1862, Philadelphia, USA.
Charlotte Bice, orphaned at age eight, is taken in by one of the city's most prominent families, the Whitcombs, with the promise that she would be raised as a lady. The Whitcombs are certainly not as respectable as they pres...
A couple of fun horse gifs for Charlotte and William:
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Medusa's curls
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A little less graceful than William's usual dismount
And now for a chapter that's sooo long overdue:
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By the middle of October, the pendulum swung again, and Mr. Whitcomb was once again feeling well enough to leave his bed. Surprising even Thomas, he was almost his usual self, though more subdued. He clearly wished to spend most of his time outside in the garden, or sitting at the terrace table, but Charlotte would usually chase him back into the conservatory before too long so he could sit among nature without exposure to the growing chill of autumn.
He would sit in the conservatory for hours, reading or staring wistfully out the floor-to-ceiling glass walls, and Charlotte would sometimes bring him a cup of tea and toast, or a blanket, or perhaps a new book, but for the most part, she let him be. When he was in bed, she was constantly at his side, and so she thought it best to give him a break from her company.
It did warm her heart that more often than not, when Charlotte popped into the conservatory to check on Mr. Whitcomb, she found that he was not alone. Often Martha sat with him, knitting her socks while he read, or Mrs. Whitcomb might be there. Charlotte did her best not to overhear their conversations, but she deduced that Mrs. Whitcomb enjoyed reminiscing about some happier time or another, and Mr. Whitcomb would listen and laugh affectionately. And, of course, William or Thomas might be there, though the former was quite busy and the latter too ashamed at his self-perceived uselessness.
