"Ouch! Mama, does it really have to be that tight?"
"Oh nonsense Arrietty, you've lost so much weight since the move that this shouldn't be tight at all!"
"Ow! I still have bones, you know!"
Homily continued pulling the woven thread laces taut on the back of her daughter's dress, despite the younger borrower's protests. It was an off the shoulder dress, a fashion Homily had seen in Arrietty's books and wanted to recreate, and needed to be laced to stay in place. Homily had made the dress herself, and wanted to make sure it fit her daughter exactly how she had envisioned.
"Come along Arrietty, be a good sport! It's not very often we have events to dress up for!"
"But we've been over to Uncle Hendreary's and Aunt Lupy's dozens of times, and we've never made this much of a fuss about those visits."
"This isn't like those visits," her mother said as she finished securing the tight laces in a knotted bow, "There will be other borrowers there, besides your uncle's family!"
Arrietty paused, her attention catching as she asked "How many others exactly?"
Her mother paused and placed a finger to her chin in thought.
"Well, two other families… not very big. The Cottagegroves, Mr. and Mrs. and their two young girls, and then there's the Inngoers: They're very well-to-do Borrowers, and you know what else? They have a son!"
"… A son. So what? Uncle Hendreary has sons too."
"No no no, you don't understand! He has a son around your age!"
Arrietty's brows drew together in confusion as she responded "So?"
Homily crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance. "Oh honestly Arrietty, haven't you given any thought to your future?"
Arriety's own arms crossed in imitation of her mother as she said in exasperation "What has that got to do with it?!"
"Marriage!" Her mother yelled, throwing her hands out in front of her, "I'm talking about marriage! Finding you someone to marry! This could be your chance! You're 18 years old now; it's time you started thinking about the next stage of your life."
Stunned silence was all that greeted her.
Arrietty's mouth hung open, no words coming to mind as her mother's words sunk in.
Taking her daughter's silence as a sign that the argument was over, she clapped her hands and said happily "Now then, we should get going soon – we don't want to be late for this very important occasion!"
As her mother rushed past her and gathered the rest of her things from the room, Arrietty could only stand, still as a painted china figure on a Bean's mantle, only moving to slip on her shoes and shuffle out the door at her mother's insistent pushing.
…..
"Oh, Pod! Homily! And Arrietty dear! Welcome, welcome! May I take your coats? Oh Arrietty, what a lovely dress! Very becoming! Homily dear, did you sew that yourself? You're more skilled than I gave you credit for."
Aunt Lupy continued on in this manner for a good ten minutes, as she and Homily tried desperately to appear more gracious than the other while subtly getting in a kick or two at the same time.
Arrietty ignored the two and looked about the room at the rest of the group.
Her father was comparing notes with her uncle on borrowing techniques and the like, and her cousin Eggletina was as per usual sitting alone in the corner, watching everyone as Arrietty was doing. Their eyes met across the room, and the cousins smiled warmly at each other.
Her youngest cousin Timmus ran about the room, trying to engage two little girls she hadn't seen before in a riotous game of tag. Arrietty guessed that the two were the daughters of one of the new families; the Cottagegroves, was it? And watching the two girls worriedly were, what Arrietty guessed to be, Mr. and Mrs. Cottagegrove.
They seemed friendly enough Borrowers, with nice but modest attire and no presumptuous airs.
The same could not be said however about the family in the opposite corner of the room.
'These must be the Inngoers' Arrietty thought, looking intently at the mother, father, and then the son who was currently talking quietly to Ditchley and Ilrich, all of whom were looking down their noses at the rest of the gathering.
Arrietty scowled a bit as she watched them.
Her Aunt and Uncle's house was very nice – tucked in a wall with a passage hidden by a fireplace, they had all the amenities they could wish for, including an assortment of beautiful doll house furniture and toyshop finds. True, it was in some places an odd assortment of tables, chairs, and dishwear, but it was all very well kept and of good workmanship. She couldn't see any reason for the Inngoers to be looking around so judgmentally, and her annoyance rose to see her cousins encouraging it.
'The family must be aquaintances of Ditchley' she thought bitterly, 'they seem to be peas in a pod'.
As she watched them, the son's eyes met hers, and she froze.
He stared at her with veiled interest, and she examined him in turn.
He was very tall – taller even than his parents, with light brown hair and a slim build. His face was long and his eyes were big and blue, and at the moment they were focused on her.
To her surprise, Arrietty found her face heating up a bit.
He was actually quite handsome.
But he was still staring at her with those bright blue eyes, and she suddenly found his gaze unsettling. She felt vulnerable in her pretty party dress, and she had a fleeting wish for her trusty hat pin to be tucked into her skirt.
…..
The meal was awkward, and the conversation in the sitting room afterwards simply dreadful.
Her parents and the Inngoers talked for what seemed hours, going back and forth about seemingly nothing, but all the while dropping hints about the joining of their two families.
Well, the Inngoers and her mother talked – her father stayed silent on the issue.
He wasn't the talkative type to begin with, but there was something different about his silence now: his face was drawn and his expression harder than usual.
He looked decidedly unhappy with the conversation.
Arrietty watched them from her chair in the corner, but movement from the corner of her eye alerted her to the approach of the Inngoers' son, Clerk.
"Hey there."
She eyed him warily, not quite lulled by his smooth voice and cool demeanor.
"Hi yourself."
Her curt voice must have amused him; he chuckled as he pulled up a chair next to her.
"You know, for someone who just met me, you don't seem to like me much."
She cocked her head as she looked at him, feigning surprise as she responded "And does that bother you for some reason?"
Clerk shrugged nonchalantly, saying "It's just not the best way to start a relationship, that's all."
"We're not in a relationship."
He glanced at the table, his face a mock of thoughtfulness as he said "Our parents seem to think we are."
"I never said I wanted a relationship."
He looked a bit stunned by her response, but quipped lightly "That's not usually a consideration."
She stared hard at him and said "Shouldn't it be?"
Clerk chuckled at her again, and the sound set her on edge.
"You're pretty opinionated, aren't you? Not a bad quality… so long as you don't let it go to your head."
Arrietty's face turned sour at that, and she turned away, looking back at the adults whose conversation seemed to be dissolving as well.
"Was there a reason you came over to talk to me?"
"Just wanted to get to know you better," he said casually, brushing some hair from his forehead, "I never really had a solid idea of what my future wife would be like, but you're quite a pretty girl, so I won't worry too much about some fieriness. Just so long as you don't try to take up borrowing or something equally ridiculous!"
He laughed at his own joke, but this was the last straw for her. She stood up abruptly and shouted "I already am a borrower, and quite a good one too! And I don't need your good opinion – I wasn't interested in getting to know you from the start, and now I don't think I like you much anyways."
"Arrietty!" her mother shouted indignantly, horrified by her daughter's outburst, "You can't say such things! The Inngoers have come all this way for you to meet Clerk –"
"I don't care! No one ever asked me about this! I – I'm not ready for this!"
"Dearest, you wouldn't have to get married anytime soon, but there's a courting stage that Borrowers traditionally hold to, and, well…" Homily dropped her voice a bit, trying to speak only to Arrietty, despite the fact that everyone could hear, and said "we don't know if another boy is going to come along."
"But that's ridiculous! There must be plenty of other boys who – "
"Beans don't count Arrietty."
"Oh mother, please, of course not! That's not what I'm talking about. We know we're not the only Borrowers out there! I mean, what about Spiller?"
"Spiller?" Everyone turned at Mrs. Inngoer's disgusted exclamation, "Don't get me started on that ruffian. I wouldn't count him as an option, dearie. He barely speaks – he's more animal than he is borrower. If it weren't for the supplies he gets us, I would have nothing to do with him! He's lucky the Hendrearies here could vouch for him, but I for one refuse to be associated with such a creature!"
Homily sat in stunned silence, her mouth agape, and Pod's frown had turned harsh.
As for Arrietty, her hands shook and her mouth twitched and her face flushed with anger.
Before she could say anything she heard a now familiar chuckle from beside her as Clerk laughed "Frankly I'm amazed that wild animal ever associates with any Borrowers in the first place, the way he looks. I thought he was a mouse first time I saw him! A dead one! I don't know how one can even consider that thing to be a borrower."
SMACK!
There was a collective gasp as Clerk reeled back, massaging his jaw, and Arrietty lowered her fist with an angry but almost triumphant glare.
"For your information, Spiller's a better Borrower than you could ever be."
She turned quickly, stomping away towards the door.
Just as her hand turned the knob, she paused, and turned her defiant gaze to Clerk.
"And you can thank Spiller for that left hook – it's meant to ward off cockroaches, so I thought it was appropriate."
With her head held high she wrenched the door open, slamming it behind her, missing the approving smile on her father's face as he watched her go.
…
It didn't take Arrietty long to make it outside.
She hadn't accounted for the nighttime rainfall, but even the heavy drops were preferable to the scene she had just left.
She trudged through the short grass and increasingly soggy dirt, looking around almost disinterestedly for somewhere to take shelter.
A small fruit tree loomed in her view, and she decided it would be as good a place as any to wait out the rain.
Having decided on her destination, she allowed her mind to wander, paying less and less attention to the path she was walking as she went over the night's events.
How could her mother have wanted her to be with that… that pompous – she felt her anger growing again, as well as a pressure around her middle.
She stopped, trying to calm down and discover where the pressure was coming from; she realized quickly that the too-tight-laces on her dress were starting to take their toll. She had been overexerting herself, but there was little room in the outfit for deep breathing.
The fact that she had been forced into this dress just to appear pretty for him did little to calm her.
With an angry huff she trudged on, the rain soaking her new outfit, making the dress seem even more constricting.
As she reached the roots of the tree, she realized quickly that her soft, slip on shoes weren't the best traction for climbing, so without a second thought she tore them off and threw them in the mud.
The bark had been mostly sheltered by its thick leaves, but there were still some spots of moisture on the twisted trunk that sometimes made finding a grip difficult.
As Arrietty climbed higher the branches became more condensed, snagging on her clothes and leaving holes and tears when she refused to slow down to avoid them.
At one point the shiny new ribbon holding up her hair caught on a branch, and she grabbed at it, tearing it off herself with gusto.
But she tugged too hard, and the wet bark under her hands slipped away, her feet sliding backwards off their perch, and before she could react or even think she plummeted down the small fruit tree, her mouth open in a silent cry of shock.
Instead of breaking her back over a branch of landing in a puddle of mud, her fall was cut short as something soft and warm caught her and pulled her back towards the solid trunk of the tree.
Her eyes screwed shut at the impact, but the lack of pain startled her, and she looked up to see what had stopped her fall –
And found herself staring straight into the dark and worried eyes of Spiller.
A sudden rush of adrenaline had her grabbing onto his neck, hugging him with all her might as her breath came in short, painful bursts.
Her head hurt and her lungs ached, but this was the happiest she had been all night.
She felt him hold onto her tighter, cradling her in his arms while her feet swung in the air, all the while not saying a word and not needing to.
Once her breathing seemed to have evened out, he lowered her gently onto the branch beside him, and the two sat down with their backs against the trunk, huddled close together for warmth and lack of space.
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, listening to the pounding of the rain on the ground below, but Arrietty's curiosity rose and she asked "What are you doing out here, Spiller?"
He looked at her for a moment, then said "Looking for shelter; came to see family."
She smiled softly at his phrasing; whether he had meant it or not, the way he spoke made it sound as if they were his family, and he was coming home. She rather liked the way it sounded.
"I saw your shoes, guessed you had climbed the tree. I followed, then caught you when you fell."
Her smile grew, and she leaned against him a little more, saying "Well I'm very glad you did! If you hadn't been here, I would have -"
Spiller suddenly held up his hand, his face grim.
She stopped abruptly, but ventured to ask "What's wrong?"
He shook his head, lowering his gaze and saying "Don't say that. Don't wanna think about it."
Her confusion vanished, and she grabbed for his hand, squeezing it gently and saying "You saved me though. And I'm so grateful to you."
His eyes met hers again, his gaze intense as he said strongly "Always."
She cocked her head slightly, and he realized she did not quite understand.
He paused for just a moment before saying "I will always save you. I protect you."
The firmness of his statement caught her by surprise, the intensity in his eyes stronger than what she had seen from Clerk, and yet she felt only safety and joy and, to her surprise, even a bit of excitement.
After another moment Spiller's face softened, and his mouth quirked into a grin, and Arrietty felt a fluttering in her stomach and a tightening in her chest.
It was too tight.
Subconsciously she reached back to the laces on her dress, trying to pull at them and tug them loose, but the rainwater had swollen the string and drenched the cloth, and it seemed immovable.
A hint of panic set in, images of her passing out from lack of air flashing before her eyes, and her tugging fingers became more frantic.
Noticing the small grimaces working their way onto Arrietty's face, Spiller's grin faltered, and his look once again turned worried as he asked "What's wrong?"
Blushing a bit at the situation, Arrietty stuttered out "Oh, it –it's nothing much, it's just… this dress… my mom made it too tight, and now it's getting… a little hard to breathe in. It's just, I need to loosen the laces, but they won't budge at all…."
Spiller watched her for a moment, then nodded, and lifted his arms out towards her.
"Here."
She stared at him with a blank look and a "Huh?"
"Here. I'll help. I can loosen it."
Arrietty stopped fidgeting with the laces, her eyes wide and her cheeks reddening.
He didn't seem to notice how flustered she was.
The tightness in her chest increased again though, and she decided to take him up on his offer; it was kindly meant, and it seemed at the moment more important to breath normally than to worry about modesty.
Slowly she crept forward, careful to keep her balance on the branch, and positioned herself in front of him.
She couldn't see him anymore, but she could feel him pulling her now loose hair off her neck to keep it out of the way, and she almost gasped as his fingers swept through her hair, touching her bare shoulder.
Once his hands started to pull at her bow she was glad of the change of position, since he could no longer see how flushed her face had become.
She was sure he noticed the shiver that ran through her at his touch, but he probably passed it off to the cold night air.
He worked quickly on the laces; he was very skilled with knots and had a knack for figuring out how things operated: all skills he had acquired in his life outdoors.
Arrietty always envied him that a little.
There was still so much she wanted to discover.
As he systematically pulled at the fabric and wrung out the laces, she found herself lulled into a more peaceful state, and for a moment she thought about how nice the night was, and what good company she was in, and how nice it would be to spend every night like this.
Despite her cold wet dress, and aching feet, she couldn't help but feel comfortable out in nature, just her and Spiller.
She hardly noticed when he finally stopped, but after a moment the lack of movement against her back caught her attention, and she turned to look over her shoulder at Spiller, who was staring at her with an odd expression that she couldn't quite place.
"Better?"
She stared at him, her mind blank.
Was it better? She didn't know.
"Yes… I mean, mostly…."
Arrietty pulled at her dress. She could breathe again, but the tightness in her chest remained.
His gaze didn't waver and that strange look remained as he said firmly "What else can I do?"
Her heart skipped and she brought her hands to her chest, pressing against the skin in a vain attempt to calm the beating.
"N-nothing, it's just…."
She shivered again, and he noticed.
"Here", he said, lifting his arm and opening a spot next to him in his fluffy fur cape. "You're cold."
She didn't move for a moment, then without a word crawled toward him and nestled into the warm fur of his cloak, leaning right up against his even warmer body. His arm dropped around her and closed her in the fur, and she knew she had never been so cozy in all her life.
The thumping of her heart was almost unbearable, and she knew that he heard it, and was afraid he would be off put by it.
But he chuckled beside her, a much more pleasant sound than Clerk had made, and with a wide grin said "Your heart sounds same as mine."
She smiled back, both their eyes shining in the beams of moonlight filtering through the leaves, and once again she was left breathless.
Spiller leaned forward slowly, almost hesitantly, and pressed his forehead against hers.
His eyes were shut and she could tell he was nervous; the thought warmed her heart a bit, and with a soft laugh she rubbed her nose playfully against his.
He pulled back a bit, eyes opening wide, but she was relieved to see a happy grin across his face.
And something in that grin made her stop and think, her mother's words about marriage coming back to her; this time however it wasn't with fear that she remembered, but with budding hope.
Her hand sought out his, and her cold fingers were soon enveloped in his calloused hand.
"Spiller?" she asked quietly, her hushed voice loud in the silent night, "How do you… feel about me?"
"Feel?"
"Yes, how do you feel," she paused to touch a hand to her heart, "about me? Do you like me?"
"Of course!" His emphatic response surprised her as he leaned closer and grabbed her other hand, continuing "I like you very much! That's no question! Not even just 'like' actually… I, I… how d'you say…."
Spiller's face scrunched in frustration as he searched for the word, his hands releasing Arrietty's and running through his hair, mussing it up as he tried to remember.
With her heart pounding once again, Arrietty reached up, unnoticed by her companion, and placed her hands on either side of his face, effectively stalling his frantic movements.
He stared at her in surprise, and she could feel his cheeks heating up under her palms.
She almost laughed at his nervous expression, her giddiness working its way into her smile as she said "Are you trying to say… you love me?"
His eyes widened even more, still gazing at her intently, and slowly he dipped his head in an affirmative nod.
She did laugh then, and just as his face was starting to fall into a dismayed frown, she pulled him forward and brought her lips up to his in a soft and sweet kiss.
After a moment she pulled back, her cheeks burning and throat dry, and saw that Spiller still had his eyes closed and was leaning forward more and more as her warmth left.
She giggled, catching his attention, and with a mischievous smile he grabbed her face in his own hands and kissed her back, a bit clumsily but just as sweetly.
When he pulled away she saw him staring intently at her, and his deep voice said "Does this mean… d'you… you know… love me back?"
Her smile turned shy and she mimicked his response, nodding her head with a small affirmative squeak.
Spiller's face broke into a grin that spread from one side of his face to another, and he caught her up in a tight hug, earning another laugh from the little lady.
She wrapped her arms around him as well, burying her face in his mole-fur clothing and drinking in the scent of the forest in his hair.
Suddenly the two were bathed in light as the moon passed over an opening in the leafy canopy above them, and with a jolt Arrietty realized how late it was.
"Ack! Spiller, I have to go! My parents don't know where I am, and it's getting late…."
She released her hold on him and pulled away, but he seemed reluctant to let her go. At the sad pout on his face she smiled and reached to playfully sweep at a lock of hair falling in front of his face.
"Don't worry, you can see me tomorrow! But I really should get back and let Mama and Papa know that I'm alright."
He nodded and seemed to cheer up somewhat, and then stood and offered her a hand.
Her feet tingled painfully as she stood and her still damp dress sagged on her frame, and she self-consciously pulled it higher and readjusted the skirt, thinking all the while how upset her mother would be with the state of her lovely handiwork.
Suddenly Spiller's hand was on her bare shoulder, and she looked up to see him watching her with concern.
"You alright?"
She hadn't meant to seem upset, but she had no reason to hide her thoughts from him and said sadly "I don't think Mama and Papa are going to be very happy with me… I sort of embarrassed them and ran off, and now I've ruined Mama's dress…."
"They'll be glad you're home." He said with an encouraging smile.
But she sighed "I'm not so sure."
He tilted his head slightly in thought, staring at the tree around them, and suddenly his eyes widened and he smiled.
"One second!" he said excitedly, and in a flash had climbed up into the leaves.
Arrietty gasped and stared wide-eyed at the leaves, trying desperately to see where he had gone, but before she could find him he jumped back down in front of her, holding something large and shiny and red.
"A cherry!" Arrietty exclaimed with delight, taking the tasty fruit gently as Spiller handed it to her with a triumphant grin.
"Peace offering!" he said, confident that her problem was now solved.
She smiled softly at the gift, comforted by the thoughtful gesture.
As they stood she shivered a bit, and Spiller acted quickly to remove his fur coat and drape it around her shoulders, fastening it under her chin.
A surprised smile lighted on her face, and she quickly showed her appreciation to him with a kiss on the cheek.
Spiller tried to look unfazed, hiding the flush across his face as he looked away and trying to stop the smile quirking his lip.
He reached a hand out to Arrietty, saying simply, "Come on, I'll walk ya home."
Tucking the beautiful cherry under her arm, she happily accepted the hand and the two walked back towards the house, with Spiller finding safe paths around the puddles and slimy creatures that had appeared during the night's showers.
They walked in silence back to the hole in the firebox, where Spiller gave her another hug and a good long kiss, causing her to completely forget to return his fluffy cape as he slipped into the darkness.
Like clockwork she made the journey through the wall, walking past the tunnels to her uncle's house and up the little staircase her father had built to where her house sat behind the kitchen cabinets.
Without a thought she turned the door knob and stepped into the warm entry way, and after not even two steps in she saw her mother racing towards her.
Homily's face was gaunt and her eyes were red and watery, and as she stopped an inch in front of her daughter, it seemed she could only sputter and stare.
Arrietty's heart wrenched at the state her dear mother was in, and all she could do was mutter an awkward "Um… hi Mama."
Her mother continued to stare at her, and after a moment seemed to find her voice again as she gasped "Wha – Arrietty, where have you been?!"
Arrietty ducked her head, suddenly ashamed of how she had acted back at the party.
She should have known her mother would panic.
There was a shuffling sound from the back of the room, and Arrietty looked up to see her father join them in the hallway, looking much calmer than her mother, but still worried.
Words leapt up and died in her throat, and as she searched her mind for something to save her she remembered the gifted cherry, and it's weight seemed suddenly immense as it was brought to the forefront of her thoughts.
"Here!" she cried, holding the fruit out towards her mother, "this is for you."
She bit her lip and waited for some response.
Her mother eyed the fruit in confusion and took it in her hands, turning it over and over as if looking for more answers.
With an almost exasperated tone she said "Is this the reason you were gone so long? A cherry?"
Arrietty sighed and kicked at the floor, glancing down for a moment to see her ratty, mud-encrusted shoes and scratched up ankles.
"Not exactly… it was raining when I went out, so I took shelter in the cherry tree across the yard…."
She paused when there was no response, and looked up to see her mother looking at her very strangely while her father looked down at her with what could almost be called, but couldn't possibly be, a smile.
Before she could ask what the matter was, her mother spoke up tentatively "Arrietty… isn't that… Spiller's coat?"
Startled, Arrietty looked down to see the she was indeed still wearing the wild borrower's fur cape, and with a blush brought her hands up to the clasp at her throat, though she didn't undo it.
She didn't quite feel like taking it off just yet.
"Oh… yes… he found me at the cherry tree. I was climbing up it, but the bark was wet from all the rain and I slipped, and he caught me… he probably saved my life."
Her mother let out an anguished cry and swayed as she stood, exclaiming "Oh heavens! My poor girl! I told you climbing trees was a dangerous habit! And what a wonderful boy to save you like that! We need to thank him the next time he comes around! We'll have him over for dinner tomorrow, oh and I can make a lovely pie from this cherry, and …."
Homily's chatter stopped, her face taking on a more somber expression as she turned back to Arrietty and said "Oh dearest, I'm so sorry about tonight – Those Inngoers had no right to say such horrible things about Spiller. I made sure to tell them after you left what a wonderful boy he was and how much he had helped us, and, well…" she sighed and turned the cherry over in her hands, continuing "well, let's just say that's the last we'll be seeing of them for a while. It seems you got your wish Arrietty, there won't be any courting from that young man, that's certain."
Abashed, Arrietty said softly "I'm the one who should apologize, Mama… I embarrassed you and Papa back there, and I was only thinking about myself."
"Nonsense Arrietty."
Both women looked in surprise to Pod, whose face was stern but not angry as he continued "They were rude to their hosts and rude to you and Spiller. And besides," he said with a small smile, "I didn't much like that boy anyways."
Now it was Homily who looked abashed, shuffling her feet as she said "Yes, well, if I had known what he was like I wouldn't have liked him either! I'm afraid though Arrietty, this means it'll be even harder to find you a young man to settle down with."
"Um, actually…" Arrietty felt her face heat up and knew she was probably approaching the color of the cherry her mother still held, but she forced herself to speak up "it may not be as hard as you think."
Grabbing a corner of Spiller's cloak, she gripped it with sweaty palms and hugged it to herself, trying to sink into its depths and hide while at the same time hoping her parents would catch her hint.
She looked up at her father, who smiled broadly at her, approval written in his eyes, and she smiled back appreciatively.
Homily looked back and forth between her husband and daughter, her expression confused, but suddenly it seemed to dawn on her, tinting her cheeks with red and causing her jaw to drop.
After a minute of the uncomfortable silence, Homily cleared her throat and said simply "Well… I suppose I'll use the good tableware for supper tomorrow… I mean, it's not like we don't already know Spiller quite well, it's not as if you need to formally start courting… I just want to show a little extra gratitude is all. And let me wash that coat of his Arrietty, it'll be a nice surprise for him! And I suppose I should make you a new outfit to wear for tomorrow… and goodness what on earth did you do to this dress?! No! You know what? Never mind. It's fine. I'll just… reuse the fabric. And why are these laces so loose? I'm surprised this dress hasn't fallen right off! And your shoes! Well, it's alright I suppose… just… go on and get cleaned up dear, and I'll take care of the laundry."
Her mother bustled about the room and hovered over Arrietty, and when she had gathered up Arrietty's wet clothes and Spiller's cloak, Arrietty sat wrapped in a fluffy towel by their small fireplace, where a single coal burned in the hearth, radiating warmth that dried her right down to the bone.
Her father sat across form her in a dollhouse armchair, staring at the glowing coal with a thoughtful smile.
"He's a fine borrower, Spiller."
Arrietty looked toward her father expectantly, waiting and knowing he had more to say.
"He's resourceful, he knows these woods better than even the Beans, and he saved us all…."
With a fond smile Arrietty nodded, and her father turned to look at her, his expression a bit more serious as he said "He'll protect you, you know. No matter what. That boy'd do anything for you."
Again Arrietty nodded, straightening up in her seat and saying "I know. I'd do the same for him."
With that her father smiled again and turned back to watch the waves of gold underneath the coals cracked surface.
After a bit of silence her father spoke again.
"You're a smart girl Arrietty. I'm proud of you."
Tears pricked at the young girl's eyes, her mind reeling over how horribly this night had started and how unexpectedly it had ended.
She rose to her feet and padded across the room to her father, laying her small hand on his broad shoulder, and whispered "Thank you Papa" before kissing him lightly on the cheek and walking slowly off to bed.
*Author's Note:
So… this is actually kind of an old fic that I wrote before I left on my mission, and when I got back I reread it and liked it, but had to do quite a bit of editing.
I originally had it written with Spiller's English dub 'caveman' grammar, but... I don't like that on him. He's not like that in the book, and I don't think he's meant to come across that way in Japanese. I mean, his lines are short, sweet, and to the point, but I don't think he's supposed to sound stupid. He's just not very eloquent. At all. So I tried to reconcile that. Hopefully he still sounds... like Spiller should.
It's set basically in the movie setting, only it kinda picks up with the books where the movie left off, and all the characterization for Uncle Hendreary and fam is taken from the books and the BBC miniseries. It's not really faithful to the books though in that the family stays with their relatives basically the whole time and doesn't move out…. Extenuating circumstances aside.
Anyhow… this is meant to be fluffy.
And Clerk and co. are no more than a plot device for fluff. So sue me. Also, Clerk is supposed to be misogynistic as a plot device, but for a look at how Arrietty deals with a more balanced and gentlemanly Borrower who is also after her heart (too bad it's already taken), please read my other Borrowers fic "Different Kinds of Borrowers". Shameless plug, but it's a good story, I think. And more Spiller/Arrietty. :3