Jane came skipping into the kitchen and sat down. The Hotchkiss family had long ago dispensed with serving a formal morning meal in the dining room. Breakfast was always served in the kitchen. Besides, in the winter, everyone liked to sit near the stove. And in summer- well, habits were hard to break, Elizabeth supposed.

Elizabeth smiled at her youngest sister. "You look a touch untidy this morning, Jane."

"That's because somebody locked me out of my room last night," Jane said with a mutinous glare toward Susan. "I haven't even had a chance to brush my hair."

"You could have used Lizzie's brush," Susan replied.

"I like my brush," Jane shot back. "It's silver."

Not real silver, Elizabeth thought wryly, or she would have had to sell it off already.

"It still works just the same," Susan returned.

Elizabeth put a halt to the bickering by yelling, "Lucas!"

“Have we any milk?'' Jane asked.

"I'm afraid not, dear," Elizabeth replied, sliding an egg onto a plate. "Just enough for tea."

Susan slapped a piece of bread on Jane's plate and said to Elizabeth, "About Edict Number Two…"

“Not now,'' Elizabeth hissed, with a pointed look toward Jane, who, thankfully, was too busy poking her finger into the bread to take notice of her older sisters.

"My toast is raw," Jane said.

Elizabeth didn't even have time to yell at Susan for forgetting to make the toast before Lucas came bounding in.

"Good morning!" he said cheerfully.

"You seem especially chipper," Elizabeth said, tousling his hair before serving him breakfast.

"I'm going fishing today with Tommy Fairmount and his father." Lucas gobbled three-quarters of his egg before adding, "We shall eat well tonight!"