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The Circus - 1868

"Elizabeth," Sarah called, motioning her over to the group of simpering girls. "We're going to have our fortunes told! Do come, I'm sure it will be fun!"

"I suppose I shall," Elizabeth consented knowing she'd have to do something sooner or later to convince Sarah she was having a good time.

"Wonderful!" Sarah smiled and dragged Elizabeth by the hand over to the darkly colored booth.

Elizabeth sighed heavily as she allowed herself to be tugged along. The blue sky with white and fluffy clouds and brightly shining sun ensured a perfect day for the Circus, Elizabeth grudgingly admitted to herself. She just didn't feel in the festive mood. Her friend Sarah had dragged her to the Circus grounds, saying she needed to get out more, but Elizabeth didn't think so. She would much rather be home tending to her garden, or better yet riding her stallion, than trying to catch the eye of some young man.

It seemed to her that all her friends ever did now was giggle about some stupid man. This one was so strong, and that one was so handsome. They didn't impress Elizabeth one bit. She didn't need a man because everything they could do she could do just as well, if not better, thanks to her uncle's teaching. Of course most people didn't know that about her, which for her Aunts sake was the way she liked it. Most people considered her a lady of the first degree. Most people were wrong.

Sarah was one of her best friends, and one of the few people who knew about her unladylike behavior. When the two girls had been much younger, Elizabeth had even persuaded her to try a few antics herself, such as climbing into the hay mow and jumping onto the piles of hay on the barn floor below, or discarding their skirts and abundance of petticoats in hot weather and swimming in only their shifts in the river. Lately though Sarah had been trying to get Elizabeth to act more ladylike even when they were alone, and Elizabeth resented it.

She watched the other girls she had known since childhood enter the fortune tellers tent one by one, and come out giggling to the other girls about husbands and the amount of children they would someday have. She listened and smiled along with the rest, but she didn't take part in the discussions. Among the girls Elizabeth was the only one who still professed not to care for men. At least outwardly.

Since she had turned eighteen, she had begun having

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