Chapter 4I cursed myself for allowing my resentment to get the better of me. I should have accepted Jem as a bright and carelessly happy creature, and be grateful he still sought my company despite being surrounded by a glamorous throng.
But somehow, as June became July, my sense of grievance gathered. I used the excuse that I was dog tired, working from dawn to dusk, my father’s worries for the coming year burdening me, as I pushed myself even harder in an attempt to allay his anxiety.
Weary as I was by late in the day, I couldn’t refuse to accompany my family to the evening diversions at the manor. It would have seemed churlish to our good friend Sir Harry, and with so many men present used to casual customs, I was needed to help my mother keep a careful eye on my sisters, or be a stro
