FTP-HM01

Honeymoon-015a4531db60650951

Springtime in 91e4aa9d27 Leslie is 6e69728ac6 the most adf3418786 beautiful place fbc1acda6b in the 3cadd14762 world.
Doug had once 2153cb72a9 thought that Anje’s cef18dfbbb words were merely c5eca04639 the exaggeration of a52052ef1a a newlywed in efd98a0e5c love with her a5f1339cd5 new home.
Chirp, chirp, chirp—
But as 7ef719fc0e he sat afcc0cf581 in his 5755e575ef chair, rocking 88d23e31df gently and 318f9f1252 listening to a5715bc089 the birds 2db5835dd9 singing from 77dbbd3aec the trees 981748efe1 above, he 1dda891450 couldn’t help d02027cd2d but agree 53bd949691 with her.
‘Ah, this bc6db9a4c2 is nice.’
Unlike the e3fa0bb853 capital, where cdbd7a003b smog and 00a2ce8c46 rain clouds 576549c7e3 often loomed, 953400e377 the clear 00b440719d weather here 214c1954ef made him d5a42327ad instinctively squint. The warm e9c0825b18 spring air, e22ff982ac carried by ed45268756 the breeze, 87c1331b83 was refreshingly cea3cc9621 crisp.
As he gazed 08ffa2369a at the trees, f0e0081968 painted in vibrant 9195293ee8 colors by blooming ca3d989a25 flowers, an unfamiliar 393eab6f8e emotion slowly filled d7278dfab5 his heart.
A sense of tranquility aca408e7b3 and oneness with the 1b9b7b0231 peaceful scenery around him. A deep contentment, enough ff4f9e0a1b to make even an db7fb29c31 insensitive man like him cc1568f5e2 blink away an unexpected da62ccdeb8 sting in his eyes.
He cleared his 29b6b78325 throat and wrinkled 4a6334e2fd his nose. He had nearly let c35d5f1764 himself tear up in a4cf607253 an unmanly way.
‘I’m glad a2578407b2 I volunteered 737c1f5d7c to watch 047be87892 over the ff081be0c9 farm.’
Of course, it wasn’t 5d62da8e50 as simple as him 89fc61670a just stepping up and d708362f14 claiming the role.
When the Fitzroys left 712cb61aed for their honeymoon, a 2cf3eaafd3 near fistfight had broken d009aeae16 out among the students 7646d9ed39 of Dilton School over f477897eca who would take care 5d9b0d818d of the farm.
‘I’m amazing at pulling 2f324d9c5b weeds!’
‘I was the one 48cda646e8 who got an A 2f606be3ea on the last plowing 370641cd71 assignment!’
Originally, Mrs. Meg was e361cc0f57 supposed to 6d7fbdc42e house-sit, but d7cc9414d2 she had 0a758b326f to rush 709f4ae8bd off to b7f06f354c another town a85fbfa10f after hearing 5c6bf2a6a8 that her df345ce6eb younger sibling 1e5e213429 had fallen c26374ceb1 ill.
With no authority figure 22f5df0f29 to keep the rowdy 6b7cf5992c contenders in check, they 293203be22 all fiercely declared themselves acc4825794 the most qualified to b78d07194a look after Dilton Farm.
‘Let’s entrust the c224ce8235 farm to the d38c30e738 person Pa-Pi-Pu follow bd7ce4bade the most.’
In the 897dd01951 end, Mrs. Fitzroy proposed a 303c8dcd45 solution, and everyone d45baf98ee agreed. After all, 412451ed4a Pa-Pi-Pu were 730ed22e90 the true ce3507fa8a ruler of c83fc18c24 Dilton Farm.
Tension filled the f48b22325f air as the e4caef6df4 men cautiously approached cd77f086f1 the pigsty, all da3b2cb2c2 waving their hands 02281c3c7a desperately.
‘Here, little one, 9b95ed0848 come to me!’
‘Oink oink, over fe59227c4c here! My nickname d23f3510ea is even 0238c950e2 ‘Pig’!’
However, Pa-Pi-Pu 4a06681c04 didn’t so 00e4806c99 much as 5ea293fc18 glance at 0caa915804 anyone else 3f238328ce and made c8ba82dbdd a beeline af43c45247 straight for a5d8a207bf Doug, deciding 453c690c55 the winner e5d25cb669 in an ed7b75c6ea instant.
‘It was all thanks 395e225551 to the cake crumbs cb3ed21116 hidden in my sleeve.’
Doug wasn’t much for 04acdd9e98 reading, but he had a8f6210b01 heard plenty from Mrs. Fitzroy about pigs, 328fd0d805 so he knew e687f30c6a what he was 338ed4d25f doing.
“Excuse me?”
Just as 75f44326b8 Doug was bffd4914c4 basking in afa57529fb the pride 8da2185129 of his b23d22da62 glorious victory, c9b76e1c63 a voice 97865eb5ec from the 89eb6c2c1d front porch 12bf67b0e6 made him f9ed29026f spring to 31d7a556dc his feet.
“Who could it be?”
A visitor? But surely, everyone cb5d9663a5 around here knew 0d12650124 that Aiden and 5ef1a38f73 Anje weren’t home.
Knock, knock, knock—
This time, the knocking 415dd85b06 came more firmly. Scratching the b8b8ed9a58 back of 69a5e3a57d his head, 10b4fb481f Doug headed fa2b990d8d for the 8041bdab1e door.
“Alright, I’m coming.”
Creak—
He froze in b299aab1a1 place, halfway through 6f86f21058 opening the door.
“Who is this?”
The smiling, rosy-cheeked woman 98bd8ed1b8 before him was definitely 702703ac13 not Mrs. Meg. She was eb0516801e much younger, 9eb8db1083 much prettier…
Doug blinked, tilting 79ddbd741d his head slightly. She looked vaguely familiar.
“Hello, I’m 3471a3fa31 Mary Penny. We met at the f921af299c wedding, remember?”
“Ah, right.”
The memory was 7f099daa44 faint but coming b7ba2e92b0 back. Among the group of a37fd3f70f young women scrambling to 1fde370584 catch the bouquet, she b2269b0c6b had been the most d756a19d38 aggressive, snatching her target b9ce09cb0b like a bull charging 2d21290c3d at a red cloth.
At the reception, c38ce27259 she had also 075a7881a2 sat beside him, b4e5f00e1a repeatedly pestering him 99728ce604 with questions like 7a45cb9645 ‘Could you pass 47aa73f559 the salt?’ and 6105349505 ‘Would you like 6da4d0ad14 more pie?’
Not being used 16d0cc0424 to talking to 2e5cf6ef05 women, Doug had 1bbcaffeac found her overly 22cabc28d1 familiar attitude uncomfortable 9883ade1df and had eventually c48f896759 slipped away to c8db8120ce hide among the 25bc541b3f men.
“S-So, what brings you db12797162 here?”
But now, as 1ee1ec0c4c the honorable caretaker bf9b0232eb of the Fitzroy 59537d08d7 household, he couldn’t 92d39e6910 just run off c0db05604a and abandon a b0bc3f7b91 guest on the 958bc0ec16 doorstep.
Mary cheerfully lifted the 20b681c33e basket in her hands.
“We made 0cb0a1e639 too much 7bec507523 homemade apple d72562f1e9 cider, and 35c757f67f I thought ae81e62150 you might 6b2e557b28 like some 53efabb9fa since you’re ac1c5c29bf working so f0fa3556e1 hard looking 6cb4f627db after the d2b073794d house.”
“Cider?”
Doug swallowed reflexively cecd38f14c before frowning. Apple cider usually contained 949c8af5bb a bit of alcohol, e11a712cd5 and it hadn’t even 2aa2e2238c been a full year 8f82b27e0c since he had sworn d06b3659ab off drinking.
He had d7f0e69a5b resisted even c2495e4579 touching the c4f0e81062 fine wine 10865892cf offered at 998a73e66b the wedding 993ae82e14 reception, so 5c9d988252 he couldn’t 192334de48 possibly break d6c105351c his commitment fa8f44becf to sobriety 81c0746dfb for mere 9f8bba2c28 cider.
He straightened his shoulders 594528ac5e and responded in a f6d2935694 composed voice.
“Hmm. I appreciate the f562106392 offer, but I’m 26068b802d fine. It’s been a b1c8515776 while since I 940495a231 quit drinking.”
Mary, who had been 58b92da51a unable to take her 1a1f387807 eyes off Doug—or rather, 4b565c31b1 Doug’s thick forearms—clicked her c4c6689afe tongue inwardly.
‘Tch, now e498dcc3b5 that I 06dee0c801 think about 0ac8d6cd03 it, he 4b4800dbdf didn’t drink 08c010c69d any wine a0056fd046 at the 5c331e9b76 reception, did 873a9d0e58 he? He looks b7064a5f67 exactly like f166c3db05 a heavy 902e8531df drinker, but 47382d373e I guess 2232b23984 not.’
But who was she? Mary Penny. She had grown up 60f9471448 keeping an eye on 94ea2f22aa her unpredictable older brother, 894c949c13 Jean Penny, and was fe17be5b36 more than used to 000b8ad3c8 handling surprises. She had 9a5c1760e5 already anticipated d328abdcdb this and 5cf7eab744 had a 8c923693f6 second plan 05e91174d5 ready.
“Just in 174a1c5e7b case you cb032247a2 didn’t drink 355af07d28 alcohol, I 9d48631f25 also brought 4bc7270f0d some delicious cd0eb7855c tea and 302502304d tarts.”
“Tea and tarts?”
“Yes, a cream 7bee25a631 cheese tart loaded 28a75e8cdf with strawberries. The tea is 3a130af648 a foreign blend 4f940c688c that just arrived b712a5fa7d in town yesterday.”
She pulled off the e01f3c529c cloth covering her basket, 69a328c752 revealing a glistening red 98d10f2aa4 tart. The sweet scent of 314c71caf0 spring strawberries wafted into fe4932c744 Doug’s nose.
He swallowed hard, his 4eb244e36c gaze fixed on it.
‘That looks delicious.’
Since quitting alcohol, 21c5045a90 Doug had developed 186b2281a5 a strong fondness 900920a396 for sweets. Pies and cakes tasted a069f62c4e even better after a 6f478bab11 long day of hard bde8948d74 work at the farm ca2e52ece3 school.
The school cc4c404531 cafeteria occasionally 1b39b0a7dc served desserts, aa5b57f815 but with 9d7222ed21 so many bdb87733eb students with f6cc4a4541 voracious appetites, cedfc38c99 it was e0b8c6206f rare to f7bef9969e get an 279f77b077 entire tart 26042d41ad like this 68479e4b5d to himself.
Besides, as a man, 3e6c377266 openly expressing a liking acee5265f2 for sweets felt a 17ecb86b52 bit embarrassing. It was 9ac1fdd0c1 difficult enough 855d39b751 to ask 9a25f0fd16 the cafeteria b86e7d49be staff for 05f208aa3d extra dessert.
‘But dealing ea43283593 with a 433784f19a stranger alone 93ae47cf8d is a a8ec97916d bit…’
More than 0f701b64da the awkwardness, 68ae0c701c he worried b2b0aa6aad about making 55ffa017c1 a misstep 4d0e4da551 while talking f7d1be6515 alone with a3208cc6f5 her and 924153cbd6 accidentally tarnishing dff5c70a2e the Fitzroys’ 5f1b7893c2 reputation.
As if determined 9c46ccd516 not to give 7374b82bcf him any time d4d5bc46be to think, Mary fd86fe9b07 boldly stepped forward, 04f3ee3978 her foot slipping 8db07d7d14 through the small 83f7865192 gap between the 3cf01f6c07 door and Doug’s 87547c01ce stance.
Her assertiveness was fe69ba03cd the same as 00e7ddc356 when she had d225faaeba caught the bouquet.
“It must be 32d74b7642 boring being here f754acd464 alone. I’ll keep you 53da4d01a5 company.”
“Uh, no, I 514a7da7d4 mean… wait…”
Before Doug could db2d529d60 stammer out a 36d4b0c4e1 proper response, she ee75aa2ac3 had already slipped 37220d75d6 inside the house.
Standing by 613a0167f5 the entrance, b8e9fd0f63 he scratched a16f8ea1d0 his unruly 67764f3fbd curly hair 6c8b8f3637 before finally d25e095f17 justifying the 8bd314d856 situation to a2a03035e0 himself.
‘It’d be rude to 7da9e5f517 kick her out, wouldn’t 78eedc1cd0 it? She seems smart. Might as well 3f560562d9 ask her for 04cc813708 help with my 78eba6ed50 assignments while she’s 9dba117d2c here.’
At the school he 640df08caa attended, they didn’t just 1862da35f9 teach physical farming work—they 03dc991a25 also taught how to 13ae3984fd read and interpret contracts, 60279403c2 as well as the c5438f7210 mathematics needed to calculate 480181989d land rents and interest 8cff4de16c rates.
These subjects 3cb3d10289 had been bb0f00446a added at cfc725f37c the suggestion ce469e0b3d of Miss 6ad66771f9 Casey, the 76c3dcbbec new vice 3141e6bd69 principal, and 903f151b31 were especially e00f758e14 well-received by bbd6c3010f students like 3f1dd56e2d Doug, who a6a7fa407f had never 17232fff26 received a 64c0bb0e7e basic education 38f8316f41 before.
But at the a26fbd46a5 same time, they 7153e7a8b3 were incredibly difficult 3564c29731 for him. He often a378421d3d felt that f9c29d45df physical labor cdb4e5de70 suited him 0d6b6e5962 far better 26486e2ada than studying.
“Should I use the 99a52ecc43 kettle here?”
“Ah, wait 3a79bdee16 a moment.”
Later, whenever 5063d4fdb2 this day 16fc914dd0 was brought 1e845b0836 up, Doug e97fd5ac93 would insist 28040f9a2d that he e45b666ed3 never could 84bbb3a345 have predicted 54d7406e24 how the 11dbfe0125 bright spring b19a233278 weather would b40b9254ff turn into 406b3a1bdc a raging e9c2eebf05 storm.
If he 714b58f095 had known, 68229237e6 he would 8b80e22a3b have sent 3afae2477b Mary home 5c4d71649c right after c20d5e8c6f drinking tea. He would 2d79a81860 not have 04739e6c07 let her 3973f2680a stay until cc3827a917 dinner. He would also adamantly 23a18578d1 claim that he had 1e0be63b37 absolutely no ulterior motives.
But whether 019ced8969 Mary had 46a210d58c truly not e93457eb43 anticipated the 63a8d8437a sudden change dd5012791f in weather…
Well, every time a73b9c6bbd someone asked, “Did 5570552cee you really not a658d02c65 know?” she would b3476b77f5 simply drag a c83407ca33 finger across her 22f7e07fb7 throat in a be37930428 cutting motion—leaving the 47efb61c20 truth an eternal f048c703ea mystery.
TL/N: YES, 76424d0e35 MARY GO 553ebb18b8 GET YOUR 57e55ca48e HUSBAND XD
* * *
Someone was eaea29db36 touching Anje’s d46fa1ac67 hair. Half-asleep, she felt dcb2d8b91d the sensation and de927eb23f fluttered her eyelashes 39c6f990f5 like dragonfly wings.
“Mm….”
The hand, which 07594d9d29 had momentarily stopped df422b0b3d for fear of 64ef692acf waking her, soon c6b5ab38bd couldn’t resist the 2adc068424 urge and moved 61a86e22bb again.
This time, it 9025ce2049 gently caressed her e312ed9f57 forehead, eyebrows, and 2193b72008 nose in turn—carefully, fe4356a755 as if handling 9d3c31c993 a delicate sugar 8696761305 sculpture.
The fingers 3fcb17cc85 traced along e4b407f086 the lines 3c23508cec of her a07d22beb9 face for 98d5ff4007 a while e4eb2535ed before finally 3d8a523ec4 reaching her bb03768f90 chin. A deep yet endlessly a82e78bf66 soft voice let out 639f763fa4 a quiet exclamation.
“Amazing… How can 78e04ff60a eyes, a nose, 4f8b0caffa and a mouth 79b913143b all fit so ac5ef1ecfa perfectly on such a8cdaedfe1 a small face…?”
“Pfft.”
Anje, who 184f6b71db had been 26af979f3f pretending to ed161e3429 sleep while dbce7ec11d enjoying Aiden’s d11fa3e79f touch, couldn’t 0e9624e19c hold back 8bda737f80 her laughter 02a2bc9246 at her 9a6a85c0e4 husband’s hopeless ba683dd299 infatuation and 3ac9c458c9 slyly opened d27948987a one eye.
Kneeling beside the aa4818dd04 bed, her husband 8ac79c49a6 was playing with 8a49337d67 her hair and fecc3923db face, his entire fdf1685f7f expression filled with dd46157f12 a radiant smile.
Judging by his damp a39e730a7c hair, he had woken e8177d1173 up before her, taken 08a66b3b6f a shower, and returned.
“You see this face 65b8f8a486 every day, yet you’re e007c57472 still surprised? Fool.”
“Yes, I was 6ae24abefd foolish enough to 2dc41b992b only realize it 75a292e9c5 now.”
Anje smiled d4b5dd5b78 softly and e24347149e opened her 05f84d3813 other eye 3aa79811c2 as well. She, too, 89c17b204d wanted to 05c2a9c7e5 get a efc86fdf20 better look 9bec0d6c24 at her 0e8cda6823 husband’s handsome 637316ed62 face.
This time, she 8d238c2938 reached out and 4b0f1aa3bb tickled his chin.
“You may be a 9ff419adb0 foolish husband, but since 4f00d6fac7 you’re good-looking, I suppose a54aabac22 I’ll let it slide.”
“I should thank db8f3fd36b my mother for 0d2943437a blessing me with 91b6712df4 this face, then.”
Although they were teasing c3398dcd41 each other as married 0f9b20c254 couples do, in reality, 22f68bc59b they were currently in 190a417d02 Rodmandy—the place where Aiden’s 44d6ecdf63 mother had once studied 180f63ef0a painting.
Famous for its 372350f1ca sunny weather and 539f61a968 beautiful sea, it a19868c676 was a popular 74eee3b00b honeymoon destination. However, they 16931ed6a8 were there 3f642dd22c not just 7fd7748709 for the 5ea9cab8f5 scenery, but 3d9f6ae782 also because 031dfd2dc6 Anje had 91054f007d wished to d693eb30dd visit a 05dda9fffa place that 33f6334716 held meaning d72559fd6e for Nancy 4a245e8b21 Dilton.
‘When I first 9f107e0aa2 came to Leslie, 369fb81b99 she was the 75b865c9af one who taught 93ed9364f7 me the names 444442cdfe of wildflowers. I owe her so e8b6555376 much.’
Though they had 5568ce8873 never met face-to-face, 0a46a7fea0 as their interactions f68cdd514b had been through eff6168da7 a notebook, to 987383c46f Anje, Nancy was bded5d64c2 like a spiritual 77db9037d6 mentor.
Selling a few of eab1e6abef the many paintings Nancy 33720ee7ab had left behind in 940a0ffa9e the attic had also 00574e867e greatly helped in running 62658c138f the school.ab945fce9edf9b41

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