Water by Peter Dickinson, Robin McKinley Read Free Book Online Page A

system of longer inland roads sprang up to connect the two towns, for even without the
    harbour their people had too long been closely involved with each other to break off relations
    now. The new connecting road curved far inland, staying high on the ridge above the harbour so
    that the road might cross while the stream that fed it still lay underground, and as a result it was
    an hour on a fresh horse even between the two towns, and nearer three between outlying farms.
    Once the betrothal had been officially set and posted, the parents of Jenny and Robert relaxed, a
    little, about letting them visit each other; and if Robert rode over to see Jenny in the afternoon,
    her parents expected to put him up overnight and he rode home the next day, and vice versa.
    There were some words spoken between Jenny and her parents, for her parents felt that it was not
    proper that she ride all that way alone, and sent someone with her, usually right to the gate of
    Robert’s family’s farm; and let her know further that they would still not allow this at all if it
    hadn’t been clearly understood that there was a sister still at home as well as Robert’s mother,
    and that Jenny would share the sister’s bedroom. Jenny, scarlet with shame, said this was
    nonsense, and that furthermore it was unnecessarily tiring and tedious for whoever was sent with
    her; but her parents said that it was in this wise or not at all, and so she yielded, but with a less
    good grace than was usual with her.
    It had been tacitly assumed by each family that the extra pair of hands would be put to use, in a
    little way to make up for when the pair of hands they were used to having available weren’t there
    for a long afternoon and overnight; but because the parents of each child were very cautious with
    the parents of the other child, they did not exchange any words about the relative usefulness of
    their two children. It would have been very awkward if they had been less cautious, since Jenny
    could lay her hand to almost anything, indoors and out, while Robert seemed capable of almost
    nothing without so much explanation that it became easier to do it yourself—or so Jenny’s father
    said to Jenny’s mother, more than once, in exasperation. Jenny’s parents had begun to try to
    teach Robert the running of their farm—much of which should have been familiar to him already
    but mysteriously seemed not to be—and tried to believe that all would be well, once the boy was
    married and settled.
    It was but two weeks before the wedding, and the final frenzy of preparation was beginning. It
    was not to be a grand wedding, but it was to be a large one, with many people staying through
    the day and into the evening, and much food eaten, and plenty of musicians for plenty of
    dancing. Jenny’s parents could not but notice that there was a growing edge to her excitement
    that was not ... what they would expect or want in a bride-to-be, and all their previous fears about
    Robert rushed upon them again. Her mother tried to talk to her, but she would not listen; and the
    odd edge to her excitement grew more pronounced; till at last her mother, desperate, said:
    “Child, you know we love you. We will not ask you any more questions that you do not wish to
    answer. But if—for any reason—you wish to call the wedding off, for pity’s sake, tell us, and we
    will do it for you.”
    Jenny rounded on her mother then, in a way she never had, and screamed at her, and said that her
    parents were determined to destroy her happiness, that they did not need to tell her again that
    they did not like Robert, that of course she wanted the wedding to go as planned, and to leave her
    alone!
    Her mother, shaken, pulled away from her daughter, turned and left her, and Jenny threw herself
    sobbing on her bed.
    Jenny’s mother said to her husband, “There is nothing we can do. Something is wrong,
    dreadfully wrong, but we must let her bear it herself, for she will accept no help