Chapter Four

'Say, winter is just around the corner'. Abigail lay on her bed on her stomach, her feet raised up and her dress falling to pool around her, altogether looking very unlady-like. 

'Mm hm', I murmured, concentrating on stitching a tear on her silk stockings, the type her mother liked and the ones Abigail was frequently destroying, only because they were more in number than her cotton ones. So there I sat, trying to stitch it carefully and neatly - which is rather difficult since the tear was not running along the seams but right through the middle, not very conspicuous you see-, so Mrs Stanly does not start a row with Abigail and somehow include all innocent and wary bystanders into it.

'Well, i wish we could go outside you see, while the weather is still warm. I'm so bored, can we not go outside'? She had my attention now and i raised my head to watch her, her gaze directed to the open window, chin resting on her palms, looking forlorn. She sighed and flopped on her back, arms and legs waving in the air.  'I am so tired of acting all demure and lady-like'. This i silently agreed with. 'I want some adventure in my life, some fun', she rolled back on her stomach and grinned at me. 'Dangerous fun'

'What do you want that for at this point of your life?  You're only twelve'!

'And so?  Come next winter, i'll be thirteen, a fully grown adult'. I laughed. 'Ha! Unlikely'.

'Perhaps, but in four years i'll be fully eligible to go to the seasons, have suitors calling and all the rest'. I felt my mouth fall open in abject horror. I was hoping against hope that she didn't really think that way, that she didn't want that yet. 'Well that aside,  what do you say Naomi? Can we go outside'? I was relived to know the subject had changed and placed my hand on my chin- the stockings long forgotten- and pretended to consider. 'Well', i began with faux reluctance, 'this morning while i was coming down the hill from picking that basket of late berries from Mrs Daniel's garden,  I happened to glimps the sturdy swings Mr Abraham had just finished. And, i suppose we could go there'. She was already bouncing.' But only for a little while, the air is a bit chilly'. 

'Oh thank you! Thank you, thank you! You're so much better than old governess, i know if it had been her, she'd have been as stiff as a stick'.

'You know, ever since i was sent here, it seems to me like i had taken a greater half of Miss Venicer's duty. Now i wonder how she'd feel if they cut her wages to half as well'. Abigail giggled. 'Oh Naomi, you're such a tease! Whatever would you need money for'?

I sighed at her ignorance. There was a lot of things i needed money for; i would have loved to buy my mama some pretty,new dresses so she can finally discard of her old ones which were no more than rags. I would want to buy my daddy some good clothes too and sturdy shoes and winter wears for the other workers, their wives and children. Pretty hair bands for the girls to wear on Sundays and shoes for the boys so they don't have to go bare footed this winter. But i would rather not disillusion Abigail about the way the world goes, instead i said. 'You should hurry,and take your coat. We want to be long gone before they call us'. Abigail dived into action,  pealing her coat off the rake and flinging  mine to me.

I had just slipped an arm into my coat sleeve and was just about to slip in the other when the door swung open and Mrs Stanley walked in. 'Where are you off to' ? She looked from Abigail to me. 'Oh mother', Abigail began and i used the opportunity to slip my other hand fully in and snatch up the fallen socks. 'We just want to go out for a little fun and we would'nt go far, truly mother'. Mrs Stanley turned to me, ' is that so Naomi'?

'Madame'. I greeted, successfully clasping my hand in  front of me with the offending material stuck between my palms, squeezing it into smaller folds. 'Miss Abigail has been feeling under the weather, and i thought some time outside might brighten her spirit'. 

'Well if Naomi is with you, i know no harm will befall on you both. But don't go too far and remember to come home soon for your sewing  lesson'. She smiled at us both and walked out leaving us in a silence full of horror of what the next hour of the day might entail. 'Ugh! Sewing'. Abigail groaned. 'I wish the word had never been '. 

'I suspect the person who had proposed it had died from a needle stuck through her throat'. Abigail turned to laugh at what i had said and i giggled along with her. 'But we better hurry, we have little time left'. With that, Abigail flung herself through the door with me following closely behind, having first, shoved the stockings into my pocket where it would stay till safer circumstances.

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Abigail had alway been a pretty girl and at the age of twelve, some of the country boys were already veering for her attention. While we walked to the swings, a group of three boys - from respectable homes-, caught sight of us and joined us, making small talks to cover up their obvious intentions. 'Hallo Abi, going to the stream are you'? One said. I almost snorted at his obviousness, but to his credit, the road was forked, one leading to the stream and the other to the swings, but we'd already passed that part of the road and were clearly on the way to the swings. 'No', Abigail still replied, 'we're going to the swings, Isn't that right Naomi'? She tried to include me, but i merely nodded and kept on straight. 'Well', another began, slipping his hand into his pockets, trying to appear casual. 'Would you like if we joined you'?. I really felt pity for them, the fact that it was painfully obvious- and awkward. Also, throw into the disaster soup the fact that twelve, thirteen years old boys were sadly awkward about this things, seemingly rather better in their games and pranks than things concerning the heart. 

'Of course you may join us'. Abigail smiled, pleased for the added company, unknowingly dazing her male companions. And sometimes, the girls of that age haven't yet had their heads plucked from the ground to harbour those thoughts. 

One of the boys got daring and stepped closer to Abigail, his arm raising to curve round her shoulder. I frowned, on any other day, i would have turned a blind eye to this, knowing that Abigail was childhood friends with nearly all the country children. But since i knew these three intention, i knew they were not friendly thoughts, thus, it could not be a friendly hug.

I reached forward, having somehow been successfully pushed to the back, and smacked his hand. He spurned back, surprised, everyone else equally so. Growling at me, he took a step forward, his hand clutched in the other. I smirked, pleased that he was feeling pain. 'What was that for you monkey'? I stood in front of Abigail, properly hiding her from view since i was the taller of us. From what he had in mind when he approached Abigail, i'd say he was the monkey between us both. 'What were you about to do to Miss Abigail'?

'What! Nothing'! I stared him down . 'Young master Gilbert, you had better turn back now, or else-'

'Or else? Or else what'? He sneered. I glared at him, my face definitely twisted in disgust, before turning my gaze to the other boys. I refuse to indulge in their little, silly mind games. Instead i focused my attention on the taller of the three, few inches taller than myself and known to be the more practical one among his mates. 'Master Ashton, i know you to be smart, well use it now and take your friends away knowing fully well that i can report this disturbing behaviour to your parents plus the fact that the rest of you chose silence and obliviousness'. I stared at him, daring him to refute the obvious, - of course i couldn't do the reporting, their parents most definitely wouldn't believe me, but they didn't know that-, but instead he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. 'Gilbert, Geoffrey,  let's go'. He was already turning away.' But...'one of them protested. 'Let's go'.

I watched them walk away until Abigail touched my arm. When i turned to her, she was grinning at me. 'That was so-'

'I know, i know'

'You do know i would have twisted his arm if he tried anything' i shrugged, already moving ahead. Should i bring to her notice the fact that he had tried something and she hadn't done anything nor known till i took action. ' of course you would have' i said instead. 

'Naomi wait', she hurried to catch up with me. 'I'm sorry about what Gilbert called you'.

'Oh don't you worry about that. They're just a bunch of Dummkopt'.

'What was that'?

'It's  German. Really Abigail, you should pay more attention to your language class'.