Ellie turned to see the lad and his bandmates slurping chunks of eel, glistening with heavy drops of spiced stock or 'liquor', obtained from a street vendor. That fish dish was a rarity in the Russell household, Ellie didn't hold with it, but her father was fond of it.

Ellie grimaced 'Uh, ye might be right, Anne..' she muttered softly

"Let's go to the pier instead and see if the seagulls will steal food from tourists," she whispered, hoping this more innocent yet exciting activity would distract Ellie from boys.

"Aye." Ellie answered, even though it had been Anne's impulse to drag her here and stare at boys in the first place.

Anne walked in the direction of the pier slowly and glanced at Ellie occasionally. "Have ye... ye know... have ye had a lover before?" Ellie seemed so much more mature and confident.

Ellie looked at her timid friend with wide eyes. She'd never have expected that sort of a question from her.

"Oh God no!" her reply was hushed, as if she were ashamed to even mention it, but Anne had so the maid felt that she had to answer.

"I've never even kissed a boy before, let alone anythin' more." The older Russell women, of which there were few, had yet to explain to Ellie the facts of life.

"Good!" said Anne, relieved, and she relaxed a little. "Boys can be nice if they want to marry ye, but ye must watch out, because some just want to... ye know... make ye pregnant and run."

As the girls moved further away from the pavilion and the eel-sucking members of the brass band, she considered the notion of marriage and children. It was all a bit mystifying. Ellie thought a lover someone who provided flowers or pies, maybe someone who would help with the washing up. None of the fish chugging boys back there seemed to be the type to care about flowers.

"Children happen when a mother and a father decide it's time. Mother then prays in church, and if she's lucky, she is pregnant with child. Just like Mary."

Anne stopped in her tracks. "That's not how that works," she said, a little shocked.

"It isn't? How do ye know?" Ellie looked at her friend quizzically. For someone so shy and reluctant to be the centre of attention, Anne seemed to know a lot about the world. Maybe the rumours in the Cragg were true about just how wild and rough the Ward family really were.

"Because other kids whispered about it in t' school yard and me sisters told me its true. I can tell ye, but not 'ere. It's too busy." Suddenly she felt quite mature and rather happy that she knew something Ellie didn't know.