oh Papa." I said, sitting on the bed beside him. He looked away from me embarrassed. I grabbed his warm hand and held it tightly. "You've got to be more careful."

"Don't lecture me Susanna, please."

"I'll lecture you all I want. You're all I'm going to have once David grows up. He's already talking about how he's going to build his house and he's only 12." I said with a sad smile. "You need to be around for a little but longer."

"I'm not dying." Papa said with frustration yet he was amused at the same time.

"You could over exert yourself so that you do end up dying. Picking up bags of oats, at your age, is an example of how you could do that."

"Oh Susanna."

"Am I right Dr. Smith?" I asked, looking into his brown eyes. They studied my face curiously before he smiled, causing his black mustache to twitch.

"It is common for people to suffer heart failures when lifting heavy objects at a…certain age." He said carefully. Even though he was a doctor, Reginald Smith still respected his elders. For this everyone seemed to love him, also because he was willing to help anyone he could. He had moved from Kingsbridge to London after studying medicine. He has his own house in town, where a special room is designated for patients. At 20, most women would see him as a good catch, but for me he was more of a friend than anything else.

"He'll have to stay in bed for at least a week." Dr. Smith said. "Then he'll have to take it easy for a little while. Stay in the house." He said looking at Papa.

"You know what that means Papa?" I teased. "You'll be learning the women's chores." I laughed and Papa rolled his eyes and failed to hide his smile.

"You'll need to since we're short a woman for a week." Jacob said from behind me. I blanked and didn't dare look at anyone.

"Short a woman?" Dr. Smith asked.

"Susanna has been invited to the King's coronation." Jacob said and I could feel Dr. Smith's eyes studying me.

"Really? I too have been invited." He said and I looked up at him. I smiled brightly, relieved that I would know someone.

"That's wonderful. We can travel together, right Papa?" I asked, looking at him.

"Your father wont be able to go." Dr. Smith said and I frowned.

"Jacob is going instead." Papa said. I tried my hardest not to react in a suspicious manner, but I was unsuccessful.

"Why are you frowning?" Papa asked, his eyebrow rose.

"I'm not frowning." I said smiling.

"You're up to something aren't you?" He said placing his hand under my chin.

"No Papa."

"And now you are lying." He said with a laugh. "Jacob will take good care of you. And I imagine that Dr. Smith will watch out for you as well." Papa said. As if that was what I was looking for, more chaperones who actually care. "Don't worry darling, no harm will come to you."

"Alright Papa." I said smiling and kissing his hand. "You sleep now. I'll see Dr. Smith out." I said, letting go of his hand. The four of us left the room and headed down to the kitchen.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Jacob asked Dr. Smith.

"No thank you, I'd better head out to my next patient."

"Thank you for stopping by." Jacob said, exchanging handshakes with the doctor before heading back out to work, Bradley and David trailing along behind him.

"So shall we take my carriage to the coronation?" Dr. Smith asked. "This way it will leave you're family with a means of transportation."

"Oh of course. That would be wonderful." I said, wrapping my arms around my body as I walked him to his buggy.

"It was nice seeing you again Miss. Simon." He said lifting his hat off his head. I smiled and nodded to him. But as he placed his foot on the wheel of the buggy to climb up I grabbed his arm and he stopped.

"Dr. Smith-"

"Reginald. You can call me Reginald." He said smiling at me.

"Reginald. I…I was…you wont say anything about me going to the coronation will you?" I asked, feeling my face heat up. He studied me carefully and then chuckled.

"Why are you embarrassed?"

"I feel that people would make the wrong assumptions if they learned of my invitation." I explained. He sighed and nodded.

"And their jealous looks would be hard to live with." He sympathized and I smiled.

"Yes, it would be."

"I shall carry your secret to the grave." He said, taking my hand and kissing it. "I'll see you in a week." He said and climbed into the carriage. I smiled.

"In a week." I said and waved as he drove away. As I closed the door behind me Debra laughed.

"Well either you've got the best luck or the worst." She said. I smiled at her and shook my head.

"The day was going so well and now…"

"Now you're stuck with two watchful hawks. One a brother who worries about you on a daily basis and one a doctor who is very taken with you." She said smiling and crossing her arms over her chest. I looked at the dresses that lay on the table and sighed.

"It seems everyone is taken with me these days. There must be a shortage in women." I said with a sigh, rubbing the pain out of my forehead.

"A shortage of beautiful women." Debra laughed. "Oh I loved being young."

"You are young. You're only two years older than myself." I said looking at her. She undid her cap and let her blonde hair fall down her back.

"My age is young, but my body is not. My soul feels old, like Gina. I guess that comes with children." She said sadly. Aggie and Samuel were cooing at Nathaniel, who was lying in a basket staring at them with wonder. "My advice to you… enjoy your youth and freedom, because it is snatched away from you before you know it." She said tying her hair back up into her cap. She sighed, patted her old brown cotton dress and stood up. "Time for some supper."