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Grade
6

“Miss Everly, you’re late,” the woman chided as the door opened revealing a flustered girl in a maroon coat flecked with snowflakes. The “Smith’s Bookstore” sign outside swayed wildly as the little bell rang.

“I’m terribly sorry, I just-”

“Keep your excuses to yourself. I don’t pay you to dawdle in front of the doorway. And is that a boy I see waiting out the window?” The girl flushed, fingering a wavy lock of dark brown hair.

“Mr. Blackwood’s the delivery boy, ma’am. He comes here every day. You-”

“Don’t take me for a fool. I knew that. Though I must say he does feel very familiar…”

“You said you had a package to deliver, ma’am.”

“Indeed I do. It is for the White’s. Quite a rich family. I don’t want any soot-faced delivery boy delivering their package. You’re pretty enough. Give it to them yourself. I pray you do not embarrass yourself. May I ask why you’re staring?”

“You called me… pretty?” The girl sheepishly looked away.

“Don’t let it get to your head. Now you go and make sure the boy stops that ugly delivery wagon a distance away from the estate. You wouldn’t want to make the wrong impression.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Satisfied, the woman tossed a package with a lovely red bow to her. 

“And, oh, I forgot, these are for the addresses stated. Be back before noon,” the woman said from behind the counter, tossing more packages scribbled with writing to her.

“Thank you, Mrs. Smith,” the girl replied hastily. Mrs. Smith vanished into the storeroom. A blast of cold air hit the side of the girl’s face as she fumbled with the door. Suddenly, it slammed into her and knocked her into the snow. Groaning, she stared into the sky. “Why are you on the ground, Miss Everly?” a familiar voice asked, peering down at her with sparkling green eyes.

“Oh, I walked here and decided it was the perfect place to take a midday nap, of course. No, idiot, I fell!” 

“Well, you better hurry before Mrs. Smith finds her packages splattered on the snow,” Will laughed as he pulled her to her feet. Then he moved back towards the wagon. The girl pinned his hand to the wagon.

 “I can see your grubby fingers inching towards my packages already. Foolish of me to make friends with a thief. You’re a terrible pickpocket, Will.”

“I don’t think so. At least let me take the ribbon. It’ll sell a pretty penny.”

“Certainly not- where is it, Mr. Blackwood? How dare you-”

“Relax, Everly. It’s in your hair.” Everly sighed. The horse nuzzled her shoulder. She stroked the horse tenderly.

“I reckon you were scared of old black Jack and his mangled left knee,” Will observed, running a hand through his dark hair.

“He’s rather grown on me, I must say,” her gaze turning down to Jack’s ugly, mangled knee that made no one want to buy him. Memories of being unwanted filled her mind.

No one wanted their only child a girl. When Everly’s younger brother came along, her parents were thrilled. But Everly was forever despised by her parents. Then her father lost his ships at sea, and their son in a riding accident. Penniless, her parents tried to marry Everly off. Everly refused. Finally, her father gave her the address of her rich widowed aunt to live with in London.

There was no widowed Aunt Harriet in London at the address her father provided. Someone else lived there. But on the streets were thieves and pickpockets. No one wanted a disobedient daughter. Her father had lied to get rid of her. But then she met Will, a thief with a heart more caring than the rest. The next thing she knew, he was charming Mrs. Smith into giving her a job.

“ We should get going.” Will helped Everly into the wagon.

“Where to?”

“The York district. Ride faster now, we must return at noon,” she said as the wagon rode along. Everly huffed as Will stopped the wagon right in front of the gate. He said the long walk would be cold.

Everly didn’t think so. As she trudged through the snow, she noticed a soiled, flimsy envelope half-buried in the snow by the mailbox. When she knocked and the door opened, her gray eyes widened.

 “...Aunt Harriet?” Everly gasped. “But father said you were... widowed ten years!” 

“I was acquainted with Mr. White just over two years ago,” she stated. “We were married spring and I sold the house to live here. I wrote a letter and I do believe I sent it. Your father said you’d arrive two months ago, young lady. Why the delay? Hustle inside now, don’t let the cold in. And who’s that young man, over there?”