This chapter is for Teigr and Black Pixie. Thanks for the reviews!

Black Pixie, I bow to your will, oh master. Here is the next chapter, because you asked so nicely and gave good reasons! Hmm, just to be evil, I think I won't tell who her real parents are for a chapter or two, unless you ask nicely by reviewing.

Teigr, thanks for the review. I'm glad you like it. Here's the next chapter!

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When Mother and Father came to fetch me, I was on my knees with my arms around Cookie's legs, and begging for marzipan.

"Please, Cookie, just a little square of marzipan. Or, even better, a big little square of marzipan. It doesn't even have to be a pretty color or a pretty shape. Please, Cookie, I haven't had any today. I had three whole potatoes with dinner today, and you know that you say that potatoes are the best things for people, so don't I deserve a helping of marzipan? Say, I know, Cookie. If you give me a pan of marzipan, I won't bother you for any more for a whole entire fortnight! Wouldn't that be nice, Cookie? A whole fortnight without me hanging on to you, and you wouldn't have to drag me across the floor like you do when I hang onto your feet and you need to move. Wouldn't that be nice, Cookie? It would be nice for me, too, you see, because then I could be eating marzipan instead of asking for it," was about what I was saying. Eva was rocking back and forth in her chair, holding her sides and laughing so hard she was actually crying.

It didn't help poor Eva when Mother and Father came in and each grabbed one of Cookie's arms and began saying things like, "Marzipan? Oh, darling Cookie, do give us some too. We do so want to eat some. And your's is the best marzipan. Please, Cookie dear, give us some marzipan, too!" over and over.

Finally, Cookie gave in, as she always does, throwing up her hands and saying, "Very well, I'll give you marzipan on one condition: That you all leave me alone for the rest of the night!"

I let go of Cookie's legs and jumped up. Mother and Father let go of her arms. Together we chimed, "We promise, Cookie dearest," holding up our right hands like perfect little angels. Then we all grasped hands and skipped around Cookie, singing a silly little song.

"Marzipan! Marzipan! We get marzipan! Yay!" we sang.

Finally we let Cookie go. Poor Eva, I thought. I wonder if she'll ever stop laughing. Probably not, what with the way Mother and Father and I making faces at her, each other, and Cookie's back.

I stood up from where I was sitting with Mother and Father and tip-toed over to Eva. Mother poked Father and pointed at me. They watched me curiously.

I looked in her left ear, her right eye, her nose, her left eye, her right ear, and grabbed her wrist. To my apparent relief, I found her pulse after trying three different holds.

Then I said, "Open your mouth, close your eyes, stick out your tongue and say 'bleck'."

She tried, but she couldn't manage it around her tongue.

I sighed in relief and said, "I'm really no expert on cases of extreme- giggle-it is, but I believe you'll be all right after a while." Turning to my parents, I said, "Master and Mistress Scathelock, I, Doctor Mariel, in my infinite wisdom..." (here my mother snorted, and I shot her a Look) "prescribe cups of hot tea, bedtime when she is tired, waking up when she feels like it, and plenty of idle time in the sunshine, exercise, and lots and lots of flower picking. In short, drag her out to the country and force her to visit her mother!"

Eva looked shocked and could hardly believe her ears.

"Yes, Eva, take a fortnight or two off to visit your mother. Doctor Mariel's orders, you know," Father winked at me.

Eva began crying in earnest. "Oh, thank you, Master Will, I just don't know what to say," she choked out between sobs.

I gave Mother my handkerchief as she knelt beside Eva. She dabbed carefully at Eva's eyes and said, "Tears? We're the ones who should be in tears. We didn't know that your mother was sick until three days ago when that letter came from the good friar of her village. Even then, we didn't send you. We'll give you an escort, for though the ballads say Robin Hood will never harm a company with a woman, he and his band are not the only dangers you need to worry about."

Eva rushed off to her room to pack, and Cookie handed my father a tray covered in cheesecloth. He set it down carefully, then thanked her and gave her a hug. Mother thanked her and kissed her on one cheek. I thanked her and gave he a hug and kissed her on the other cheek.

"Thank you," I whispered to her again, squeezing her tight and then following my parents out of the kitchen. She waved in response and smiled. Shaking her head, she sat down.

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Well, that's chapter one! For those of you who don't know, marzipan, also called marchpane, is a paste made with almonds that is used for making sweets or covering cakes, and it tastes very good.

Quick, important question: Is this the right length for a chapter? I don't think that I can make chapters too much longer than this, but I could try. Right now, it averages at about 850 words for each chapter, including all this babbling I like to do. Is that a good size?

To answer the question, to tell me to write more, or just to tell me how wonderful I am ((), click the ____________ (insert word or phrase meaning "blue" here) button in the lower left-hand corner.

Isn't my little smiley type thing ( wonderful? Is it working right? The computer I have to type my stories on is a laptop, is not connected to the internet, and does not have a spell checker for Word, but it does the little smiley ( for me when I type a colon and a close parenthesis.