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Now before I continue to tell you about Julia Carter I must let you know why I know so much of such girl. My name is Lady Daniela Sudbury, I was that child’s governess and loyal companion till…well let me not get ahead of the story. I love Julia Carter like my own child, I taught her many things like decorum, mathematics, history, sewing and how to play the piano forte. She was a fast learner and she had talent, which her brother Nicholas seemed to encourage. Sir Carter was also a very talented man, he was a great artist his paintings were incredible. But of course Sir William Carter would not have such from his heir, Nicholas so he sent him to law school in London with his cousins Howard and Tom Dorough.

Sir William Carter had one sister Antoinette Carter who was married to a Sir Louis Dorough of Irish descent. Like it was apposed by their father, a man of good position and wealth, that’s why he was a suitable courtier for Lady Antoinette.

Just like her Sir William found the proper wife for him on Elizabeth Wentworth daughter of a countess. Now on the contrary to his sister though, Sir William had an advantage he was young and handsome. So Lady Elizabeth fell quite quickly in love with him and couldn’t have asked for a better suitor. Only a year after they were married and Sir William took over his father’s accounts, including Bayshore Court, Elizabeth was born. A year later Sir William was in for a bigger surprise when Nicholas was born, he now had an heir a man. Women did not get such advantages.

I am orphan and had no where to go so I worked in the orphanage that had taken me in. I was exactly twenty nine when I finally got an offer from Mr. Carter himself. He would pay me thirty pounds per year to be the governess to young Roberta and two years later when Julia came. The other governess they had had just past on, she was the one that had brought up Miss Elizabeth and Sir Nicholas.

Now I must be honest and say that Sir William is not as hard as he seems to try and portray. He definitely has a soft spot for Julia and Nicholas, he lets them get away with things that poor Roberta and Elizabeth could not. Yet he is firm once his mind is made up, so that’s why Nicholas was sent to law school at age twenty and only came to visit rarely. Finally a law school scholar he resides in London with his aunt and uncle.

Which brings me back to where I started, Mrs. Carter was in eagerness to see her son. Sir Nicholas had just turned twenty six; she had not seen him since his last visit two years earlier. Mrs. Carter was not to close to her daughters, yet her son she loved.

After that Bayshore was put into preparations for Sir Nicholas arrival and of course of the gentlemen that accompanied him.

*******

“Tomorrow Percy, my brother will arrive.” Julia told her loyal companion as she walked the path to town, Whitlock was only three miles away. Julia had made it a favorite sport of hers to walk into town and visit her only friend… Miss Angelina Singleton.

“Julia you must wait for us!!” Elizabeth screamed to Julia who was way ahead of them. “I told you we should have taken the carriage…” she complained as Roberta caught up to her.

“Oh don’t be silly sister of mine; walking does us great sometimes you know. Besides today is not a rainy day, we must enjoy the sun. Seriously Julia stop or I will tell our father and he will not let you come with us again. I will most certainly not let you stop by Angelina’s house…we will head straight to the shop for what we came for.” Roberta told her sister sternly.

“Oh fine Roberta I will wait for you two catch up, I just have so much to share with Angelina and then Percy does not like to stand around for too long.” Julia smiled to her two older sisters. Then she got sad as she realized that soon she would only walk this way with Elizabeth since Roberta would be married.

“Why Julia what has you crossed?” Roberta asked as she finally reached her sister.

“I have just realized that you will soon be married and taken to Barton with Mr. Crawford. I will not get to see you again…it just saddens me I guess.” Julia told her sister as she turned to face the down hill path, she could begin to see the cottages to the entrance of Whitlock.

“Oh my dear Julia, you know I will always write to you and expect you to do the same. Besides I will ask papa to send Elizabeth and you to visit, it’s only a few days drive in carriage.” She hugged her sister and it finally hit her. Julia was right in a few months she would be married to someone she just thought was handsome but nothing more.

******

Julia was in her study room reading Hamlet but most of all she was trying to pay attention to any noise that a carriage was approaching. She smiled as she heard the distinctive noise of horses approaching and without a care she put her book down running down the staircase.

Feeling many emotions within her she opened the door to her house almost knocking down a servant. “Nicholas is here!!” she screamed and came to a halt on the stairway in front of her home. Nicholas was her only brother that she cared so deeply for they had a special bond and she really wanted to see him. “Oh Nicholas you look even more handsome,” Julia told her brother as she ran to his arms.

“My dear sister come here. You have grown yourself, you are a beauty.” He embraced his younger sister, which now looked like a beautiful woman. His father had described her well in his letters. He smiled as he saw the rest of his family standing there to greet him. “Now Julia I want you to meet our cousin Howard and his friend Sir Alexander McLean,” Nicholas told his sister and smiled as Julia curtsied to greet them.

“Nice to finally see you cousin, aunt and uncle too. You two must be my other two cousins, Elizabeth and Roberta.” Howard asked as he greeted the rest of his family and was followed suit by his friend Alexander.

It was an eventful day full of catching up and of course a nice meal. Which followed suit with a nice piece played by Julia on the piano forte, “You have played the piano forte so wonderfully Julia it amazes me to know that you have kept your lessons up,” Nicholas told her sister as he sat beside her.

“Thank you so much Nicholas, I am happy to know you think I play well. Lady Sudbury is such a great teacher.” Julia told her brother smiling. “We have a lot of catching up to do,” she told him as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

“I know and we have to prepare for the ball, I must have the first two dances with my dear Julia.” Nicholas told her sister.

“But brother I do not know how to dance yet, will papa be fine with it?” Julia asked him with a surprised look.

“I’ll worry about that Julia you just prepare yourself for lessons starting tomorrow!” Nicholas told her sister.