On another date with Cecilia, Joe confessed to her that he did actually already have a girlfriend. Cecilia told Joe that if he wanted to continue to go out with her he would have to break it off with whoever his girlfriend was. Joe said that he would and then the two of them kissed for the first time so I guess that means that this relationship is going to continue on to become something more serious. Cecilia still hasn’t told anyone in the family about her and Joe yet.

 

Probably the reason for Amanda’s kind behavior is because she’s been in such a good mood ever since her relationship with Benjamin has gotten back to the way it was when they were first wed. It’s almost like the thing with Essie had never happened… and I think Ben and her prefer to remember it that way.

 

Arley’s been acting differently lately. He’s always the first person to leave the table and is always the first one to go to bed. He doesn’t seem to be as particularly happy as he usually is, either. It might be due to any number of reasons, but I think it’s because his promotion wasn’t as fulfilling as he had hoped it would be. Becoming CEO was his lifetime wish and now that that’s over it may leave him feeling like there’s nothing left for him to accomplish in his career.

 

1911

Yes, you read that right and it isn’t a typo. We’re jumping forward to New Years day, 1911.

 

The family decided to spend New Years at the lodge this year and have just now returned back home.

 

Amanda has cooled down a little since the incident that happened last year with Ben and Essie. The discovery that her best friend and her husband were having an affair caused her a lot of pain in the beginning, but the passing months since then have helped her get passed it. She and Ben haven’t spoken much since then.

Flora is 16 years old now. She’s still not very outgoing but she’s carried on being friends with David. She still loves to practice writing and is considering starting work on her first book.

 

These two haven’t changed much at all over the last year except for Arley aging up into an elder. There’s no sign of him retiring yet, though.

 

Benjamin has barely been getting by since Amanda sent Essie away. As much as he tried he was never able to find out where she had disappeared to after she left. Ever since that night he hasn’t been able to write anything new except when work required it of him. His performance at work hasn’t suffered at all but his publisher has stopped calling him asking about any new best sellers on their way.

Naturally, Amanda had to hire a new personal companion after Essie had gone, so she took on Jo Stavropoulos.  She’s a bit better off than Essie was with some of her own money stored up in savings. She doesn’t plan to stay a servant for her whole life by any means, although sometimes she wonders if she dreams too big for someone in her class.