Hellen

The next day, Charlotte came to the Turner mansion again, with her sister this time. I ignored the door when I heard them arrive. Charlotte came upstairs to my room within minutes, but I continued to pretend she wasn’t there. It wasn’t until she greeted me that I spoke, if reluctantly. 

“Hi, Hellen.” 

“Oh. Hello, Charlotte,” I said with a hint of anger in my tone. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing,” I lied. “Nothing at all.” 

“Then why’re you angry?” 

“I’m not,” I lied once again. “Honestly.” 

“Alright. Well, Rose is down in the garden. Should I fetch her?” 

“Sure,” I said with obvious sarcasm, though Charlotte didn’t sense it and turned toward the door. “While you’re down there why don’t you also get yourself engaged to some Patriot, why don’t you?” 

She stopped abruptly and whirled around to face me at these words. “What are you talking about?” 

“You heard me.” 

“I don’t get the point.” 

“You don’t need to. You’re a girl. Your only job is to marry and to look pretty. You’re engaged to Edmund. It isn’t your concern what I’m upset about. I don’t know if you knew this, but my brother just died a month ago, so you can’t blame me for having things on my mind.” 

“Brother? Ha! I lost my father in that war, Hellen. You should be one to talk. I didn’t just sail across the Atlantic hoping that all four of my siblings would survive the trip with me! I doubt that you’re actually that angry at me just because your brother died. There’s something else going on, and you’re going to tell me what it is.” She crossed her arms over her chest. 

“No, I don’t think I am.” 

The two of us argued for several more minutes. I continued the refusal to explain what I’d been told at the engagement party the night before. Charlotte didn’t enjoy being unknowing and eventually moved onto the tactic of threats to inform General Washington of my and my siblings’ whereabouts.

Our argument was interrupted when the door opened and revealed Rose, who looked stiff as a statue and was on the verge of tears.