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As evening ca for her in the kitchen, she had to finish walking the grounds With Martin gone, she walked in e She checked the nearer shore of the fish pond, skirted the Cider Orchard because she had already checked it after visiting with Colvin, then ca to the kitchen Her stomach was a hive of bees by the time she approached the door to the kitchen What had Colvin told Marciana and Ellowyn about her?

She paused for a moment at the threshold, took a deep breath, and pulled on the handle The er in hereveryone to make Gooseberry Fool

"Whip it harder, like Sowe is Yes, firar makes it sweet There is the cream Like Sowe, faster Where are the spoons? Edmon, the spoons Over there We can share from the bowl"

The opened door revealed both Sowe and Bryn in their aprons and each clutching a bowl Bryn was trying to match the strokes of Sowe, but could not do it without spilling it Two other finely dressed girls were nearby, watching the irls, a s her face She was as tall as Sowe, as slender and graceful as a swan Her golden hair was croith a braided coil and her dress – it was as richly textured as the best in Muirwood, a deep green – like a velvet forest in the spring Instead of a girdle, she wore a vest with thin lacings up the front The sleeves ide and pointed, barely covering her ar for the tris or necklaces, only a pendant with a deep azure stone set into it Her arers delicate She was beautiful and the beauty also shone from her eyes

She approached swiftly and embraced Lia as if they had known each other all their lives Lia was taller, slightly, and felt filthy corounds

"I a Lia’s hands in hers, as if she could care less about the dirt and brush clinging to her hair "Colvin has told nized you without the hunter’s garb Please, you hty desserts I love Gooseberry Fool Did you find the spoons, Edmon?"

"At your service, as always, Ciana Hello, Lia I a about the fruit in this Hundred The Gooseberries are only slightly tart…you can eat them by the handful And the apples! By Idumea, they are delicious! I had never tasted Muirwood apples before co overwhelmed by Marciana’s exuberant welcome, and their eyes met Muirwood apples had been their only food in the Bearden Muir

"They are quite good," he said si with the shared secret But he said nothing further

The other girl hovering near Colvin had reddish-bronze hair and could not have been a starker contrast to Marciana Colvin’s sister had all the confidence of a girl who had been raised in privilege, part of a Faood looks and charirl, Elloas dressed in clothes every bit as fine as Marciana’s, but she looked like a wretched Her eyes were slightly downcast, her manners timid yet not as timid as Sowe’s It was as if she wanted to join the fun in the kitchen, but did not trust herself to leap in She stood in Colvin’s shadow, as if he were a rope that would keep her fro in a sea ofin an Abbey For the last year, she had been close to Colvin Soht

Pasqua’s voice strained with i the spoons, Edar and cream, the berries are even sweeter You can ood" She grabbed a spoon fro, Pasqua!" His face lit up with enjoyment as he tasted it "And so fresh How lucky you all are, to have it so fresh You could sell this at the festival!"

Bryn and Sowe both burst out giggling at that remark, and he turned to the her rined "I remember now You already told me that Colvin, you must try this Fool!"

They were also very different, Lia observed Colvin and Ed with collars fro the same jerkin and padded shirts Edladly and care not whether he ith nobles or wretcheds When Lia observed him, she saw Duerden’s traits of kindness and cogling at some brainless remark But Colvin was different He was reserved, aloof, but alatchful More circuuarded than Edmon