I kiss the top of her head. “Okay. Get to work.”

She goes to the boxes as I turn and leave. I hear her ripping the tape to unpack as I walk down the hall to the master bedro—

Huh.

This door was open a moment ago.

There has to be a draft, somewhere. I can hear the wind battering the house.

Oh well.

I open the door and go inside.

April 7th, 1900

I love it. I simply love this journal.

I’ve never kept a journal, but I will try to do so, especially because of who gave it to me, but more on that in a little while.

The party was fine but I’m much too shy for public gatherings. Besides, while it was my seventeenth birthday, the party wasn’t really for me. It was Father’s way of “introducing” us to Kingsbrook before we open the pharmacy. I know Father is excited, but he’s been excited for every other business he’s put his hand to, like the grocer’s or the launderer, and they’ve all been disasters. This time, though, I heard him promise my stepmother, Carol, that it would be a success.

The party was held at the house we’re renting in town. We can’t afford to buy a house, but Father wanted us to appear successful because it will give people more confidence in the pharmacy. Father also wanted the party to be as elegant as possible but since we don’t have the means to buy a house, we certainly don’t have the money to hire caterers or planners. Everything fell to Carol and she was stretched to the limit. I felt horribly for her and tried to help as much as I could, but Father insisted that I was to be the centerpiece of the party.

As the party began and the guests arrived, I did my best to be cordial as Father introduced me, but after the introductions, he would forget all about me and go on and on about the pharmacy. It became so embarrassing that I had to step outside to get away, just for a moment.

I went to the backyard and hid out of sight behind one of the oak trees. I thought I was alone but there was someone else there, hiding from the party, as well.

He was tall with dark hair and striking blue eyes. Those eyes stopped me in my tracks. You can imagine my surprise when I saw that he was drinking from a flask. He was just as shocked to see me as I, him. He then got this little smile on his face and held out the flask. He was offering me a drink!

Unable to speak, I walked away, back to the party, but I couldn’t stop thinking about that vicious little smile and those piercing blue eyes.