Shed had a most terrible argument with mother, who bemoaned the fact that none of her daughters were married or acted like they wanted to be, angry because she thought Pearl had chosen a hoydenish life over luxury. After all the work put into raising her large brood and none of them wanted to act right. Father was more reasonable about it... "I didn't work hard all of my life so you could be in a gilded cage, I worked so you can have more choices. If you want to be a writer, so be it, but you aren't going to just write. You have to work for your home and independence." So he had granted her that... And he said he would keep Millie on his payroll until she could afford the maid on her own, which she would really soon with how much she would get paid for tutoring children.

At least, she hoped so.

So she was in her room, packing things to move and some to sell so she could buy things she needed without help... Gowns she would never really care to wear again, trinkets and jewels... Her sister decided she would have daddy buy them for her because it was a shame to waste fabric and jewels. Everything else, books, some nick knacks and such were put into crates.

She had already picked her house and it was a little gingerbread looking house not far from (though she didn't know it) Pony's sister. She was perfectly fine with it. She left her bedroom where the servants were starting to pull out her crates and her furniture to put into the cart. She would be sleeping in a guest room that night and leaving first thing.

Millie was wandering about directing people, paused to greet her and said, "Cook said she has a gift of dishes and cookware for you that she already has in the cart. She wants you to keep up your studies of cooking, so she added a small box of cookbooks too." Which was nice.

Pearl gave a nod and then escaped the chaos into the library where it was quiet and she was alone. She was holding a doll in her arms, feeling rightly emotional.

The library had been quiet until the door came open quickly and Darius wandered in. He seemed looking around at the books to find something until his eyes settled upon her. He smiled and walked over.

"Pearl!" He hugged her and then knelt down to be looking up at her. "I heard.. you are leaving.. to be a writer. That's wonderful! There are not nearly enough people in the house.. with our imagination.." He pointed from her head to his and nodded. "I am sure you'll be great. What will your first story be?" He tapped his fingers lightly against the floor and smiled more, looking quite curious.

"I think it should be an adventure story.. high seas.. serpents. mermaids. You love the sea."

"Oh, Darius." She wrapped an arm about her brother and then sat back. "Yes... I found the perfect little house and everything. Papa is buying my house and I am to rent it with my wages and buy it eventually. I am excited for that but I am also scared."

And then she laughed when he brought up the book she hadn't even started writing yet. "I don't know yet. Something romantic, perhaps, but not specifically about love. I do rather like the sea. Oh, mama is so cross with me for this."

She handed him Betsy Boo, the doll he had picked out for her when she was just eight. "Remember my Betsy Boo? She is the only one I am keeping. If I do have a daughter some day, I will give it to her. All of my other dolls are going to children who are old enough to keep china dolls but don't have dolls. Not Betsy, she is too special."

Darius cocked his head to the side and looked at her blankly. The smile returned and he nodded. "Oh yes yes. Mother wanted you to follow in her footsteps." He dropped his voice to a conspiring whisper. "You know.. be a lady and marry some boring rich man to take care of you. But I think this is more exciting. You're not a princess in a tower waiting for a prince. You are your own knight making your own adventure." He gave her a knowing look then his eyes went to the doll.

"Oh Betsy! Of course she is special." He gently took the doll and touched her hair as if smoothing it back and grinned at her. "I knew she wanted to go home with you when I saw her. She was not the prettiest, fanciest doll. But she is full of love and can give it as well as she receives it. You were always such a good friend to her. No wonder she still looks so happy." He held her up to Pearl to take. "I am sure she will continue to bring happiness to any child you choose worthy of her."

"What if I have found my prince, but he isn't the conventional prince? One who likes my independence and that I would rather be equal to a man than be beneath. Mother doesn't understand it, but I will be much happier this way. Ugh, to think I went through all that balancing of books on my head." She laughed softly and stood, taking the doll back when the time came and then set her in her favorite chair like always. "So you think I am doing the right thing?" she asked softly, then looked at her brother with those big brown eyes that none of the boys could say no to much if at all, not that it was her way of getting what she wanted...

"Betsy is my best friend and always will be," she grinned. "And can you believe our sister bought most of my jewelry with her allowance? I never thought to see her buy my things. She wants me gone. Betsy never wanted me gone." She laughed a lot at that.

Darius shrugged. "If you like him, that's that.. I mean.. "He scratched at his neck idly and looked at her. "You just have to make sure he sees it that way, yeah?" He frowned slightly as if bothered by a thought but then smiled more. "You're taking the steps, you already know you are doing the right thing. You might not be sure until you succeed. But this is what you want to do , so do it." He patted the top of her head and stood to go back to looking at books.

"Your sister is jealous. She wishes to be more like you. She just doesn't want to admit it." He guessed then held up a finger to his lips to her showing it was their secret. "And ignore her. Not all of us want you gone. Some of us are more like Betsy."

"I know, brother." She said this with a smile and then reached out to give him a hug. When she pulled back, she stood and said, "I will gladly ignore her, she is such a..." she lowered her voice, "bitch." And then she threw her hand over her mouth and snickered, lifting one finger up to signal another secret between them, all while giggling. They were interrupted by that sister momentarily and the older woman was holding up Pearl's least favorite gown like it was the most beautiful thing ever. "I want this one..."

Pearl nodded, "It's yours for free." And then she imagined her sister altering it to loosen the garment.

Darius giggled alongside her before pulling down a small book. He glanced at their sister and gave her a small polite wave before immediately burying his face into the book. He only looked up when he hoped she was about to go.

Their sister wandered off, squeaking like she won the lottery with that ugly brown gown. Her sister had such weird taste. When she was well out of earshot (Pearl poked her head out of the door to make sure), Pearl dissolved into a fit of laughter. "That was close."

Darius shrugged and smiled. "She'd just tell mother if she had heard us." He flipped through a few pages in a poetry book then looked towards the door as if worried she would come back. "Not that.. I'd look forward to such a thing. Is she one reason you want to leave the house?" He looked to Pearl curiously.