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delightfully scattered throughout
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"Mummy I''m Home!" Evie called cheerily
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"Well. Get in here and eat! You don''t have much time before afternoon lessons!" Her mother called back to her.
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"Come on, lets go." Katie said as she unwound her scarf and hung it by the door.
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was brought fresh out of the ovens to sit on the sideboard
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"Hello Missus Hudgins, Is Mister H home yet from the fields? And is Father Home?" Evie said, giving Missus Hudgens a side hug before scrambling to the kitchen table.
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"Your father went out with Mister Hudgens to collect the flock to the barn early this morn. They should be back soon." Missus Hudgins replied in her warm, grandmotherlywas surprisedMister H usually did all of the work with the sheep since Father had come back from the war poorly and could not be counted on to share in the workTheir two families had shared in the work from time beyond time, and there had never been a time that they both did not live on this farm
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The Hudgins had only been blessed
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"How were lessons girls?" Mother asked the girls, sitting down with them to enjoy her meal as well. It was simple farmer''s fare, but Mother was an excellent cook, and everything she touched was made delicious simply by being in her presence
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I think you do a much better job here at home," Evie said sweetly, her voice dripping with honey while batting her eyes
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"Och, Child," Mother laughed, "You''ll be the death of me. How do you expect me to get all of
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"But Mummy, its justexasperatedly
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"Missus Hale," Katie interjected, "Can Evie be letstudiously
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"Ahh, this wouldn''t happen to be about ice-skating around the pond now, would it?" She looked suspiciously
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"But mother, we''ll be careful. We''ll check the ice justbeen taught
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"Johnnie Milford, is it? Well, in that case, don''t let your father see you leave with the skates. They''re in the loft of the barn." Mothers'' eyes twinkled. She was well aware of her daughter''s affection for the boy, even if they only saw him at church on Sundays. If the way she blushed and twirled her hair around her finger was any indication, it was only made sure by the fact she would stare dreamily at his family''s pew and pretend to be looking at something else as soon as she was caught
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As prospects went, Johnnie would be a good one. A solid education and the area''s biggest dairy farm, which provided half the area''s milk production, would go a long way to securing her a good lifeMothers couldn''t start too young when matchmaking, and Evie''s mother was no exception, regardless if she was contented to be a farmer''s wife or not
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Luncheon finished up, and the girls rushed out of their house to the barn to obtainbe letEvie''s breath caught in her throat as she caught a glimpse of Johnnie Milford standing with his friends and laughing
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"What do I do? Shallbreathlesslypointedly
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"I think
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"He''s seen me?" Evie asked, voice rising in a near panic.
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"He''s seen you! He''s coming this way! Pretend not to care!" Katie made a face giggling.
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"Shhh! Stop it! He''ll know we''re talking about him!" Evie said in a panicked half-whisper, unable to help herself giggling hysterically
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wildly from their cords over her armwildly
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"Hey Yourself, Johnnie Milford," Katie said, an odd sparkle in her eye. "Care for a kiss," She said daringlyI think
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"Katie, how dare you! That is completely unacceptable!" Evie gasped out, face colouring ridiculously
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"Oh, don''t be a prude, it''s all in good fun." She made a face at Evie, winked at Johnnie and flounced off to talk with the other girls.
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Evie and Johnnie were left awkwardlyawkwardly
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"Oh, your mother did?" She asked sharplyShe felt tears prickle in the corner of her eyes, and she was glad for the bracing cold air keeping them from spilling
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"Ah, yes," he said quicklyI might
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"I have permission from Da to accompany you girls... ah, ladies to the pond after lessons." He smiled, "As long as you''ll still have me."
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Evie''s face lit up into a smile. "Yes, of course. You''re welcome to come walk with us."
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"Great! I''ll tell Ma that you''re well of course, and I''ll see if Frank and James want to come as well. I''m sure they''ll be happy to come." He said in a rush, face flushed with pleasure.
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The bell rang, and they both looked up towards the chapel. Sister May was standing there, face wrought with disapproval at the fraternization occurring in the yard
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"We''d better be off then," he said as she started to move to the door. "I''ll see you after lessons." She nodded to him, and he skipped off towards the boys lining up to go in. Looking around, she caught Katie''s eyes across the yard, an expectant look that said she''d better spill absolutely everything about their conversation or there''d be hell to pay
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just so sweet that they''d lose that sweetness in the telling, and she would keep that sweetness to herself, buried in her chest where no one could take it awayjust