VIII

As seasons passed and turned to years, Ben and Lissie grew somewhat familiar with their double lives. Mr. Merriman took Marcus on to help with the rougher work about town while Ben was given more responsibilities within the store, keeping accounts and the like. He did not let a full day pass without breaking away to look for Lissie. Though she was not always able to get away from Jiggy Nye and his wretched house, Ben went past the tannery and down to the creek every afternoon so that if she happened to be there, he would not miss her.

In the spring and summer it was more difficult to take her food under the guise of having deliveries near the tannery. He disguised Lissie's dinners in various parcels and containers, but was relieved when winter brought back the necessity of cloaks and he was once more able to hide things in a more suitable manner. Even so, he took the utmost caution in putting aside his own food without raising Mr. Merriman's suspicions.

Rose was not so easily fooled.

"Master Ben!" Rose's sharp reprimand almost made him drop the slice of pie he handled. "Didn't you eat just an hour ago?"

"I..." Ben eyed the floor and shuffled his feet. "Yes, I did."

"Then why do you need to sneak a slice of pie? If you're hungry, just say so."

Rose busied herself with a pot of stew, thinking the matter had ended. Ben coughed a little.

"I was thinking I may become hungry later."

She huffed. "Just come to me then and I'll make you something." She looked over her shoulder to see Ben frowning. "How is it that you stow away so much food, and yet never seem to grow any larger? Don't I give you samplings of all my best work?" she complained, "You're tall as a steeple now, but why are you still such a spindly thing?"

Ben shrugged in good humour.

"Don't you worry, Master Ben. You'll grow. I can see already, the work you do for Master Merriman will make you grow into your age."

Ben still refused to quit the kitchen.

"What is it?"

"May I still have the pie?"

Rose stopped in her work to place a hand on her hip in suspicion. "The pie isn't for you, is it?"

"There is someone who needs it more than I."

"I suppose you mean the Morris children. Don't you worry, Master Ben. I know Mistress Fletchly takes good care of them. Their oldest is a girl of fourteen, and she does her best by selling her embroideries. But the Missus Fletchly brings food and clean linens and all manner of good things. I think they'll be all right by and by. And Nathan; he's almost old enough to find some work here about town."

"No, I don't mean the Morris's. I know someone... someone who wouldn't eat at all most days if I didn't bring her supper." He swallowed away the lump in his throat that threatened to choke him up.

Rose saw the change in his expression and turned eager. "Who? Is it someone nearby? They must have come recently, for I don't recall..."

"No, Rose! It's a terrible secret!" Ben warned. "He must never know! Not Mr. Merriman, or anyone in town. You see... she's Mr. Nye's daughter, and he keeps her in the most pitiable conditions. When she strays too far or stays out too long, he beats her. And he feeds her so little—if at all. I'm sorry for taking the food, but I'm afraid she'll starve without it."

"Is that where all the tarts have disappeared to? Well, don't worry no more, and Rose will take care of everything. I'm going to make up a basket right now."

"You won't tell Mr. Merriman?"

"I won't say a word to a single soul! You can count on that. Poor child! What's the dear's name?"

Ben was happy to have someone to talk to regarding his friend. "Felicity. But I call her Lissie."

"Tis a sweet name. Here, bring that basket over and I'll see to it that it's filled with all the good things it'll hold."

Ben was in high spirits as he came to the creek, laden with a feat for his Lissie. Her back was turned, and her posture indiscernible beneath a shapeless cloak. She cringed away at his touch on her shoulder.

"Lissie?"

Felicity faced him with a stony expression, hot tears still welling in her eyes. She let her hood fall back to reveal that her head had been shorn; cropped close to the nape of her neck without any regard for her appearance.

Ben drew in breath and let the basket fall to the ground.

Immediately, she began to sob, her face pressed into her hands. "It was in the way. I... I had it down and it brushed against him... and..."

"Oh, my poor Lissie!" Ben reached for her, but she flung the hood back on with a fierceness that made him recoil.

"Don't look at me!" she cried, "Please don't look at me! Don't look at me like this!" Her forehead fell against his chest, and he put his arms around her.

"I won't if you don't like, but Lissie, I don't mind. Except... you must be so cold." He brought his hands up to warm her neck, hidden under the coarse hood.

She kept her head down as she cried. "But now I am so ugly, and you'll marry Annabelle Cole, and..."

"What on earth? Lissie, don't speak in that way! Why would you say such a thing?"

She looked up at him, tearfully. "Once you said I was pretty, and since you were the one who said it, I believed you. But then Annabelle came, and I wondered..." She hiccoughed, "Yet, you still said I was pretty. But now my hair is gone, and you couldn't possibly..." she covered her mouth with her hands, ready to cry again.

"But you are pretty! You are still pretty!" She shook her head against his chest. "What must I do to convince you?" He drew her chin up with a gentle hand and brushed her tears away with his thumb. "Would... would you believe me if I kissed you?"

Lissie sniffled. She bobbed her head, "Yes."

Ben was ever so gentle, as he always was with her. Their noses touched as he brought her face up and pressed his lips to hers. Lissie no longer felt the cold. More than wool mittens, or a full stomach, or even hot chocolate, his kiss warmed and filled her and she wished that it could never end.

And in that moment, Lissie Nye felt more than pretty; she felt loved.

Author's Note:

Happy First Intentional Double-Posting! :) From now on, you'll get chapter updates for Lissie Nye on Mondays and Fridays! How does that sound? Do you still want teaser snippets? That's probably a silly question, but I'll ask it anyway.