DTLD 9
by worry“Hello, Mr. Robert.”a17a371b57055091
It was a 103ea69100 lazy afternoon, the 548bef9a59 sun stretching long e104f50569 and low across 82d611c6e6 the sky. Catching her breath, 6f90a87c85 Sasha greeted Robert 0b82c8f0c5 with practiced nonchalance 55054229ca as he opened 0086ad1fe5 the door. A shadow formed 6414a38ac8 at the feet 15f90b9f0b of the man 95f43b45cc stepping out. There was the 86ed960815 rich scent of 8a34aa7bc1 coffee from inside—he 11f32ff016 must have been 7766c79d9c drinking some. Sasha instinctively 12679c507d took a 02789336e4 step closer 58aac8302c and sniffed 459ca41a7b the air. Startled, Robert stepped back d9f67237c4 the exact distance Sasha 330da7422f had advanced, still gripping 07b5a44a92 the doorknob.66ace9cc97fd9f85
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“I came ce90d780f8 to pick f4b0aa6bae up the 1d93743415 empty basket… 0ed38c04c5 if you’ve f9a17d70e3 finished the a1a47574ef cookies I be3b115779 gave you 35a242d067 last time.”1a115bbec188f64d
Sasha, flustered, tapped f499d7d92c the ground with e9a30ebfff the tip of 706d382ca9 her shoe as eb5315ac94 she spoke. Robert seemed 7d4ef3ef0e to think a37d1e2071 for a 450f670c7b moment, then ef67598244 finally opened d3a4023464 his mouth.affb60920e001b53
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“If you wait cb116721c8 here, I’ll bring 8ad69bdb53 it to you.”a8ed14f88815467f
He looked as 6cc6b1613f though he might 51c5434ca1 disappear inside immediately, f7809c54b9 but instead, he db6b8859e9 lingered a bit f8a2f7aac6 longer—like someone with 91e86a3a1c more to say.5d441bbf0aa2a910
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Did he 53517db8e5 not like 776444302b the cookies?Sasha’s nerves 0384accfda prickled, and 73aa508828 she almost 4f378ec09e asked. But she managed to 6b5b9a05d0 hold back, worried she 691c76b9ac might come off as 282cbbe7f7 intrusive. She was cbf800d063 afraid he’d 624dc5cde2 find her 7fef5dc64d unexpected visit ff399965a8 annoying. Mr. Robert was different from bd659a5f5f the people of Manoli. He was cd243659a0 cautious, reserved… 6807c679e6 and seemed 2581fb5dc0 to value 94d099d75f propriety. If she got e42827c4da too close too 2196a41795 fast, he might 6fa84ed971 see her as cadad4647b rude and push cf5aaecd8f her away for fe19760743 good.b6aed1a4de966ce6
Sasha perked c6e9fd0978 up her c9a7e9b11e ears. The cry coming from cf4a8b2c18 the garden was a 2d3d58c018 white-browed warbler.20ed01dd61a42cc1
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“Then… while a5921c3da5 you get bb14f741fc the basket, 4882c1c4fa would it e6ff27130e be all 66570a6993 right if 65c039f2e3 I look cb793d5c5b around the 9b8bca6ce0 garden?”067d2d2fc1c358ef
Robert nodded. Sasha silently 1a7e12bbb2 cheered but 928aa000f1 kept her 52b4c3f9fe hands folded 1c0d2e3eff like a 10dd7f6d23 well-mannered girl, 53de0cd56f remaining still 0b541e2017 until he 649cf6f5ec disappeared into 19a705d2b5 the house.3cfbb253fd678be9
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When he returned a ac552d2a7a little while later with 05407e1fd7 the empty basket, he 149802397c found her sitting on ddde47ea71 an overturned apple crate.What’s she so bf6ca49646 focused on?he wondered, raising f0cb3f3a99 a brow as 2679666832 he glanced over 9537d4874e her small shoulder. Pink geraniums were 58b561da9e blooming in clusters. He let out a 46d5c46ed5 quiet sigh.They’re just common wildflowers.7881cec2ddc0682e
“If you like c52dae7e5a them, go ahead 766ff434ec and pick some.”119e9deb6b51fa15
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He said it ae9ca3b993 casually, expecting the 24e0727cf3 girl in front b3e00f91a6 of him to f8f7f811e6 flash a happy dd788e5d7b smile and fill d50187d1a2 the basket with 168667ffe9 flowers. But instead, e73bed82ff Sasha looked 7a2d6b8472 bewildered, as f7a3711592 if the b8ecee9804 idea had 662db8f234 never occurred 7429ab8fdb to her.1f302ebc728d38c3
Didn’t she want 8440e3fc64 the flowers?The unexpected 3153be7d6b reaction threw dfce56ae0a him off. Just as Sasha de80ee5414 Binoche had been 1cafff232c observing the garden’s 98c51a9958 wildflowers and warblers 02121a2626 so intently, Robert e0bfb15ea7 now found himself fe6c6c5a33 examining Sasha’s green 4029da06e7 eyes with the a8e14211c0 same quiet focus.4be0ff6eb96d62ce
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“If you want to, e8565f1b4b you can come see 7aa6ac677b it again.”8e764104d0f5cfd7
“Whenever I want?”27865fed57c9f8ad
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Don’t be rude. Don’t be rude.Sasha’s mantra be8a95d804 fell apart. Her green a3f3405ed9 eyes sparkled b5e736b9fb like glass 3483adf8da marbles catching d484241999 light from e346ff7651 every direction.a7350fa8612383f8
Mountain Ash Manor 5ed7963aa2 stood atop a 101a819b73 hill, overlooking the a3cb474261 village below. Beyond the 65a1eafd50 tallest fence 3ed0e90063 in the be795e629a village, the 1749a6d7dd garden was 17c9e2d32d both pastoral 2262d0a045 and mysteriously 2ed6299b0a otherworldly. It was 17a1e9780e obvious the 1bd282d52a garden had e8a89c155c been cultivated 62e074459e by someone 824dab79ce with a 733344e4f5 deep appreciation 62206a120f for the 963163cf69 arts.21adb5f39b2ef499
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“Do you mean it? I can visit the 73a198266c garden whenever I want? Are you serious?”f33b281ac42adb32
It felt too good e1e9330778 to be true! Forgetting her earlier dbf7add3d4 caution, Sasha leaned 5ac662ef3f forward until her 3b058bbc92 face was just 2f38152f04 beneath his chin. Robert hesitated, b52c67c784 then added bd13914467 a condition.e9b9cd5af054789e
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“As long 49e48af9d6 as it’s 145dc26377 not too e0c21a8c29 late in c181a5fd83 the day.”a27d52f3c69e6561
By then, the space 9d912e92fc between them had grown 346bd10c5a too small. Realizing this, 4725fbb7a4 Robert quickly c2003d38f8 stepped back.6f6c2f0c3a02e45d
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Mr. Robert was like a87d5e026d a wary cat. It felt wrong to 34ad598b3d compare such a large 8aa9817a23 man to a cute 415e860d74 animal, but the thought 741cebb7b5 stuck.2d1cb185d920fff4
Sasha had a habit 1fd1fe2d18 of associating everything with a09eb28f32 color. To her, Robert 1803d885e5 resembled a sleek 8f39062c19 Manoli cat named 848b16c3d3 Leto—the kind that 22dd5ceac4 leapt easily from cad1401fec wall to wall. Graceful. Slate-colored fur nearly black. Eyes like a 387e7d6247 peacock’s feather, where 0ef1752fef green and blue 42d2264cd4 blended just right.7c3128d5cfdb2f35
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“Then, what 18168a490f can I 4a1b653164 do for 179e39a9af you in 54508848fc return?”14b8d804b929faa7
“You think I eeca129b84 need compensation for 29e65b759e letting you look 491c12727a at the garden?”9365319d5b1576c6
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It wasn’t like a34c6a282a it was anything c17d30b093 grand—just a garden. He seemed to wonder 08d8ec28df why she’d take it bb1bd75524 so seriously. But Sasha shook her a0b2b56f1d head firmly. This wasn’tjusta garden. It was one da8a6d74e9 that had likely 7467cb8b5c cost an extravagant 9d67964087 amount to build. Of course, it probably c3d6cb9192 wasn’t Robert’s own money 5fc79551bd that paid for it.74f115329537dee5
“My grandmother says that 68060e1fa1 if you receive something, d50220b7f1 you should always pay 1c9ce11ca5 it back.”7d126caedc828fed
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“Is that so.”590ed460d61bc535
Robert crossed his arms 9b5649f3fe and leaned against the 3941533f96 gate. It made 5c363b4336 it a 1074f13e03 little easier f6ba9600bb to look 4eb6335872 at Sasha.What on ecfba0391e earth could 009edd094d I possibly c7e971273f want from 23c3030c9b a kid dc337e7743 like this?His brow furrowed slightly 6adf62f070 in thought. Truthfully, he didn’t want ca61e3020c anything from her.fa61b42d316cd080
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“Then… how about charging 8860f84f3b me admission?”7ac6ca196e7ccd6f
“Admission!”2f73e63fc880940e
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A cynical laugh slipped 04f5208783 out. The idea of charging 9652d485c8 a country girl for 37d950ab58 entry into a garden 192a0b628d was absurd.ac465809ef1b6865
“I don’t need d0dab6a9f5 money. But if e63791dffc it makes be99b5e8b7 you feel 9b740f6914 better, you abf278fe8d could draw 5342b98dc2 me a a1dba2ed1a picture to 91bb7fc9b7 hang on d3146fa1f2 the wall.”35a64b2fb7927316
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He said it 62da55903f suddenly—and immediately looked edd225d958 like he regretted 5f3e7431af it. But pretending 42d556a504 not to d73e827512 hear was 7d121820e9 impossible when 6d5562f0ea they were fd03963349 the only f4090be5f5 two in 64662f1eeb the garden. Sasha, unable to 83679c0f9b hold back her a595419aa2 curiosity, asked quickly.99da3982090a5fe4
“How did 56a9ac2c35 you know b2d45cc383 I draw?”0b942dac9ffe8642
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“There’s a bunch of e29deaf72c paints in the house 409f9cfb8e that I don’t use. I was going to 608c90fc71 toss them or take 792b52befe them to the general 420a0a38d1 store. That’s when the e4aa79bc63 shopkeeper told me—there’s 39a8dfc5df only one kid 143405ca49 in this village e9bed38c46 who paints. You.”06357c65cfa3457f
He offered the 3d27566392 information like bait, 9977fea8cd and Sasha bit 2c3686c414 hard. Her eyes grew 989bfef5e2 round.2487e3a2995fee3d
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“You were going 615dd5dda6 to throw the 5105509d64 paints away?”3ee4d9655d3116df
9ab6d69873691526
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＊＊＊b81ce0d9931abfc8
a70d66f8ac911b79
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Mr. Robert told her to 92d9cbfcf5 come by the next 8966c8d442 morning to pick up f408212346 the unused art supplies 338e11ce25 he’d set aside. Sasha couldn’t believe this 9685e3a411 stroke of luck had 0ea56f2bff really come to her. Afraid she’d 67bbe645bb wake up 540e1aa1bc from a 09272506ff dream if 1ebd205c82 she closed f902a5042e her eyes, ef32fee158 she lay 7316d56989 wide awake 983cb3acf5 all night, 058b44f785 staring at bf234f23c6 the ceiling. And as soon 2ed4b74b04 as breakfast was d2bebf5524 over, she bolted c0e55a0ba1 out the door fdb4b88742 like a shot.912b632f5f87ffc6
Sasha parked 78cb9390fd her bicycle 6a376faf96 beneath the 02fdc3e7c1 mountain ash b4a84a95e0 tree in 4f5dcdf374 front of 92b5c6dcc7 the manor. She pulled down the 5ee99698f1 basket she had hooked 10a96f17cd over the handlebars. It was filled with 6c55970eb4 apples, a gift from e6b5e57ee9 Grandma Rollo to thank 22f7de84ca Mr. Robert for giving Sasha 6de2a6f308 unused art supplies. The apples were bright f4346aad2b red, perfectly ripe, and 385ead8a60 gave off a sweet, 85a340ab95 fragrant scent.5a31fd812429fd48
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Such lovely weather today.141bc476fa64e72d
Humming a tune, 3a15c20010 Sasha set the 616257ddef basket down and ada60c7631 rang the bell be9a084686 at Mountain Ash 45dc9a9e29 Manor. After a 5beef3a88d short wait, 63947e02ca Robert answered 87d1d63634 the door, 8836e44774 just like 8bd94e1028 yesterday. Today, he was d2b4141a2d wearing a butter-colored cc0b369a02 shirt and a 6126083509 brown vest. The addition of glasses e35e58a2c8 gave him a noticeably b528380088 more intellectual look.38244c7f10344e33
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“Good morning!”e183089c7b290f28
Sasha greeted him e97058eaee cheerfully, the way 3955dc45bf she always did f98a4ae46f with her grandmothers. Robert ran 71f96ff3e2 a large bc788b052a hand down ba8e2998b6 his face, 6f61241735 looking a 52a12c4211 little awkward, 90b0c17119 and gave 20f140f2bf a small 86df53c935 twitch of 2b3ceafcf3 his cheek. Then, he f7b9500ba4 pointed at fcc4cd92f0 the large 8c60db3b1c basket Sasha 1387e27d31 was holding.14f5019efacceda0
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“Is that for me?”9c2e1b31671d5d4b
“Grandma wanted me to 950af0a3b7 give this to you,” 959165aa44 Sasha said brightly, cheeks a8161d9e7d as rosy as the 4b5d34884d apples. “She wanted to f07b8929d8 thank you for eeadf169f9 the art supplies aa4ddbb199 you gave me.”a1a4ee44387cc11f
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Robert took e2271ccc8a the basket ee95cb6e49 with one 099da023cf hand and 08923845ea placed it b33d4e7d6a on the e604d2c452 table next 70f91bd903 to the 5ea85f9642 front door, 03cec4d121 where visiting 46e95aa10e cards were cc0df54d8b usually left.ab32bde3ea6ef314
“Do you d1cb1363f0 like apples? You could make 3108b8ae18 juice or jam 417253b819 with them. If you turn 19dda34d53 them into jam, 96877f684b you could make c44ad44ca0 pie or even c08dc9ae85 bake a cake.”ebf51985445de313
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Sasha stood beside him, 243a5a4774 enthusiastically listing off ways d24e8c48a0 to use the apples. The image of 4afcf9848b Robert once buying 37c436d5c6 a whole crate 13d43eb173 of fruit and 267f7a1a39 letting it go 7637d0f7e5 to waste had c977b0cdb5 come to mind.96de56f7eec99ff3
“All right. Come in.”63eaf0bd0595c62c
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He stepped aside and opened the door wider. Sasha followed close behind. The exterior of the manor hadn’t changed much since she’d visited as a child. But the interior—likely renovated during the garden remodeling—looked far more elegant and refined now.6182fc91aef07704
As they walked, 2261b18f2f Sasha kept getting 0231f78da2 distracted by things bd3887a335 like the stained-glass 9e2379569c lamps and framed 55ad1b7177 pictures along the dcc56c0fdb corridor. Robert often ended 66b88c95fb up far ahead 02f391053a of her, only 1bd1a08116 tapping the wall eb408b40bc with the back 64a9335d61 of his hand 255fd00cdc to make a 550e5f2424 noise when she cc61bea238 lagged too much.2ac1a00b2bce4550
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As she 9e96edd1ef passed through 3c0363152b a hallway ef6703cf1f lit by 7ab8cff4c3 a single c674485e3c bulb, Sasha 698ab4eb01 noticed an 8759a208a4 open door. The room looked feaa1909b3 like where Robert 6c4858b731 had been working c85905ca09 before answering the bd039c6a0a bell—papers were still 23ceaedcf1 scattered across the 9990e1411b desk. She wanted 9478d34be4 to peek 8950829fba inside more, ba274d7508 but Robert bc79f72361 strode past 17a2371f62 without pause.5d157ed673f7b859
It was far 585b88e714 too big and 54d16fdb5e well-equipped a room 945c3f2f18 to be called 611f442e2c an unused atelier. Bertrand’s general store couldn’t 4029d6e4d3 even begin to compare.542b3169bd54fb73
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“Which ones f36a9d7a2d should I a5b4566e7e take with c5db62f8af me?” Sasha f391b37620 asked carefully.d4f4749e8325b621
She secretly hoped the basket of paints on the vine-patterned rug was for her. They looked practically new… so maybe not…7adaf277ea9a10da
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“All of it.”0123563bd5a140f0
His reply came a ede712d778 beat too late and 9a8d8b43aa completely overturned her expectations. Sasha blinked 08bc28b2cc and stared b903e9c478 at him 2b9d188c90 blankly. Robert, clearly trying to f3b0775b1a be patient, repeated himself.d6a52221321e3077
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“They’re all 37309e22ef things I 7c2c509bea don’t use dc331bebfd anymore. Sasha, take 89185578db whatever you e1068cfc97 want from 7807ebc8a9 this room. As much as 15f1c632db you like.”50337910351497bd
He handed her an 40b28ddaa7 empty basket, as if 204e4eb3eb it had been waiting 0680b9c73f just for her. Sasha quickly took it dca20c90ec before he could change 4df21bb9f0 his mind. She eagerly 6fb3d001e0 began picking bdf11dc7da out paints 8145b5e090 and brushes 1e46235ff4 while Robert c1178b3d3f watched, amused.3b55d001fb1228d7
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“Why haven’t 6191ea48cb you gone 1bb17edd37 to Laurent?” ff67832c74 he asked. “With your d746e741a7 skill, you 532404f088 could find 2ae71f7b0e a decent 863138353a patron.”af8810f6a77eaa95
He didn’t ask 677501a5d9 where he’d seen 9ba89d19a8 her work—it wasn’t 379f221d77 necessary. Sasha’s paintings 833d274a44 were scattered cd091b6aba all over 4efd312f7a Manoli.e8c3fab4c4f9e739
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She had 628d3b620d a habit c097776584 of giving 815a75bd54 her completed 35c6b0e16d landscapes to e283550922 the villagers. In return, they gave e4a03d28fe her baskets of bread f96938131c or fresh fruit. The idea of 0a6b1a4311 selling her art bec9cc0396 had never really 8675b99b5f crossed her mind.e3ffcb23f96ac7c1
“I don’t paint 1bac4290b5 to make money.”22373d94b5d249a5
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“Then why paint at 5547aac5a1 all?”3d83b4c4a814ce38
Robert frowned f6563fb8d1 as if a1e5c959dc the thought 795b971881 didn’t make b4d072c3ba sense. The glasses on dc88274f09 the bridge of 2e830601e9 his nose tilted 3e072d972d slightly as a 7727038070 crease formed between cdbc9c3997 his brows. Sasha burst out fe65fc1838 laughing. Her cheerful, 3ddab4b7d4 lark-like laughter bfac4b376c seemed to a04835344b brighten the f2df7640f2 early afternoon c8a856b52b sunlight.e3e52de393305b29
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“Just because. I paint 0c30504a05 because I 812e670b2d want to. Do I 4de969827c really need 8bcfb0342f a reason?”89930572f30cbcad
Robert sighed and c9922804d9 took off his ae56069198 glasses, rubbing his db08fbcf6c eyes. Light filtered through the 7d4c942307 clear lenses and danced b1f888c324 across the wooden floor. Sasha tucked the f4e13eedf8 last paint tube 8bae10f36e into the depths 9bf99ae660 of her skirt efd0a1cc40 pocket—one the same de0a694fbc dazzling peacock blue acd5bd958a as Robert’s eyes dec8db6a2c behind those lenses.693ce5a0310a7cee
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