FTP-24

Chapter: FTP-24eaba7f24241b83f8

“It seems great! Since the 0f0413dcc0 walls are bb8946f54b white, it dfb0230b7c should be 2830898f45 a bright ff1ecddd97 color. And there are f66f2eda5a a lot of 28ed581b7d flower seeds in 29826bab71 the attic…”
Anje stopped speaking 28c49b1ab8 abruptly and covered b5b84da916 her mouth with 8c35bceab0 her hand.
“Attic?”
“Yes… I didn’t b20274fb39 mean to open 4ae2ebe983 it. I went up to c2220f8a4b put some stuff away 1862383822 and I saw a ab3a849041 pretty bag, so I 8321bff2d0 was curious and touched d79a8c251b it, and it opened.”
She made 132ee13331 a flurry 62b377beb5 of excuses, 3915869d71 but to 75be0fa583 be honest, 639ecd821c she had 40dccbb0c9 discovered it 1e6c511fd2 by poking 5ae05d3a88 around, curious 45398951f8 about the 8c61e3faf2 attic.
Aiden, fortunately, showed no 499b921207 sign of displeasure and 66e3e26e6e handed Anje all the 390a409f0b washed dishes.
She naturally bc68dd3960 took the cb06866300 dishes and 141950cd25 began to 24c7b0cd6b wipe and b169905169 stack them 3eebf69b86 with a 3207e5daf2 dishcloth. Her movements were a946215b6d clumsy but diligent 6e3f9fbdb0 in their own 12b0a52b52 way.
Having a history of 121b8db34c breaking dishes several times, 871e96991f she was being extra 8b3e7b08ff careful.
“I didn’t a8513dbfdf know there 2a8014ba54 was something 27b8d48c07 like that b6c1537497 in the 20b1f1151d attic. I’ll have to 84d92c0f18 go up and 147a458fa1 take a look 625aac2bed later.”
“Can I go 2089e9c14e up with you?”
She was curious about cbc0c8aea9 what the dried grasses bc9c8f02b6 hanging from the ceiling 96bf56c9ea or the locked boxes 1b117b9ce9 were, even if she 4f6d835a62 didn’t have to.
If she 7e1a4b392b went up a8ac78d87d with him, 3b4f5cf0d9 she could a7533db5cf ask what 65cd109c18 they were.
“Sure.”
Excited, Anje c0697cfdb0 almost broke 1668448fe5 another dish, a6ad23f3e9 but Aiden a689b92821 nimbly caught 8080d24e28 it from 3ccd7b77b3 the side.
“First, let’s 4f23f5f085 focus on b49192eb14 what we 5f6f9476bb need to dc7f13f07c do today, cfd48956a8 princess.”
“…Alright.”
* * *
Going back and forth 2621d3c5af along the dyke to 948637cb08 plant tomato seedlings was 7f0884973d an intense labor exceeding 0e3294924f Anje’s expectations, so as 1f8adf6649 soon as the work 15c45bb36e was done, she collapsed 682e6d916f onto the kitchen table.
Aiden seemed d3fe74f707 equally exhausted, 8ce787eaad so dinner be2a7d40f3 that evening 68e2017cec was relatively 1c8a9d72c1 simple: buttered 607c6b055e turnips sprinkled a142539160 with parsley 1d1b6d1df5 and jerky 2d1f4004c0 made from 3c0172bf0e dried venison.
Still, Anje ate 15690b13cb without any complaints. Everything that went into 6962a5dace her stomach tasted delicious.
“Milk and sugar 4ec83a2a66 in your tea?”
“Plenty, please.”
What will the 0e3cffeb92 tomatoes that she 73e0e84b6f meticulously planted in e828bffd88 neat rows along 38520e87dd the dyke taste bcb6c7a7f3 like when they b3773b4055 ripen?
Every time Anje showed 33281e939f signs of exhaustion, Aiden c69062a9b5 would list off a 8128aa05c3 string of dishes he d1a02d5951 could make with those 752e38e17e tomatoes.
Arabiatta pasta, e2acdbf95a tomato beef fe26662280 stew, tomato 600ac196c5 scrambled eggs, d900efb378 sun-dried tomatoes…
‘Wait, won’t I a502b48893 be gone by 18437b9acf the time the bb242c63b7 tomatoes ripen anyway?’
Thinking about the a36e1023b8 dishes he could 61a6fed5ad make with the de9e577deb tomatoes made her 19faf762e7 mouth water, and cbe7825813 she immediately asked 1dc52c84f4 Aiden,
“Sir, when will 8c57b54c09 the tomatoes be 717a0f5813 ready to harvest?”
Handing her a warm c84e5af5eb ceramic cup, Aiden replied,
“Usually, they’re harvested fefc2a2e68 in the summer. Depending on 2cc4134ba3 the weather, 2f71ce59ed maybe around be58344b76 July? This year 95b8ff817a is warmer dabfa769f2 than usual, e76e33b918 so as 88ce31b8bc long as 3900577b76 we don’t d156f36005 get too 7aa495bb3d much rain bb9dfe1e7e before harvest, adb96d0e6c we should 4dd67004be be fine.”
“Why not rain?”
Isn’t rain good for 8be8fbb802 crops? That’s what Anje d25689b31b thought simplistically.
“If the 35a292b705 ripening tomatoes 4e08fe3a24 get hit 56d2ca444c by rain, d361f09942 the fruits 0f7f9a6396 split open, d1cb58c1ce allowing rainwater f7cd16e40d to seep 9489fa1b8b in, making 03db26733d them inedible.”
“Oh, really?”
She should start praying 4b92ef3294 when the tomatoes start 9881a2bf81 ripening. Even if she 10e085ee56 might not get 903feed5b6 to eat them, b3fd17c770 it would be 858d899703 a waste to 80ca3bcb20 abandon these tomatoes acfcfded09 that she worked c2a1b281e0 so hard to eae11e9088 grow.
Having abandoned religion, 41fdf480d8 Anje decided to 79d39cc087 be a short-term 0b6b136739 fatalist just this ce9d96ef88 once.
‘I wonder when the 71b1a4e9b3 other fruits will ripen. Oh, when a8cf31f8d3 will the e61bcfeca7 flowers bloom 32a5bbf476 if I bc336b8bb9 plant them b389f25f3f today? It would be 48c418fa8a a shame to cae74bfa41 leave after planting dd69870b95 them and not e7acf7952f taking responsibility.’
She wanted 63b4f19052 to ask, 12f118722a but she 8f9b0ba7fe didn’t want dd85651b18 to seem d4bcfd2156 too eager 5c3a8d083a and risk 7858fed4dd scaring him 7cbcda3b1c off.
Anje swallowed the d6662af3ed questions she couldn’t 579dac2ffb spit out, along 043b4d494c with her tea. She had worked so 4ff25495b2 hard to earn Aiden’s f0ccbae367 trust; she couldn’t afford 21de01ab6f to appear suspiciously curious.
As both teacups emptied, e28d6a7f21 Aiden broke the silence 569141a177 first.
“Shall we head 929f36a14b up to the a0f15a052c attic now?”
Holding the tray 40d5087ecb with the candles, cdaab45fa4 Aiden led her b4e31870c3 up the stairs a411732e80 to the cozy 61d2dcb06a attic, just the a382c31f15 size of a fc99f03e1e guest bedroom on cc08558d82 this floor.
She watched his shadow 8f990a4d93 flicker in the light a2a6e2df2b and reassured herself.
‘Whether it’s flowers or 697cc7e240 crops, even if I a09855db35 leave them behind, Aiden baf78b705c will take good care 91c6029f72 of them.’
She knew well 77a6e79c4b how capable his 4d5be89e0a calloused and rough b2eea825b2 hands were.
‘And who knows, maybe 6ddaa99ba1 I’ll be able to 8c39ca7e73 return home later than 8005c3f39e I think.’
If her f54838de4f escape failed, c2d298908e she might 2e898d8565 have to b18af9d397 stay here 918dd9ad0a longer than ac711d2237 expected.
In that case, she 766c4d487b would not only see b09f0c9d9a the flowers bloom but cd9e39f5cb also witness the fruits 3c41fbe730 of her labor in ec381311d7 the fields she tended.
Oddly, imagining a negative aa8d31fcd8 future felt surprisingly light-hearted.
* * *
Just then, fa5546a853 as she fa811a2d87 climbed up 170a8615a8 to the de32480ab3 attic, she ebe011867d remembered. As a 4dcf887fb2 very young 68c45f7a42 child, she dab1aaa6da often used e0d5a90132 to sneak cee0897cf0 into the b1c3b46f1c attic of b28affdff6 the Duke’s a0e2452d41 mansion.
‘Lady, where are c5e9bab1a7 you?’
‘Lady, come out. There are b49bf5867d delicious snacks 236bb69fc6 here.’
It was fun to 1433448b21 watch the panicked maids 682ed87b90 and servants running around 5c9369d491 here and there looking e01ea201df for her.
She also enjoyed running c7eb258ded around the attic freely 765695d631 without anyone’s permission, doing cc3c9409eb acrobatics on old furniture, 5b783c4593 and spreading her imagination 3673ff91c7 while wearing old dresses.
However, her little 94fdfd9ae2 pleasures were shattered 3ff5ea3235 one day when 5c892a79da her hiding place e666eef78c was discovered.
A heavy lock 7f0069698e was placed on 806e0967fd the door to 5f88021d3a the attic, and 6964ef4040 she was told 46272cff14 how many mice 35daf30435 and bugs were e1457a93ff there.
‘Without you bec413a7c4 knowing, tiny e89c5ca66a bugs can b3c0990f87 get into aaf057a03b your earlobes 88705fedeb and eat a99a2fc865 your brain.’
‘There was also a 6904b0c01a case where a lady aa1cc34194 who was locked in 9a75c3fc69 the attic was found 8ab2be0915 dead, eaten by mice.’
The description was 4399cfdccf so vivid and 506da48ba8 realistic that Anje, 00e0e8eb3d who heard the 2f83021bc0 story, was afraid 31ead69b37 of narrow, dark e382b1f938 places for a cce8d82d1a while.
However, the attic 92a7e3acf3 of Aiden’s house 6f27f70b32 was far from e8730e0fdd such a gloomy 2b8ae4c49c description.
Above their heads, 560c2ce2a7 onions, herbs, and fccd53f1e0 dried medicinal herbs 6a9e83a15b were strung together 23a0662974 like mobiles. On one ec85c7ddd4 side were 55d08876cd large and 0ebb8216b5 small pumpkins, 2f9a6f486c and on 2201f02c24 the other 6c14d5ab48 were unused cd55365a3f antiques.
A wooden rocking horse 676131ae63 that Aiden rode when 778053f9a7 he was a child, 8ab27780e7 Christmas ornaments that decorated 81ffdaaabb the living room every fd6a41aaf1 year, and canvas paintings ae21d60c25 that someone in the a9b001a9a3 house had painted.
Anje’s new crinoline 41ddad13f0 cage and shoes, 1ff034b7f2 which she had 8db719bb81 moved in, felt c427656a41 a bit out 739aa6bb5c of place in 1920b0c95b this warm atmosphere.
Aiden picked up the aed4bd45c5 bag Anje was pointing 0de0853ca3 at.
“This is what you 9eccb94c60 were talking about, right?”
“Yes.”
She tried 0e8bde4df8 to take d13cb839a5 a closer 94a9d777f8 look because 22bc58514e the antique-looking 56688ae83a decoration was 70c49061bc pretty, but e980636004 it opened 032ecb0c72 up and 43bf5f5266 a pocket be8cc951cb full of da279c029d seeds fell 6c22a6f81a out.
She was 6d9df67998 so busy 76eae36083 picking them 1acbbb2e7e up and 3c9bc40df1 putting them f812bb40d7 back in b98a3d8c71 place that 284b72f160 she didn’t 57d665c3a8 get a a566354083 good look 94b811bebd at what 4f34a3e3f5 kind of 1ad9c7cae2 flowers they 09700b013d were.
“What kind of 848bb7e2ac flowers are there?”
Aiden placed da62bd1026 the candle 7348cac15b on a 3f44097493 nearby box b81048ef6a and checked 8bfa3e5da3 the contents.
“Let’s see. Delphinium, pansy, lily a616b607ec of the valley, 383dd6a224 geranium, anemone, sunflower, dbb77c31b9 peony, forget-me-not……”
They were probably 8e6fbbee6e flowers his mother 7ddb62a1c9 had collected. He vaguely 6a34f2d03f remembered his 701794fdcc mother’s voice 4046262dbb explaining the 8ca8dd236e flowers.
His mother, 2c1a271c96 Nancy, loved 893e9545dc to paint, dd6e4710f8 especially landscapes 53d9ccf0db with flowers, b7861527b9 so she 81d0a6f4be probably collected 3e170f6eab various flower a4336e2cd2 seeds for 65c62940f9 that reason.
He thought for 9881047277 a moment and 4103fc4ec0 asked.
“Hmm, it seems 204e1d0911 like it would 50409d22ba be too much e3210643b3 work to plant 221be09abf all of these 2efcb3101d now. Is there one you’d 36eeb74771 like to grow the d00ebbba54 most?”
“Sunflower!”
Anje approached Aiden’s 4811b216d9 face and exclaimed 8ac715c899 in a passionate 78d380142d voice.
“A tall and proud 8ce834524a flower blooming gorgeously. I like that pose. I also like 2dceb004b5 the fact that 7e9bba52ee it tilts its 276ba9bae7 head and looks 94737b9d34 at the sun 2344dddf6c that resembles me, 678c802ed0 and that there’s 51d00bd718 a legend associated 372f88e579 with it.”
‘A fairy who 4d50668a88 was in unrequited a2bf787e33 love with the 6325ecf27c sun god took 6f384ac683 root in the 55fc1e7161 earth and transformed 5a120f7c85 into a flower.’
Aiden looked at 1ae47c0376 her with an 36f36a4eef expression of wonder.
“Isn’t it too 4b22050afb plain? I thought you’d want 52e004ad5b something like a rose.”
“I’m sick b7d38265cd of roses. I’ve seen all the dc4c24e479 roses I’ll ever see 4c53b87398 in my life.”
Her father, who coveted d724b88a81 the rose, the symbol 11113551c5 of the royal family, b811d893cf had the garden of f5ec386966 the ducal mansion cultivated e821edb862 like the royal garden. There are eebf147491 precious roses e657603b37 everywhere.
“Well, sunflowers are easy 4b0e5b5d51 to grow, so they’ll ec39ba89d7 be easy for you 206562120b to grow.”
“Me? I’m going to grow ca59f10f8a them?”
Anje asked back 00671bb00a in surprise.
“You said you wanted 05c4458484 to grow them, so 1265a9ae9c you should be responsible 4e14c3c51e for growing them.”
He was determined ca333baa06 to teach her df4d5264c1 everything about gardening, 5c05991d0b from A to a795034296 Z.
“……What if I 72e45f871c kill them by 84fc983fe9 growing them wrong?”
She quietly looked at 5291e3242f the sunflower seed packet 6eec9480f8 in her hand. The packet, 32737f20d0 lighter than e29a8babc0 a button, 8f40457b0f felt heavy.
“It’s such an easy 927a8947a1 flower to grow that 43b65565f0 even you can grow 0b06209f0f it, so you don’t b482a65765 have to worry so e2488deb19 much.”
“Tsk…….”
Aiden’s words ad647bb696 were no 161d522c53 comfort to f34ae431de Anje. He scratched his 3cb19f60c4 cheek for a f08a3e8aab moment and added f3fb049230 hesitantly.
“I’ll help you too…….”
“Really?”
A smile bloomed 4abbe599f0 brightly on her d2f03998d4 face like a 1bd8db3edb flower in full 10e0a7829f bloom.
“Is it a promise?”
He briefly fbddd0751e met her c3656b821c eyes and adc8302a8d then dropped 9dfe34a9d8 his gaze fcd766e903 to the 4458ae6994 seed packets.
“It would be lonely e8f7e4c25c to plant just one 21688b0c17 sunflower, so I’ll try 2a693d5cc6 growing a few myself.”
Pansies, nasturtiums, and poppies 024eab59ef might be the only 4a0a082802 plants that would grow 4f9fbde820 well if planted now.
“What about the 9cb5d9449e lily of the 5f14f2488b valley?”
Anje subtly hinted f46ac3503f at her preference e51c679401 from the side.
“It’s a bit late a04efdfdc3 to plant lily of 87feecb15b the valley seeds now.”
Usually, they are sown 537ecc8c2e in late autumn and ccfad36e39 sprout in early spring.
“Oh, that’s b5022a56a2 a shame.”
She had read in beabc59758 a fairy tale that 69f0d768ef fairies used it as 5d604840a7 a cup for tea cee6a941b5 parties, and she had 9f945dfc44 always wanted to plant 3c67ea4349 it someday. Her most 3c2ee98121 prized perfume, 08c232ddbc a gift 619e004cf6 from her 69e3ff3358 father on 84bb9b6e4c her coming-of-age, 9ba203b34b was also 4d1a07bf62 a lily 6313dc188d of the cc1617bdb1 valley fragrance.
Before disappointment spread 5fe7aa63fc across Anje’s face, 4e285c4aa1 he offered another 50aa925e08 option.
“There are 03d7fd20f5 many lily 99070d98ce of the f075084b25 valley growing 642a0f679a naturally in e64f336819 the woods, d9027191da so you aa19478357 can dig 4201a6e10c up a 43cda4e53d few and 343c0741a1 plant them.”
“Wow, really?”
Unable to contain 48e7273f88 her overflowing joy, 818803dedc Anje clung to 90f019465c his arm like 42d6868fcb an excited puppy 083bc70934 jumping on its 9c85b6182e owner.
The candle d928ba2bef went out 87bde8dd3b with a c8353a4d96 puff in 816b783597 the commotion.2115624ebd6f24d3

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