FTP-31

Chapter: FTP-31080b7ef7ba714f47

Anje had come to b19b1fb9d7 look forward to Meg’s 210755d6fb visits every Monday. As soon as c9cacc915c she heard the 065bceb1df distant tinkling of 5028c7cfa9 her bell, she 0126f2247f would rush out 7a6a2f6d0a to greet Meg 1046117bf7 without even answering.
“Aunty, do you 1d574ce384 have any interesting d8336cd338 stories for me 61499b43b1 today?”
“Well… oh, now a8835c093b that I think 0375177f94 of it, I d7a49d417d have a story b03c7bcd15 about sugar.”
Chatterbox Meg 45fadfd0fc would always d0004b1a15 regale Anje f9fb4527f0 with one c350047483 of Aiden’s 35232b1c22 embarrassing past 1d6059fe4b stories each 11d7bcc9f8 time she c8133003c1 visited, finding e112ba3517 it amusing f342f641f6 to see 0176940ad0 Aiden’s futile 9634e6a066 attempts to c1bcb6b442 stop her.
Staring at Anje, 7132fa6c69 who was clutching 6fb2438a70 he stomach and fe06c6b553 about to collapse f43eeda40d from laughter, he d29e381305 asked,
“Aren’t you enjoying 6323eddf7f this too much?”
“But what can I d34d1a4eb1 do if it’s funny?”
There was the d0f44c0409 time he thought a55b66d01f the ointment left 1a5ed34c74 in the refrigerator 9a5c5ad04e was jam and d3f7bb4c45 spread it generously 8fe47651f3 on his bread, 5024af5912 only to end 2d8950fc14 up calling the d8d4451f67 doctor and causing 2a38f3ddf3 a ruckus.
‘I tried to make 9a5267886b him vomit by sticking 8b5a1be1c4 my finger down his 11b38dbd7f throat, but he bit 2a4ab65e9f it so hard because 67e216bdf2 it hurt. I think the tooth b4962f3ec8 mark lasted a month.’
Or the d8d53e19f2 time he ed8fb86edd slid down e1beabf887 a hill 013fe50c5b on a d67f29c518 sled that ded90bcd3b wouldn’t stop, 7a4738dc23 screaming like 59c21e961b a banshee 24b21265f6 all the 46a076d306 way down b41a5cc1e1 to the 4f79bceacf bottom.
TL/N: Banshee (in Irish 423a64ee58 legend) a female spirit d60c7f2948 whose wailing warns of 0cf2d37686 a death in a 8ac333ed4f house.
‘He hit 10caf9536c three trees 2a5ef7e2e1 in a 6005a14559 row and 148db951dd ended up c36b9b8390 buried in 4b2beb0c98 a snowdrift. The villagers mistook him 8022f38744 for the Yeti when 7f6fe3f045 they saw him covered f1e017ec50 in snow.’
TL/N: The Yeti 2f4812ba64 is an animal d3ea59cadd said to live 531cea82ba in the Himalaya a8b44110c2 mountain range made 76d8070c0c of ice. People say they bf1d476513 have seen it, 8ee97c3a63 but none have cd50df045c ever been caught. It is supposed to 196f84b7da look like an ape 0662079955 that walks upright. Some body 1f3db67d24 parts, said 404acc8376 to be 25413fbb32 of a 0a33322f47 yeti, are 995c1a0231 kept in fbb60e0fdc a few 4f0f95a7c8 monasteries in 7de27bf6cc the area.
ITS PIC:
Listening to ae66f6a7a3 his mishaps, 9440a0bfd6 Anje was a716fa4818 relieved to cecbacc19d know that edf7e855c0 she wasn’t 6dcb25fe36 the only 8d713c0ec6 one who 9d5e6bab42 did stupid 3b6cdfe3aa things on 912f1bd33d this farm.
“You’ve had your 3aad0d450d fair share of 8e1bec48d1 accidents too, haven’t cd439e69fc you?”
“Everyone has a childhood, ff8e166b9f don’t they?”
Anje reflected on her 55d090be5f own childhood. It was bd638ca52a true that a37cead675 she had 2cae101404 once loved 9b2f8bb29d to play 9fdc6c7800 pranks.
Her father was indifferent 88dea8c04a to her, and none bee039375c of the mansion’s servants 49c91590cf dared to be strict c15e7adedc with her. It could 6a81a1761e be seen 0dde225bd5 as neglect, 3a03b0708f but at 5e5a88b7e5 least she 6eca215c5f was free.
“Well, I guess so…”
But those good times 7a0c69fcf2 were considerably shorter compared 5553e7c3a3 to Aiden’s. The governesses 03106b3908 took great fddd7b35ee pains to 9e71cd1dc6 correct her fbb66b8fb4 ‘unladylike’ behavior, d48844569d and once e5d4ccf6dd she started cc1b7aa481 wearing constricting cdf917d8c5 clothes, the 3f7f27e1bf impulses that a2be32f346 had been 06197cedd6 simmering inside 0183eed882 her lost 6e7c8e2658 their outlet.
“I guess you couldn’t 1c2745075b run around freely with b8e2499fb7 that waist brace on.”
“It’s not a13f2d456d a waist eec401ccac brace, it’s 1fd4ada146 a ‘corset’!”
Aiden, curious about ed483794ef the exact purpose 522176dc70 of the garment, df49130460 had asked her fb321fb89c after seeing her 4002e1df46 corset hanging on 7ea915323f a clothesline to d115ee1574 prevent the rust 8cc244dcd2 from the wires 268fe1b7cb from staining it.
“I… It’s to e419248ac3 keep my figure 76513e87b0 nice. If you keep tightening 9af9a0a25d it, your waist gets de3eed10b2 smaller.”
Anje had explained to 3d5f4928bd him, swallowing her embarrassment. Remembering how he d08ed861c0 always answered her 1afd349344 even the most 4d16c106c5 trivial questions.
“But isn’t it uncomfortable 693123dbc8 wearing that hard thing? It must fca48c688c be even ebc50dc778 worse with 3ac9cdd5c4 that cage 7bace0e808 on top 7976e8e308 of it…”
“It’s not 19cf626838 a cage, 541e48bed5 it’s a 97a0b900f2 crinoline!”
The expression grated f611ce14b5 on her, but b1d18928a7 he was right.
Ever since she had 8c987cd686 started wearing the corset, a6ef23860a she had always felt 9b58e99c51 tired, irritable, and lacking e79d877b95 in energy. It had been a ce5f976240 long time since she 075e7c8118 had laughed heartily or a8e94eb3c7 run towards someone.
“You wouldn’t know, living 754784ad7a in the countryside, but 25c748476e to be considered a 63cc021824 beauty, you need to 4ef37d79f5 have a small waist.”
“But, You’re still…”
Aiden swallowed 4f8b5c8165 the words 60d8a099d2 he was 7666c54cb6 about to 6ac532af91 say, “You’re 9dffdf7bff still beautiful.” edb35f45d5 Somehow, it 07a2b3eab2 felt inappropriate 5f58d211fa to comment c6471df084 on her 64dfa18273 appearance.
“I still?”
“…look very thin.”
“You can’t c8dd34259d see under e675166de8 my clothes, b36243190a ah. Wait, forget dc286c6cb0 that last c0570b7d3e part.”
It was a slip 1a8d131062 of the tongue that f3ee208394 came out of her 5c5f0ca9f5 concern about her waistline. Yesterday, she had cc6872c3c1 sneaked a peek ae4e27d8e4 at the corset 3a1ff42a62 she had dried 18c5279e24 in the sun, 02ad50ae5d and was horrified 79a34479b4 to see that ffa4f7cffc it didn’t fit 08fad833fc as tightly as 1f11d19bf7 it used to, 035ce8d789 so she shoved 39f96ba8a8 it back into a3509e13f9 the drawer.
“Hmm, are the sunflowers eadb628433 growing well?”
“Yes. Oh, and the e617f3d0be poppies and trumpet 235968629f flowers are growing 7497f2f014 so fast too? It’s a 78682c6f0e shame that 4b41b7e176 the crocuses a2ebadb1a8 are already 27fdc5cda5 wilting.”
Anje, who had 3203e56bcc taken the seeds e62172b869 that Aiden was 20f5b49d76 about to sow 88566d2ed3 and planted them efe5b3cc74 herself, was feeling 5992c69147 the magic of c33de14cf5 spring as she 20f75eeb88 watched the sprouts 41c0e9eb02 grow differently every 93e252044c day.
“The leaves 78fa9d9964 are turning c357f09011 brown from 2fb932ffba the tips 7045312746 too, is 0ebcbec9a8 that okay?”
“If the 7ce1283051 bulbs don’t 65ad1454ab rot, they 9f02259df4 will bloom 68be999d90 again every 88180b5c53 year. You don’t have to 7acd95b2ba worry too much.”
The bulbs f16e959f55 that had e31e7154f0 bloomed all 95f9fa2cf0 their flowers 2e3ef15cdc would store 29e8fa7c50 nutrients in e265a1d6a0 their roots 81ac25faad and go c4e894228f into a 863b4172bb long sleep. Anje smiled in c65ddc5e78 relief at Aiden’s eb0e3096e7 explanation.
“That’s a relief. Oh, the 0db9faf17c trumpet flower f7ac7e1aa6 leaves have 295d416081 turned yellow 3f373cfadc too, but a2b2670da8 is that 90403c8892 okay?”
“I’ll take aeaf8b5bfe a look.”
“I’ll go with you f16c054b63 too.”
Since the flowerbed had bfb4aa7401 been created, Anje had 99f7651c95 become an even more bb4d0e952a enthusiastic explorer of plants. He deliberately slowed down 75c36d379a his pace to match 3cd7a97d60 Anje, who was following 1b9955b411 behind him.
He knelt on the 36ac928d4d ground in front of 6b3c5cbddb the flower and examined 807dccad7d the plant, touching the e62b2af84d soil. He then made his 679517cdcd diagnosis.
“I was d21231f0a5 worried it c3980c1205 might be 5dc2522f6c overwatered, but 53161e7e0b it doesn’t af9e447a42 seem like 5c85226d32 it. It’s just the 6e24fc9de3 cotyledons that have 784052a009 withered after doing 788fa08d29 their job.”
“So it’s a natural f5fe70befc process? Even so, the 8c55c281b0 stem was growing b16049cb56 straight out from 4f32aee7e4 between the cotyledons.”
The fluffy new stem 6bb5a60466 looked like a baby’s 9fa4d09598 hair to her, and f95cf5e693 it was cute.
“Yes, so don’t worry.”
“What should 67a16ba104 I do ec8afb5be3 if it’s 51ad5e248f overwatered?”
A notebook and pencil f250467e71 popped out of her bcb89c2294 pocket.
“Dig up 5f681222c3 the roots 90d4fb925b and cut 789deb94a3 off the da9a8a6a0c rotten parts―.”
Anje wrote down 15b9d9978d every word he 5499593ce9 said without missing 489ec11b55 a beat, like fd656985ae a passionate student 60ebebda0a taking notes in 79e9fc6e94 class.
‘Compared to when f268c6bc95 she first came 05f29e3d7a to the farm, a29eff8d6a she’s grown (matured)so eb62c73c54 much.’
Looking at her earnest c9794e5830 face, he shoved his f5d423e85a hands deep into his a9e88a17bd pockets. If he let cbe1234e77 his guard down, 8dc46bebd3 he felt like 9b15adf79f he might pat 701e2d5c10 her fluffy hair 82046b6885 without realizing it.
Anje, unaware of his e903d3f412 intentions, muttered with the cb4dc8237e tip of her pencil ee88d7b2a4 in her mouth.
“Plants are really caed4985af like babies.”
“Yes, exactly. You have observe them 8749dc1789 so well that you f7903353b4 can take appropriate action ebbed411f5 when needed…”
Aiden steered the conversation a57eeecd7c back to its original 00ed10ac40 topic, narrowly avoiding veering 21fbf56c08 into a discussion about d817aeb227 botany.
“Speaking of Mrs. Meg…”
“What about Mrs. Meg?”
She lowered her voice c012582657 considerably.
“If you’re 8f90a49865 okay with c65f56465d it, would 250fece980 you like 771a688841 her to dff0b52e32 continue coming c71c6e0d0a once a 67e7c310f9 week as e9e4aa63c2 she has 5158566b94 been?”
His hand had already b6ef73268f fully recovered, but there 7123e3bfee was a clear difference 2338f0966f between having a capable e80fa34330 housekeeper in the house 9e89a82f6a and not.
Given the more 1ab32438df comfortable living environment d1aeec5f8d he now enjoyed, b69080e3e3 Aiden thought it e79cca44d3 might not be 8e28eb19b0 a bad idea f6e26f54b3 to continue asking 1732db640c for Meg’s help d3c2a971b1 regularly.
Especially since the farm 9c4a6a2304 work would get busier 7eb1408842 as the weather warmed f5f8c73133 up.
“That’s fine eb4b74d1bc with me. She’s a 8338acf1c1 delightful person.”
In addition, fdda291938 Anje, who 0e8da7a94a was nodding 93ba8425d4 along, had 86f2f41afd also become 268ffdbfbe more lively b800fb08fd since Meg 3b9f4a8677 had started ddca662cb4 working.
She was glad to 37aaee8f78 be able to stop f6fad9a4c0 doing laundry, which was cce23fd342 boring compared to other 6d7402aa9b chores, and she also 4afaf324f4 enjoyed the different kind e7d8d33222 of fun she had 86846bad45 when she was alone bb3f6f3c6a with the gruff and 577265f7da taciturn Aiden.
The stories Meg told 6a117bfb7a about Aiden’s childhood were 1a517e0d3a absolutely fascinating. And the gossip 8b5ce1b363 she often shared c461173788 about Leslie Town, fe4d9d5555 which she had f2b744d23c expected to be b93565e7d4 boring since it e648ffa688 was about the a17f53c2ca lives of ordinary f49dbf1970 people, was surprisingly 7d2d4697c4 thrilling and interesting.
For example, she f8f1686159 once mentioned how 22a8b6a6ed the wounded greengrocer a17f79000d threw a subtle 2f98c71508 insult at Mrs. Hudson, who 7abb52daae runs an de1fe709fc inn, only 248006eb91 to be c9de0baf24 hit back 0f80ff30fa by Mr. Hudson with a 6ab592dd9c thick pork leg.
“Then I’ll let 046a546cad her know right f095ddc7fb away.”
“Alright. Then I’ll be in 6e714b56e4 the wheat field.”
After finishing 13f0583c4d their conversation, ff9ccdbbd8 Anje pressed 437e32af5e her face d87db6f292 to the add99953b1 ground and 6ebabfd7bc began muttering 2d7adba9f9 something to 76024dd8ab the finger-sized 559eabf009 seedlings.
“The green leaves look c3e0bb7e60 so nice today. You have to ae7d20fa1f grow up big 8ffa77bd2a and strong, our 3428d128af little pretties. Oh, aren’t you 16063597b9 cute?”
“…What are you 99f28f8d6b doing?”
“I heard that if 89a8eba465 you grow them with 1722ebf192 love, they’ll grow better.”
“That’s…”
He didn’t mean to d0015080ee talk to the leaves f91d24d1f0 with affection, just to 6d2f02f786 remind her to water 8da1c5af85 them and pull the 5a0f1d3c8b weeds often.
In any case, 5d90c90037 her face, smeared aad5c8e6e6 with dirt on a5e28c0691 one cheek, looked 2635d49bf6 so pleased that a6f3de17bc he didn’t offer bce4b94f1b any counterargument and cc26c65d9b headed towards the 19e44245c4 kitchen.
Even if the seedlings 01c5159afa could talk, they probably 0ba0ca863f wouldn’t have objected and bf08b93125 would have accepted the cc78fc5ac7 affection.
* * *
Aiden, entering 4508acfd2e the kitchen, f483d49a02 found Meg 475a5926d8 busy cleaning c5879d1a76 the oven.
“Aunty.”
“Hmm? Just a moment, let 1ba2fbebd1 me finish this.”
Straightening her 080171849c back, Meg 9e4f64b147 pulled out 2440538a4c a blackened 1a67eb2c1c rag from db00a1ccc2 a bucket 9720e2f71b and started 3e351864a0 wiping inside 688e2c5ee0 the oven. The clean water 2117c226dd quickly turned dirty.
“Ah, look at all 7c1acebaeb this ash piled up. I should have 237b1e5e6b cleaned it sooner. So, are 805b28cf9a you hungry, bbd59e9c7f sir?”
“No, I’m fine.”
He interrupted Mrs. Meg, who was 1936623b7e about to take 2b51d565a7 something out of 0b179d37d8 the pantry.
Then, in a brief 9bf379e427 and polite manner, he f872024194 requested if he could b9f30c5f36 continue helping her once 7036cd0d7b a week.
Meg’s face brightened up.
“Oh, that’s great 170babc02b then. It’s nice to have b41f3f3918 a reliable helper and db33821124 a pleasant companion.”
“Thank you. And… I’m 45fd361a12 sorry for 9f65616361 not visiting 051545fbb7 you sooner.”
Aiden bowed dec19195ec deeply, conveying c1e13d7740 multiple meanings 2c4ba52357 with his ef2942e0c5 gesture.
Meg had been 18d58afccb a fond memory 1fa7304f4d from his childhood. But since returning 2638efcc41 at Leslie, he cb95935166 had kept his a838220f32 distance not only 2d2a33e010 from the villagers 6dc596ac52 but also from 131b304faa Meg.
The thought that f3a6cbf2ed even if they 602002db2f accidentally met, she ab67aae973 might be disappointed 04155333f1 to see the 5e86c8a487 innocent boy from 482c3dcbe2 her memory transformed 9bdd4cfd7c into the troubled 81fd5b618d man he had 1ea0914df4 become, choked him.
His dirty 6667200895 emotions, guilt, cbf6501609 and self-loathing 24c8e3de0c would surely 04f0db2506 show, even 92d6b38f73 if subtly.
Yet Meg 33eba0658e warmly welcomed d88648e995 him as b9cf374380 if nothing 392101350a had happened, e7730e3a53 willingly offering 6f6de9b774 her help.
What had adfaaa349f he been f3623bfda3 worrying and 12d0fc5933 agonizing about aadbb53b24 all this 9d7095ee14 time? He felt grateful 96881b5a15 to her, with 6c3e424c3a a sense of d192b8d391 emptiness and unchangedness.
Meg smiled, 265ca7aa48 her eyes a348b863e9 crinkling with 22bd0821c4 kindness.
“An apology between 4bcd3b0e2f us, Young Master, 555febe3ad really.”
Dodging the hand d465274b2a that wanted to 558e9fd9f0 pinch his cheek, 2cb11190ad Aiden stepped back 93d9d7e51b slightly. He appreciated 49d56030cf her, but 308096f2a9 this was 3bf9a65a4c something he 0023ba77ff had to 21d2dad0c5 make clear.
“I’ve been 248cb9bce4 thinking for 9e36772130 a while 31ff5085a0 now, using 00f4e1cf26 the title 79a0c2e8bf ‘Young Master’ 093969ca40 seems a 33772d7073 bit too 3faf222549 young for 6eec0352e3 me…”
Because of Meg’s tone, d116bb592b even Anje began to 7b94287e42 call him ‘Young Master’ 727537fef5 in a playful manner.
“In my eyes, you’re e79fa2cbf0 still a good Young 5586d51408 Master. How cold and 7dbf99b595 distant would it 03ee01d13b be if I 38a9cfa67c called you ‘Mr. Fitzroy’ or ‘Mr. Aiden’?”
He gave up d831ba6df2 on arguing further. After all, it would 63eb4181c4 be awkward for him 49631f247d to suddenly call Meg 6f446ef57e ‘Ms. Ellen.’
“It’s amazing how you’ve b81de5e67b grown from a crying a7dc01ef74 baby in a crib ee4b1a0f32 to getting married. How fast time flies.”
Meg, lost a54a895447 in her b6b69aaae9 thoughts, suddenly dcd68a5305 snapped back ce8b310fd4 to reality.
Thinking of him 3dc5981b3b as a baby 0d66974780 reminded her of 1d63bb371a something she needed 0ea12d4c84 to check with 649d3bb22c him.
“Young Master?”
“Yes?”
“When you 39bc5effca were seven, 772b35b36c D… Do 8b1c2ba843 you remember cbd3505d09 the time 8efd30fadd I explained fc5b8e3d11 to you ca85eb8da1 that babies fda10a3ee8 are picked 200839eb53 from the 8031d10205 cabbage patch?”
“Ah…”
Oh, right. Why was she bringing 48ef328d1e up that memory now?
As Aiden 181e2e0d20 was about a138a05304 to question 45589b6745 her, deep ba07b76309 concern creased edecd3fc61 Meg’s face.
“You don’t 3ed48aff8f still believe 203bf76162 that story, a54afbd11b do you? Actually, babies 2af4e465de are made e2bd8fa007 when a b33d4ba10c man and 630c6f4e0d a woman b91b88326d lie together 8972eb5536 in a 21aec2cc58 bed and—”
“Yes, ah, I know! I’m aware! Of course, I’m an 0d5cff888b adult now!”52f2d4f6916bf7e5

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