Anne was overwhelmed. The shirt was beautiful and stylish, the skirt smart and just the shade of green she adored. But it was the note that really reduced her to tears. She pressed it against her heart and allowed herself to shed tears of love in the rare privacy of her home. What had she ever done to deserve such a kind and loving mother hen in her life. Perhaps she cried because Mrs. Blacke reminded her of the mother who wasn't here to see her grow up. Perhaps she cried because Mrs. Blacke did so much to make up for it and she felt so immensely grateful. It felt good to be loved.

When the first strong emotion had passed, she dried her tears and got up. She went to her bedroom, reread the letter and then hid it in her clothes drawer. There was little privacy in this home, but she knew that her father and brothers would never dare go through her underthings. And so this was where Anne hid her treasures.

She returned to the kitchen, folded the skirt and shirt carefully and returned outside. They'd have to wait until later. There was bait to be prepared, lines to be fetched, dinner to be made, lines to be mucked and rebaited...

But Rose came to help her and when her father returned and saw what Mrs. Blacke had given her, he told her to put it on and show them.



"Does it look bad?" Anne asked anxiously, when her father, Rose and Will all looked at her in stupefied silence.

"Bad?" Rose finally manage to say. "My dear, you're beautiful." Anne blushed deeply. "Quite the fashionable young lady."

"That's settled then. Dad's never gonna let you go out again, or you'll be snatched up."

"Stop teasin' your sister, Will," her father protested. "Anne's smarter than that." He reached out and Anne gave him her hand. Her father put his other hand on top of it lovingly. "But don't you go growing up too fast, dear child. You 'ave a whole life ahead of ye. Now, you better run over to Oswy street and thank Mrs. Blacke. We'll manage 'ere. But be home well before dark and don't go by the harbour."

Her father had never told her not to go by the harbour before. She felt rather pleased with herself.



Anne, with her new clothes and her straw hat on and a woolen shawl over her shoulders to keep her warm, nearly flew over to Oswy street. A free afternoon was a rare treat. A free afternoon to be spent with Mrs. Blacke, after being spoiled rotten all day? It was almost too much. But the best thing of all would be the moment she could give Mrs. Blacke a big hug. Anne rapped on the door like a maniac, and as soon as Mrs. Blacke would open, she'd embrace her "Mam".