July 20, 1859

July 20, 1859

Dear Safiya,

So it was true?  He really knew magic?  And were the people that attacked them also from the mainland?  Please, Safiya, tell me more of what is happening here!

A lot of things have happened since I last wrote you, even though that was only a few days ago. A mysterious stranger has come to our house, and demanded to stay here, though we have no idea who it is. It is a young man, about twenty-five, and his accent is strange.

“I come from far away, in a land of blue, to visit the one of the family.” That’s what he told us when he first came here, but of course I didn’t understand a word of it. I’m back to doing chores, so I had to make him a feast, since he looks rich. His shirt is silk. Real silk! I’ve never seen it before. He gobbled it all up, and the entire time he was staring at me.  It was all very strange.

This man is so strange.  He looks normal enough.  Blonde hair and brown eyes, and he has a tan and he’s sort of tall, but not too tall.  He looks muscular, but I can never tell because all of his clothes are very baggy on him.  But the way he acts.  He gets up at three in the afternoon and doesn’t go to bed until almost dawn!  I got up one morning to go milk the cows and he was just heading up to his room.  Or my room, rather.  I’m in the barn again.  Really, I don’t understand why we don’t have a guest bedroom.  Maybe my room is the guest bedroom.

Also, the man is always stealing away to the forest, even when we’re all awake.  It’s sort of in the direction of the waterfall, I think.  Oh my.  I’m thinking about it again.  It was such a pretty waterfall. . . .

Anyway, the good thing is that Jamie came to visit.  We were able to sit for an entire afternoon and just talk.  Mrs. MacJohns was busy with our visitor, so she was basically ignoring me the entire time.  We still don’t know his name, by the way.

You’ll be happy to hear this.  I’ve gained some weight.  Shocking, isn’t it?  I guess I’ve just been eating more.  I’ll have to think about it.

Sincerely, Lucy