Anne tried to hide a rather smug smile when the other girl called her smart. Gathering driftwood wasn't even her idea.

She listened to the other girl, impressed with both what she said and the ease with which she talked. There was something careless about Mable. Miss Mable. It had to be a rich girl in old clothes to be so carefree. Surely they had a lot of land in Pennsylvania. That was what she meant with it not being quite a farm, but them having land. It was like the landed families in the area, in their fine manors and parks.

Oh dear... Miss Mable smelled the ocean and fish everywhere. Did Anne smell of fish too? Back in school some girls had told her she did, and they had made up excuses not to sit next to her and made it clear to her when the teacher had turned her back, that it was because they couldn't stand the smell. Unique, Miss Mable called it. At least she had the fine manners the rich prided themselves on.

Anne looked pensive and timid by the time they reached the basket. She picked it up. "I suppose, Miss. I hope its no inconvenience to you. I ah..." She pulled the basket a little further on her hip and nodded at it. "I don't mean to trouble ye any further..."

An inconvenience?  Mable frowned at the words, confused about what Anne was referring to.  Surely not the ocean smell, Mable hoped her words hadn't sounded like she disliked the salty air.  It was different, yes, but in a good way.  Mable loved being able to walk out of the hotel she and her brother were staying in and be reminded of how close the ocean was; just a walk away.

But her thoughts were forgotten when Anne called her Miss.  Mable's surprise was obvious on her face, but she recovered quickly with a smile.  Was it some sort of game, or just a custom of the town?

"It's no trouble at all, Miss!  Would you like some help with your driftwood?  Two hands are better than one, I think, but if you'd rather be on your own..."

Why was the girl calling her Miss, all formal like that? Anne was just an insignificant fisherlass. Fine manners again, she supposed.

Flustered and nervous, she shook her head. "Oh... no, Miss. I didn't mean to send ye away or owt. Or anything!" she corrected herself. "Ye've been very kind, 'elpin' me get me shawl. And I'd love to 'ear more about Pennsylvania. It's just, well, I didn't mean to take up yer time, and all... Of course ye can 'elp if ye like, but I wouldn't want ye to get yer hands soiled on my account and well, there might be splinters that could 'urt yer hands."

Mable listened earnestly to the other girl's words, but couldn't help laughing them off when she was finished.  Anne was so nervous, and Mable couldn't understand why, but she was also very nice and Mable was enjoying their conversation - even if she felt like she was missing something in it.

"I'm used to splinters and soiled clothes, Miss Anne, and I have no plans for the day.  Just exploring town!"  Exploring town alone, at that.  As she made her way through streets and alleys and along the river, Mable hadn't talked with anyone her age.  Until now, that is.

"I would be looking for some work, or a tutor, but I cant keep myself focused when there's so much yet to see in town!  And I don't think my brother or I need a job very urgently just yet.  A very nice man has paid for us to stay at a hotel by the river, do you know Father Brennan?  Well, anyway, the only thing I'm doing now is exploring the beach.  I've already fallen quite in love with it, I think."

Was she really used to that? Did they allow her to run around like a wild young boy in the States? Wealthy young ladies in Whitby would certainly not be permitted to do such a thing. Well, except Miss Pearl - or Mrs. Blacke now, if the gossip was true. But she was a bit odd.

Anne walked along the beach slowly, listening to Miss Mable. She was more and more puzzled by the young girl's words. Why would she need a job? Or did she just mean an occupation? Something to keep her busy, like a charity? She knew some of the girls her age who didn't have to work were part of such all sorts of charities and other clubs. Needing a tutor made more sense. But then who was this father Brennan? And why was he paying for them? And where were their parents?

"I... I'm afraid I don't know 'im, Miss. We're Methodist," she explained. She glanced at Mable's face, considering whether it was appropriate to ask the question. "If... it's not impertinent to ask, Miss... are yer parents not with ye? It's a long way to travel without a guardian... Not... Not that it is my place to criticize the decision, Miss!" She blushed yet again. "I just mean... I didn't mean... I just wondered.... Sorry." That last word was uttered so quietly it was probably lost in the wind.

A Methodist!  Of course.  Mable nodded at the word, though she wasn't entirely sure the difference between that and any other branch of church.  Even her tutor back in the states couldn't explain it well enough for her to understand, and she certainly wasn't going to bother Anne with the question.  Perhaps father Brennan could help.

"Oh, Anne - Miss Anne, you can ask me anything you'd like!" Mable quickly reassured the girl, even if the question did make her a bit nervous.  It was not an uncommon one to ask, she was quickly learning, but at least she was becoming more and more practiced at answering it.

"My parents are not with me, no.  My brother and I are orphans, I suppose, but we're not on our own!  Or, I'm not at least.  My brother's old enough to be a young man, and he's very responsible.  And you're right about it being a long way to travel, Miss Anne, you don't have a clue!  I don't know how they managed to do it, but the ship we were on lost mine and my brothers things, too.  How do you misplace one bag!  It was very upsetting."

Still was, but Mable and her brother were making do.  Did she more than one dress right now anyway..?

Yes.

Well, one day, she would have one hundred dresses, and she'd make sure to never lose a single one.

"What about you, Miss Anne?  Do you have any brothers or sisters?  And what are your thoughts on dresses?"

Miss Anne. She did it again. It made her feel rather funny. Nobody ever spoke to her that formally.

"Oh... I... I'm sorry," she said, when Miss Mable explained that she and her brother were orphans. She supposed if her brother was already that old, he was her guardian. She wasn't certain she understood the bit about the luggage. How had they traveled here with only one bag? But perhaps she had misheard it because of the other girl's accent and the wind.

"Dr-? Uh... I... Uh... Well we were ten of us bai- children, Miss. But some 'ave sadly passed. I 'ave three older sisters and two younger brothers now. But me sisters 'ave all gone and married, so its just me and me brothers and me da' 't 'ome. Uhm... I 'aven't many thoughts on dresses, Miss. I think you yerself'd be the better judge of 'em. I've never worn the fine ones some o' the proper young ladies wear, but those... well, they do look very pretty, Miss." She had stopped because there was a stick on the sands, but she only bent down to pick it up and put it in er basket when she was done talking.

To have ten whole children, and lose nearly half... Mable felt horrible.  She waved off Anne's apologies and offered her own as Anna picked up a stick.

"I'm sorry to hear about your brothers and sisters that have passed, Miss Anne.  That must have been very sad."  She paused to think about the rest of what the other girl had said, already having a response but not wanting to give the impression that she didn't care about the other girls' losses.

"I don't know if I'm the best judge of dresses, but I think about them a lot.  I'd love to wear one with lace one day... a blue one, like the sky.  Or maybe yellow - my brother says yellow is a flattering color on me.  As for you, Miss Anne..."

Mable jumped ahead and turned to face her friend, looking her up and down and up and down with a calculating look.

"Oh, Miss Anne, I think you'd look beautiful in green.  It would go nicely with your hair!  Or pink.  I've always liked pink, but what are your thoughts on it?"

The young girl seemed really a lot more emphatic and humble than most rich young ladies. It could be that Anne didn't really know that many. But she had met that one spoiled young lady who had insulted her for not watching where she was going, and beside that, many would not even consider talking to her. But this girl said she was sorry for her loss and listened respectfully. She even helped her with her work. Anne held out her basket for the stick. "Thank you, Miss."

"Oh, uhm, I've not had a pink dress. I... I don't know." She blushed. "I had a green one for church that I was very fond of, but I've grown out of it. Me mam used to say green goes well with me eyes too. Uhm... Not to brag. I mean... I'd never be as pretty as ye ladies, but.. well... Oh, I do 'ave a nice black one. It was for service, but then... sorry I didn't mean to blabber, Miss. I... I suppose I can picture yellow on ye. I think it'd look real nice, Miss. Uh... Sorry." She pressed her lips together, flustered. Then, eager to draw attention away from her own awkwardness, she asked: "Why don't ye get one with lace, Miss?"

If Anne thought what she was doing was blabbering, Mable would hate to know what she thought she was doing.  Was this girl not used to talking?  Mable couldn't imagine that, especially if she had so many brothers and sisters, but maybe speaking to people outside of her family was troubling Anne.  Mable had a hard time imagining that, too, but she knew her brother was the same way.

She wasn't certain if Anne called her pretty either, or if Anne was referring to other pretty girls, but Mable hoped it was the former.  It wasn't often she was called pretty, not with her complexion and thick hair, and she'd be honored if Anne really thought that of her.

"I wouldn't even know where to start looking for dresses with lace," she said sadly, returning to the other girls side.  "I wouldn't be able to purchase them even if I did.  My brother and I - well, I'm not sure if I should say this, but I like you Miss Anne, so I'll trust you with this; my brother and I do not have very much money.  We've got none in fact, not yet.  That's why my brother and I are looking for work."

Mable kept a finger to her lips as if the gesture itself could keep the secret from spreading.  If that didn't work, the wind was sure to pick it up and cast it to see with no one but Anne the wiser.

"Once we have enough, we're going to pay back Father Brennan for our room and be on our way again!  Or we might stay.  We haven't decided yet, but I think I'd like to stay here.  I'd miss the beach if we left."