Dear Diary: An
1800's Romance
November 5, 1832- Deary Diary, this will be my very first entry. My
name is Janet Dear and I am a 16-year old orphan. My teacher here at
the orphanage has instructed me to start this diary in a way to
"handle" my "passive-aggressive" behavior, whatever that may mean anyway. So here I go; I was born in London,
England June 5, 1817. My parents of a wealthy family abandoned me
when I was but only eight. The nuns here tell me that they gave me up
because I was "too good" for them...; what ever the reason
may be, I consider myself just another person in this strange, cold
world.
December 25, 1832- Christmas time again and no brilliant presents
for us orphans. I mean, the nuns tell us that our gift is the gift of
life, and to celebrate, we'll be having a big meal for dinner tonight
so I suppose I should be appreciative. I look forward to having an
extra piece of bread with my soup tonight.
February 18, 1833- Visitors came today but they just walk past me as
usual. I just don't understand! I've asked my teacher many times
before why no one has wanted to adopt me and she told me, "Perhaps
if you were a boy, now stop asking, child!" Perhaps she's right.
Who would want a bony blonde, brown-eyed girl, and now that I think
of it, my hair isn't even that blonde! It's DIRTY blonde!! Reasons
why I don't look in the mirror.
June 5 1833- Well, it's my birthday again and as usual, no one
noticed... Happy 16th year to me.
December 25, 1833- I hate this time of year. This diary has not been
helping at ALL!! I've just been feeling more and more hate as the
months go by! AND to top it all off, I'll be turning 18 in the coming
months, and you know what that means..., yeah, I'll be getting kicked
out!
June 4, 1833- The head nun came to talked to me in private today.
She pulled me out of class just to do so. She told me that once
tomorrow comes I am to be thrown out but since this is an orphanage
ruled by nuns they have the compelling obligation of righteousness and so said that they would be willing to help me... a bit. As soon
as the new morning comes, I am to be on my way to The Olde Mont Manor
near the Cherish Plains, about 50 miles away from this place in the
middle of nowhere and where I will help take care of an old sickly
woman named Mrs. Knightley. I will be supplied with a small room and
pay.
June 6, 1833- I've finally been able to get settled in my new room
in The Olde Mont Manor. I arrived the evening of my birthday off the
cross country train, and once I knocked on that old rusted looking
knocker, I was introduced to an old sickly and strict-typed woman
whose first coughing response to meeting me was, "Good heavens, child! You're all skin and bones!" She shook her head in
disappointment and showed me to a small dark room in the back of the
manor. She then gave me a list of the daily chores and routines in
order to keep her health good. Some of those chores included giving
her her medicine, making her meals, sweeping, making her bed, and more
or so, cleaning, at a pay rate of two shillings a day.
Although on a more positive note, I had only money for my train
ticket, a kindly gentleman on the train had bought me a meal. He
looked about my age and was quite handsome in his gentlemen's suit if
I may say so. He had dark, short, wavy hair, styled so elegantly for a
man with just the perfect amount of scruffy chin hair and gorgeous
hazel eyes. If only the reason he bought me a meal was because he
thought I was pretty, but I doubt it. He probably pitied the
fact that I look so starved in my ragged, dull dress. Regardless, he has been
the first to treat me with such kindness.
June 9, 1833- I'm officially settled within this Manor. I clean,
cook and help take care of that old strict woman who continually
insults me with subtle comments about my dress and appearance. Why
just the other day she told me to spend my next pay on upgrading my
wardrobe despite paying the fact she pays me so little. Although, now
that I've peeked in the mirror, I realized I could use some cleaning up. I
suppose a trip to the dress store wouldn't be so bad. I could even
get in touch with my "inner" girl.
July 15, 1833- I've been able to sparingly upgrade my wardrobe
little by little; from two pieces of clothing to now five! The old
woman seems to be warming up to me day by day as well; she actually
offered a teaspoon of honey to me with my tea! She's not so bad
after all. Anyway, Diary, today was quite an interesting day. We had a
visitor come today and it was that same gentleman that paid a meal
for me on the train! Turns out he's the old crank's grandson named
James and he'll be staying with us for the rest of the summer! We
introduced ourselves to one another and we began having the most
interesting of interesting conversations just over a cup of tea, his
voice was just so enchanting to listen to!
July 16, 1833- Today was so much fun! After finishing my chores for
the old lady, James invited me to have a cup of tea with him! We
talked of our past and the look in his eyes when I had told him my
life story, looked so sympathetic; he's someone who has been given
everything yet he does not act rotten at all..., perhaps it's because
he's inherited and works for the Knightley family business of
publishing services that he understands hard work; hmm. But anyway, we
seemed to have spent hours over tea today just talking and laughing.
This has been the happiest I've felt in a long time.
August 10, 1833- I've been finishing my chores so early everyday that
James and I have been spending everyday together. I do find it
interesting though, that while I'm doing my chores in the morning, he's able to get as much work done with his company of reviewing so
many letters, and yet, he's able to finish the same time as me.
Whatever the case may be, I'm really happy that he's always finished the same time as
me. Early this evening though I was so embarrassed! A young woman came
over today to speak to James and I couldn't help but over hear from
the other room their joyous conversation. Once she left, she spoke
the words, "I love you and I'll see you in a week!" So many
emotions went through me, I thought, maybe that's his fiance or
something of the sort! James came back to speak with me and I was
awkwardly quiet around him that I said, "She's seems nice. Well,
I think I'm going to go to my room now and catch up on some reading." But then, he started laughing and said, "You know, that woman
is my cousin." My eyes immediately lit up and I said, "Oh
that's great! I mean, oh um, well that's good." I was so
embarrassed about the whole thing! He thinks it bothered me because I
like him or something...; well, now that I think of it, I do.
August 30, 1833- The summer comes to an end today; James will be
leaving for London. I have an utterly terrible feeling in my gut that I cannot explain. I don't want him to leave but a lady never asks a
man to stay and may not even feel the way I feel about him.
We haven't spoke of either feelings for each other..., sigh. I've
decided this is my last diary entrance; I rather not rewrite the
coming days of doing nothing. So, so-long diary.
Little did Janet know that that very day would change her life
forever! James Knightley asked Janet to join him for a walk through
the garden of the Manor, and once at the end, he spilled all of his
feelings out for her. He then got on one knee and asked her hand in
marriage. Janet was stunned and dropped to her knees to meet his eye
level and cried tears of joy. The both of them shall be going back to London where they will start planning their future together.
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