Chapter 6

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" An elderly man with a rake and hoe looked at the frightened girls as they stared at the man who discovered them sleeping. He reached down and roughly grabbed both by the arms pulling them out of the shed. "What were you two doing in my toolshed?" he demanded.

"We were sleeping," Carol answered, her voice shaking.

"That is obvious, lass. But why here?"

"We were tired," Emma stated less afraid than Carol.

"And running from?"

"No where," Emma lied.

"I think you two may be lying to this old man," he smiled, showing that he only had half of his teeth. His hair was white, his face looked leathery showing the tough life he had lived, and he still looked strong. He wore a French beret, white shirt under a black vest and worn pants that were patched in many places.

"No sir," Carol felt the pain in her arm. "Sir, you're hurting me."

The man eased up on his grip but didn't let go entirely. "Let's see what the Misses has to say about this. If I let you loose, you won't try and run?"

"No sir," Emma promised.

He walked behind them to their thatched house. Emma noticed there were no electrical or phone lines leading to it. Both were shaking slightly as they entered to the smell of delicious food cooking in the fireplace. The place was small. The kitchen, bedroom, and a loft. Hundreds of books lined the shelves. The furniture was primitive but solidly built. The table and chairs were made entirely of wood. There was an outhouse off about two hundred feet from the small structure.

"What do you have here, Gwyn?" the elderly woman asked, drying her hands on the apron she had around her thick dress.

"Two stow aways who were hiding in our shed, Mother," he replied.

"Stow aways, eh? Do you know what they do to those if you do that on a ship? They lock you up in chains. Do you want to be chained?"

"No ma'am," Emma answered.

"My name is Armes Fletcher, this is my husband Gwyn, and you're names are?"

"Emma!"

"Carol!"

"Those names seem easy enough to remember. Well, Carol and Emma, I wager that you two are hungry."

"Yes," they chorused.

"Gwyn, show the girls to their seats," Armes ordered her husband as she took two wooden bowls to fill from the large black kettle pot.

"This way, ladies," he mood lightened as he showed them to the chairs.

Armes put two bowls of porridge before them with some milk and hot buns. The girls dug in immediately. She added some tea to their meal as they sat down at the table to talk to their guests.

"You're the two runaways from that school in Wrexham, aren't you?" Armes inquired.

Both looked at each other. Their eyes told each other to give them the truth.

"Yes we are," Emma admitted.

"Why did you run away?" Gwyn asked.

"We did nothing wrong, but they were going to separate us," Carol declared, getting her tongue back. "We've been friends for a long time and we can't have them tear us apart. We like each other very much."

"Very much," Emma admitted after taking a bite. This was the most delicious meal they had in a very long time.

"And you risked running away to stay together?"

Both looked at each other then nodded. "It's a friendship neither of us want to lose." Carol stated firmly.

"But what you did, do you think it is right?" Armes asked

"Whether it is right or not. I have a friend I love very much and she loves me too. We don't want to be apart," Carol explained. "You had close friends when you were younger like us, didn't you?"

"I understand you," Armes said. "But you two are being hunted."

"Can we stay here?" Carol asked. "We may be girls but we're strong and could do work for you. We'll do anything."

"Anything?" Gwyn's eyes sparkled. "You don't know what you are asking for."

"If you show us how, we'll do it!" Emma vowed.

"We're going to have to think about this," Armes said. "In the meantime you two can sleep in the loft up there," she pointed to the latter. "It's perfect for you. Gwyn and I will talk it over and let you know in a day or two."

Carol and Emma smiled as they went back to finishing their meal.

After the children were finished, Armes cleared her throat. "Now, at least until we make up our minds to keep you or not, young lady," her eyes fell upon Carol. "I expect you to be a help to me around the house here. You are to bring water up from the spring every morning and every evening. If we need more, I'll expect you to get it. You will help me clean and to cook. I'll teach you to bake the bread you liked so much today. You will also help do the laundry since my hands are getting too weak and ridden with arthritis."

Carol nodded.

"And for you, young man..."

Emma's eyes widened. His mouth dropped.

"You didn't think you could fool me, did you?" her glare was hard.

Emma thought silently for a moment. How did she see through this? "Ummmm, no ma'am."

"What is your real name, boy?"

"Ian."

"Well Ian, you should disguise your growing adam's apple if you're going to pass as a girl. What made you want to dress up as one anyway?"

"It was my fault," Carol jumped in.

"You shush," Armes snapped. "I'm talking to Ian here."

"I didn't want to be sent to a boys compound," he admitted. "Carol is my best friend. I wanted to stay with her. Honest, I didn't mean any harm. I love Carol."

"How long have you been wearing dresses?" the old woman asked.

"Over two years, I didn't want to at first but Carol became such a good friend that I had to choose her or being sent to the boys place. I didn't want us to be separated. There is a man who is searching for us so we left and walked up here hoping to find a place."

"How did you come about with such a plan?" Gwyn interceded.

"May I speak?" Carol asked raising her hand.

"Go ahead," Armes nodded.

"Ian and me plan to marry someday. He's as good a friend as any girl could have. We didn't have any plan to leave but we learned that the man searching for us was coming back to take Ian away from me. So we packed a few things and left the camp that Mister Churchill designated for all the girls having to leave London before the bombings. Please don't turn us over," she started to cry. "I love Ian. I want to grow up and be his wife, have his children."

Armes turned to her husband, "Do you think they are telling us the truth?"

"Aye," he nodded. "They don't have any reason to lie to us."

"I think the same as you. All right," she folded her hands. "You may stay with us as long as you behave and do what you are told. I used to teach school in my younger days so I suppose I can instill some knowledge into your heads. In the mornings, you will work like I said, in the afternoons I will instruct you in math, reading and writing. I expect you to do everything I say, is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am," they said simultaneously. Both were eager to please the Fletchers.