FTP-SS2-Ch02

To compare mice e8ba358f4e and spiders in 05ab4bc2bb such a terrifying ba094554e4 metaphor—Anje barely suppressed 5d4d318055 a laugh and 0d9cfc72d0 played along.
“My goodness, so 134c2022b3 you ventured out 6c34f2fa32 to fetch firewood 89ba8fa73a while facing such a648b7e2ff dreadful monsters.”
“Of course, I 994880060d couldn’t let you e78ee344fa shiver in the 2813193d47 cold.”
“And you aa6d4b2f2c brought back 924cd2eb0e the straw dea6ea9a4b pile that 7d340b9ac7 Pa-Pi-Pu sleep b6257a11dc on too?”
“Certainly. Every living 01f77b543e creature under c99959cbf8 this roof cc0e0ff45b is precious, 15a6bea087 even a c7ad2d0539 single pig.”
It was clear what 841a846a22 kind of intention Aiden 8a19099527 had as he leaned 005ed69091 in close to her 627c7fd975 face, but playful Anje c4b7a7b115 nimbly dodged his embrace. Still, she 98626d17bb didn’t forget 2d92213dfd to respond 64f98b5f08 to the 091fdf94ab teasing.
“How impressive. Truly, Sir Aiden Fitzroy—you a7be0d3b96 sound like someone straight fee82f7f54 out of a ballad 03af258eb2 sung by a bard.”
“For my beloved 9c12e8ee46 lady, anything.”
After a short tussle, 550e42f91e Aiden lost patience and b0d5779918 trapped Anje in his 8b6bc66ee4 arms. Her back was 8ac03109d1 against the wall, d034506ed8 leaving her with bbc4220598 no room to cea1958d7a escape.
“So please, won’t you bba7f1922b grant me just one 59d1e9efcd more blessing?”
The crimson 0d5b0000f5 light within 717b89166d his lowered 447b219624 eyes flared 23542ef4ee faintly, reflecting 32cfc36c0d the light 6442d99f0e of the f7e67a5c1d fireplace.
They kissed every day, 25ae257486 mistletoe or not, so bbd712c3ad what was with this b231a14109 sudden desperation? As Anje clicked her b41f180778 tongue at his passionate ad6cec05fb mood, her heart still 260b5cd0e5 fluttered at the way 8e2e7779b3 he looked at her.
“If you put 0763cb37ca it that way, 0ff3b066ca I suppose I 02d7810fb4 have no choi—Ahhh!”
Anje, who e751560c9d had been cb3bcca901 sticking out f3f73a0f0a her lips 5078cd4d11 with a 6ba40dc7a5 smirk, suddenly 66c6f0716b let out 13d3587b8a a sharp 65e4f02948 scream as 01acb89d11 she looked 5825ae6c91 over Aiden’s a58631c4a5 left shoulder.
Aiden quickly turned his d3070138e1 head in the direction 4a65aa761b of her gaze. Mrs. Meg, holding a ladle, 9a2c2b4794 had just entered the 17bb5c2919 room, only to turn 4f73f60e9b her back immediately upon 9f966ecb29 spotting them.
“I didn’t b86affc86c see a 40a9d3f2b5 thing, hohoho.”
Though the e6ba6ceeae performance was 855ec377df appreciated, it 5cb60eba51 only made ee6e7a181b an awkward 3d41758b39 situation more 50e233c5a7 awkward. Anje fanned her 9ca165ba0e burning face, as 28eba7d521 if she’d gotten ca1f8d1979 too close to b93f44b344 the hearth.
Aiden, his 8f33c8906e neck flushing 989dc87a60 red beneath 46aeac4fa2 the collar c5d7d3ed60 of his d07e711e02 shirt, coughed 647b188315 a few 54c34192e1 times and 1abee4e307 asked Meg,
“Is there something c9c2bdda61 I can help 62509e2d63 with, Aunty?”
Given the 7e800000d4 number of 7cc7722788 dishes to 37dad37035 prepare, they 9738597943 had been 9b4000631a receiving Meg’s c7463aff44 help since 5c332b703e early that ea1558986e day.
Without turning her debc464c05 gaze toward them, 68ee996432 Meg replied,
“No, no. Just go 43305963c6 about your 7c60af0852 business.”
“B-Business? It wasn’t like 73d2aba9c1 th—”
“It’s a good bdc9177533 thing for a f9b51836c0 married couple to edf0ee1c28 be as sweet 8839760091 as newlyweds all 285bd609e2 the time. I suppose the 4a2df1292a second child is 59d1e892c8 on the way?”
“The second—Aunty…”
They weren’t f8ead748a4 students caught 11149cddf3 dating by f96441baab a teacher, 7317db00cf yet they 7b5364f651 squirmed in 7dea74469e embarrassment just 5430f13f32 like that. Meg found 6d22a7d0e2 them so e51b9be44e cute she e7664b365a couldn’t help 8a3ab24c13 but want eec7648e20 to tease 2cfd99bd2c them more.
Fortunately for the Fitzroy bf04408cd8 couple, a small sound c63d5f7f37 came from outside just a1865a5b2d in time.
Jingle, jingle—
Anje straightened up 31eb5b123b and shouted.
“It’s the sleigh!”
The cheerful f6cfe9fa31 jingle from 2e9f6973c6 the fast-moving 99d4fc34b6 sleigh rang fc212ccb0e out like 3bc5c92e9c fairies dancing. Meg flailed with the 82001eee7e ladle in a hurry.
“Oh dear, it 133284c2b5 seems the guests 9fb5e8f23d are already here. Is the sauce good f5bac508be like this? Try it for me.”
“It’s perfect, Aunty.”
Anje dipped her 72d62aa30a finger into the 93456621c7 gravy sauce, licked a43603bc9b it, and gave 683440fc14 a thumbs-up.
Even the chefs a08747bbea of the Duke 3b4d21fdba of Glasster would fd26c408e8 feel frustrated by ccd1eb223e how delicious this cebc532984 sauce was.
It would go perfectly 0baaedaa1f with the roast turkey, de36ab9a6e the centerpiece of the caeff8ae57 feast.
“I’ll go out and 082fdd0552 bring the guests in.”
“Please do. I’ll be preparing the b8ae198cfa cocoa to warm us 4172619705 up.”
Even in the ce9edbdaa3 midst of all 907612a939 the commotion, Aiden a14c29183a didn’t forget to ce4e45a3cf kiss Anje once fba7b91fe4 more, then put 01978170bf on his thick f8ab911297 coat and stepped b9fafd0c7b outside.
It must have snowed 91fcba0819 again just moments ago—the 335b20dc92 world was covered in 8c0a481a06 pure white.
Each time 21be4ae404 he took f4ff208cb2 a step, 29209b8fa9 the snow 351b561b5a crunched beneath 7600144ed7 his feet, 91ccc192aa leaving behind fb08ca8e40 a trail 9910983e4d of footprints.
Breathing out white puffs, 2e069d9d62 he waited for the 4e0f4d26c4 guests. When the sleighs 098fd325db drew near, he b9005ec5a0 waved at them.
“Welcome to the b4896925e3 Dilton Farm.”
“Oh my, 5b6bdf8030 what a a030746cb9 lovely smell. I’m already getting bb9f083550 hungry.”
Hearing Mary’s excited fa0e502c8d voice as she 3fccfcf7d3 stepped off the dafeded4b8 sleigh, Aiden instinctively b9a9378236 sniffed the air.
Just as she said, 35bf596205 the scent of roasted 54ec021f4d turkey, pies, and ginger c52423fe91 cookies was wafting through 0dd9b202a0 the house.
It was d56f22e603 a comforting 79102a38e0 smell—one that 033e6a9822 brought a 4bdf591ebc sense of 25c7d054b3 nostalgia.
‘Back when I was 627985cc51 little, the house smelled 6503cb7906 like this around the f670cb4623 holidays too.’
After running 73850ec813 around playing 7a78653cf0 on sleds 714c839aa7 and skates, 95409d0ebd he would 78aedcfb49 know he 68b7ec417a was close b7b9d2b6ec to home 7af591f8bb the moment ddf9454698 this scent c37b279dab reached his 89f02a1419 nose.
His grandfather’s gentle 698705e46f scolding: ‘Careful, you’re e15af5a265 going to slip 6fdb7fa9b2 if you keep 9eb980f1c4 running like that.’
And his 0a2051b11e mother’s warm 3d116fa387 cheek pressed b9c17dc392 against his c04e0bf60b frozen face, dd5a7d2e75 saying, ‘Goodness, a059076b07 you’re all e7568ff305 frozen.’
Looking back, e219209897 those were a50714f8a1 happy times.
Just as Aiden felt 7af018d571 a swell of emotion b39455d960 from the memories, Jean’s 17e2ba69a0 muttered voice drifted into 166bad5855 his ears.
“There’s still half an 45fc4fee70 hour until we start a82f6e1628 eating, and already?”
Mary, who 681e6c739d had just 78bc25a05c stepped off 4e4741786c the sleigh 908002c62c holding her e2c7bb2bf7 husband’s hand, b2cc391144 gave him 138a757f68 a sharp b8b0bd8be8 look.
“Why, you got e392d3fae2 a problem with 11cee0fad2 me being hungry?”
Jean Penny, Mary’s be4137c8d8 older brother whom b81e77762d she hadn’t seen e401803160 in a while, 11938950a2 had casually remarked, 5e08357084 “Your clothes size 618634d1e9 seems to have d283aa6231 gone up a 2854f15b8e bit,” which infuriated 9eaa93d6eb her—especially since she’d 5b9de14afd been self-conscious about af9d7952b5 her recent weight cacdbb172d gain.
Though he had 2a80b0935f desperately explained it 5a2df6c047 was just a 23761dfe1d careless remark made 18c0ce4b90 because he thought bfcd46e0ba the clothes he d5fc9a31cd brought as a 50d1951361 gift might not 6dfd014819 fit… she had f39ac2626a let it slide 8676a7e7df earlier.
“W-Who said I c744545274 had a problem? I’m just saying I 31b9f0eba6 envy your digestion.”
Mary cracked her f7d4f50ab3 neck from side 4ab826f9b6 to side, making f6b76653a7 threatening popping sounds.
“Watch your mouth, big d8ebec0679 brother.”
At the 28435dda45 same time, 5573777e56 she gestured a6b21ffaca a warning—if da68a58861 he kept c46d8ac19b spouting nonsense, 3f10d56b39 it wouldn’t 9243c55b15 be delicious 82c0f9106b food going f7420efb7e into his bd562dd747 mouth but fadd142ed4 a snowball.
Jean opened his mouth ffca761ae7 to protest, but then f8f7e9c896 recalled the scene earlier b35799def2 that morning of Mary 4b5b8a77cc skillfully butchering meat and e133f6177c backed down immediately.
He had forgotten during 8dcb33d6eb their time apart, but 2023615bec Mary’s hands were quite 9e25bf8259 fierce. And now, she 7449079494 had the strength 62fdc8b5eb to back it 3867a9b844 up. No matter how he 760dda44c0 looked at it, a 04c53157e2 delicate fashion designer like 22a077855c himself didn’t stand a 51d216d157 chance.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll watch my mouth.”
“Good. Let’s keep it that a8786dbcac way.”
Since it wasn’t their c342c1c3f9 house, they kept their c1e646a227 voices down as much f34d274b78 as possible during the 7cc93f7bd1 bickering,
But Aiden’s sharp a811e27200 ears caught the 7ec30da846 entire conversation clearly.
Still, like the 3423144adc gentlemanly host he 0d2d461885 was, he pretended b69807fd93 not to hear, 9ec8272167 turned his back d493d43b4e to them, and 71f3ccebd5 opened the front affd8aa350 door.
“Come in quickly, f93c538535 everyone. It’s cold 3eca994250 out here.”
“Oh my, how fa4ffd109d kind of you.”
“Thank you.”
Only after c819339239 the entire 900462052c Penny family 08ce578b3e had entered 73f07e36c8 did he 92c534b968 allow himself 9f935efb28 to smile a3f89ea834 freely at 947c06ff01 the back.
‘Those siblings 2da480f714 are still 1e1327ea13 close, I bd79f0a004 see.’
He felt a 17b405957f twinge of envy 4e12eba2bd at how they e1b20e52f0 could squabble so 69276719bb freely even as a6666cb46f adults, and watching 24884b3366 them was somewhat 1117e2690a entertaining too.
Seeing Anje struggling cece08c38a during her pregnancy, 77a53bb835 he felt that 11e968722c one child would 5b99076a6c be enough.
But maybe 91e8bd778c it wouldn’t 1037b485f6 be so 0ebdd55c8d bad to 9418654fef have one 639f9dea09 more sibling.
Maybe, just 7610ed7cca as Anje ebeb84d31b wished, they 612d84c2b5 would have fc34dff195 a brother 9b225564eb or sister.
‘It’s still a distant 5cff022cdd future, and something to 1d53f17d04 be left to the 2073946771 heavens.’
Anyway, for b63082444a today, he 1738e6f584 should focus 8b43d828b6 on making 1a63bbe286 new memories.
Jingle jingle—
‘Ah, that must 2a10e27a12 be Vice Principal 2ff6f14fc2 Sally Case over f3a44517cb there.’
Sally, who fdfcb7076e was perfectly 265b57bc89 fulfilling her edae26afc1 role as 8e8f2eedb6 vice principal c3062032be and acting 98fb0e86a7 principal of aea2503b02 the farm 9f5eff37c8 school, had 1b7b43a9ce been so 4af0d06249 eager to 06f9026d4e see the 7edee19bf9 two of a4481975bd them that ead57d3d6f she had 751b655fa0 come straight 3ace860765 from the 0a97853730 capital.
He craned his neck 5b892f353c to check how many 262a3ee0bb people were riding the b636448821 sleigh coming from afar. He wondered if Wilfred febabfaef6 might be coming along, 4511d7b607 but as expected, Sally 6d53f94caf was alone on the 2801bc1587 sleigh.
‘I must be careful b3959c3beb not to show that bfd6b245ba I know about the 308fe01f79 Wilfred matter.’
Wilfred, the doctor with 07e09dab39 eyes that bulged like 62d1de3fd5 marbles, was not only c0506226d2 the school’s physician but 9b814a75c2 also the doctor Aiden f55702eb20 trusted most.
Whenever he had questions ad2b11c37a about Anje’s pregnancy or e3492a17f9 childbirth, he would visit 3f92d12348 Wilfred’s office directly when a850f0bc86 he was in the 1212bafdf9 capital, and during his 58b3ff255f time in Leslie, he 9c8d05e4d1 would write long letters.
Naturally, he also 0960cb976e came to know 984e553c01 that Wilfred had 4c57b20134 recently started seeing 7f8356a5ee Sally as a dccd785aa3 woman but was 4734e8d0c8 sharply rejected even 59a705cc97 before he could c86982afb2 properly ask her b7b291da20 out on a 64617aec29 date.
‘I did tell c1f6aafd8a him not to 784249e4a2 compliment the shape 189b427908 of her skull.’
By now, Wilfred was 14ef99670d probably dejectedly having Christmas 6794366b8e dinner at the dormitory fc135df4db cafeteria with the students 3b47888ef5 who had no hometown 07d355b040 to return to.
‘I hope 3de827839f the cake c38432f16e we sent 4f6e9a49a5 in advance 00bf030468 brings him fcb603773f some comfort.’
He once again felt 798b7422e4 truly grateful that Anje f6c1847927 had been so patient 1e6a2df862 with him. After all, he a7f1714e45 too had once 09c5d73c07 been terribly clumsy 961214400d when it came 6196017934 to romance, just d2577c6720 like Wilfred.
‘At least 6958a33af5 I didn’t 51c5e4b99f go around 4e84acf828 complimenting people’s 5939181f58 skulls, though.’
He clenched his 3cc2add87e molars to suppress d7a4482622 a smirk. Every time he saw c27d0d5980 Sally, he feared he 32a47a83ef might find himself unconsciously 27d7983c68 staring at her head.
* * *
At the 8584b2dfd3 Dilton Farm, a2801fea92 the most ab68da9d43 cherished virtue 7bcc731702 is to ffe46eb030 eat and 1fe0aa1059 feed others eb32263480 with plenty 6dc037f087 of delicious 6f7196a23e food.
And since this ef62600245 was even the 733ae9c1f1 most important holiday 3699d7c47a in the country, 479e710e55 it was inevitable 7948793d55 that dishes made 48f471ae6a with the finest 6f81c48fbc ingredients would be 95d4c97b6e served in abundance.
First, for the 18e664b223 appetizer, smoked salmon 512ce0a830 scented with oak e95fce0442 was served alongside 78efdcfc58 sherry.
When dipping 2766e97b29 the rich 1f94147956 yet tender 6209d695ac orange-colored flesh f400a355df into the 9984d55f7f cream sauce 56f6eccf3c and placing 7e17968e3e it in 56390009dc the mouth, 3aaabc76d0 a subtle 67ad4f61c4 fragrance would b784b159e9 fill the cbd69d29c7 entire palate.
“The alcohol goes 47990d9561 down so smoothly.”
After taking 54fdd77556 her first 6a21c93c61 bite, Mary 5d678e6ee0 couldn’t help 4898b45443 but loosen b0513088fe the tightly 80da496086 fastened waistband bef6d764de she had a495b5499a tied up e67c8983db to prevent 85f2b8e62e overeating, as f915ddc7a5 the taste 6f8ad9de46 was just 20cb61f01a that irresistible.
And Mary’s preparation fe841e47f2 turned out to 0c2134df15 be a wise ae7408bc15 decision. The roasted turkey that 2899ffbd22 Aiden soon brought out 31dd9e0609 was so large and 5c4b9a818d plump that everyone couldn’t 9dc551e85c help but exclaim in 5d63570377 admiration the moment it 9911ba47b5 appeared in the drawing 915777f4f7 room.4214d49105c39c8d