Mademoiselle de la Pontoire, a novice at shooting guns, handled the rifles unskilfully, yet with precaution. Her sister Martine and brother in law Leon sat behind her, almost hidden by  the bushes, wanting to stay clear of  any chaos  the young lady would cause by her inability to maneuver the shooting equipment.
Clad in an impressive  embroidered mink coat, Caroline held the tip of a firearm to her right eye with great concentration. The cold was freezing her delicate  hands, and her fingers shivered under the weight of the metal.
She was determined to handle the entire process on her own. From reloading to aiming, and finally shooting  at the target. Her impatience  gave away her young age . While she inspected the rifles, she could feel her sister’s insistent complete exasperation with  her. It only built more resentment on her side, slowing down her movements, sighing heavily, and ignoring the world around her. Caroline didn’t particularly enjoy shooting guns but she pretended to be  part of it every Tuesday afternoon. Was she wasting her time and energy trying to stand out from her social circle? Or was she developing a strong personality which would, in the future, lead her to opportunities?