Harvest Eve part 1

Julie pulled her quilt over her head, trying in desperation to deflect the onslaught of noise from the floor below. Julie detested mornings. The only thing she disliked more than mornings, was in fact morning people. With the greatest reluctance and a sigh that would make the bravest chamber maid think twice before entering, Julie flung the covers off her bed and sat up. She glowered out the window at the sun, and if the sun could’ve seen Julie, it may indeed have thought twice about rising that morning. Julie groggily made her way to the night stand and with continued looks of disgust, began to wash her face.

“I cannot wait until tonight! I am going to dance until my legs give out!”, with that pronouncement, Amy who had previously been waltzing around the drawing room (to her guests bemusement), allowed herself to fall ever so gracefully into the laps of her giggling cohorts sitting on the floor. Amy had reached the magical age of 12, and was therefore blessed with all the special qualities young women of that age look forward to, namely a new found appreciation for the opposite sex, flirty giggle, and a piercing banshee wail of desperation that heralds the end of the world, or just a bad day.

“Amelia, must you entertain so noisily? If you cannot contain yourselves, you’d best take your games outdoors. The committee has far too much to do without your gaggle of girls giggling on so,” came the commanding, albeit alliterative, call from out the hall. Governor Davis’ wife was well known for her kind heart, fair mind, and swift kick. She had the unique ability to make one feel instantly at ease with a smile and a look. That same look has been known on occasion to change alarmingly fast so as to make one fear intensely for their well being.

Amy recognizing the tone of warning speciously agreed and called back, “of course mother, were just saying what a wonderful morning for a walk-”

“Wonderful? I should think not.” Julie paused in her descent long enough to share a look of disdain for the younger women on the floor. “Breakfast may be the only redeeming virtue for the unholy hour at which I find myself presently, to which I can only thank you dear sister.”

Amy arose from the floor matching Julie glare for glare. “Don’t mind Juliette girls, she’s always vexed first thing in the morning. If I had to look at that face first thing in the morning, I might feel similarly,” Amy smirked as she and the rest of the girls made their exit.

Julie stepped into the kitchen, buzzing with activity. To be fair, Amy only comprised part of the sounds that awoke her earlier than normal. Julies dark cloud could not last, for it was the activities in the kitchen that would make up for any inconvenience. It was Harvest Eve. And the celebration tonight was intended to get everyone in good spirits for the upcoming busy time. Harvest had already begun to be sure, but with winter speedily approaching, many projects would have to be completed. This would be the last chance for socializing and fun for many.

Mrs. Davis stepped smartly in front of Julie, ending her reverie, “Juliette, be quick and get yourself out of the way, quietly mind you. The Council is meeting in the Hall. You’d think that these men would have better things to do the morning of Harvest Eve then to hang about getting in the way, oh and your friends arrived with their fathers, they are in the library.”

Juliette could not repress a wicked grin as she spoke her question, “Is Dr. Higby here?”

Mrs. Davis was busily supervising the women and did not see the grin, or the gleam in her daughters eye, “Yes dear, it’s a full Hall.” As Mrs. Davis spoke these words, the recognition of what her daughter was really asking became apparent. As she turned to face Julie, she was gone. “Oh dear...”

While Julie freely admitted that she did not care for mornings, she was really quite agreeable under normal circumstances. Normal circumstances however, excluded anything that had to do with Dr. Higby’s eldest son Elias.

“My Elias is quite the social creature”, his mother Deborah is rather fond of saying. “But I have long known that my Elias should do many a great thing. How could he not? With his wit and charm. I am most fortunate indeed to have such a son.” Elias was under the impression that he should follow in his fathers footsteps and become a doctor. The only person that it was not apparent to that he would not was Elias, and of course Mrs. Higby. As Elias had taken to following his father everywhere, by asking her mother about Dr. Higby, she was in reality ascertaining the whereabouts of her prey.

Julie quickened her pace as she approached the door to the library. She paused with her ear to the door and listened, and could indeed hear the muffled tones of Elias carrying endlessly on. Schooling her features to the picture of serenity, she opened the door.

“I tried to tell father, you just cannot trust those traders. They are simply…”at the sight of Julie entering Elias had swooped down into one of the most ridiculous bows Julie had seen. “Ah, Juliette, I hope this morning finds you well?”

“Quite well, thank you.” Julie quickly scanned the room. Nathan, to whom Elias was addressing his comments, was somewhat cornered, and so was feigning interest in the shelving behind him, not meeting Elias’ gaze. Susie on the other hand was sitting quite literally on the edge of her seat, adoration painted on her face as she gazed at Elias. “I was sent to tell you that Robert is waiting for you in the stables.”

“Oh well, I must not keep him waiting then. I hope I shall see you tonight? Of course I shall, where else would you, the Governors daughter be on Harvest Eve. At any rate, I regret I must leave you so abruptly. And Nathaniel, a delicate stomach is nothing to cause shame. Remember, not all are blessed with the fortitude and personal strength required for the noble healers art. I must have inherited mine from father. You know he was quite young when first he began to practice. A little older than I am now. Oh I don’t know that I will begin too soon. There is so much to learn and experience. Mother and I were discussing this just the other day, you see-”

Julie politely coughs and inclines her head ever so slightly as to point to the open door awaiting Elias’ departure.

“But I forget myself. Farewell all,” and with a final bow Elias exits the room, and Julie shuts the door and rolls her eyes.

Susie turns in her seat and looks accusingly at Julie, “I thought Robert wasn’t coming back from his tour until later today?”

Julie merely winks. “My dear Susie, I know that for some reason, you find yourself smitten with the regrettable Elias, but you must reconcile yourself to the fact that he is utterly and totally without merit,” Julie crosses the room and joins her friend on the sofa.

“That and he’s never looked twice at you,” came the reply from Nathan as he peered out the window, watching as Elias made his way across the lawn to the stables.

Blushing at the last comment, Susie retorts, “you don’t know Elias like I do, I have seen a kindness you have never seen. And at least he isn’t some delicate flower, and doesn’t sick up all the time like some I know, Nathan-ill.”

Nathan too reddens, and opens his mouth when Julie intervenes, “What? Surely not again Nathan. I thought things were going so well?”

“They were! My lessons with Dr. Higby, -sigh- and Elias were progressing. Two days ago Dr. Higby received a summons out to the Sanders farm, there had been some kind of accident. Elias’ Latin is horrible so he had to stay and practice, but the Dr. said he would need some assistance and asked me to go with him.”

Julie nods sympathetically, “Well that sounds promising indeed, what happened?”

Nathan pales a little and sways momentarily, and Julie arises at once guiding him to her empty seat. Meanwhile Susie attempts to “tuck and roll” out of danger, managing to leap quite proficiently but stepping on her own dress hem with the end result of a less than a successful escape. It was however quite a marvelous belly flop.

“Susie I’m not going to be sick. It’s only, I don’t know that I have ever seen so much blood, it was too much-really I’m fine Julie, you needn’t worry. Anyway Tom Sanders, you know the older boy, he had cut himself awfully. His father had him down and had stopped the bleeding, but when they removed the towel to show the wound to the Doctor…I’m afraid I…I..”

“Managed to simultaneously vomit and faint dead away on the spot,” says Susie from her prone position on the floor. “If we are done here I should like to go into town now.”

Nathan looks abashed and Julie shakes her head as Susie attempts to gather herself up with slightly more decorum than used to disembark from the sofa.

As Julie walks over to help Susie, “Well, at the least we shall have a very eventful day I think.”