on her studies. Smiling to herself, she was fairly certain that Andrew would not mind fewer lessons.
~*~
Abigail closed her eyes momentarily and drew in a deep breath of the cool night air.
Elizabeth reclined beside her. “I think he is incredibly handsome.”
Eyes open again, she looked curiously at her friend. “Who?”
“ Jason.”
Abigail sighed. “Elizabeth, you are married now.”
“ Married, yes. But I am not blind.” Her friend bit her lip almost playfully and leaned against the wall of the house. “I can just imagine what it would feel like to have him kiss me.”
“ Elizabeth!”
Elizabeth laughed at her horror. “You should see yourself, Abigail. How can it be possible that you have never thought of such things? You are older than I. Even before I was given to Cleon, I wondered. And now that I am a wife, I realize how wonderful it can be to know a man. Although Cleon is not the most satisfying.”
Abigail covered her ears with her hands and closed her eyes, more to get her point across than because she was truly shocked by the conversation. “I would retain my purity, Elizabeth. I am yet a maiden.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, her impatience clear. “You cannot be that innocent. No one is. Every woman wonders. Who is the object of your dreams, if not Jason? Andrew?”
She moved her hands to cover her face, resting them on her elbows. “Elizabeth, I do not wish to speak of this.”
“ Why not? Come now. Which of them would you chose?”
She did not want to think about it. Thinking about it could only cause problems. Andrew was her friend, someone she had to work with everyday, and to have entertained such thoughts, however briefly, would cause tension. And the young master was a stranger–and the young master. She could not think of him like that, either. But Elizabeth was in a prodding mood, so she said, “I should hope that, if I am to marry, it will be to an established man of the city. An upstanding Israelite who loves our God and would appreciate the efforts Mistress has put into making me a good wife.”
“ Abigail, you are a boring girl. You want an old man? Well, then take mine. I’ll take one of yours.”
Abigail flushed. “They are not mine. And you cannot simply trade husbands.”
“ Pity.”
Abigail studied her friend, wondering what had happened to the Elizabeth she had thought she knew. It seemed that one day, they were two girls talking about absolutely nothing and having fun doing it, and now they spent their time arguing over the proprieties of men and masters. Ever since that day almost two months ago, every time they had met, it had ended in this way. She wished for nothing more than a resurgence of their past comradery.
The door behind them opened at that moment, sparing Abigail response. Andrew came out and sat down on the other side of Abigail, blessedly oblivious to the conversation that had just passed. “How have you been faring, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth’s dark brows still had a bit of an ironic cock to them. “Well, thank you. But if you will excuse me, I should go attend my husband.” She pushed herself to her feet and left them.
Abigail sighed.
“ You look upset,” Andrew observed in a soft voice, gaze on her profile.
She shook her head. “It is Elizabeth. I know not what to say to her anymore. Ever since she was given to Cleon, our conversations have been on topics of men.”
Andrew breathed a laugh. “You are women now, Abigail. It is natural for conversational topics to change in that way.”
But Abigail shook her head again. “It is not the topic in itself, Andrew. It is Elizabeth. I fear for her.” She turned to meet her friend’s eyes, certain her concern was obvious. “She is not content with her husband and does not mind telling me so. I fear that she will do something irresponsible. And I do not wish to watch my friend destroy her life.”
Andrew arched his brows. “And?”
He knew her too well. “And,” Abigail
~*~
Abigail closed her eyes momentarily and drew in a deep breath of the cool night air.
Elizabeth reclined beside her. “I think he is incredibly handsome.”
Eyes open again, she looked curiously at her friend. “Who?”
“ Jason.”
Abigail sighed. “Elizabeth, you are married now.”
“ Married, yes. But I am not blind.” Her friend bit her lip almost playfully and leaned against the wall of the house. “I can just imagine what it would feel like to have him kiss me.”
“ Elizabeth!”
Elizabeth laughed at her horror. “You should see yourself, Abigail. How can it be possible that you have never thought of such things? You are older than I. Even before I was given to Cleon, I wondered. And now that I am a wife, I realize how wonderful it can be to know a man. Although Cleon is not the most satisfying.”
Abigail covered her ears with her hands and closed her eyes, more to get her point across than because she was truly shocked by the conversation. “I would retain my purity, Elizabeth. I am yet a maiden.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, her impatience clear. “You cannot be that innocent. No one is. Every woman wonders. Who is the object of your dreams, if not Jason? Andrew?”
She moved her hands to cover her face, resting them on her elbows. “Elizabeth, I do not wish to speak of this.”
“ Why not? Come now. Which of them would you chose?”
She did not want to think about it. Thinking about it could only cause problems. Andrew was her friend, someone she had to work with everyday, and to have entertained such thoughts, however briefly, would cause tension. And the young master was a stranger–and the young master. She could not think of him like that, either. But Elizabeth was in a prodding mood, so she said, “I should hope that, if I am to marry, it will be to an established man of the city. An upstanding Israelite who loves our God and would appreciate the efforts Mistress has put into making me a good wife.”
“ Abigail, you are a boring girl. You want an old man? Well, then take mine. I’ll take one of yours.”
Abigail flushed. “They are not mine. And you cannot simply trade husbands.”
“ Pity.”
Abigail studied her friend, wondering what had happened to the Elizabeth she had thought she knew. It seemed that one day, they were two girls talking about absolutely nothing and having fun doing it, and now they spent their time arguing over the proprieties of men and masters. Ever since that day almost two months ago, every time they had met, it had ended in this way. She wished for nothing more than a resurgence of their past comradery.
The door behind them opened at that moment, sparing Abigail response. Andrew came out and sat down on the other side of Abigail, blessedly oblivious to the conversation that had just passed. “How have you been faring, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth’s dark brows still had a bit of an ironic cock to them. “Well, thank you. But if you will excuse me, I should go attend my husband.” She pushed herself to her feet and left them.
Abigail sighed.
“ You look upset,” Andrew observed in a soft voice, gaze on her profile.
She shook her head. “It is Elizabeth. I know not what to say to her anymore. Ever since she was given to Cleon, our conversations have been on topics of men.”
Andrew breathed a laugh. “You are women now, Abigail. It is natural for conversational topics to change in that way.”
But Abigail shook her head again. “It is not the topic in itself, Andrew. It is Elizabeth. I fear for her.” She turned to meet her friend’s eyes, certain her concern was obvious. “She is not content with her husband and does not mind telling me so. I fear that she will do something irresponsible. And I do not wish to watch my friend destroy her life.”
Andrew arched his brows. “And?”
He knew her too well. “And,” Abigail
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