Ludington's farm in the country, then nearly dies again during a desperate search for Mattie. Not long after, Lucille becomes desperately ill with yellow fever. Desperate to provide for Mattie by arranging a marriage, she takes Mattie to a disastrous tea at Pernilla Ogilvie's house. She is demanding of Mattie and often talks about how much more obedient and hardworking she was during her own childhood, which annoys Mattie. She invited Grandfather, her late husband's father, to live with them at that time. Lucille was widowed after her husband fell off a ladder when Mattie was four. Lucille grew up in a wealthy family during the Revolutionary War and eloped with Mattie's father, a carpenter she was disowned as a result. Lucille runs the Cook Coffeehouse in Philadelphia with the assistance of Mattie and Eliza. Got even more sick after escaping from the Ludington's house in search of Mattie. By the time Mother returns, weak and needing Mattie's support, Mattie has become a strong, hard-working businesswoman with high hopes for her future.

She also has 'an understanding' (an unofficial engagement) with her longtime crush, Nathaniel Benson, that they will spend their lives together. After the epidemic, Mattie reopens the coffeehouse, taking on Eliza as her partner. She grows more independent as she survives on her own, taking in an orphan, Nell, and assisting Eliza with relief work. Later, back in Philadelphia, Mattie is left alone when Grandfather dies and Mother has not yet returned from Mrs. Then, she nearly dies from yellow fever herself. After Lucille gets yellow fever, Mattie and Grandfather flee to the countryside, but Mattie is forced to fend for them both when Grandfather develops heart trouble. She often daydreams of opening an entire city block's worth of businesses, including a dry goods store, a restaurant, and an apothecary.

Mattie dislikes her mother's frequent scolding and believes that Lucille sees her as lazy and disobedient. At the beginning of the book, she enjoys sleeping in and tries to shirk strenuous chores.

Mattie feels trapped there and longs for freedom. She also lives with her grandfather, Captain William Farnsworth Cook, a Revolutionary War veteran. Fourteen-year-old Matilda 'Mattie' Cook is the teenage protagonist of a young adult novel.Mattie lives with her mother, Lucille Cook, who runs a Philadelphia coffeehouse.

How old is lucille cook fever 1793