Pat's hands worked coiling rope, his sleeves pushed up to the elbows exposing thick forearms. The two figures on the shore were no longer there. Oh they were here instead. It was his cousin Anne with her fiery bushel of hair and a friend hurrying down the pier. The friend seemed less than eager, like a dog that didn't want to follow its master.

"Ello Anne. Was that you wavin'?"

"Aye, 't was," said Anne still holding Ellie's hand so she couldn't escape. "'Ave ye met me friend, Ellie?"

If Ellie and Pat ended up getting married, Ellie and her would be kind of like sisters.

Ellie was thrust in front of Anne without a chance to object, like some sort of prize catch. He was cute close up too, broad chested, strong arms, and curly hair. Ellie felt suddenly very red in her cheeks, and found the ground quite interesting.

Ellie looked quite shy all of a sudden. "Ellie's a maid!" Anne tried to help her. Really, now that she thought about it, Ellie was quite cute, especially when she looked shy. Anne couldn't see why Pat wouldn't be interested in her.

Pat smiled. Anne's friend wore the black smock that all girls who worked as maids seemed to wear. He thought there was a word for that, but he did not know it.

"Aye. I can see that, Anne." Pat said with a thin smile. It was good that his cousin had friends.

Why was Ellie so quiet all of a sudden? She glanced at her friend, and then turned back to Patrick. "What are ye doin'?" she tried to keep the conversation going.

"I'm workin'. Changing ropes. Might head out again 'ere in a few. You girls off today?" Pat had heard his cousin was in domestic service. Maybe that's how the two of them knew each other.

"Just fer t' afternoon," she replied. Why wasn't Ellie talking!? She resisted the urge to nudge her friend. "Can we 'elp ye?"

At her friends nudging Ellie jumped in with a helpful hint. "We can coil this rope fer ye. Me dad works a boat too, so we both know knots." she explained, smiling. He was really handsome. Not at all like those nosepickers at the bandstand.

"Is that so?" Pat smiled. he didn't doubt the girl's skills. With nimble fingers, most fisher girls made short work of knots, some of them were very hand with knives. His cousin was growing up nicely, with that flaming red hair of hers she would catch up to her friend in the looks department eventually and catch herself a gent soon enough. These two could leave a trail of broken hearts along the North Shield coast for sure.

"Well, we snagged some old pots that got tangled up, can you deal with them?" Pat asked pointing to a sopping mass of rope, kelp, and wood.