Sleeping Beauty's Spindle by Shonna Slayton

Author:Shonna Slayton [Slayton, Shonna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-947736-09-2
Publisher: Amaretto Press

Chapter 23

Sunday morning, Briar took the children to church, and Fanny went to the mill to see what, if anything, could be done. Fanny didn’t seem hopeful, and if a fairy who understood what was going on wasn’t hopeful, how could a spinner girl be?

After the service, Briar thanked the Princes again for giving her a ride and for sharing Henry’s animals. “Would you check in on them once in a while to make sure the children are caring for them properly?”

“We’d be happy to,” Mrs. Prince said before climbing into the wagon.

Briar suspected the Princes knew more than they were letting on, but how would she get them to talk without revealing what she had done? She couldn’t bear them to think less of her. Not Henry’s parents.

Before Briar could leave the cottage Sunday afternoon, the children made her say good-bye to each of the animals in their growing collection. Last thing she did was hug each child tight, to the point of making the boys squirm. “You be good. I’ll see you next week.”

Pansy poked at Briar’s bloomers. “Can Miss Mim make me these, too?”

“I can copy her pattern, and we can make a pair together, how about that?”

“Okay. Bye!” Pansy scampered off in her dress after the boys.

Fanny walked with Briar and the bicycle down the lane.

“I did everything I could to dislodge the spindle while you and the children were at church, but you’re right. It is firmly attached. I wish you hadn’t made me promise not to tell anyone, but I know what it is to want to fix your own mess. We’ll do this together. You and me. But you need to do everything I tell you. Let’s just make it the two weeks till the end of your birthday. Once the danger for you has passed, then we can attack the problem without fear.”

“Thank you.” Briar spoke with relief. She was more worried about Prudence finding out than the spindle causing her harm. The way it was positioned in her frame, it should be easy to avoid the tip.

“The most important thing is, never touch the spindle. Ever.” Fanny raised her eyebrows. “Ever.”

“I understand.” Briar hopped on the bicycle and rode back to town, her mind cycling as fast as the wheels. If only Mam were here to talk to. She would help Briar make sense of all this fairy lore, because she didn’t understand. Not at all.

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