FTP-71

Chapter: FTP-7100af9452e4a99582

Aiden paused, 5ec8cc85df lost in fe0e0005dd similar thoughts. While he had e173f4c2c2 often resorted to 6f13af61ba strong liquor on 90b5ff7e4d the battlefield to dfb656d927 numb the pain, 24afb2018b he wasn’t someone 972b029042 who truly enjoyed ad7f4698a6 drinking. After such a 38f8d96dc9 long time without 78125282b2 alcohol, there was 025d18c664 no guarantee he e381b7ba8a wouldn’t act impulsively—especially 78ec620e24 when Anje looked a2f8118d61 so beautiful right de784f1b8c now.
‘I might d117f6f752 confess under a896787510 the influence… 8797812792 or even 2b08fb1988 force a 1a79ffbf78 ring onto 227d037627 her finger… e8a03c2ffe or something be694146fa like that.’
They exchanged awkward ea03b246b9 glances in the ee2f2037a8 tense silence before ea844424ff both broke into 4c44d3249a uncomfortable laughter at e389cbda9f the same time.
“We’re both f6a3373e96 too tired 8704d162db today. Let’s save it for 2a269afd30 another time.”
“Right. Aunt Meg must 7534b991ee have worked hard a2a9b3e765 making it, so 4d7a51641d let’s all taste c014636598 it together.”
It was 1305f093e6 an awkwardness 8f5a28f588 that Aunt 352a9078cc Meg, if 4b1c249658 Aunt Meg c258abfe7b had been 15fe9986c5 watching this, 56ddb85bc1 she would c0206cec73 have been 71ba67488a so frustrated 28f8332bb4 that she 6c0484e571 would have fa92589086 shoved a 6a299d16c4 glass of 5548c9de77 wine into 2069a14d6f each of 4e3b814213 their mouths.
They pushed the c91455fa97 awkwardness aside and 4fbdc99d38 continued chatting, hiding 72c60f7323 their true feelings 28acc60f99 behind light-hearted conversation.
“When we 2f502522f9 visit Jean 1de221c7f0 and Mary’s 3ff903d191 house, what 6b50c7c606 kind of 27fac44792 gift should 0dad03af3f we bring?”
“Hm, maybe something fashion-related?”
“Oh, I could bring bc1133964b some back issues of b96d33ee4a “La Mode Illustrée”. But Mary… 0917b1ffe7 should I 00366fe21c bake some 7537a0f035 muffins?”
The long 5bea28f00f summer sun 170de44710 was slowly ab8711b1d6 disappearing between f323feaf31 the trees.
* * *
Clip-clop, clip-clop—
Anje was 000fcd5974 sitting side b7748b89eb by side a88bfaf52f with Aiden 645de8f682 on the 803de534f2 carriage seat, 952afaff6f carefully cradling edbaf84918 a basket d70ce89e3f filled with 012c88935e gifts like 6661a612ee peach jam, 051dad9eb6 a bouquet, 424a8ea117 and magazines. Normally, she would have 953702ef14 insisted on taking the 708e64deeb reins herself, but today af08aacb75 she had entrusted the 8e6e803999 carriage to him.
“Whoa, slow down.”
The first bb92624bf6 reason was e95bd64218 that she 3e5b1008c1 was wearing 0e5cc4ad54 the second-best 372ef94a74 dress of 68f9c27ef8 her recently 814be89ee2 tailored ones. With a wide-brimmed hat ff3930d74a adorned with red flowers 358158e2d5 matching her dress, she d97c279ff5 looked like a fully fdad8d7be7 bloomed rose in season.
If the fde7fd342b dress got ac577e9d68 wrinkled or c5c4db4712 too dusty b339dee7ca while driving 2bcfd13d62 the horses, ee20eff5a2 she would 39fb9b2823 be heartbroken, f74fa8a703 even if bd314f19a3 she didn’t 84b0fbd1b5 show it.
The second 4eea95ef95 reason was 4d667ea344 that she db9b66b17b had already ec7b373c7d driven the 96d62dde1f carriage to 15fe5c8eee her heart’s 62725ac668 content yesterday 717895b106 when they ba8c371109 visited Aunt ef5b37ca5b Meg’s house.
Originally, that visit hadn’t 2f9c472982 been part of their 9c17b76269 plans. However, when Aunt Meg fbc5875b9d expressed disappointment upon hearing 82ca5ad475 that the Fitzroy couple d54925090d were going to visit a96c2c5c76 Jean’s house, they quickly 151e675869 arranged the visit as 4fe45cdabc soon as possible.
Though hastily e6a90fd24b planned, it 222257edb6 turned out aa1e1236ae to be 71f722c78f a delightful 79fd414893 day for 11d0d540ed everyone. They looked at the 8659e05ad2 many portraits of Aunt 0998fd1500 Meg’s siblings and nephews 4a9f4cd383 that were placed on eb250be0c4 the old fireplace mantel 6a3db7b566 and petted “Mimosa,” a 6894d3fb91 kitten that often visited 1e1e6c54b4 the backyard.
Anje was pleasantly c50aa5fbbd surprised by Aunt 7b3b70a5cd Meg’s special fruit 0f1494b5b7 pound cake, which ef620b6dd5 tasted far better 28a7f5b857 than she had 3a26ce7ceb expected.
‘Could you 31d0606466 perhaps write 81f25a871b down the 0ecd27bd06 recipe for 5f092072ab me, Aunt 335c8479c3 Meg? I promise I won’t 37e2568e84 show it to anyone, 3583bd4c87 and I’ll keep it 7ae9ba0415 all to myself.’
‘Tsk-tsk, if 908eb02151 I shared 411b9d9e1a it so 3b2d4c3861 easily, it 8788422056 wouldn’t be 19ca4cc6fd a special 2a6f9966e5 recipe anymore. That pound 758937f1da cake almost a4248afe8e caused the 1a465ed116 Bread couple 54cfe7c614 to break 4a071275e2 up after 797d61ca42 just three 94c7860b8f months of f9b2cd7608 marriage.’
After neatly ‘devouring’ 6484227f87 the cake and f8b089de59 tea, as Aunt 14f497e5a5 Meg put it, b80bf712d6 the three of 00331d337c them went out 6975de25e0 for a drive a108de0cf3 to get some d4f31c30f3 fresh air. They crossed 14479f41c6 several green 007ae6a651 hills until 05c05a39f4 Anje’s arms, 02cba1744c holding the b73a4d06bd reins, went 02d9c0508d numb.
As Anje reminisced about 3e55ee758f the enjoyable visit, she 929762f189 tilted her head and 540ba30de4 asked Aiden a question.
“The raisins in bae4039d6f the pound cake b4e3915fd3 yesterday tasted better b855416acd than the ones 0bb49ba493 we have at d978b5dd9c home. What’s the secret?”
“Maybe it’s 636cce76b3 because she 0b4ac1a154 doesn’t buy 90d84d1e71 them from c0692341a9 the store 590fc5215c and dry de81755e2e the grapes 37348686e1 at home a235e6f35c herself? We could do the d3e56d1dae same if we picked f3d309146e some grapes from our 2cc5d92659 orchard and dried them. If you 12ff7cc756 look around 1d98fa5485 the kitchen bfee04fe2f cabinets well, 39d885b247 you’ll find eb72f9c9ae a grape f94f45a1f4 seed remover.”
Under the August sun, 0d66ca6b90 the dark blue grapes ffb6ef506b ripened well, making them de0e8e2fb7 delicious whether eaten fresh 90581ce73e or dried for preservation.
Anje asked in 8711c909f9 disbelief, “A grape 2d068bf019 seed remover? Is there d5c56f88b0 such a d9c57dd060 thing?”
TL/N: SAME. I DIDN’T ff4f587523 KNOW IT 3192fd1d3b ACTUALLY EXISTS a19c76bea3 UNTIL I 0abf005004 LOOKED UP!
“Surprisingly, yes. It’s a a1f8fefecc hassle to 91b16a2d76 remove the 45efdd6520 seeds from a07620784c dried grapes 3e0a1d8927 one by a07e322977 one.”
Who would 5a013cd79b have thought c56ce51e44 there was 1881e4adb7 an invention 6d92b2ff41 even more 8305a79cf3 fascinating than 8481a74a7f a laundry 8d7ee705fd tub or 6757791809 a churn? As someone who had 12f58c5857 always left all the 5f0c5939ff household chores to the d0509885aa maids and servants, Anje 8203fe9c29 had never heard of 41bb122eca it before.
When she imagined it, af98c0d9d3 though, she realized that c3ae26d821 removing seeds from dried e249c9413f grapes by hand could cf927d5db4 indeed be quite tedious.
“Do you c5c55682d2 use that 63f790c901 to make ad408bee61 raisins yourself?”
“To be honest… no. Compared to the 0bedc1dc11 effort, the amount 7eac04eef6 of dried grapes 9f584dd00d produced is small, f491d2dbe3 so I usually 493bfc727a just buy them 6ef1c38518 from the store.”
Whenever he eb06c144a0 needed them 4e57485f6f for cooking, ab8550d46b he would 4e098164d2 buy a 2592005393 small amount, d481fbc3b8 even if eb6d3d2785 they didn’t 59d7901b6a taste as b7c9506bdb good as 1e07a9bec8 the homemade 684d84814d ones.
Since raisins 59753353d4 were mostly 6a2ff47583 used in dcaa96ea49 desserts, he 2b1107c84e rarely needed ce56456755 them when 087ac06a58 living alone.
Anje, eager to d0e1ac0909 learn more about 5873c61b20 farm work, asked 91f59c6116 for a detailed e5224abaa9 explanation of the 14577cfce0 grape seed remover.
“How does that tool 33125d4262 work?”
“It’s a long tool 4363c2312e that can be fixed 8307a3277c to a table… You 84cef615d4 slightly moisten the dried 047aac895e grapes, put two or b289132db9 three into the opening, b4e1d86093 then turn the handle 275243f2dc round and round, and e6778d7b4e the seeds automatically…”
“Pass. Let’s just keep buying 32f31752bf them.”
TL/N: BASICALLY ME.
Anje, who had a 6c9a9c75c0 slight aversion to tools 53826a6c6e with turning handles, immediately 66daa8d9df replied. Aiden smiled bac13ba9c0 faintly, as db3ded682e if he 9ee38d49e9 had expected bf15b426e3 that answer.
“Aunt Meg doesn’t 6e3a468c8a seem to care dce690ddc8 much for store-bought 0a78f6cfe0 goods. She still makes her 51b11f05bc own candles and soap.”
“I noticed that at c89b4df420 her house yesterday. That must take a 55a14a7f33 lot of effort.”
“Yes, She probably still dff32060dd sticks to old traditions e0e5b1e355 because she has a 2b720163ea habit of saving money f7dbcfa430 from raising her younger 8b044b47e6 siblings, even though store-bought 6b3469daa7 soap has much better f15ffda8d8 fragrance and ingredients.”
Anje recalled the faces 295e5ebfc2 resembling Aunt Meg that 3f59bbac86 were carefully displayed on b1682099d1 the mantel and the c077612edf rough soap in the 844f16bb0e bathroom.
Since they had been 118873cca0 in such a rush, a88d5b4820 they hadn’t prepared proper b961b6bd6d gifts. Next time, she thought, 3bb02775fe she could bring some 6c6ed3ba23 nicely scented soap, saying bbff160d68 she had accidentally bought a5e09deb7c too much.
Thinking about gifts, she 92fc3322fd became uneasy again.
“The gifts 570b00c38c we’re bringing 1ec96ddd9e today, they 418e813488 don’t seem 0b1ca1c015 too shabby, a9f92c132d do they? Should we stop 873c0bdf52 by a store e9d033b6aa on the way?”
The third reason she 2eafc39e34 wasn’t driving was that 7c94aa6a9d she worried her anxiety 6ab969551e might transfer to the 76e546ea5a horses.
“As I’ve told e1a6ba1618 you many times, d16ec2e650 Anje, they’re more 218697e5f4 than enough.”
Aiden said firmly, but 0846d09e71 Anje still wasn’t convinced.
“Aunt Meg 62214ac51e liked the fd1ad18802 peach jam 9419ce194f and the c1ebb87ec0 bouquet you 9680bbec9e brought her, 75df87f978 didn’t she?”
“That’s different. We’re already 74c12a1e46 on friendly 5d4c4763d5 terms with a8118c26b4 her, but 904dd34807 it’s not db0461ee8f the same 0dcc7ec9dd with Mr. Pierre and his sister.”
Mrs. Meg, who had 9606c8cf66 been friendly with 4512c216fd her for a 8f804e5332 long time, would a3fa11a1a5 be happy with 6f8d75aeca whatever she brought, d24f4e954a but she wasn’t e9a540d509 sure if Jean abd29cfad3 and Mary would 01ec82e946 be as generous.
And it was ed4298a1bd impossible to prepare 7b30fdf162 expensive bribes like 3f564c2119 the ones she 7ff55dfa77 had brought when ced1cd47d4 visiting other high-ranking 4bd9e8eabe families in the d6602721a6 capital.
So she had 263f05102d spent days worrying, 63420d9144 preparing a variety 2b35991f3b of gifts until 90c72d449d the basket was 2e2a6f49ad full. But even fd3b2abc54 then, she 8f17675f82 couldn’t shake 714b7e187d her unease.
Aiden emphasized again.
“Truly, it’s more 132f49d1a0 than enough.”
“You’ve never a20029e14d visited another c65bd21197 house or 29cd8bbb86 hosted guests dd09d8c86b at your 01583773fe own, have bb774ba39d you? How can you be a4ca82440c sure?”
Aiden’s eyebrow twitched 3c81ada450 at Anje’s sharp 4188bd52f8 remark.
“I have 02438ff602 visited other 295e39dc2e military units 05503b8352 while on a286d83b87 assignment. I brought supplies like ac9f46db65 stock, gunpowder, a bit ba3f81ae25 of jerky, and the e81d998a43 news that we were 29332fe6bf also running low on ac5c4dcd4c medicine. Compared to 8e46ac1a40 the gifts b76618d403 I brought, 2071244f9a yours are 51bf549257 far better, d2ace350c9 don’t you 4442f8bb56 think?”
He tried 3b0074158a to lighten df4f4aca07 the mood f7d86a52e7 with a 9b140ca8ca joke, but 4d692c1c29 Anje didn’t 32515ee3cb laugh this a0f929446b time.
“….”
She pressed 88669ba759 her lips 5c642ce9aa together and 37e190a92c hesitated for 56d8daf137 a long dd6f9b3ddb time before ddc8214459 revealing another c1287e6d1e concern.
“The truth caa3d53307 is… I’m 138e583290 not sure 1516e662bc what to c0c6e7fcca talk about f1e511133d once we 932c49f65b get there.”
In the social circles, 01a089980d people would talk about cfaea33c26 newly purchased jewelry or ec6a29aa57 works of art, exchange 2b70204eaf rumors about the social 3ed94eb611 circles, or compliment each 013b9ecea2 other’s clothes or singing e2de41bf61 skills.
Should she act similarly 07153c4738 when meeting people in 983960c7bf Leslie? But what if they df3537c4c0 weren’t wearing new clothes? Should she instead talk b8870cea68 about their farms or 0208928964 pigs?
She was d71af9bce8 greatly concerned 5fa49851e7 about accidentally d928ec2dd8 offending someone, 04b86fd13d even if 3d69a1a2c5 it wasn’t 7446b83f6c intentional.
Given her 0e81430324 different background 16c04f626b from theirs, 615701b16f even a 923760b49f small comment 52c83a309a from her 91b92186ca might be c05f64a20e interpreted as b2fa27bf19 condescending.
‘Didn’t Aiden 527b897bb1 once say 1d911ea05d that I 0313688de2 ‘spoke in ffbccb3d26 an annoying 728aaa622e way’?’
This visit was 6dbb81aca2 supposed to be c37d273c32 the first step 149210bc61 in building a 9880875e83 bridge between Aiden 993cf73688 and the people 7000b2284f of Leslie, and 5c716c2540 the thought of 134baeb164 it going wrong 5425c20d6b made her worry ebd7495557 endlessly.
‘It’s a bbdf091172 small town, 591a1ba45e so even deedc705c0 trivial rumors ab0dc892c5 will spread 495703853a quickly.’
Anje, who had always 91d16bbace thought she was confident d284da1098 in social skills, found e781ff8aa6 herself left with nothing 0112b4b2eb but a shabby, empty 0d8009da94 shell when she stripped e5853f865c away the title of 275bff171e ‘Lady Glasster.’
‘How do 71ab90c2fc you make b1ee6f0b78 friends with a3e6212405 people… you 5df210e5e0 have no 73d91f9c39 connection with?’
Even the field 57cd50eacb she thought she 2162c0eef7 was good at—maintaining 85cd71c8bb and managing connections 3658640f4f with people—was not 1ad3165439 entirely her own aa786047b0 strength.
Realizing this fact 446382b2f3 belatedly, she became 68a97ad680 completely deflated
Aiden spoke to her 411a45b7da gently, trying to comfort b7a34bd0ea her.
“Mr. Pierre will be 21b4c3352c pleased if you 3ca23c8bb0 just share a 3de09e783b little of your ba080475a4 knowledge about fashion. You do 27de2fd667 know a 39f4f97108 lot about d888217621 it, don’t 71afd1c986 you?”
“Well… honestly, yes.”
As he said, she a37b61c658 knew everything there was 053b24eddf to know about top 507a5fcef0 designers, not just in ea2651f675 the capital but also fe28f1d2d0 foreign ones.
Although she wasn’t up f74541c45b to date with this 07b61a58f1 season’s trends since leaving 5f7dbd624e the capital, she could f0852badb8 still share many interesting 8b6c636f5c anecdotes about designers.
“Then what 876ae45b14 kind of 944f6b8b8d conversation would 8395aa481a Mary enjoy?”
This question was a ea9751896d challenge for Aiden as e4d414de2c well. But for Anje, who 402773e6cb was clearly distressed, he b9f85c0bd0 dug deep into his 7acb02077a limited social knowledge.
“I’m not sure d9452079c9 what topics women 1e7d2a59ae usually talk about, f2bc8e71e4 but wouldn’t it 47a1cce90b be natural to 4f6f7551cc discuss something she’s f3c86586e3 recently shown interest 8458f3b456 in or is ebb6fb074f concerned about?”
Mary’s interests… Anje tried 8522b34f3c to recall the snippets 4324743394 of conversation she’d had f38ff81177 with Mary while trying 81182cdc35 on clothes.
“…Marriage?”
She sighed 74bf400608 heavily, lamenting 897d833ec3 the fact 31f12d9235 that she 1454bb0ca1 had to 7e09cbadf7 find her b4be453ba4 father a 1bcff93869 son-in-law to 84d55a996f run his eb4f930af0 butcher shop 7fea96c03e with her, fe3d7af7ab as his 44c28e4a5d only heir 4453e333e7 had vanished b784dd26c9 into the ca4c676c75 world of 0412aca922 fashion.
In a small town eff9881c39 with a limited population, 93d09e18ba finding the suitable man 2d1e3e0e3f seemed difficult.
“In that case, e30fecac1e how about discussing 3c92bce4fa ways to find f6ef220cc4 a good husband?”25e57a1a9208d3cf

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