Anne had heard about Joe and Pearl of course. Such a juicy gossip had soon spread all over town, down to the last little ghaut and back alley. Kate had said Joe was an idiot. Anne thought Miss Pearl looked rather pretty and she had been very nice and polite when Anne had met her, and not looking down her nose at all like some rich girls did. Anne couldn't judge her for her murderer brother without condemning herself. And if they loved each other, what did it matter that they were from different classes? At least they had married for love.

When Mrs. Blacke looked at her, she blushed and turned her eyes down. She wasn't used to being looked at for long, unless it was other girls making fun of her red hair or stout body. And that always made her blush and turn her eyes down. Mrs. Blacke called her beautiful... She dared not believe it.

Anne felt even more uncomfortable and self-conscious, when Mrs. Blacke said her hair needed fixing. She had just braided it when leaving home, and it had been wet and easier to manage too! Did it look so bad?

She stood in the middle of kitchen, face redder than her hair, and afraid to move. "Do ye like Miss Pearl, Mrs. Blacke?" Anne asked when the woman returned. She was eager to turn the conversation away from herself.