A/N: Hello, all you lovely people! Here's a massive chapter to tide you over til Wednesday or so, as I'll be in NYC for the next day and a half. I warn you though, I'm running out of already-written chapters, so updates won't be daily starting next week. Lots more story to go, though.

Special shout out to a few guest reviewers to whom I really wish I could respond personally. Some of your messages truly moved me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. To the reviewers to whom I *can* respond, know that I am still working through a few replies but I truly appreciate your love and support.

Musical selection here is "Fever," the Peggy Lee version (although there's a great Ray Charles/Natalie Cole one out there, too). :) Please pardon any typos, this hasn't really been beta'd since I rewrote half of it.

xx

CSotA

Saturday, September 23

7:00 a.m.

Church fair

The morning of the fair was sunny but cold. Elsie flew through her farm jobs, knowing both she and Anna would be busy until dinner with the bake sale table. It was one of the biggest money-makers at the entire fair, and they'd been organizing it together for the past three years. The main draw was Anna's amazing apple crisp, but Elsie always made dozens of batches of Scottish shortbread which they knew would sell out by mid-afternoon. They'd spent the last three evenings (along with Phyllis, Beryl, and Bill) cooking their hearts out. All Elsie had to do was swing by The Cheeky Devil and pick it all up at eight.

She was in her truck at 7:50, bundled up in a sweater she knew she'd probably be shedding by nine. There was not a cloud in the sky and only a gentle sea breeze, so her long-sleeved tee and jeans would be perfectly adequate. Elsie was really looking forward to spending the day in the fresh air, with friends stopping by the table all day. And what made it better was that the money raised by the bake sale would go directly to providing coats, hats, and mittens for students in the community this winter. Misty Cove was a successful fishing and farming community, but it certainly wasn't affluent by any means.

And what makes today even better than that is that Charles and Daisy will be coming by. I think.

She took a deep breath as she flipped the directional on to pull into the restaurant's back lot. As she slid the gear shift into park, she exhaled again and leaned back on the headrest, trying to figure out what the hell was going on inside her head. She had no business wanting to get involved with the parent of one of her students, and she barely knew Charles at all. And yet she didn't even care that she didn't know him that well because she felt like she'd known him forever. The thought scared the life out of her, too, because Elsie had never felt that way about a man … not even Joe. And that was saying something, given that she'd once thought she and Joe would always be together, that she'd always have her family.

Yes, your family. And that's really the elephant in the room, isn't it, Elsie?

She knew she'd have to tell Charles about all that sooner or later, it couldn't be avoided, even if they were only ever just friends. She'd be mortified if she didn't tell him and he heard it from someone else down the road. Plus, it somehow didn't seem fair that she knew quite a bit about his life with Alice but he knew nothing about her past.

The thing was, she didn't want to be just his friend, and she was becoming quite suspicious that he didn't want to be just her friend. She'd seen something in his eyes when she touched his arm that day, a fleeting glimpse of something that he'd hidden immediately. But Elsie was perceptive, and she could read people exceptionally well - it was part of what made her a good nurse, particularly with children; she could see how people were feeling almost better than they could explain it.

And Charles had felt something, she was certain of it. She'd thought at first that it was unease, but the more she reflected on it the more she thought it was something like … surprise, perhaps. She found that exciting, because it offered a glimmer of hope; it was also frightening, because addressing it meant peeling away the familiar layers of protection that surrounded her heart.

Sigh.

All Elsie knew for sure was that every time that she'd seen Charles either before or after school, his warm smile always made her heart skip a beat.

She finally got out of the truck, having decided that she'd see what today brought. After all, she did offer to help Daisy make Charles a pie at some point. If it came out exceptionally well, then there'd be that.

Whistling, she knocked on the back door of the Devil.

11:30 a.m.

"Elsie, we need another tray!" Anna called.

"I'm on it!" She moved out from behind the sales table and made her way into the church, grabbed two more trays of crisp and brought them to Anna. "How's the ice cream?"

"Doing fine there," Anna answered, scooping what felt like the thousandth helping of apple crisp for the girl at the front of the line. Anna recognized her; the girl was one of the kids who'd shown up for therapy at the barn last year. She handed the crisp over with a wink.

"Thank you, Anna," the little girl said softly.

"You're welcome," she replied. "Come visit sometime, hm?"

The girl and her mother both nodded, then made way for the next guest.

"Two, please," came Charles's rumbling voice, "and one package of the shortbread."

Elsie's head flew up. "Well, hello there!" She could feel herself blushing and cursed herself for it. "Coming right up," she added hastily.

Elsie handed Charles the shortbread package and greeted Daisy with a smile as they waited for Anna to portion out the crisp.

"Did you get the apples?" she asked with a wink.

Daisy nodded quickly, smiling a semi-toothless grin as she did so.

"Oh! You've lost a tooth! Congratulations!" Elsie said.

Daisy pulled on Charles's sleeve and he bent down. "What is it, petal?"

She whispered in his ear and he frowned. "I told you we weren't going to press, Daisy …"

Elsie looked at them with a furrowed brow, but then Anna passed her the bowls.

"Here you are," she said, "and that'll be ten fifty."

Charles dug out his wallet and handed over a twenty, telling Elsie to donate the change to their proceeds. Daisy continued pulling at his arm, causing Charles to sigh loudly.

"Fine," he grumbled, defeated.

He looked at Elsie. "Daisy would like to know when you'd be free to help her make the pie. I did tell her we wouldn't be pushy about it," he added, shooting Daisy a cross look that she ignored.

"Oh, it's no worry, really. It'll be my pleasure. How's tomorrow, after church perhaps? I've got nothing going on, and the apples are so fresh … it'd be a shame to let them sit."

"That would work, I think," Charles said thoughtfully.

"Good. Perhaps you can just leave her at the farm for the afternoon?" Elsie added, winking at Daisy. "Because it really should be a surprise when he sees it, shouldn't it, Daisy?"

Daisy beamed at her, nodding some more.

"And we can sneak in some time with Scarlett and Star, too, perhaps?" Elsie added, after which Charles thought Daisy would simply burst with excitement.

"I do believe that's a plan," he smirked. "And I'll be able to get some work done at the same time, which is even better. I'll bring her by around … two?"

"Perfect." She smiled sweetly, burying her nerves, but they had to move on quickly as the line was starting to build up again.

"See you at church, then," she called.

Whew.

Sunday, September 24

One last look in the mirror, then Elsie grabbed her purse and headed out the door. She had changed three times and still was unhappy with her outfit. No matter now - she'd be late for church if she changed it one more time - so the black trousers and slightly-fitted jade sweater it would have to be. She knew she looked good, though, and smiled as she climbed into the truck.

The drive to church took about ten minutes. Some Peggy Lee came on the satellite radio, and Elsie cracked open the windows and turned up the music, singing along:

Sun lights up the daytime

Moon lights up the night

I light up when you call my name

And you know I'm gonna treat you right

You give me fever when you kiss me

Fever when you hold me tight

Fever in the mornin'

A fever all through the night…

Elsie leaned over and flipped the radio off, images of Charles holding her in the wee hours of the morning flitting through her head.

Get a grip, woman!

Five minutes after Elsie settled herself in a pew she noticed the Carsons sneak into the church during the opening prayer. They ended up sitting across the aisle and two pews ahead of her, and she smirked as Charles looked around and did a double-take when he spotted her.

Yes, she thought, perhaps this was the right sweater after all.

She managed to make it through all the hymns, happy that they were all favorites of hers today. She tried to look ahead and not let her mind or eyes wander back to Charles and Daisy … until the closing hymn, that is, when she was distracted by Daisy reach for the hymnal.

No …

But - yes, she's moving her lips. Elsie wasn't sure if Daisy was actually singing, but she could see her progressing through the hymn.

For the first time, she wondered what kind of voice Daisy had. Was it deep like her father's, or soft and lilting? High-pitched, perhaps, to match her small stature? Did she sing? Would she speak like the other schoolchildren, or would she have her father's fine elocution? If she did speak like Charles, would that be a problem? Would she be bullied?

And then she shook her head and forced her thoughts back to the service, before she was caught staring.

Unfortunately, she had been caught already, for Mary Carlisle was watching Elsie with no small amount of interest.

The Volvo pulled into the drive at two o'clock on the dot and Max went running out, already recognizing the car as the one that carried his new friend. He sat at the edge of the walkway and wagged his tail, then jumped up and headed straight for Daisy's welcoming arms as soon as she stepped out. Charles just shook his head, knowing how much Daisy wanted a dog and hoping that Max could be some small substitute for having one of her own.

"Hello!" came Elsie's voice from down the driveway. "I'll be up in a moment!"

Charles walked down the drive, leaving Daisy and Max to play, and tried to determine where Elsie's voice had come from.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" he called. But then he turned the corner around the house and promptly bumped into her … well, to be more accurate, into her bale of hay.

"No, I'm all set - just need to drop this in the barn," Elsie answered, blowing a wisp of hair out of her face. She was carrying the hay by holding on to the two straps that bound it, and he appreciated how the muscles were so noticeable in her forearms. He wondered if her legs were just as strong - they must be, he reasoned - and he wondered how they'd feel wrapped around-

"Charles?" Her voice broke through his thoughts, and he flushed dramatically, faking a cough to try and cover up the embarrassment.

"Are you alright?" She hefted the bundle higher and continued on toward the barn, an amused look on her face that he couldn't quite see as he trailed behind her.

"Fine - a tickle," he gasped.

Elsie just raised an eyebrow in his general direction and tossed the hay on the barn floor.

He looked at her properly then, realizing something.

"You changed your clothes," he uttered stupidly.

Elsie's laugh caught him off guard. "Oh, very good, Charles," she teased. "I do try not to do farm chores in cashmere," she added lightly. "Would you care to stay for a bit?"

"No, I'll head home, if that's alright with you. Daisy has instructions to text me on your phone if anything … happens," he finished weakly, his gaze willing Elsie to understand. "It that's alright," he added quickly.

"Of course. I'll see that she does if need be, but I have faith that we'll be fine. Shall we say … five thirty?"

"Perfect."

Elsie walked him back to his car, heading around to his driver's side door and laying her hand on the open door, each of them remembering the conversation outside of the restaurant.

"She's really looking forward to this. Thank you," he said sincerely. Then he paused, trying to find a way to voice the rest.

"You and Miss Baxter have both been so very patient with Daisy, and very caring. She values that more than you know, I think. I'm sure you'll be fine alone together, but if you need me for anything …"

Elsie smiled sweetly. "That's kind of you to say, and I appreciate it. And don't worry, we will be fine," she reassured him, reaching in to squeeze his shoulder gently before withdrawing her hand. "Until five thirty."

"Yes," Charles managed, his shoulder tingling where she'd just touched it. "See you then."

"Alright, Daisy, here's what we're going to do," Elsie said, pushing a pad of paper across the table toward the girl.

They were seated in her dining area. Elsie had fetched Daisy from the side yard, where she'd been tumbling around with Max, and had sent her in to get washed up. That task completed, she'd sat her at the table with a cup of tea, a snack, a pencil, and a pad of notebook paper.

"I've been making this since I was a little girl," Elsie said quietly, "and I have it memorized. But you are going to need to write it down, alright?"

Nod.

"Alright, so we start with very cold butter, cut into pieces …" Elsie dictated the recipe slowly and patiently while Daisy wrote it down, ingredient by ingredient, stopping only to spell "shortening" and "vinegar" when Daisy's brow furrowed. Elsie noticed that the girl had the habit of sticking the tip of her tongue out when she concentrated on something, and Daisy caught her looking and pulled her tongue back in her mouth instantly.

Elsie chuckled. "Oh, don't mind me. I chew on my lip when I'm worried or concentrating - it helps me focus, I think," she said. "I was forever being spoken to about it when I was a young lass, but it did no good," she added with a wink. Daisy's shoulder shuddered briefly, and Elsie realized that the girl had almost laughed. She smiled at her, and got up to refill their tea.

Progress, perhaps? She added the milk and sugar and returned to the table. "Alright, so what we'll do is measure out all the ingredients first, and then put the crust together. It needs to go in the refrigerator for a bit so that it's quite cold when we use it. While we're waiting for that, we can go out and spend some time with the horses, and then come back in and get the apples ready. How does that sound?"

Nod.

"Have you ever cooked before, Daisy?"

Daisy looked sad, and shook her head: No.

"But … you would like to learn?" Elsie enquired, tilting her head as she considered the girl before her.

Nod.

"Alright, then, we'll see what we can do."

Elsie brought the girl into the kitchen and dug through the cabinets for a mixing bowl and the appropriate measuring materials.

"I learned to cook as a lass in Scotland, and things are measured differently here, as you know from school. We'll measure the ingredients on the scale to be sure they're exact; otherwise, the crust would be either too hard or would fall apart."

She proceeded to show Daisy how to use the food scale, the flour sifter, and how to cut the butter in small cubes. Daisy looked a bit afraid at the size of the knife, but Elsie reassured her.

"It is sharp, but it's easier to cut yourself when it's dull, even though that sounds wrong. Just be careful, and keep your hands out of the way of the blade." She placed the butter on the marble board, and helped Daisy with the first cut. The knife sliced through the butter easily, and Daisy was instantly relieved, and she made quick work of the rest.

"Now we just combine it all in the bowl, in the order in which we have it written down."

Daisy consulted the recipe and added the ingredients slowly, mindful not to spill the flour everywhere.

"Very good," Elsie encouraged, gently patting her on the shoulder. She handed Daisy a pastry cutter, and showed her how to use it. Well, this is where our lesson can all fall apart, Elsie thought, knowing that cutting the ingredients together was a pain.

But Daisy managed admirably, landing very little of the ingredients on the counter. She was clearly frustrated with how long it took, but - of course - didn't voice a complaint.

"Excellent, Daisy! Now we add in the other ingredients …" She helped Daisy follow through the instructions, praising her for doing such a splendid job.

"Now just toss some flour on the board, then put the dough onto it and pat it out a bit with your hands. Then divide it in half, and roll it out into two circles." She demonstrated, then left Daisy to finish the job. Once they had two fairly uniform circles, Elsie wrapped them and set them in the refrigerator to chill.

"Let's wash up and head on outside, shall we? Did you bring an extra apple for Star and Scarlett?"

Nod.

"Then let's go! They'll love you forever, you know."

The rest of the afternoon passed very easily. Daisy helped Elsie to brush the horses down, and Elsie noticed her whispering in Scarlett's ear.

Perfect, Elsie thought warmly. What a kind soul you are, Daisy Carson.

After about an hour, they went back in. Elsie helped Daisy to peel the apples, but she made Daisy cut them into small pieces for the filling. They measured out sugar and cinnamon, added a touch of ground clove and nutmeg, and a spoonful of cornstarch. Daisy mixed it all together in the bowl, and then Elsie showed her how to roll out the crust and place it into the pie dish by folding it over the rolling pin. Daisy finished assembling everything, vented the top crust and applied an egg wash, and popped it in the oven. It then occurred to Elsie that they'd still have a little over an hour to kill.

"How would you like to meet the chickens?" Elsie asked. Daisy smiled and nodded, and Elsie handed her a basket.

"I was supposed to gather the eggs this morning, but I didn't have a chance," Elsie admitted, thinking back to her wardrobe struggle. "I bet there are at least ten eggs out there today. We'll gather them and get them in this basket, then get the girls outside for a bit, alright?"

Elsie had Daisy put the barn boots on again, and they made their way into the chicken coop. Daisy was naturally a bit skittish, the loud clucking in the small hen house being rather overwhelming, but Elsie encouraged her to just approach the hens calmly.

"Leave that one be," Elsie warned, pointed to a Silkie at the end of the row. "She won't like you touching her eggs and she might peck at you. I'll get hers when we've done the others. Now," she coached, "just like this …"

A few minutes later, Daisy had obtained five eggs and Elsie three.

"Not quite what I'd hoped for, but not bad regardless. Now, you must wash your hands before we do anything else, as these eggs haven't been treated and can carry bacteria."

Daisy nodded and washed up at the laundry sink Elsie had rigged up in the adjacent barn, and then she helped Elsie put the chickens out and feed them.

Daisy thought this was the best day she'd had in ages. She absolutely loved Ms. Hughes, and she knew her Papa liked her as well. He smiled a bit when they discussed her, and he'd certainly been talking about her and the farm a lot. At first, Daisy wasn't sure what to make of that, but she decided not to worry about it. Everyone loved Ms. Hughes at school - even that bully boy Thomas had a kind word to say for her. Come to think of it, Daisy recalled seeing him in the nurse's office several times since she started at school, but it didn't matter. Daisy spent a lot of time in Miss Baxter's office and certainly wouldn't want to have to explain that to anyone.

But today was the best day yet. She'd gone to church with her Papa and her favorite hymn had been sung. She almost allowed herself to join in, but decided she'd just mouth the words. She heard Ms. Hughes singing, though - her voice had carried clearly throughout the small church and it was very pretty. Daisy loved music, and wondered of Ms. Hughes sang outside of church as well.

Perhaps, someday, I can ask her.

Daisy struggled so much with wanting to speak, but she just didn't feel ready yet. She knew that when you talk to people you can become close to them. She couldn't bear the thought of not speaking with her Papa, but she knew that if she spoke to anyone else they'd want to ask questions about her Mummy: why she moved away, how she died, how Daisy was feeling, and other things that Daisy didn't want to talk about at all.

But Ms. Hughes just might be different. She never said anything to Daisy about her Mummy, and Daisy knew that Ms. Hughes knew things. She was friends with Auntie Edith, and also with Miss Baxter, and they knew everything about what happened to her Mummy.

But Ms. Hughes never brought Mummy up, she just did fun things with Daisy and, today, even taught her how to cook something, how to measure and pour and mix and roll out the dough, how to cut the apples. She shared a recipe from her own family, and Daisy thought that she was a very lucky girl to have that happen, because certainly no one else from the school was getting to learn those things from the nurse. It made her feel special, and important … and cared for.

She indicated with a wave of her hand that she wanted to go back in the barn, and Ms. Hughes nodded. Daisy went back in so that she could pet Scarlett; she whispered all of her feelings into the horse's non-judgmental ear … and received a nuzzle on her neck in return. It tickled, and she let out a little giggle.

Elsie smiled as she heard the sweet, angelic sound … and just kept on walking by the barn door.

Ahhh, Scarlett, my beautiful girl. Good job … you just keep loving on that little lass, and she'll come around eventually.

Daisy joined Elsie in the house just as the timer was buzzing.

"Time to see what we've got!" Elsie said. Daisy left the boots out on the front step (they were rather disgusting after having been in the hen house) and rushed into the kitchen, stopping to wash her hands at the sink.

"Good girl," Elsie praised, and Daisy felt quite proud of herself.

Elsie handed Daisy two oven mitts and had her put them on. Daisy furrowed her brow, questioning.

"Oh, yes, you are taking it out, lass," Elsie said encouragingly. "All I've done was peel a couple of apples and show you how to divide the crust. This is most certainly your pie."

Daisy took a deep breath and nodded, and Elsie opened the oven door.

Daisy had thought the house smelled quite lovely when she'd come in, but it was nothing compared to the smell that assaulted her senses now, and the only thing she could think of was how much her Papa was going to love this pie.

The surface was golden brown, just the right color, and she could see the filling was thick and bubbly as she peeked through the little design that she'd cut into the top crust. She already knew how heavy it was, and Ms. Hughes was standing by with her own oven mitts 'just in case,' but Daisy managed it on her own, grateful that Ms. Hughes had set the pie on a sheet pan in case it dripped, because it was much easier to grasp that way. The tip of her tongue sticking out, Daisy carried the tray carefully to the trivets on the counter and set it down.

"Well done, Daisy! Your Papa is going to be thrilled with this," Elsie said. Then she squinted her eyes a bit and raised an eyebrow at Daisy and added, "Are you sure this is your first pie? You're not tricking me, are you?"

Daisy giggled, then promptly covered her mouth with both hands, forgetting that her hands were stuffed into pot holders and softly slapping herself with the mitts. That made Elsie laugh as well, which in turn made Daisy dissolve into a fit of quiet - but audible - giggles.

They didn't hear Charles's car pull up, nor did they hear Max bark from the other end of Elsie's property. When he knocked on the screen door he was drawn to the sound of Elsie's laughter, and any worries he'd had about how Daisy had done vanished instantly.

He was not, however, prepared for the scene which greeted him as he let himself into the house; for there, seated on the kitchen floor and leaning against the refrigerator and its neighboring cabinet, were Elsie and Daisy - laughing hysterically, tears pouring down their faces as they wiped at them with oven mitts … something that was apparently causing them to laugh even more.

"Daisy?" he called softly, not wanting to startle them. "What on Earth …?"

Daisy looked up at her Papa and jumped up from the floor. She ran over to him and enveloped him in a hug, tugging frantically on his arm as she started to hiccup from all the laughing. He bent down to hear her.

"Papa! I had the most wonderful time! Wait until you see the pie!" she whispered ecstatically.

His eyes traveled over to Elsie, who was just getting up off the floor.

"Well, hello there," she said, gasping for air as she got her laughter under control.

"It's a shame you ladies didn't have any fun," he said, winking at Daisy.

"Isn't it?" Elsie said, smiling brilliantly. "By the way," she added, "your daughter has the potential to be a fabulous cook. I peeled exactly three apples today, and she did everything - and I mean everything - else."

His bushy eyebrows flew up as he contemplated both his daughter and Elsie. "Even the cutting?" he asked, concerned.

"Even the cutting," Elsie nodded. "She was quite careful, and I was right there. But she was not afraid, which is the first step. You should cook with Daisy at home, you know! She's quite a good student and very eager to learn."

"Perhaps I shall," he said, smiling fondly at his daughter. "Now, where is this pie that I could smell from my car?"

Daisy pulled his hand, tugging him over to the counter.

"You did not make this," Charles stated as soon as he saw the pie. "You bought this from The Cheeky Devil."

Daisy shook her head frantically, and his eyes widened in mock amazement. "Truly - this is really yourdoing? Daisy, this is lovely."

Daisy beamed, and Elsie felt a powerful feeling creep into her chest as she watched them. She recognized it immediately and tried, somewhat successfully, to banish it before it could take root.

"Let me just go get a box for that, to keep it safe in the car," she muttered, heading down the basement stairs quickly. She went over to the shelf where she kept empty box tops from the cases of paper at school, which she'd found long ago were useful for a variety of things. She reached up and wiped angrily at her tears, willing them to go away until the Carsons left.

She rolled a clean towel and nestled it around the edges of the box, then put another smaller cloth in the bottom so that the heat from the pie wouldn't scorch the cardboard. She took another moment to get her emotions fully under control and then headed back upstairs.

"Here we go," she said, a bit too cheerfully. "The pie will be fine in this. Just set it on the floor of the car and it shouldn't move."

"Would you like to join us for dinner, and share in the pie as dessert?" Charles offered suddenly.

Elsie offered a half smile, but shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. I have some paperwork to get caught up on, I'm afraid, but I thank you for the invitation. You'll have to let me know what you think of the pie, though."

Charles felt his heart sink a little, but nodded. "I shall." He mentally flipped through his calendar, then added, "How about on Friday? The weather should be nice and Max could run on the beach with Daisy?"

Elsie cocked her head, contemplating. "That might work … but let me bring dinner this time." She looked at Daisy. "Do you like pizza?"

Emphatic nod.

"That sounds like an excellent plan," Charles said, smiling. He looked at Daisy and asked, "Are you ready, petal?"

Daisy nodded again and Charles retrieved the box from the counter, into which Daisy placed her carefully-folded recipe. She started to follow her Papa to the door, then stopped and turned. She ran back to Elsie and wrapped her up in a fierce hug.

"I am glad you had fun, Daisy," Elsie said.

Daisy looked up at her, contemplated something, and nodded.

"I did," she whispered. She nodded again, then turned and ran back to her Papa, smiling at the astonished look on his face.

"Have a good evening, Elsie - and thank you, again," he said meaningfully. He was clearly still in awe, and Elsie nodded and smiled.

"You are most welcome."

She stood at the door and watched them get into the car, kept watching as Charles placed the pie on the floor of the back seat and as Daisy buckled her seat belt.

"Keep an eye on that," Elsie heard him say as he pointed to the pie, and she saw Daisy nod.

As they pulled away, Elsie was rooted to the spot, watching the car as it got smaller and smaller until, at last, it disappeared completely around the corner of her street.

She reached up and wiped at her face again, having finally let the tears fall. Today's experience with Daisy wasn't at all what Elsie expected. She often had children from school at her home, of course, because some of them were sent to her for the equine therapy program. She'd never cooked with them, but that was such a small detail.

But never had she allowed a child to get as close to her as Daisy had in the short time since the Carsons had come to Misty Cove, and she almost cursed herself for it now. That little girl, in all her sweetness - and her Papa, in all his glorious kindness - were implanting themselves into Elsie's heart in a way that she was no longer able to fight. She knew she'd have to be very, very careful if anything further came of it, but she couldn't help but feel that glimmer of hope once again.

Elsie finally accepted today that she cared a great deal for Daisy, and for Charles as well, and it wasn't just that she was attracted to Charles's good looks or charmed by Daisy's sweetness, but that she truly cared for them in a way that was more than just professional or even neighborly. Having been witness to the young lass's laughter – and having actually heard a whisper of her voice - had stopped Elsie dead in her tracks, and it had brought to the surface feelings that she'd buried long ago, on the day Joe had died.

She wasn't sure, but she felt she might finally be ready to keep those feelings unearthed, to deal with them once and for all this time.

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