The next day, after Goldie Thorne went to see Shane Thorne, he vanished from Millstone Peak Village. He came back very late that night, acting furtive. He didn’t show up for work, but the villagers weren’t suspicious. It would have been more unusual for Goldie Thorne to work consistently; slacking off was just part of the loafer’s daily routine.

Tanya Thorne assumed Goldie Thorne had gone to the city. She’d heard him muttering for days about heading there to make money, and now that the spring planting was done, he was idle. She figured he had finally gone off to do it.

It was late April, and the spring days were warm and sunny. The fields were covered in lush green seedlings, and the mountainside was ablaze with brilliant wild peach blossoms. There were also plum, pear, apricot, and crabapple blossoms, along with a myriad of other wildflowers, painting a beautiful spring scene. The flowers on the cabinet in the Hawthorne home were changed time and again. No matter how busy she was, Rosalind Green always made sure to replace them regularly. Perhaps this was the last remnant of her refined sensibilities.

After school, Tanya Thorne and Amanda Chapman went to the mountains to gather rabbit grass. With baskets on their backs, the two girls made their way up a hillside. Down below was the Hawthorne home, where Adrian Hawthorne was weeding and Rosalind Green was feeding the chickens. Old Master Tate was grazing his ox, and in the distance, wisps of cooking smoke curled into the air.

"This wild lettuce is so plump. The rabbits will love eating it. We’ll fatten them up a little more, then have Grandma stew them," Amanda Chapman said, unable to stop herself from swallowing. In just over a month, not only had she grown taller, but her face had also rounded out. She seemed less like a miniature adult and more like the lively, innocent child she was.

The hillside they’d found was covered with lush, green wild lettuce. Each stalk stood about a foot high. When snapped, the stems oozed a milky white sap that was incredibly sticky to the touch.

"They’re for breeding baby bunnies. We can’t eat them," Tanya Thorne protested, shaking her head.

Just like Raina, Amanda Chapman eyed the six rabbits every day, plotting when they could finally be slaughtered for the pot.

"Keeping two for breeding is plenty. Grandma says rabbits are even more prolific than sows—they can have several litters a year!"

Amanda Chapman deftly yanked up the wild lettuce, her movements quick and efficient. In no time, her basket was half full, while Tanya Thorne’s still held only a few lonely stalks.

"Tanya, why don’t you go rest over there? I’ll be done in a minute."

Amanda Chapman thought Tanya Thorne was getting in the way, so she told her to go play. She continued yanking up the stalks at lightning speed. This chore was a piece of cake for her. Afterwards, she still needed to gather a basket of pigweed for the chickens and ducks to eat. Her grandmother would only be happy if her work was done well.

"Cousin, why hasn’t your dad come to see you and Aunt Phoebe? Doesn’t he get any days off?" Tanya Thorne asked out of boredom.

’Phoebe Thorne and her daughter had been back at her parents’ home for a month now, and Brian Chapman hadn’t visited even once. The trip from Wraven to Millstone Peak only took a little over an hour; you could go there and back in half a day. Even if the man didn’t care about his wife and daughter, shouldn’t he at least care about the baby in her womb?’

Amanda Chapman scoffed. "He could have every day off and still wouldn’t come. My Uncle Felix beat him up last time, so he’s probably holding a grudge. It’s better this way. I get annoyed just looking at him."

For an eight-year-old girl, her words held no trace of respect or warmth for her father—only disdain and impatience. At home, Brian Chapman always threw his weight around, never showing a kind face to her or her mother. But under Felix Thorne’s fists, he had been so cowardly he could barely stand. Amanda Chapman genuinely despised a father like that; she’d be happy if Brian Chapman never showed up again.

"Then you and Aunt Phoebe shouldn’t go back. Make your dad pay for your living expenses," Tanya Thorne said. She despised Brian Chapman, too. ’None of his family are any good.’

Amanda Chapman sighed but didn’t say anything. ’It’s impossible for us not to go back, but it’s good that we can stay for a few more days. I just wish I could grow up faster, so I could be in charge of my own life.’

Seeing that she was upset, Tanya Thorne changed the subject to the rabbits, and Amanda Chapman’s mood brightened immediately. The two cousins chatted away excitedly, completely unaware of another person standing at the bottom of the hill.