Divided Dilemmas

Well, I've decided on the last Divided story's theme. The main character of the third in the trilogy will be Kate Something, whose older brother Henry marries Susanna, sister of Emma and George. It will take place in 1648-49, as 1649 was the year King Charles I was executed, and I thought that would create an interesting conflict for the story.

The problem is, it would make sense to have all three stories be written in the same tense and perspective, even if it's different people. I had started writing the first one, from Emma's viewpoint, in present tense, but I don't really think I want to write the second one, which I'm planning to be from the perspective of the Parliamentary girl, (Judith, I'm thinking,) who falls in love with George, Emma's brother, in present tense. I am getting a little tired of present tense, but I do want to finish Emma's story in present tense. I think. I don't want to go back and change it all to past tense, yet I don't want to have Judith's story be in present tense! Dear me, this is vexing.

Another vexation is, I truly cannot find any information that is helpful in the least about ways of speaking in the mid-1600s. At all. If only I knew a language professor! I know that little children were considered little adults, for the most part, in that time, especially high-class ones, and the poorer children who had lots of responsibility, and even though Emma is what I'd consider middle-class, I do think she should be precocious, (I love that word! and guess what? it dates from the mid 17th century! from a Latin word meaning literally "cooked ahead",) yet I do want her to have the voice of a little child. My, what a run-on sentence!
Presently the story doesn't sound too 1600s in the narration, in my efforts to make Emma sound like she is truly eight years old, but if one thinks about it, she is really almost half way to becoming engaged, in that time period's mindset.

Oh. Dear. I. Am. Vexed. And. Undecided. But I am so very inspired for these, if only I could decide upon a tense, and find out about 17th century language!!