Teresa went to church the next morning, but the rest of the family took a respite from church services. Scott and Murdoch

and Beets had stayed up late the evening before, talking, and Murdoch and Beets playing chess.

Charlie had been allowed to stay up past her usual eight o'clock bedtime, and she wished she could have some

of the coffee that Maria was preparing.

Teresa was encouraging Charlie to ride along to church with her.

"It's a nice morning," the older girl persuaded. "I'll even let you drive the buggy."

Charlie considered. She was already dressed in overalls and a faded brown blouse. She would have to change to a dress.

"Could we take some things to Burl?" she asked Teresa.

"We just took some things to him yesterday," Teresa reminded.

"I know. But we could take something more. Some of those cookies that Maria made-or a loaf of bread."

"You just want another look into those trunks of his," Teresa said.

"Well, I'd at least like to ask him about all those things," Charlie admitted.

"I have to admit, I'm curious, too," Teresa said.

"I'll go wrap up some of the cookies," Charlie said, eagerly.

"Just a minute," Teresa said, reaching out to take hold of Charlie's arm. "You have to change to a dress first."

"Alright, I will-"

"And, I'll go and talk to Murdoch," Teresa said.

"I'll bet he says no," Charlie said.

"He might not," Teresa said. "Are they still in the library?"

"Yes. Talking, and drinking coffee," Charlie said.

"Well, come on with me, and we'll see if it's alright with him and Scott."

When they reached the library, they went in, where Beets, Scott and Murdoch were all sitting, looking comfortable.

"Here's our girls," Murdoch said, in greeting, sounding expansive.

Teresa went to stand near his chair, running her hand over Murdoch's shoulder. Charlie went to sit on the settee

beside Mr. Beets.

"Leaving for church soon?" Murdoch asked Teresa.

"Yes, in a few minutes. Charlie says she might go with me."

"Well, that's fine," Murdoch said, looking pleased.

"Once you change, right, kiddo?" Scott asked Charlie, smiling a little.

Charlie nodded.

"We thought we might take some bread by to Burl," Teresa said. "Would that be alright with you?"

Immediately, Murdoch became more serious, and looked to Scott.

"Well, I don't know," he began.

"You were just there yesterday," Scott said.

"Maria made cookies," Charlie said, finding it too difficult to not contribute to the conversation. "I know he'd like some of

those."

"And, that's the reason you want to go there?" Murdoch queried, raising an eyebrow. "To take him some of Maria's cookies?"

"Well, and to check on him, of course," Teresa said, smiling at Murdoch.

"Of course," Murdoch said, and Charlie knew he wasn't fooled at all.

"I don't know as you two should go out there by yourself-" Murdoch began.

Charlie sat up very straight and had to bite her lip to keep from arguing outright with that comment. She wasn't eager to have

another round of solo dish-washing or something worse for arguing. She liked to think she'd learned her lesson.

"Burl's harmless, don't you think?" Teresa asked.

"I suppose he is at that," Murdoch said. "Still, he's unpredictable." Murdoch looked to Scott. "What do you say, Scott?"

"Why don't you wait until this afternoon?" Scott suggested. "I'll go along with you both when we take Beets into the train."

That wasn't what Charlie wanted. She wanted to go now.

Teresa only lifted her shoulders in a light shrug, and said, "Alright. That's fine with me."

Of course it was. She didn't care the way that Charlie did. These were the mutinous thoughts that Charlie was having.

After that, the three men began talking about going outside, to take a look at the new calves, and various other things.

At the foot of the stairs, Teresa urged Charlie upstairs.

"Go and change," she said.

"I don't think I'll go now," Charlie told her.

"Why?"

Charlie shrugged in reply, and Teresa looked disapproving. "You should want to go to church, Charlie."

"I don't see why we can't go to Burl's," Charlie said, in answer.

"We will. Later today."

"I don't see why we can't go by ourselves."

"Oh, Charlie," Teresa said, in dismissal, turning to head up the stairs.

"Well, I don't see why we have to wait for Scott, or Murdoch, or anybody to go with us!" Charlie went on.

"Is that arguing that I hear?" came a deep voice, and Charlie turned swiftly to see Murdoch standing there.

"We were just talking-" Teresa began to speak up in defense of Charlie. A fact which Charlie appreciated, but also a fact

that did no good.

"You go on, and gather up your things for church," Murdoch told Teresa, and Teresa went, with a sympathetic look at

Charlie.

Charlie. Who stood where she was, on knees that were trembly.

Murdoch walked the few feet over to where Charlie stood, and reached down, taking her chin in one of his large hands,

and tipping it up.

"I thought we had an understanding," Murdoch said, in a terrible voice.

"We do!" Charlie said.

"With what I overheard, it seems not," he said.

Murdoch took his hand from her chin. "Go on along to the library," he said.

Charlie wondered at that. She didn't want to meet him in the library. "Teresa wants me to go to church-" she began.

"And I heard you refuse," Murdoch reminded. "Go to the library. I'll be there in a few minutes."

There was the sound of voices and Beets and Scott appeared.

"What's this?" Scott asked. It was evident that something was, indeed, going on.

"I'll meet you outside, Murdoch," Beets said, plainly sensing the tension. And, to his credit, Beets turned and went back

towards the door.

There was silence, then. Murdoch was quiet, waiting for Charlie to explain to Scott.

"Charlie?" Scott prompted, when Charlie was silent.

"Murdoch said for me to go to the library-and wait for him."

"Well, then, you need to do that," Scott said, quietly.

Charlie gave Scott an upturned look, pleading. But, she went.

She went to sit in the over-sized chair in Murdoch's library, curling her legs up underneath of her. She had worried

herself in a tizzy.

The sound of boot steps had her sitting up very straight.

At the sight of Scott, Charlie felt relieved. Not Murdoch. Scott.

Scott came in, and then turned to close the library door. He walked over and sat in the chair opposite where Charlie

sat.

"I'm having trouble understanding, Charlie," Scott said. He sounded, not so much angry, as he did sad. That sad tone

made Charlie feel sad herself. "Do you think the rules are so difficult to follow around here?"

Charlie shook her head, her eyes filling with tears.

"It's being disrespectful, arguing," he said. "Even if you do it behind our backs, it's still arguing. And, it's still

disrespectful."

"I'll apologize to Murdoch," Charlie said, earnestly.

"I imagine that he would appreciate that. He'd appreciate it more if you really meant it."

"What do you mean, Scott?" Charlie asked, tearfully.

"To someone like Murdoch, someone who's honest himself, and expects the same from others, then an apology doesn't count

for much if it's followed by the same behavior again."

Charlie bit at her lip, her forehead wrinkled.

"We've tried patience, with your arguing. We've tried giving you consequences. It doesn't seem to be helping," Scott said.

"I'll do better!" Charlie said.

Scott surveyed her seriously for a long few moments, looking as though he were considering.

Then he sat back in the chair a bit, and said, "Come here."

Charlie stood up and walked over to him. "The back-talking has got to stop, Charlie," Scott said, sounding stern. "When we say something, we mean it. It

doesn't mean that you can negotiate or argue us into having your own way. Do you understand?"

Charlie nodded, feeling miserable.

"I'm going to let you off today with a talking-to, and-" he hesitated, "Twenty-five lines. Got it?"

"What should the lines say?" Charlie asked.

"How about, 'I will listen and obey without argument'," Scott said.

"Okay," Charlie said, subdued.

"Alright," Scott said, standing up. "If I were you, I'd think about talking with Murdoch sometime today."

Although the thought of it make Charlie feel all 'quakey' inside, she knew he was right.

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Charlie got a glass of lemonade, and went to sit at Murdoch's big desk. She wrote her twenty-five lines, and left them

there, to give to Scott later. She sat there a bit longer, leaning back in the big chair, pondering.

She would, she thought, write something to Murdoch. She spent the next hour, trimming paper into a star-like design, and

then wrote out her feelings of remorse on the paper.

Thinking of the jellybeans she had hidden in her bedroom, Charlie went upstairs to retrieve them. She arranged them in a heart

pattern over the note, and left it there, in the center of the desk, knowing that he would see it. Murdoch did love jellybeans.

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After that, there was only a small time until lunch. It was fried chicken, and corn on the cob, and Maria's blueberry pie. Beets sat back

in his chair at the table, and patted his stomach.

"There's no chefs in France that could out-cook Maria," Beets praised.

Maria had gone home to enjoy the Sunday afternoon with her own family, so Charlie and Teresa cleared the table. Beets asked Charlie to

go for a walk before he left for the stagecoach.

Charlie found some purple flowers and gathered a bunch, thinking she would put them in a vase on Murdoch's desk. During the lunch meal, Charlie

had not let her gaze travel to Murdoch. She was still feeling worried about what he might say to her.

She had only time to do the flower arranging before it was time for Beets to be driven to town. The note and jellybeans were in the

same spot on the desk, and Charlie didn't think that Murdoch had seen them yet.

When Beets was ready to depart, it was Scott who drove him, and Teresa rode along, with cookies wrapped for Burl.

"Aren't you coming?" Teresa asked Charlie, as she began climbing into the buggy.

Charlie swung a glance at Scott, and then at Murdoch. "I think I'll stay home," she said.

Teresa looked perplexed, but said, "Alright."

"Would you tell Burl I said hello?" Charlie asked her.

Feeling a bit adrift as the buggy went down the road, Charlie stood there with just Murdoch for a few moments.

"Well, I've some reading to do," Murdoch said, and gave Charlie a glance. He didn't seem angry.

"Don't go far without letting me know," he said, then.

Charlie nodded in agreement, and watched as Murdoch turned to go into the house.

After cuddling with the kittens in the barn for a bit, Charlie stood up, dusting the dirt from the barn floor off of

her overalls.

She went into the kitchen, and washed her hands. She touched the coffee pot. It was still warm, and she took down

a cup and poured coffee.

Charlie walked slowly towards the library, partly to keep the coffee from sloshing out of the cup, and partly because

she felt nervous.

The door to the library was open, and Charlie paused in the doorway, hesitant.

Any other time, she would have gone straight in, sure of her welcome. But today, it felt different. And, she hated it.

"Murdoch?" she asked, gathering her courage.

Murdoch looked up from the book he was reading, sitting in the chair behind the desk.

"Is it alright, if I come in?" Charlie asked.

"Of course it's alright."

Charlie came over to the desk, and set the cup of coffee down carefully. "I brought you this."

"Well, thank you," Murdoch said. "A cup of coffee will be welcome right now."

Charlie stood there, it was only a moment or so, though to her it seemed longer.

"It was a very nice note that you wrote me," Murdoch said, then.

Charlie forced herself to meet his eyes.

"I wanted to-tell you how I feel about you," she said, hesitantly. "And that I know I was wrong."

"I appreciate it very much." He smiled a bit. "And I enjoyed the jellybeans immensely."

It was as though a dam broke then.

"I'm very sorry, Murdoch!" Charlie said, in a burst of words. "I really am so sorry!"

Murdoch's smile disappeared, though his gaze was still kindly.

"I know you are."

"I won't be disrespectful, or back-talk you anymore!"

Murdoch reached out to put a hand on Charlie's waist, and pulled her over closer to him.

"Alright, Charlie," he said. That was all he said. But, it was enough.

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