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Chapter 1 : Ethan’s Proposal

Near a small lake in the countryside of Laraford, five sisters and two young men were enjoying the last day of summer. On the far side of the park, a large gathering of aspen trees guarded dusty dirt parthways with their speckled white trunks and a ceiling of crisp green and yellow leaves. Beside the forest, a dry meadow of breezy grass and elm trees spread across the remainder of the park, its only partner the aforementioned lake.The eldest girl, Meredith St. James, was strolling along a path in the woods wearing a simple, periwinkle blue dress; her hand placed delicately upon the arm of her beau. Considered to be the most beautiful of the five sisters, she bore shiny black ringlets, eyes as blue as the summer sky, milky white skin, and pleasant features that stole the hearts of many a men. An undeniable coquette, her flirtatious smile and twinkling eyes had gained her many admirers over the years. But because she was the oldest, with twenty-one years behind her, she had taken up the role of mother with her younger sisters since their parents died two years ago- both of scarlet fever.

Walking beside Mary was her sweetheart, Ethan Lindsey. His chestnut-colored hair was cut short and his eyes, a sparkling navy, were framed by long lashes. With a defined jaw, a fit and favorable physique, and a face free of flaws, Mary thought he was the one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. And her sisters heartily agreed. His one imperfection, in his own humble opinion, was his height. Although he’d always dreamed as a boy that he might stretch over six feet, he stood at a humble five feet and nine inches. But as long as he was still taller than his Mary, his pride was never threatened. Ethan had graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in the country just a few months before and in two weeks he would head across the ocean to a medical school in Brighton, where he would study to become a doctor; Mary knew how desperately she would miss him while he was away.

As they walked along, Ethan whispered sweet nothings into Mary’s ear. In an attempt to be romantic he stopped to grab a handful of wildflowers for her but they were harder to pull out then he’d imagined. And once he’d yanked the crocuses out of the dirt and landed on his bottom, he gave a little shout of surprise to find that they were covered in bugs. Although he had to throw them back, Mary giggled and thanked him for the effort anyway.

The pair headed deeper into the forest, past thin white trunks and bushy shrubbery. The sky had nearly disappeared from view and all that could be seen were the tiny green and yellow leaves, flickering with the breeze …