"Midsummer was fun, wasn't it?" Anne glared at Tamora who smiled mischieviously. "I know I had a good time." Tamora casually packed away the leftover pork into a basket, keeping one eye on Anne's reddening face.
"It was just some dancing." Anne rolled her eyes, but eventually let a little grin cross her face. "But Alistair is a good dancer." Tamora and Medea leaned in closer to hear more, though Medea spent most of the time scoffing at Anne's romantic thoughts.
"It was just some dancing." Anne rolled her eyes, but eventually let a little grin cross her face. "But Alistair is a good dancer." Tamora and Medea leaned in closer to hear more, though Medea spent most of the time scoffing at Anne's romantic thoughts.
"What about Morrys?" she eventually asked. "You danced with him as well, remember?"
Anne sighed. He had lovely arms. "Oh, we did," she said dreamily. "And then, later-" She paused and the two girls leaned in closer. "We kissed."
"You didn't!" Medea gasped.
"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud, Medea. What was it like?" Tamora brushed off Medea's shock. "Was it firm, or soft. I feel like Morrys takes charge."
Anne sighed. He had lovely arms. "Oh, we did," she said dreamily. "And then, later-" She paused and the two girls leaned in closer. "We kissed."
"You didn't!" Medea gasped.
"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud, Medea. What was it like?" Tamora brushed off Medea's shock. "Was it firm, or soft. I feel like Morrys takes charge."
Anne blushed. "Oh, he's very in charge. He took me away for some water, then by the well, he held me..." Goosebumps made their way up her arms at the thought. Medea pouted and Anne knew she would continue if they kept talking. "So, what's it like being married?" Anne asked. Tamora sighed, shaking her head.
"Oh, it's all family honour, and cooking, and babies," Tamora rolled her eyes. "I am excited for the babies part though," she smiled.
Anne's mouth dropped open, "Really? When do you think...?"
"Oh, it's all family honour, and cooking, and babies," Tamora rolled her eyes. "I am excited for the babies part though," she smiled.
Anne's mouth dropped open, "Really? When do you think...?"
"I'm not sure yet, but I'm hoping for a girl, even though I know Edward will want a boy." Anne nodded at the girl comment. Sometimes she imagined dressing up a very small Anne-lookalike one day. But a little boy would be nice as well. "I was just at the Foxe household yesterday, actually," Tamora smiled at Anne, who blushed. "I was helping your mother with the pastes and the new sheets. Did you know Alys is pregnant?"
"No, really?" Medea clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, a baby!"
Anne bounced around the cooking fire, turning cartwheels that Dane had taught her. "Oh, this is exciting. Ma's wanted to train me in midwifery!"
"No, really?" Medea clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, a baby!"
Anne bounced around the cooking fire, turning cartwheels that Dane had taught her. "Oh, this is exciting. Ma's wanted to train me in midwifery!"
"She's never said anything about that to me," Medea groused.
Anne stopped her tumbles and put her hands on her hips. "Well, you don't like babies."
"Since when do you do?"
"Since she and Morrys had secret kisses." Anne threw some grasses at Tamora."Anyways," Tamora continued, "Maud starting chatting with me, and she gave me some great tips on child bearing. Apparently there's a herb you can eat that will you more likely to have two! She would have said more, but Alys kept running to the privy. She couldn't keep anything but broth down."
Anne stopped her tumbles and put her hands on her hips. "Well, you don't like babies."
"Since when do you do?"
"Since she and Morrys had secret kisses." Anne threw some grasses at Tamora."Anyways," Tamora continued, "Maud starting chatting with me, and she gave me some great tips on child bearing. Apparently there's a herb you can eat that will you more likely to have two! She would have said more, but Alys kept running to the privy. She couldn't keep anything but broth down."
Anne and Medea winced at the image. "I had forgotten about morning sickness," frowned Anne. "Is she bigger, she must need to let out her dresses?"
"She was hoping to, but Maud couldn't find her sewing kit. She said she searched all over, but Beatrix used it for the new sheets last."
Anne nodded. "I saw her just the other day with it. I think she was using the wrong material for sheets though. It was coloured. Our sheets are white." Anne sank into thought.
"She was hoping to, but Maud couldn't find her sewing kit. She said she searched all over, but Beatrix used it for the new sheets last."
Anne nodded. "I saw her just the other day with it. I think she was using the wrong material for sheets though. It was coloured. Our sheets are white." Anne sank into thought.
Medea nodded. "Yes, but Beatrix is always doing things wrong. Did you choke down any of that roast yesterday?" Tamora grimaced, but Anne shook off their chatters.
"Were you awake the other night? There was a loud clatter in the hall and when I got up, Beatrix was running down the hall. She ran right out the door to the privy..." Tamora and Medea looked at Anne quizzically. "And she;s been wearing different dresses recently, and cooking the oddest things. It's almost as if she likes... Likes different things..."
"Were you awake the other night? There was a loud clatter in the hall and when I got up, Beatrix was running down the hall. She ran right out the door to the privy..." Tamora and Medea looked at Anne quizzically. "And she;s been wearing different dresses recently, and cooking the oddest things. It's almost as if she likes... Likes different things..."
It was Tamora who finally articulated Anne's thoughts. "Beatrix is pregnant!? But who's the father? Does her father know? Oh, he's going to be so mad!"
Anne nodded enthusiastically. "What should we do?" she whispered. Secrets were an interesting thing.
"Not say a word of course." Anne and Medea nodded. "We should go."
Anne nodded enthusiastically. "What should we do?" she whispered. Secrets were an interesting thing.
"Not say a word of course." Anne and Medea nodded. "We should go."
They were almost in sight of Anne and Medea's home when a snapping branch alerted them to another's presence.
"How is she now?" a man's voice asked. The girls ducked behind a tree. "It's good to hear then."
"I'd only hope she stays out of trouble," another man's voice replied. The other man laughed.
"She is a child. Children will always be troublesome. I'm surprised they were allowed along the journey." It was Jeph and Dane speaking. Tamora and Anne looked at each other angrily. Tamora had to put a hand on Anne to keep her from jumping up.
"How is she now?" a man's voice asked. The girls ducked behind a tree. "It's good to hear then."
"I'd only hope she stays out of trouble," another man's voice replied. The other man laughed.
"She is a child. Children will always be troublesome. I'm surprised they were allowed along the journey." It was Jeph and Dane speaking. Tamora and Anne looked at each other angrily. Tamora had to put a hand on Anne to keep her from jumping up.
"Was he supposed to turn children away?"
"Ah, children are resilient. Wait, there should be a trapline around here." Dane's voice was getting closer. Anne was beginning to get ready to bolt away, but Tamora held her down, remembering passing by a marker for the trap. If Anne ran now, the men would see and they'd all get in trouble.
"Here." There was some scruffling. "You're a different man, aren't you?"
"Ah, children are resilient. Wait, there should be a trapline around here." Dane's voice was getting closer. Anne was beginning to get ready to bolt away, but Tamora held her down, remembering passing by a marker for the trap. If Anne ran now, the men would see and they'd all get in trouble.
"Here." There was some scruffling. "You're a different man, aren't you?"
Dane laughed. "Children aren't usually my concern."
"What comes into your concerns then?"
"I would not be taking advantage of you poor folk, if that's your meaning."
"I only asked of your concerns." Jeph busied himself with the trap. "Nothing more."
Dane chuckled at the man. "My concerns are usually fine women and good food. None of which are here, unfortunately." Jeph shook his head, smiling.
"You are an interesting man, Mister Whyte. I am grateful for your presence though."
"Let's see what dinner holds. I think Miss Bea is cooking pig today. I can smell the roast." Medea clutched the basket closer.
"What comes into your concerns then?"
"I would not be taking advantage of you poor folk, if that's your meaning."
"I only asked of your concerns." Jeph busied himself with the trap. "Nothing more."
Dane chuckled at the man. "My concerns are usually fine women and good food. None of which are here, unfortunately." Jeph shook his head, smiling.
"You are an interesting man, Mister Whyte. I am grateful for your presence though."
"Let's see what dinner holds. I think Miss Bea is cooking pig today. I can smell the roast." Medea clutched the basket closer.
"At least my girl is finally starting to make something of herself. Cooking, cleaning... At least she's not infested with pests." Jeph bragged as they men walked away. Tamora and Anne held Medea down until the men passed by and went into the cluster of houses. Tamora let out the breath she had been holding and Medea loosened the grip on the basket some.
"At least we didn't get caught." Tamora held her hand to her heart, feeling the beat slowly return to normal. "I'm sorry, Medea, I'm sure Jeph wasn't meaning to be cruel. You are a very tidy person."
Despite the other girl's assurances, Medea sulked on the way home. She hated Jeph. He was a stupid man, with stupid, stuck up children.
"At least we didn't get caught." Tamora held her hand to her heart, feeling the beat slowly return to normal. "I'm sorry, Medea, I'm sure Jeph wasn't meaning to be cruel. You are a very tidy person."
Despite the other girl's assurances, Medea sulked on the way home. She hated Jeph. He was a stupid man, with stupid, stuck up children.