Felicitations, dear Sisterhood,
Eleanor Barrett West, here. Miss Parnell has written me on several occasions expressing her readers curiosity regarding Hartwell, our beloved Sisterhood School.
I believe I have struck upon a brilliant, even if I do say so myself, solution to their inquisitiveness. You see, I have kept a diary of all things Sisterhood since Libby and I first conceived of the notion when we were just eight-years-old.
This portion of the chronicle begins on the day Giles presented me with the deed to the property. To say the least, I was ecstatic.
At this juncture I should tell you, if you haven’t already discerned the matter for yourself, I asked Miss Parnell to copy and reproduce my entries on her modern transcribing device. Normally, my handwriting is quite acceptable, but when I am excited about a particular situation or topic my script becomes quite indecipherable.
Libby has admonished me numerous times, over the years, on this account. Bah, enough with these side-tracks, back to the purpose at hand.
November 3, 1777, in the year of our Lord, in the county of Kent
Giles and I returned to Barrett Hall yesterday, after our month long seclusion, post our nuptials. I am eager to begin Hartwell’s transformation. It has lane uninhabited and abandoned for more than twenty years. Broken masonry, weeds, woodwork and plaster in disrepair. The place is an unmitigated disaster, and I love every broken cobble and windowpane, because it is my heart’s desire to provide a sanctuary for women and their children.
(Editors note: deleted a portion regarding dress fittings and preparations for Libby and Harleigh Barrett’s wedding.)