Chapters 1 and 2 Summary

Beatrice, called Miss Beatrice by almost everyone because of her position in the family, believes Wideacre to be at the center of the universe. She says that she even considers the arc of the sun to be an appropriate boundary for the vertical boundary of he beloved Wideacre. There is God and the angels above the sun, and below, there is Beatrice's father, the Squire. Beatrice is just four when her father takes her for a ride on his big horse for the first time. Elated, fearful and excited, she learns the touch of the reigns, first seated in front of her father and with his firm grasp holding her, then on her own little pony, She spends her time learning about Wideacre.

During one of the summers of her youth, Beatrice's mother and nurse are caught up with the need...