The crisp wind touched Emma's cheeks sharply as she stepped outside. A glint of morning light brightened the sky, but the moon and stars were still glowing above her. Her fingers clung tighter to the object in her hand, and her eyes glanced around cautiously.
Can I do this? she wondered silently. She stepped back into the shadows as she heard the sound of heavy footsteps. Every now and again, she caught a glimpse of a tall figure, but he hadn't seen her yet. She was standing beneath the arching entrance of a royal castle, burdened with a dangerous mission.
She scanned the land ahead of her and rested her eyes upon a little building not too far away. If she hurried, she might be able to reach it before she was seen. Oh, she couldn't be seen. There was no telling what would happen to her if she got caught by the guard.
Without a sound, Emiline threw her scarf closer around her neck and held her burden a little tighter. Then she dashed across the muddy courtyard to her destination. She ran from shadow to shadow, hoping to stay hidden. But as she hid behind a towering tree, she thought she saw the guard look at her. Her heart beat hard with panic, but she couldn't stop now. Racing the rest of the way, she reached her destination and threw the door open.
"I made it!" she gasped breathlessly, slamming the door behind her. She turned around, feeling a glow of victory in her heart. But her proud gaze was met by the eyes of two very curious cows. A crooked smile stole the drama from Emiline's face as she looked around at the building. It wasn't anything special, just her own family's barn. There was no heroic mission to complete either. She swung the milk pail back and forth as she walked toward the jersey cows.
"Well," she reasoned with herself, "I suppose milking cows —could— be heroic. After all, if we don't have milk, Mother can't bake a cake! And..." She paused, wishing she could find a reason why they really needed the cake, but she couldn't. Shaking the thought away, she sat down on a short stool beside the first cow and got to work. In a moment, the door behind her opened.
"Good morning, Emma," Father greeted.
The girl looked back at him and smiled. "Good morning," she replied happily. A rosy blush warmed the girl's cheeks as she looked away from him and began to work again. Her tall and handsome father had been the guard of her morning game.
I wonder if he really saw me? she thought, giggling inside. Trying to be silent and invisible was a fun challenge to Emma, but she never knew if she was as good at hiding as she thought she was. Whether Father ever noticed her or not, he always kept that to himself.
"I'll finish milking the cows today, Emma," Father said, slipping his gloves off and resting a loving hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Really?" Emiline asked in surprise. Her eyes were full of curiosity.
"Yes, I think your mother needs you inside this morning," he answered. He took Emiline's hand and helped her to her feet.
"...Alright," Emma said hesitantly. "What is she doing?"
"Ha! Just about everything!" Father chuckled. "She's in a cleaning mood today."
"Oh." Emma's heart sank gloomily. A cleaning mood, she repeated in her mind. She gave Father a hug and then walked out of the barn slowly. She wasn't in a hurry now. Milking the cow was a daily task, and it went by very quickly. But when Mother got in a cleaning mood, there was no telling where the list of chores would end.
Why today? she wondered curiously. It isn't wash day. And it seems too early for spring cleaning. She pulled the front door open as she reached the house and heard the banging of pots and pans in the kitchen.
"Oh, Emiline!" she heard Mother's voice call. "Is that you, dear?"
"Yes," Emma answered.
"Good! We have a busy day ahead of us. I want to get as much cleaning done as possible!" Emma slipped off her heavy boots and hung her jacket on a peg as Jane carried on. "I'm going to finish these dishes, and then I'll start on the laundry." She met Emiline at the kitchen door and pushed a big bucket into the girl's hands. "Will you run to the pump and draw some water?" she asked. Not waiting for an answer, she gave a happy "thank you" and hurried back to finish her work.
Laundry? Emma gasped inside. We're doing laundry today? Mother never washed clothes on a Saturday morning. She always waited until Wednesday. What's going on? the girl wondered.
Mother put Emiline and Elizabeth to work doing all sorts of things. They weren't their usual chores. The girls swept behind furniture, scrubbed the floors, dusted shelves, and beat the dusty rugs. Emma rushed back and forth from the pump outside to the kitchen where Mother was heating pails of water for cleaning. Last of all, Mother called the girls into the kitchen to give them one more chore.
"I have a really big job for you two," she said. She wrung the water out of the last dress she had washed and then dried her hands on her apron. "Come with me, and I'll show you what needs done."
Emiline followed her unwillingly. She wished that her chores could be finished so she could run to Susan's house and spend a carefree hour in the library. The three of them had worked until their backs and feet were sore. But it was clear that their work was nowhere near done. They still had a big job to do.
As Mother led the girls upstairs, Emma's curiosity grew and grew. They passed her bedroom and walked down the hall to a dark corner of the house where Emiline rarely ever went. Her eyes widened with horror as Mother reached a rickety ladder which stretched toward a dark opening in the ceiling.
"The attic!" she shrieked. "Are...are we cleaning the attic today too?"
Mother laughed softly. "Now, now," she said. "It isn't going to be that bad."
"But what about mice?" Emma cried. "What about spiders?"
Lizzy seized Emiline's hand and squeezed it fearfully. "Spiders?" the little girl squealed. "I don't like spiders!"
Mother stared at them with an amused look on her face. "Girls, you can't always avoid spiders and mice," she chided. "Would you rather have the spiders and mice stay up in the attic forever and creep down into the house while you're asleep?"
"No!" Lizzy bellowed. "I don't like them!"
"That's why we're going to go up there like brave warriors to throw them out of the house," Mother said exuberantly. "Now, here's a broom for you, Emma. And Lizzy, you can have the feather duster." Emiline and Elizabeth accepted their weapons with trembling hands.
"But Mommy," Lizzy whined, "it's dark! I don't wanna go up in the attic!"
Mother pulled the little girl closer and looked down at her face with a calm smile. "It is dark up there," she agreed. "But the darkness always runs away and hides when you bring a lantern. Light is always stronger than darkness. And you know what? Spiders don't like light very much either." Mother did a good job of encouraging Lizzy, but Emiline still didn't like the idea of cleaning the attic.
Soon, the two girls climbed the old ladder with their tools and a lantern in hand. The light shimmered into the room, but it was still an eerie place. Long shadows stretched across the floor, and cobwebs were dangling from the ceiling.
Mother's voice called from below. "I'd like you girls to dust and sweep," she said. "Then move all of those trunks to one side of the room."
At first, Elizabeth and Emma worked as fast as they could. They didn't want to be up in that attic any longer than they had to be. But as their job drew on, they both slowed down and began taking interest in the things around them. All of the trunks in the attic were filled with odds and ends from years ago. Memories flooded into Emiline's mind as she looked through them. Inside one of the trunks were several dresses which Emma had grown out of.
"Look at these, Lizzy," she said with joy. "Someday, my old dresses will fit you!"
Elizabeth gasped in delight and grabbed one of the gowns excitedly. "Can I wear it, Emma? Please, please?"
"Someday," Emiline answered, taking the dress back and folding it carefully. "But you're too little still. You'll just have to wait."
She stuffed the garment back into the trunk and plundered through the rest of the box's contents. "Look at that," she giggled, picking up a yellowing envelope. "Mother still has old letters from Grandma Adler. It's funny that she's kept them all this time."
For a moment, the girl sorted through a few of the notes. Then she got busy again. Speaking of letters, she thought to herself, I wonder if Grandma has sent anymore?
She thought back on the last note Grandma had sent, recalling the words she had written to Emma and Lizzy in her mind. She said she was going to surprise us, Emiline mused. But what's the surprise going to be? And when will she send it? It almost didn't seem fair for Grandma to keep them wondering all of this time.
It was almost evening before the girls finished their job in the attic. The trunks had been moved just as Mother had wanted, and most of the cobwebs were gone. Emma had dusted a little too, but as she climbed down the steps, she knew she hadn't done a very good job. She felt a little bit guilty, but she pushed that guilt away.
After all, she thought, it's just an attic. Surely, it doesn't have to be spotless.
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