Some personal history...

My Dearest Lucy,

How kind you are to reply so quickly to my letter! It does my heart good to know that we can still talk so openly, even after not seeing each other for so long! So much has changed since we last were in company! I had quite forgotten that it had been so long, and that I would have to acquaint you with all that has happened over the last ten years! I am so glad you are enjoying life in London!

You will remember that after my parents succumbed to yellow fever that my eldest brother Edward held my keeping, in fact he took over Father’s textile business. He has since moved to the coast, so I no longer see him, but he is good enough to send me lengths of fabric from time to time, so that I can maintain some semblance of fashion in our backward little town! Seven years ago, Edward arranged a marriage for me with a man from Dry Bluffs – Woodrow Sparsgood by name, although most have gotten into the informal habit of calling him “Woody”, a name I quite despise! Life in a town like Dry Bluffs is a far cry from the civilities you described! When first we married, I was quite content – at that time the town had a bustling port – and Mr. Sparsgood, being a Chandler by trade had a thriving business. (In case you do not know, being not in a nautical place, a Chandler is the man who sells supplies to ships – everything from candles to water casks, rope, galley equipment, and a good deal more!) We had resources to spare, and I had a new gown every month! You will recall that when we were young, we had both vowed to marry pirates, and have all kinds of adventures – well, Mr. Sparsgood was not exactly a pirate – my brother Edward would never have stood for such a match, but Mr. Sparsgood is often described as a handsome man, and dealing with so many pirates meant that he often dresses the part, which led me to feel that I had the best of both worlds – the reputable side of being a prosperous merchant’s wife, and the slightly dangerous side of the less than savory characters who might be encountered!

Of course, everything changed when the waters receded. A town with no port brings no ships, and while those left in the town may still require staples such as candles, there is less call for most of the shipping supplies. I convinced my husband to try his hand at something different, and after much persuasion, he went on account with a ship, but it was short lived. A single fortnight he was gone, and returned still green – it appears that Mr. Sparsgood suffers from sea sickness. He returned to the Chandlery business, despite acknowledging that there would be less demand for anything he offered. I urged him to relocate to the coast, but he feels that the Sparsgood Chandler’s shop is his family’s heritage, and cannot be persuaded, cajoled, or reasoned with. I have attempted to be patient, but Lucy, the man will not be swayed! And so I find myself stuck in a marriage that brings me no comfort, with hardly any distractions except for our festival days, and the only hope I have of anything new to wear relies on the goodwill of a brother I have not seen these past six years!

Oh, do say that you will be able to arrange passage to visit in August! Our festival days will be so much the better for your company! We shall search every merchant’s tent for the prettiest things imaginable, and have lunch in the pub while listening to pirate themed music! It will be as if we were girls together again, watching all that goes on in the town, perhaps hiding behind a fan or a parasol! Of course, my husband will no doubt press me into service – he has devised a terrible torture for me, standing in the hot sun with a basket of wares to sell – but I promise it will only be for a little while – for, unbeknownst to him, I have an alternate supply of income, and can easily convince him that all my wares have been sold hours before he expects! The look on his face is priceless as he attempts to understand how I, a mere woman, can sell more in an hour than he can in an entire day! 

I am again at the end of my page – remember the dates are August 4 – 6th, and you must be at the front gate no later than 10 in the morning so that we have the whole day to spend together! I have not hardly begun to tell you of all that goes on – and I will spare a single line to mention the Captain’s Keg, and rumors of a Gypsy camp – but ask your questions in your reply, and I shall endeavor to tantalize you with anything you may expect at the fifth annual Pirate Festival in Dry Bluffs, in Milton this summer!

Affectionately,

Anthea

(Be so kind as to forward any queries from Lucy in the comments section!)