1890s: Girls just wanna have fun

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There have been big developments in the family this week. It starts when little Josephine decides to stand up on her own for the very first time while the rest of the family is having breakfast.


Coming into the room after she's finished eating, Abigail finds her baby girls standing up on her very own. She is utterly proud!


The family is in a generally good mood as they head off for this week's Sunday service, with Abigail and Joseph intent on getting to know the Edwardson-family better in order to learn if this Charles is a suitable young man for Ida. Only Ida has other ideas. While Joseph and Abigail are talking to the Edwardson after service, she runs into the also newly settled Nathaniel Preston, a young adult whose father is passed away and who, together with his mother, owns a string of businesses. Incidentally, he's, like any other single man in possession of a good fortune is in want of a wife and is quite flirty with the young Ida.


Ida thinks he's dreamy!


Abigail isn't sure this speaks to Ida's maturity to get married, but as she is of a suitable age, the Prestons are invited for dinner formally the very next day. Never let it be said that Abigail and Joseph does not provide their daughter with the opportunity to find a suitable match. After dinner, Nathaniel and Ida are left to their own devices in the living room, as Abigail and Joseph stay with his mother and sister in the dining room. Nathaniel does seem to be a man who goes after what he wants, and Ida is more than flattered.


When the dinner party is over, she really do not see the need to wait at all. Why finish school anyway? What's the point?


Joseph kindly, but firmly, tells her that she will not be getting married before her brother is. She will simply have to wait until spring, and stay in school for that matter too. On Wednesday, school is surprisingly cut short and the kids sent home. With a full day of ahead of them, Anna begs her father to take her with her to the new stable. Pretty pleeeaaase!!!! Joseph might be strict with his children on many things, but he's never been good at turning his girls down when there is something they actually want. As Joseph chat with the owner's wife, Anna finally gets to meet Lady again and practice her riding. In the end, Joseph can see no reason not to pay for some some riding lessons. After all, riding is a perfectly suitable thing for a young woman to know.


As Anna is left alone, she takes great care in riding and caring for Lady, but as the lesson is over, she can't help herself. She just has to explore the area more. It's not like it's dinner time yet, after all, and there is this really, really, interesting tree at the end of the road. She studies it, and talks to it, and suddenly, she finds an opening! Curious! What's in there? She has to find out, and she cannot believe what she finds, a whole hidden world!


Not that much to do there though, as Anna really has no patience for fishing. She is back home before dinner as promised.


The next day Joseph visits the Private Club, only to learn it's in one of the buildings owned by the Prestons. Interesting.


Back home, Josephine is becoming more and more curious about the world. She learns to babble, to crawl and to clap hands, and stands up as often as she can.


Ida is taking a greater interest in her younger sister as well. It's good practice before she herself is a wife and mother. Abigail is still not sure she knows what she wants yet, however, and invites Charles Edwardson over for dinner:


Ida has to admit he's still gorgeous! She has stronger feelings for Nathaniel, but if it ended up being Charles, she could definitely live with it. Abigail is now firmly certain that Ida is so not ready to get engaged or married yet. What good luck that no such thing can happen until Frank's wedding, which is still a while off. It gives Ida a chance to mature. On Saturday it's time for Alice to age up, and Abigail invites all children in the neighborhood. Abigail helps Alice blow out her candles, and then there is cake and presents.


So now I formally introduce you to Alice, a proper young girl for her time: [spoiler]

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