Chapter Ten
The next few weeks were filled with wonderful days for Spiller and Halberd. After they left Little Fordham to go to the mill they were so stuffed with fish and bread and ginger biscuits that they had to take turns napping and paddling all the way downriver, in spite of their naps earlier in the day. The warm July evening and their overstuffed bellies made them feel lazy.
They finally had to pull over and lazed around again until evening came. They were very grateful for the sandwiches which not only tasted wonderful but kept them from having to stop and do more fishing or some hunting.
The river was calm and the weather was beautiful. When they finally arrived at the mill they managed to get the stove dragged into Pod's new flat and hooked up. Spiller showed Halberd around and he was very impressed by the way the new home was shaping up but he was a bit afraid of the river. The second day they were there it started to rain and made Halberd even more nervous.
"Rivers mean flooding," he said flatly, and Spiller had to admit that this was true, but as he pointed out, this mill was solidly built and had been there for years and the rooms they were setting up were as far away from the river as they could be, under the storerooms and nowhere near the working area of the mill.
"It would take an awfully big storm to cause them any trouble," Spiller said.
"But it's possible on the river," Halberd argued.
"I couldn't think of anyplace else that would appeal to Pod," Spiller said with a sigh. "This mill was the first thing that popped into my head. I've known about it since I was a boy and it really does suit Pod. He doesn't want to be where there are a lot of humans and he doesn't want borrower neighbors too close. He's uneasy in the town, in spite of the fact that the humans aren't that much of a threat anymore, which is a shame because it really is ideal. He's not suited to my kind of life, either, always on the move."
"When you are Arrietty get married you'll have to have some kind of a home base," Halberd pointed out.
"If we marry," Spiller said, "we'll figure something out. At least she's not set on being in a house all the time and afraid of camping."
Halberd caught the word if in Spiller's explanation, and frowned at his friend. "Don't tell me that you still have doubts about Arrietty! I can't understand it. Both of you seem to go back and forth on what you want."
Spiller kicked away some of the bits they had chipped out of the chimney to attach the stove, and double checked a piece of the pipe. "I've never met anyone who suited me as well as Arrietty does and I've never wanted anyone as much as I want her. It's going to happen but it's all a question of when it's going to happen. Some days we feel more ready than other days. We have time, though. She's not even eighteen yet, and I'm just nineteen. There's no rush. Maybe we'll set a date in the spring."
As they worked, though, Spiller thought about Arrietty, how she would feel about being under a floor again, and wondered if it really was his job to rescue her by pushing for a wedding date. That made him feel stressed. He took out his anxiety affixing pipes and arranging rooms, and making the walls sturdier. In the room next to the water pipes he and Halberd made small holes with plugs so that there would be running water.
"I wish this was closer to the stove," Spiller said with a sigh. "Homily's spoiled now from having a whole kitchen with everything laid on in one place."
"Make this a bathroom," Halberd suggested. "Running water is nice in a bathroom, too. And it's not that far from the kitchen that they can't fill up a kettle when they need to."
"That's a thought," Spiller agreed. "They have a soap dish they were using as a bathtub upstairs at your parent's place. I can bring that here next time I come."
After a few days at the mill the rain stopped and they went to Daubery's house to drop off some flour and were spoiled by Hemiola and Sateen for several more days with good food and cheerful conversation.
Then they went to see Burgonet and Arista, stopping at the stove on the way so that Spiller and Halberd could spend a few days getting used to the movements of the gypsies in the caravans and do some hunting.
This did not go well. Halberd was too hesitant when it came to the gypsies, but it did seem like there were more of them in the area than ever before, ones that Spiller was not familiar with, and that made things even riskier.
Halberd would go out with Spiller at night, after the gypsies were all asleep and check out around the fire, but he didn't have the nerve to borrow from the unfamiliar caravans, which even made Spiller nervous. If Mild Eye ever saw him, he'd be lucky to get away with his life. Spiller then tried to teach Halberd how to shoot his bow and arrow, and at first he was terrible at it. But he got a little better as July faded away and August started.
Halberd was getting much better at fishing and Spiller promised to make him a stringer out of small safety pins and wire, just like his. They collected a lot of grain and nuts to store in the tunnel at the back of the stove. Halberd was a good gatherer. They dined almost every night on fish and dandelion greens, sorrel salad, and occasionally on a mouse that Spiller brought down.
After about a week of this they thought they had the stove pretty much ready for instant inhabitation after the wedding. They went back to Arista and Burgonet next taking blackberries and chestnuts. Arista was feeling better and they were both looking forward to the New Year and the new baby.
Burgonet and Halberd got along very well. Burgonet and Arista were more enthusiastic about Halberd's wedding plans than Spiller could even pretend to be. Halberd's wedding plans made Spiller feel trapped, which was, he knew, unfair, since he was the one who kept opening his big mouth about marrying Arrietty.
It rained for another three days so they stayed longer than they expected to but they had a wonderful time eating Arista's home cooked meals. If you looked hard enough, Spiller thought, she did look a little bigger around the waist, but she wasn't too bit yet. He found himself wondering if the baby was a boy or a girl, even though Burgonet said he didn't care as long as it was healthy.
Spiller and Halberd helped Burgonet borrow from the vicar's kitchen every night. Burgonet and Arista told Halberd how much they would like to meet Hemiola and asked Spiller to come back with Arrietty soon.
This he was happy to agree to. He was starting to miss her in spite of the cloud of marriage hanging over his head. Arista had some tea and rice that she wanted to send to Lupy and so finally Halberd agreed to head home for a visit with his parents.
Lupy was glad happy to get the rice, which Tom and his grandfather never ate and therefore never had available to be borrowed, and to see Halberd. Everyone wanted to hear all about the wanderer's adventures. The stories Halberd told about Little Fordham made Lupy as jealous as Homily could have wished. He described the houses, the church, the shops, the port and custom houses, and of course the railway.
Spiller couldn't wait to tell Homily so, and added some more descriptions to Halberd's although both of them were careful not to mention that they had ridden the train as the honored guests of the human beings.
"Can I go see Little Fordham sometime?" Timmis asked wistfully. "I would so love to ride a train."
"Perhaps when you're older," Spiller assured him. Besides helping Halberd tell stories, Spiller also spent some time with young Tom, who gave him some candles and matches, talking about everything the gypsies had been up to that summer. Spiller would have liked to have spent more time with him but they could only talk properly when Tom's grandfather was asleep. Luckily, the old man went to bed early.
Spiller decided that he would leave Halberd with Lupy and Hendreary, and make his way back to Little Fordham to see Arrietty. He was hoping he could coax her to come on a trip with him. The candles would be more useful at the mill than at Lupy's place, because she had plenty of wax to make her own, though, so he decided to give Lupy the matches and go back there on his own with the candles. Halberd went down the drain with him to help him carry them and the soap dish that Pod had borrowed for bathing when he had been living in the cottage. They lashed it tightly to Spiller's soapbox boat.
They started a bit too early and got caught by a late night bather near Holmcroft. They had to climb one of Spiller's piles of sticks. They each held onto a candle wick and one side of the rope holding the boat for dear life until the water went down, hoping hard the candles and the china soap dish would not get broken.
"It's not the wet I was afraid of," Spiller said ruefully when they could finally get down. "It's always the fact that things might break." They got to the end of the tunnel about one o'clock in the morning. "Don't dawdle," Spiller told Halberd. "Get back as quickly as you can. If the morning comes and the baths start, just hoist yourself up on my sticks until it passes. I have them jammed in before and after every drain.
"You be all right now?" Spiller asked Halberd as they loaded his boat, wondering what Lupy would have to say when Spiller was gone, but he was eager to go. The night was unusually humid, almost steamy, and the river was smooth, as if it, too, was lazing in the heat.
"I'll be all right," Halberd said. "If I get too out of sorts, I'll either come through here or cut through the woods to the river and take my raft down to see Hemiola."
Spiller told him to be careful. He got into the boat, and Halberd told him the same, helping him to untie first one end, then the other. Halberd watched Spiller push off down the river and waved until he could not see his friend anymore. Then he went back to the mouth of the drain and began the long walk back to the opening under the mangle. Spiller really is the cleverest person I know, Halberd thought, as he passed by each pile of sticks. He had half a mind to climb up a pipe himself, to see what he could find but decided he wasn't quite ready to that alone.
Spiller was perfectly content to be alone, at first. He had not had the chance to be alone for awhile. He was happy to arrange his boat just the way he liked it without having to worry about anyone else. He set up the familiar butter knife paddle, his knitting needle for punting, the pile of sheep's wool under the canopy, hung up his bow, arrow, stringer and then moved his quilt, neatly rolled up, to his favorite spot. He rode the river for awhile. And then, hot and tired, tied up his boat under a bunch of brambles and went for a swim. He ate some rosehips, a bit of hawthorn, and went to sleep.
When it was night again he headed toward the mill. He managed to get the candles into Homily's new storeroom and the china soap dish into the new bathroom. While the miller was sleeping Spiller raided his kitchen quite thoroughly.
He helped himself to a banana, a slice of bread, and while he was upstairs loaded three burlap bags full of wheat grains, which, when moistened, made excellent cereal for borrowers. He put two in his boat, and left one in the storeroom for Homily. He knew it would be awhile before Pod got the nerve to borrow from the miller. He would want to get used to the old man's habits and more used to the way the mill was laid out first. Pod was so cautious it got on Spiller's nerves sometimes. He knew what he could do and what he couldn't and once Spiller made up his mind he moved quickly.
He ate half of the bread slice, washed it down with some cold water and cut himself a chunk of banana. When he was through, he folded the peel back over the top of the banana and loaded it and the other items into the boat. He headed toward Daubery's place arriving just after dawn. As he was tying the boat up Spiller glanced further down the river, to the bend that he never took, and sighed deeply.
When he got outside Daubery's place Spiller took his bow and hunted for frog. Frog's legs were a delicacy that Sateen didn't get very often. When the front of his boat was filled with dead frogs, he took a bag of wheat and went to get help.
Sateen was the only one up, stirring the fire into life, but when Spiller explained about the frogs, the banana and the bread, she woke up Daubery and Hemiola to help bring in the cargo. Hemiola had no problems with helping Spiller carry the banana and the rest of the slice of bread, but she drew the line at dead frogs. Her father rolled his eyes at her but he and Spiller soon had all the frogs in the hallway.
They took them to a room off Daubery's flat, that had been lined with a piece of tile, and cut them up. While Spiller and Daubery cleaned up the mess Sateen and Hemiola took the meat into the kitchen. They would begin to cook it after breakfast was done.
"We'll have a good supper tonight," Sateen said. "I just wish Halberd could be here with us. We all miss him."
"He's having a nice visit with his family, no doubt," Daubery said, as he had Hemiola heat water up so that he could have a bath. Even Spiller needed a wash after cutting up frogs. To his delight Hemiola was so grateful to him for coming up with a husband for her she actually emptied the hobnail patterned glass trinket dish that they used as a tub and gave him clean hot water when it was his turn. It soothed his sore muscles and relaxed him. He sat in the hot water for so long that he nearly dozed off. It had been a long night. Daubery had to shout to him to tell him his food was getting cold.
"Come along," Daubery said. "We have a right proper fry up here."
That was certainly true. There was bacon, mashed potato cakes fried to a proper golden brown, sausages, baked beans and a fried egg. They also each had a slice of banana, knowing full well it would not last long. The whole family ate as if they were starving, and for the ones who had gotten up early, it was very nearly true. They had let Actina sleep the latest not only because she tended to get underfoot, but because she was apt to feel sorry for the frogs. Spiller smiled, remembering how Arrietty had used to play with frogs, and how upset she had been the first time she'd seen him use his bow.
Spiller ate until he was stuffed and then told everyone that he needed a nap. "I was on the river all night," he said, getting up and stretching. "I'm worn out. Just do me a favor and don't start supper without me!"
Everyone laughed and he went to his room. It had been a long time since he'd slept in his childhood bed and it felt very familiar and comfortable. He didn't mind ceding the floor to Halberd or Pod, but it was nice to have a comfortable bed when he was as tired as he was that day. At one point he heard Elegancy arguing with the twins about something, but he soon nodded off anyway.
Semplice and Sennet came to wake him when it was time for supper. He had been dreaming that he was on his boat with Arrietty looking out over the water at a spectacular sunset. It was jarring when he woke up and had his arm tucked under his pillow instead of around her.
He got up, shook his shaggy hair out of his eyes and went into the dining room. They had a nice dinner of frog, peas borrowed from the garden and baked potato with butter and bits of leftover bacon. There was quite a bit of talk about the problems they'd hand when the old woman upstairs had fallen ill for a spell and there had been less food available than usual, Halberd and the wedding.
"He'll be here before the end of the month, I'd wager," Spiller said, helping himself to a bit of banana for dessert. "When is the wedding anyway? October?"
"Yes, October," Sateen said. They discussed the menu for the wedding feast and the sleeping arrangements for the guests "Will you be able to bring his parents?" Sateen asked Spiller.
"I think so," Spiller said. "I hope so."
"Will you bring Arrietty?" Daubery asked, as he reached for another piece of potato. "She's welcome, you know if you'd like to pick her up and bring her along."
Spiller blinked. "Hadn't thought about it. Suppose I could, if there's room in the boat. I'd have to take my big boat. I can ask her anyway. October, or maybe November, if I remember rightly that's about when I turn twenty."
"You don't know when your birthday is?" Actina asked, scandalized.
"Haven't celebrated it in a long time, Tina," Spiller told her. "Not since my parents have been gone."
She looked at him solemnly. "You should just pick a day for your birthday. Pick a special day and remember that and then we can celebrate it with you every year."
He laughed. "Maybe I will." He patted her on the head. He was very fond of this wispy child. He waited until she had gone to bed before he left. Sateen had folded his bread over and spread it with strawberry jam.
"Take this with you," she said. "You need something to eat along the way and we get plenty of bread from upstairs." She gave him a hug. He hugged her back and thanked her. She had been almost a second mother to him for so long that he was used to her affection. Carrying his folded up bread carefully so as not to get his other gear sticky, he headed down the hall and out to his boat.
As he bent to load it he frowned. He was getting a split in the leg of his trousers. He had definitely gotten a bit heavier this season. He impulsively decided to go back to Lupy and see if his winter clothes were ready. September was starting in a couple of days and she always had them done by then. And it wouldn't hurt to maybe go up a few more drains. He could do that better alone than with Halberd. He was learning but he was nervous.
Spiller rode the river that night and stopped to eat and sleep at dawn. He finished half of his bread and jam and washed it down with cold water. When he woke in the late afternoon he cleaned and rearranged his boat. If he was going to beach it by the drain it had to be arranged just so. He had a good hiding spot, but if a hard rain came along, he wanted his best things tucked under the canopy. He missed his kettle dreadfully.
When it was dusk he set off again and reached the beach by morning. When he checked water was pouring out of the drain, so he went back, ate the rest of his bread and jam, took a nap and waited for things to settle down. He scavenged a few hairpins and safety pins, gathered some chestnuts, put them in burlap bags and then decided the baths were about over, so he could safely walk the tunnels. Spiller didn't dare risk going up the drains while humans might be about during the day, but he knew he's be fine once he got to the cottage. He'd have a nice visit with Lupy's family, perhaps talk to young Tom, pick up his winter clothes, and then go back through the drains at night. Pulling his soap box full of chestnuts he started down the tunnel.
When he got to the drain at the groundskeeper's cottage he took the piece of brass curtain rod he always kept secure in the drain and propped up a corner of the grating. He checked the piece of twine tied to the grating to make sure it was still firmly in place. He was afraid eventually overflow water from the sink would rot it out but it still seemed strong enough for him to swing up on. He dragged up his bags in and headed through the wash house door. In the next room, the woodbox was pulled out from the wall just enough and everything was quiet. Autumn light came through the windows and he could see motes of dust in the air under the rafters in front of the main window where the shutters were open.
The Windsor chairs next to the table were partly pulled out and the ashes in the grate were cold.
Tom and his grandfather must have just gone out, Spiller thought to himself. He carried the bags one by one to the hole in the wainscot behind the woodbox and slipped them in, then continued on in himself. The ladder, made of match-sticks neatly spliced to the two long lengths of split cane, was in place and he wondered if perhaps Hendreary and the boys had gone out. He had been hoping for help with the chestnuts. He took the bag with the pins and went up the ladder to the platform and then beyond to the open door.
Candlelight was winking there in the parlor making the doll's house lamps look silly, all for show and good for nothing. Spiller and Arrietty had talked about this once, about the dollhouse furniture's history. He heard voices coming from the next room, and passed by the false window painted with a Swiss mountain scene and headed into the kitchen.
Lupy and Eggletina were in there, Eggletina was poking the fire in the range made from a door-lock and Lupy was wiping one side of the table. Timmis was sitting on the other side drawing something on a scrap paper with a piece of pencil lead.
"Spiller!" Eggletina said happily. "What have you been up to?"
"Been here and there," he said. "Where's everyone else?"
"Tom and his grandfather left to go do whatever gamekeepers do this time of year. The poor old grandfather can't do much of anything anymore, but he stays here with young Tom and does a bit," Eggletina answered. "Papa and the boys went out to the garden to see if there were any beans or peas left."
Spiller looked at Lupy. "Brought you some hairpins and safety pins, and have two bags of chestnuts downstairs. Was hoping someone could help me bring them up."
"I can do it. Let me help, Spiller," Timmis piped up. "I'm growing you see and I'm getting ever so strong!"
Spiller smiled at the eager child who did seem like he had grown since the last time Spiller had seen him. "What if I bring them up the ladder and put them on the landing and you bring them into the flat?"
Lupy looked at Timmis with alarm. "Are you sure he can do that, Spiller?"
"Pretty sure. Let's try it."
Eggletina set down the piece of wire she was using to poke the fire. "I'll go on the landing and stay with Timmis in case he needs help, Mother."
She followed Spiller and Timmis out of the kitchen. "How are Hemiola and Arrietty? I can't believe Halberd's wedding is only a month away."
"Just left Hemiola's parent's place a couple of days ago," Spiller said. "Haven't been by Little Fordham in a bit, though. I need to get back soon. Pod and Homily are almost ready to move to the mill. Might bring Arrietty to the wedding, though."
"I wish I could go," Timmis said, a bit resentfully.
"So do I, "Spiller assured him, "but I can't bring you this time. I'll have a boat full with just Arrietty, Lupy and Hendreary. You'll see the whole lot of them eventually. I can't wait for you to meet the youngest girl, Actina. I think she'd be a good friend for you."
"I'd like to have a friend," Timmis sighed. "I miss Arrietty because she told me stories and then I wasn't lonely."
Spiller climbed onto the ladder and headed down. Now there's a thought. Perhaps in a few years I can fix up Timmis and Actina, since I seem to be so good at matchmaking. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and started back up with a bag of chestnuts.
Lupy had his winter clothes ready but it wasn't really cold enough yet to wear them all yet, so he just put on the new trousers and the vest. He folded up the coat she had made him and stuffed it into a waterproof bag. By that time the boys and Hendreary were coming back with the last of the blackberries, some peas and green beans, and a potato. Spiller helped them get everything into the storeroom.
Lupy made soup while they all sat around and discussed the wedding plans again. Lupy was not eager to ride in Spiller's boat to the wedding, but Hendreary, having heard all about it from Halberd was looking forward to it.
"I'm going to try to sleep late in the morning," Spiller warned everyone when they sat down to a dinner of soup and chestnut, with blackberries for dessert. "Once the old man goes to bed I have a few things to discuss with young Tom so I'll probably be getting to bed late. I want to travel back to Little Fordham by night, so I want to be as rested as possible. I'll go up the ladder while you're all asleep and stay in Pod's old flat."
"You have to eat, though," Lupy said. "Why don't I send one of the boys to wake you in the afternoon if you're not down sooner than that?"
"Perfect," said Spiller.
They heard the humans come home, heard the clattering and stomping that go with human inhabitation. Spiller knew the old man went to bed early after a long day afield. He was getting quite old and his health was not good anymore. Tom liked to stay downstairs longer so Spiller was pretty sure he would be able to talk to him before he went to bed.
When it got late enough that Lupy began to hint it was getting nigh onto bedtime, Spiller took his gear upstairs and set it down next to Arrietty's old bed. Then he went back down the ladder. Sure enough, Tom Goodenough was at the table cleaning guns. He looked up when Spiller called to him.
"Hallo, Spiller," Tom said. He seemed to have already grown since the previous visit Spiller had made that summer. "Back so soon? Don't usually see you this often."
"I've been here and there. Haven't been spending as much time over by the gypsies, since you told me how many caravans have been stopping there. Mild Eye will never forgive us for what we done with Pod and Homily and Arrietty."
Tom set the rag he was using down. "Ever see 'em? How are they? I miss Arrietty. Most sociable borrower I ever saw."
"She's fine," Spiller said, "at least I hope she is. We've got to start planning our wedding come the spring."
"Are you still talking about getting married?" Tom was dumbfounded. "What do you want to do that for? She's nice enough but why do you need a girl traipsing around with you? They don't know anything about hunting, or fishing, the woods or the river. Girls are useless to people who like the out of doors like you and I do."
Spiller shrugged, surprised. He honestly thought Tom, who was nearly full grown even for a human, would have developed some interest in girls by his age. Must be a late bloomer, Spiller thought, and then answered, "I used to feel that way, too. Like I told you before, I'd think, girls, so what? But then I started talking to Arrietty and realized having a girl was a good thing. You'll see, just like I said. Someday you'll feel the same way about someone. You'll see it's nice to have a girl."
"I hope not," Tom said, and Spiller laughed.
They talked some more about gypsies, poaching, how his grandfather was doing which was not well. To Tom's great relief, though, old Sir Montague had definitely promised Tom that the cottage was his for life. Tom was relieved because he never wanted to leave the cottage and had been afraid that when his grandfather passed he would be forced out. His parents were dead and his only remaining relative, an uncle who lived in Leighton Buzzard, would not have been particularly happy if Tom had been sent to live with him permanently Tom had stayed with his Uncle Fred several times and when he was in town his uncle worked him to death indoors the last place Tom liked to be.
Tom still mourned his old tame ferret which had starved to death when Tom had last gone to stay with his uncle the last time. Spiller tried to console him, telling him that he could probably find another one to tame with very little trouble but advised him not to put a bell on it the next time. Spiller thought that a collar would be good enough to indicate that it was tame ferret and not a wild one. Tom had a horse now, and a small wagon he used when he went into town for supplies, and he was very proud of that horse.
"He's part Barb, the nicest gelding you'll ever see. Wonderful temperament he has. My Uncle Fred found him for me. He thought a horse would be a good thing for us to have since Granddad's doing so poorly. If I ever have to take him in to the hospital again I can do it myself. I can get to Leighton Buzzard or even Holmcroft in a couple of hours."
Then Tom began to tell Spiller about his side job, which was splitting hazel to make thatching. His grandfather had been doing it when he was laid up, and Tom thought it was a good idea to learn. "It brings in a bit of extra money now, and if I ever get sick or live until I'm old, I can still earn my keep doing it. Clever isn't it?"
"Anything useful you learn any time is a good thing," Spiller conceded.
Finally when Tom could hardly keep his eyes open any longer they said goodbye. Tom gave Spiller a hardboiled egg as a goodbye present, and Spiller rolled it into the wall and his it in the same shavings that Arrietty had used to hide the egg the time that she and Pod and Homily had to escape the house. Then Spiller went up to bed as well, and climbed into the small bed that Arrietty used to use. He had to admit he missed her. Got to go back to Little Fordham, he thought as he drew his quilt over him.
Spiller slept so long that Grego had to climb the ladder to wake him at tea time. When he came down, Hendreary asked anxiously if young Tom had said anything interesting the night before. As Spiller buttered a piece of bread he explained to them how Tom had been promised the groundskeeper's job when his grandfather was done. They were all glad to hear this. Hendreary was especially pleased for him.
"We're used to him, you see," he said, taking a sip of tea.
To Spiller's annoyance, though, Halberd wanted to know if Spiller would go with him back to Daubery's place. He planned to stay there until the wedding. Sateen he said, had promised to make him a new suit for it, and he wanted to be there for fittings. Halberd thought it would be too crowded in the knife box boat if Spiller had to bring Lupy, Hendreary, Arrietty and him to the wedding. Spiller knew this sudden concern for his boat was really based on Halberd's longing to see Hemiola again, but he finally agreed, if Halberd could be packed to go by nightfall.
"I need to get on my way," Spiller said soberly. "I got lots to do."
After the meal, Halberd went to pack his things, and Lupy got tearful. "I can't believe he's getting married," she sniffled into a handkerchief.
"Don't worry, old girl," Hendreary told her, patting her shoulder. "We'll get to see the wedding, and perhaps we can even go visit once in awhile if Spiller's willing to take us, and Halberd and his young lady can come visit us."
Spiller sighed. He had not planned on becoming a taxi service, but all he could do was nod and try to console Lupy until he and Halberd could get out of there and get to Daubery's house. He would have to sort that out with Halberd later.
By that time Arrietty had not seen Spiller for over a month. That was the longest she had gone without seeing him since they were trapped in the attic. At first she did not mind. She was happy for Halberd and happy that Spiller was helping him get ready for his new life. She also knew that Spiller had other places to go and things to do. She was also well aware that when he did return they would start the process of moving to the mill, which she was not looking forward to. Better to stay at Little Fordham as long as possible. Summer at Little Fordham was not the same without Spiller, though. They'd had so much fun the year before.
Arrietty and Homily decided to go ahead and work on clothes while they were waiting for Spiller to come back. They took dropped handkerchiefs and scarves and started making more new dresses and aprons for themselves and some shirts for Pod.
Several times when Arrietty got bored and went for a walk with her father when he was scavenging after the visitors had left she found scraps of fabric near the spot where Miss Menzies always stopped when she was trying to stay out of sight of the Crown. These were always suitable for Pod's jackets, vests and trousers. He was puzzled as to how they had come to be there but Arrietty was not.
Homily also began to make a shirt and pair of trousers for Spiller, to wear to the wedding, she said.
"He won't take it," said Arrietty. "He'd rather die than wear it."
"None the less, I'm going to try to civilize him a bit," Homily answered firmly. "I won't make it anything too fitted, too tight, but just something a bit more regular than fur and leather. If he can wear Lupy's clothes, he can wear mine."
The shirt was a sort of tunic, with long sleeves. It looked like something Arrietty had seen once in a history book the boy at Firbank had asked her to read to him. It was sort of a peasant shirt if she was remembering right. It had a roomy body gathered to the yoke throughout the back, front and sleeves, and looked comfortable enough. It has a long tail that would not hinder Spiller's movement and the sleeves were a bit puffy with bead buttons at the cuffs.
"I wish I could get him to wear a cravat," Homily said with a sigh, when Arrietty admitted it was smart looking, "but it's no use pushing too hard."
The trousers were lightweight wool, quite loose and had a high rise. They had two sideseam pockets that Homily thought might make them more acceptable to Spiller, and a button fly, with buttons for braces, although Arrietty wasn't sure if they'd be able to convince Spiller to actually wear suspenders.
Those were heavy duty, made out of canvas, with leather trim made with leftover scraps from shoes Pod had made. When the whole outfit was done, it was quite impressive, but at the same time comfortable and casual looking. Arrietty hoped Spiller would at least appreciate the work that had gone into it and not say something rude.
Pod began to make them all extra pairs of shoes, and Homily and Arrietty started knitting socks, jumpers and pullovers. Homily made Pod a handsome jumper out of white yarn in a pattern like Irish fishermen wore. A group of visitors had come to see the railroad wearing cream colored Aran sweaters, speaking to Mr. Pott in the sweetest of Irish brogues. They had worked in the Ballingarry Coal Mines and had quite a lot to talk to him about. He had stumped about the village with them and their families long after the railroad usually closed for the day and then Mr. Pott had invited them in for tea with Miss Menzies.
Pod, Homily and Arrietty had been waiting for the human beings to leave so Pod could have a quick whip around and see if the visitors had left any good borrowings that day. He and Arrietty had sneaked out and followed them about at closing time as they talked and walked back to the house.
According to the miners, the type of coal they had mined was called anthracite and was a hard, virtually smokeless fuel with relatively low ash content, but they had to admit it still led to nasty air quality and they had sad stories to tell of mining-related deaths. They said that in the 1840s, which had been the peak years, 50,000 tons of coal per year was extracted from their mines. That impressed Mr. Pott.
Pod and Arrietty found the miners fascinating, but didn't listen for too long. They had other business to take care of. While Miss Menzies gave biscuits and milk to the children and tea and cakes to the women, and Mr. Pott gave a somewhat harder beverage to the men, Pod managed with Arrietty's help to borrow a roll of twine and a spool of wire from Mr. Pott's workshop. Pod thought it might come in handy at the mill.
As they dragged it back to the pub, Arrietty said shortly, "How are we ever going to get everything to the mill? Spiller's boat won't hold all this."
"It will take more than one trip," Pod admitted. "I hope Spiller gets back soon. The summer's waning."
They had to put these things into Spiller's downstairs bedroom to get them out of the way. Then they went in to have dinner and tell Homily all about the Irish visitors.
"Imagine that!" She exclaimed. "They came all that way and stopped here? Little Fordham is that famous? Who would have thought it?"
"Mr. Pott and Miss Menzies are very clever!" Arrietty said loyally. "I wish Spiller could have been here. He would have liked all of those stories about the mines. When do you suppose he will come?"
"Soon, I'm sure," Homily said, patting Arrietty on the shoulder. "He's all right, Arrietty. Nothing ever happens to Spiller."
But he did not come that week or the week after. It was getting into August and even Homily was beginning to worry. Pod was not worried, but he was anxious. "He has lots of things to do," Pod conceded, "and I'm sure Daubery and Hendreary are having him pick up things for the wedding, but I wish he'd come back. I know he and Halberd are probably trying to get chestnuts stored and fish and game smoked for the winter, and Sateen and Spiller's friend Arista probably wants all sorts of fruit to make jam with. That has to be done now but I'd like to be setting up at the mill, too."
Homily looked up alarmed. "You aren't thinking of trying to go without him are you? Pod, I don't want to risk the river without Spiller. Even if we could make a raft or a boat or something, I wouldn't want to try it. We're comfortable here and managing all right."
"Yes, but winter will be here before you know it," Pod started to say and Homily threw up her hands.
"Don't talk to me about winter! You know how it vexes me."
"Spiller won't leave us here over winter," Arrietty said, "but we could make jam, too. There are still some blackberries and strawberries down by the river and we've got plenty of sugar. Why don't we try it, Mother?"
"What will we put it in?" Homily asked, and Arrietty thought about this.
"I think Miss Menzies has some little containers we could use. I could borrow them one day when she and Mr. Pott go out." Having said this, though, she had to take a piece of paper out of her desk and with one of her precious miniature pencils write a note:
Dear Miss Menzies,
Mother and I want to make jam. Can
you think of anything we can use to put
it in? Please let me know. If you find
something put it on the back step.
Thank you.
Your friend,
Arrietty Clock
She slipped into the kitchen one afternoon after she had seen Miss Menzies and Mr. Pott go to town and left in the sewing basket, right on top. When she came home she told her mother that she hadn't been able to get into the room where she and Spiller had gone borrowing before and that she would try again as soon as it was safe. She kept checking and after two days there was a neat little cardboard box with a lid on the porch. It was so heavy that Arrietty wished that she had told Miss Menzies to leave it at their usual spot behind the alder tree near the pub but by getting her hand under one side of the lid Arrietty was able to drag it home.
When she got near the Crown and Anchor she was hot and sweaty. Pod had to come out to help her. Inside the box were a dozen small jars with lids. They all speculated on what they had been intended for but whatever they were they were just right for jam.
"The box would make a lovely trunk for our new clothes," Homily said. "We could pack up all of the things we made that we don't need to use now and have them ready to take to the mill. If," she added, "Spiller would only come. Where is that boy?"
Arrietty wondered too, but the next two evenings were spent down by the river picking berries and during the day they made the jam. Wandering along the river bank though, with Spiller's burlap bags, Arrietty wondered where he was and what he was doing that was taking so long. Was he sick? Hurt? Had he just decided she was not the right girl for him after all? Had he found someone else? Picturing Spiller with a phantom girl, who always had thick ankles in Arrietty's mind, made her furious. She took her anger out on the poor berries as she chopped and crushed them while Homily melted some of the wax she had gotten from Lupy to seal the jars. Lids were fine for the moment but in the long term the jars needed more protection from spoiling.
As the days passed, Arrietty began to be tense with worry and snapped at her parents more than she should have. She began to spend a lot of time in her room, punching her pillow with anger and weeping herself to sleep. She knew Spiller had not meant to be gone so long and began to worry again that he was in a gypsy's bird cage being exhibited at the fair, or that he had been drowned on a storm, or shut in somewhere. She missed looking at his black eyes sparkling as they looked back at her, his v-shaped smile, and his shaggy black hair. She missed his laugh. She missed him physically, too, his kisses and the feel of his arms around her and the wonderful ways he had of touching her.
Please, she whispered to herself, Spiller please come home.