Louisa Carpenter

Louisa Carpenter exited the church, ignoring the whispering from the women who had apparently been more focused on the reverend’s wife than the reverend’s words. Having grown up in a much stricter Puritan town, she was surprised by the lack of discipline among the adults. Gossip was hardly tolerable.

She was barely four steps out the door when Edward Porter appeared at her side, asking permission to escort her home. She accepted and almost smiled as she saw the disappointment that crossed over the face of Joseph Hale. Every day the two men seemed to race to her: eager to escort her to wherever she was headed.

Edward Porter was a man of 22, with significantly worse prospects. He had extremely strict views, very similar to her own--not that he would ever know such a thing. She was a woman and therefore had no opinion of anything as far as he was concerned. But he was a nice enough man and did show sincere interest in her. She was quite convinced that he would be capable of caring for her. But she did not wish to be cared for.

Joseph Hale was 20 with fairly good prospects. He was the youngest of three sons and very much in need of some property to attain, as one of his older brothers was sure to receive their family’s land upon his father’s passing. He had virtually no opinions on anything, and rarely ever spoke—no doubt due to his lack of opinion. He showed keen interest in Louisa but didn’t seem to even try giving her a reason as to why she should consider him at all.

Louisa and Edward walked down the slightly winding dirt road to her home. She had listened quite honestly fascinated to Edward’s ranting for the first five or so minutes of their slow walk, but was now beginning to doze in her attentiveness. Her mind wandered away from Edward as they came into view of the house that was hers. The house was large for just her and the land was even larger. The home had belonged to her father until his death when it was signed to her in his will. He had been assuming that she would soon receive an offer for marriage. The assumption was not unwarranted. In fact, she thought it remarkable that after two years of courting and no parental consent required that neither Joseph nor Edward had proposed. But it was well enough. She wasn’t sure that she’d actually ever accept either one of them. They were walking through the fields that surrounded her house when a man about 2 years older than Edward standing in currently barren the field. He seemed surprised to see them at first.

“Mr. Clay,” Edward said somewhat snobbishly, “were you not a service?”

“Indeed I was, Mr. Porter. I came right here afterwards. It is planting season now, and Miss Carpenter can’t be expected to do it all herself.”

“No, I would imagine not. However, I am sure she could find suitable workers herself.” He puffed his chest a bit as though to imply that, had Miss Carpenter been given the chance, she surely would have asked him to do it instead.

“I did ask Mr. Clay to do it, Mr. Porter,” Louisa said rather pointedly.