To my guardian:

I know you are looking for me, and that you have searched several places. I wouldn’t recommend your further looking. You see, by now I’m far out of the reach of you and Sir Philip Morton. Perhaps I should start from where you will understand.

I ran away from you not because I hate you—no, far from that—but because Sir Philip Morton has somehow twisted your thinking, making you believe that it is for the best. But what you don’t see is that I am far more clever than that and I saw his true intentions. So, seeing that I had no way around the situation, I ran away. The concept is very simple, really. But for you to try to make a thirteen year old girl commit to something she is not ready for, shame on you.

At first I thought my idea might have been foolish, for I couldn’t find anyone who would take in a young girl for work. But, as my time alone neared a week, I finally found what I was looking for. I had cut my hair much earlier to help disguise my appearance, but at that moment I knew that it was a good thing that I had. You see, I came across a traveling company of actors, and they, thinking I was a boy, took me in to act. Needless to say, I was much better than that other boy who was playing all the girls’ parts.

I rose as a star among the actors in London, playing famous parts and the main roles for the girl’s parts. Of course, Sir Philip Morton almost caught me a few times, and we had an incident with my friend’s script, but all is gone and past. The member’s of my company are very generous and kind to me, something that you had been lacking before I ran away.

Now, I know you’re probably hoping that I will tell you where I am, or where I have been. The sad fact is, I won’t. It would be too easy for you to track me down, or to send Sir Philip Morton after me, and frankly, I don’t need any more hassles in my life at the moment, thank you very much.

I’m closer than you would think, actually, for being gone for so long, but not so close that I could carry this letter to you myself. Although, as some people say “things aren’t always what they seem.”

Anyways, I’m simply writing this useless letter to let you know that I am, in fact, alive, and not dead on the side of the road with crows picking at my corpse.

Oh, and one more thing, before my companion takes the quill away and blows out the candle.

Sir Philip Morton will never have me as his bride.

Signed,

Katherine Russell