carly

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April 17, 1563

Before I say anything and get thou an impression thou wasn’t meant to have, thou must know that Mother wanted this for me. The diary, I mean. Ridiculous, useless things if I thou asketh me, which, of course, no one did.

It started, oh, it’s been a week since, and she caught me trying to run away. ‘Tis not an unusual thing, I never do go for long, but she happened to overhear Jane talking about it to one of the girls. That is precisely why I am subject to this torture. I mustn’t complain, though. At least she didn’t assign me to needlepoint or writing poetry, though I won’t be surprised if Jane allows Mother to hear something else I did the other day getting me into more trouble. Mother said to me this exactly “Sidney, thou art the eldest girl in one of the second-most important families in England. Why dost thou insist on being so bothersome? Even as a child, thy brother would not even consider half of the mischief thy gets thyself into!” I would leave for good, but Cybil, who is always hiding in the tree in our yard, scares me a bit. I can never make it past that tree, however how hard I try.

I suppose that posterity of some sort will come trifling through my belongings after I have passed and find this, so I feel I must give some sort of background information. My name is Sidney Valentine. I live in the Valentine manor, the largest estate in England, save the palace. I am seventeen years of age and I have two siblings, Jane, who is sixteen years of age, and Daniel, who is the eldest at nineteen years of age. He is the heir to the family business and is already a master at the craft. The Valentine family has been the finest blacksmiths since my great-great-grandfather, Christopher Valentine, abandon his father’s farm to follow his dream of being a blacksmith. I haven’t the slightest notion why anyone would rather be a lowly farmer than an esteemed blacksmith.

I suppose that since to-morrow is Father’s birthday, Mother will make us all go to the play. It will be a Shakespeare I am almost certain. The one thing I absolutely love about having a good title and lots of money is that we always get the best seats. I positively adore Romeo and Juliet, the rivalry, rebellion, murder, and betrayal! It is just so invigorating! Mother insists that I wear a veil as I am a woman. Wherefore I must? I haven’t the slightest notion. I would much rather wear a mask with a face much like a dragon or a bear’s. But that won’t be acceptable I suppose.

It is nearly time for supper. I wonder what we are to have. Oh! I hope we have peacock, even though Jane does not like it as much as I do. I wonder if anyone likes it as much as I do. Mayhap there is someone out there. The cook’s daughter, Molly, makes the most delectable gingerbread I have ever tasted! She came into my bedroom to-day and said “Pray pardon Miss Valentine (she is the most polite girl here!), Momma said I could make a gingerbread for tonight’s supper. Is that alright?” And I just wanted to pick her up and embrace her, for it is not often that we enjoy gingerbread. Perry will of course be present as it is all of our favorite beverages.

Kit came to take a walk with me to-day. I was teased as always, but Kit will never be more than a friend. If I was to choose someone or else die, than I would choose him without hesitation, but that is it. I have no intention whatsoever of marriage, though Mother thinks I am too skeptical of it. In truth, we do not walk as normally thought of by most. He takes me into the woods and we take our bows and hunt. Daniel almost caught us out one day while he was out on a hunting trip with Father and some of the other men. Kit wasn’t allowed to go, as he is not even one year my elder, meaning he is not yet eighteen, which is the youngest one is allowed to be. We are born not one month apart. In order to hunt, though, I must be wearing breeches and boots instead of my skirts and shoes. Kit and I have hidden an extra pair of each in a shack in the woods hidden behind his house. I would braid my hair to keep it out of the way, but I have cropped it short close to my chin. Long hair is too bothersome. Mother scolded me, as always, but I will not let it grow back out again.

After we hunt and cook up our game, the village boys come with us to eat it, as they are worse off than we are and need the food. We then have wrestling matches and races. I am the best wrestler out of all of them. I forgot my spare shirt to-day and I had to come home with a mussed-up shirt. I was able to slip past Mother and get into my bedroom and change. I must now stay for supper or else I will be punished for being out for too long. I don’t think Mother and Father like Kit much.

I feel I must explain about Cybil. I mentioned her in a previous paragraph and only said she scares me. I would always try to run away as a child, but would be stopped by her. She was hidden in the biggest tree in the back of our house, but I did not ever know there was anyone there. I just assumed the tree was possessed by some evil spirit. Father then told me that a girl named Cybil lived in the tree and that we were not to disturb her. I sat out beneath the tree sometimes and talked to her. I never thought that she would hurt me or that she would respond, I just thought that there was someone who was misunderstood and was able to understand what I was saying. However, one day, I went down into the cellar to get some spices and a strange girl was sitting in the corner drinking our perry. I froze as she looked straight at me. She hissed and ran out. I shakily grabbed the spice and fled as fast as I possibly could. I believe this has happened to Jane once. She is the only thing that scares me. Save mayhap Mother.

Daniel is calling me down for dinner, so I must close my writing. A pity it is really, I have found this is a decent way to vent my troubles. Now my only hope is that Mother does not check to see what I have written, or I will be in real trouble. Wish me luck!

Gramercy for being a better listener than even Cybil,

Sidney Valentine