Not far from the primrose, I discovered a large spider spinning a silvery web. It noted my attention and spat web at me. I jumped back in surprise, and the web missed me and landed on the grass. It shimmered in the mist. Keeping an eye on the spider, I bent to touch the web. It didn’t stick to my fingers. Instead, its strong silk slithered over them softly. It would make a fine thread. The spider didn’t seem to notice me pulling the mass of web from the grass.
Hungry and tired, I returned home well after dinner. A covered plate waited for me in the quiet kitchen. Sitting to eat, I heard Bryn and Blye talking softly in our room and knew our father read in his study, as he did every night after dinner.
It didn’t take my sisters long to come from the room and inquire after what I’d found. I set my food aside and pulled the thread and feathers from the bag. Blye exclaimed over the thread, asking where I’d found it. When I explained about the spider, she begged me to return the next day to try to get more. I nodded my agreement, and she left with her prizes to go sew.
The candle maker eagerly accepted the flowers, saying a scented candle was worth its weight in silver. Then, he sadly admitted he had nothing to give me in payment until it sold. Though disappointed, the lack of payment didn’t stop me from looking for more flowers as I walked around the wall to find the spider. But the day didn’t gift me with either of them. The primrose plants that I’d plucked free of any flowers the day before were completely gone. The spider, too, had vanished along with his pretty web. Even the patch that usually yielded some type of food had nothing. I eyed the wall sadly, wondering why it was being so uncooperative.
As I neared the gate to complete my journey around the estate, it swung open of its own accord. Heart thumping wildly in my chest, I froze and stared at the black iron, listening for the telltale sounds of the beast’s approach. Nothing sounded but the wind. It puzzled me why the gate would open as it had. I didn’t think it was an invitation. Especially when the wall hadn’t been very bountiful like it usually was. Guilt struck at how much I’d taken over the last few days without giving anything in return. Usually, I only took carrots, onions, and the like. What if the estate expected compensation for the other things I’d taken? Worried that might be the case, I checked my bag for an offering but found nothing. With unease, I walked away.
The day grew pleasantly warm as I made my way home. When I neared, I went around back to check my own garden’s progress. The onions were just sprouting little green tops, and the peas were an inch high. I hoped the warm weather would hold.
“Well, how much did you get?” Bryn’s voice carried through an open window.
I looked up in surprise. The voice had come from our shared bedroom window.
“A silver!” Blye said. I smiled, knowing they were talking about Blye’s first hairpiece.
“And I’m hiding it in the usual spot,” Blye continued. “I wish Benella didn’t even know I’d been working on it. What if she mentions something to Father?”
My smile faded as I listened.
“We’ll keep her busy searching for more things to use. It should be fine,” Bryn said.
“I’ll give the coin of every third sale to Father just like I did when that fat cow paid me. I still can’t believe she said she couldn’t afford to keep me on. I sew better than she does. She’ll lose business fast now, I swear. I hate this town and refuse to be stuck here for the rest of my life.”
“At least you can save decent coin to leave. What I’ve put aside in change from Father’s food allowance is nothing in comparison,” Bryn complained.
How could they withhold any coin from Father? He provided us with food and shelter and love. I didn’t understand them.
“I told you, if you marry Tennen, you won’t have to worry anyway. Their mother is one of Mrs. Stinich’s best customers. They obviously have money.”
Although the news that they were hiding coin away annoyed me, I refused to act on my emotions as impetuously as they did. Turning away from the window, I quietly walked around the house and entered through the front, making plenty of noise. Both came out with smiles and asked what I’d found. I didn’t feel too badly when I admitted there was nothing.
“What about the web? Surely you could have taken that if the spider was gone,” said Blye with a hint of reprimand.
“The spider took the web with him. There was nothing left.”
She glowered at me for a moment before smoothing her face into a sympathetic expression. “Thank you for trying. The estate is fickle. Perhaps tomorrow will be better.”