23 March 1124

　　Winter had finally ended. The gloomy grey skies became regularly interspersed with patches of blue and Holford`s mood noticeably lifted as the temperature increased. Spring came into full bloom. As the flowers and trees began to blossom, so too did the project seeds that Matilda had sowed across the village to fill the long winter nights.

　　Matilda was busy from dawn to dusk and the relaxing days of waiting for her ankle to heal became a distant memory. Matilda lived permanently at her mill, waking at the crack of dawn only to be pulled across Holford from person to person until the sun disappeared from the sky. Even then her work continued. In the absence of stock to fill her warehouse, Matilda created a tracing floor which she used to scrawl new designs for the following day`s activities by the light of her torch. Matilda remained exhausted each morning but the tangible progress towards her revised mission spurred her to work even harder.

　　Teaching Matthew to make bulk basics like screws or bolts had wowed Holford`s craftspeople but it was Matilda`s more complex designs left the entire village speechless. People came from all over to try her rudimentary bicycle and Matilda had used the previous evening`s Spring celebration to unveil her bizarre musical instrument.

　　Holford had gathered to celebrate the end of a particularly miserable winter. Ever the businessmen, Martin Brewer ordered Rachel`s husband to roll out barrels of beer and cider to sell to the assembled crowd. Rachel begrudgingly helped with the sales but her surly expression betrayed her preference to be drinking with the revellers.

　　With the whole village in attendance and the Brewer`s products flowing, it wasn`t long before the springtime air was alive with traditional folksongs and rowdy drinking ballads. Matilda mingled with the villagers who eventually insisted that their out-of-town visitor share her own local tunes. William had pre-warned Matilda that this might happen so she had fashioned a makeshift instrument over the preceding evenings, aiming for her old guitar but achieving something more akin to a ukulele.

　　Matilda entranced the crowd with classic songs from her past and the crowd quickly grasped the strange lyrics and sang along. Matilda smiled at the memory of Elizabeth falling from her stool while drunkenly belting out Hallelujah and the joyful tears streaming down the Carpenter`s face while singing Over the Rainbow. Matilda`s Institute teachers had never truly appreciated the weight of these little gifts from the future.

　　The Brewer`s concoctions were surprisingly strong and everyone eventually retreated to their beds. Almost everyone.

　　As she returned to her mill, Matilda had discovered Edric stumbling towards the mine, catatonic from his brother`s brews and barely able to stand.

　　Matilda was devastated. Only days earlier, as she had installed his new pump, he`d shared that he felt like a new man. How the mine had brought renewed purpose to his life and that he would never drink a drop again. Matilda had been thrilled by his revelation, having spent the previous week cannibalising her old parachute to make hoses for the handcranked pump that Matthew had prioritised over their other projects.

　　The man`s weakness made her angry but Matilda helped her fallen colleague back to his hut, lifting him each time he fell and waiting as he stopped to throw up.

　　"Why Edric?" she asked, unable to hold her tongue. "You were doing so well."

　　"The flamin` pump`s busted again," he lamented. "A great split down the pipe. Everythin`s fillin` up with water."

　　Matilda struggled to calm the Miner, reassuring him that they could patch the hoses and promising to develop a more sustainable design.

　　"So sorry, Ma`tilda", he hiccoughed as they reached the hut. "A miner lapse. Ha. It won` happen again."

　　"I hope not, Edric," Matilda replied soberly. "Think of the Boy. He`s starting to look up to you. What if he`d found you..?"

　　Edric stopped in his tracks. "Ya right. He`s a good lad."

　　Matilda helped the man inside and watched him collapse into his cot. When she was convinced that he was asleep, she combed every inch of his hut for illicit stashes as the Miner`s snores reverberated off the walls. She poured her findings behind the smelting furnace before finally heading back to her own bed.

　　+++

　　Matilda awoke even groggier than normal and had little doubt that most of Holford would feel the same, buying some precious time to finish her sketches. She scrawled away furiously, channelling her annoyance from the evening`s unwanted discovery. Edric had been doing so well, a walking embodiment of the improvements she sought to achieve for the village. She cursed the vile Brewer for enabling his brother`s addiction.

　　Matilda eventually looked up from her sketch, finally happy. Time had become a precious resource and Matilda needed a way to schedule her many appointments around Holford. She would`ve loved to build a working clock but ironically lacked the time. So sundials would have to do. Her sketch would allow Matthew to mass produce the stylised iron shapes which she could scatter around the village. They lacked precision but people could at least guess the rough time. She took a mental image of the design and set off to find William.

　　The sun burst over the treetops as Matilda left the warehouse and she paused to soak in the view of her progress. The charred trees nearest to the mill had sprouted new leaves up the entire length of their trunks, giving them an alien appearance. Much like the charred forest, there were signs of growth on the building itself. The Carpenter and his team had already installed new rafters across the millhouse and Timothy had almost finished making ceramic roof tiles.

　　There was other new growth in the area around the mill. Holford`s various craftsmen had built a small village of shacks to store their tools closer to their work. Each reflected its maker. Timothy`s had a neat tiled roof. Walt`s was simple but sturdy. Matthew`s was open to the world.

　　The once boggy yard was dry and Elizabeth had used Matilda`s box of seeds to convert most of it into a wellstocked garden. William`s sister tirelessly toiled to transplant her seedlings and cuttings. Any excuse to escape Ma`s increasingly smothering attention.

　　Many of Elizabeth`s plants had never been seen in Holford and her excitement grew as they did. A diverse crop of leeks, rhubarb and cauliflower was already taking shape and her bamboo was visibly growing each day. She sketched each variety in her hand-bound notebook. Her apple core miraculously managed to survive the fire and the happy memory of her excited squeal upon discovering its tiny green tendril still echoed around the clearing.

　　With a smile, Matilda tore her gaze away from her mill and headed into Holford to meet William. The village was just beginning to stir when Matilda arrived. There were few signs of life at the cottage.

　　"Hello?" she called when she reached the door.

　　Ma emerged with a basket of dirty dishes under arm, her face grim.

　　"They`re just tidying up inside. You`re taking him away again?"

　　"Just for a bit," Matilda replied with her sunniest voice. "He`s been such a help around the village. We all missed you last night."

　　"Didn`t feel up to it," Ma shrugged before nudging past Matilda to empty the food scraps behind the house.

　　Matilda stepped through the open door and into the cottage. The change of energy was jarring.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

　　"Morning!" William called, earning a grunt of disapproval from Elizabeth.

　　"Please, shut the door," she begged Matilda, though she too managed a weak but welcoming smile.

　　"Still recovering from your big night?" Matilda asked with a cheeky grin before quietly closing the door and sitting at the table. "Ma still seems out of sorts."

　　"She still misses Margery," Pa agreed mournfully. "And it doesn`t help that Rachel barely speaks to us anymore."

　　"She`s just being dramatic, that was all months ago" William said matter-of-factly. "They`ll both be back. Unfortunately."

　　"We didn`t see you last night either," Matilda told Pa.

　　"Didn`t want to leave Em by herself. And I was weary from the jury trip to Stowey yesterday. Finalising the exile of Arnold`s labourer," Pa added. "Which reminds me, Sir Phillip said the Baron wants to see your mill again. You`ve made some powerful friends."

　　 "I don`t know if I`d call Walter a friend but thanks for the warning. Come on Will, enough lazing about. Time to start the day."

　　They were just leaving when Rachel barged through the front gate. Tears streamed down her face but with a special fury reserved for Matilda, Rachel wiped them away and pushed past her. Despite their animosity, Matilda was concerned. The tears looked genuine.

　　"Ma`s out the back," William told Rachel`s back. "Hey Ma! Rachel`s here!"

　　Matilda heard Ma drop her basket and run around the cottage to give Rachel a big hug. She was finally smiling.

　　William and Matilda left them to their embrace and started their routine circuit of the village. Holford had looked to Matilda for leadership and guidance ever since the Miller`s expulsion and many had welcomed her ideas and improvements, be that designing a new mechanism for the Smith or teaching a child how to tie a knot.

　　With William`s help, most of Holford`s youngsters had been rallied to assist with different projects. Even the girls. A handful of the older children refused to help out of principle but most welcomed a distraction from the winter monotony. Matilda feared encouraging child-labour but figured that temporary apprenticeships had to suffice until her school was established. The young workers had enthusiastically set about their tasks, guided by craftsmen to learn trades and assist with increased workloads.

　　Many of the youngsters had gone to help Walt with his carpentry, having been exposed to woodwork basics through their families` day-to-day existence or during their own adventures in the forest. The Carpenter tasked the children with splitting logs or shaping timbers and had breezed through Matilda`s tasks with the extra help.

　　Walt had always boycotted the Brewer`s concoctions so his rough voice already rang across his worksite when Matilda and William arrived. It was uncharacteristically gentle as he taught his newest apprentices how to work the timbers safely.

　　"Careful lad, I just sharpened that chisel so it`ll take your finger if you let it."

　　He brandished a hand at the boy to show off his missing digit before giving a welcoming wave.

　　"Didn`t think I`d see you two up and about any time decent."

　　"Your lot are up early too," Matilda noted. "There`s too much work to stay in bed feeling sorry for myself. How`re things coming along?"

　　"Always straight to business," Walt said with a shake of his head. "Your new waterwheel is taking shape. It took awhile to get our heads around your complicated design but I`m beginning to see how it`ll come together. The lads are just finishing the shafts for the mechanisms so are you sure you don`t want me to make the gears? They`ve been made of wood at every mill I`ve ever seen."

　　"I`m sure Walt. Wood burns. I`ve got Matt Smith working on metal designs which should be much more durable. Save your time for things of beauty. I need furnishings for inside. Tables, chairs, shutters."

　　Walt disapproved of Matilda`s continued insistence to break from convention but perked up at her suggestion of beautiful wooden furnishings.

　　"Speaking of things of beauty, last night`s music was breathtaking. Never heard anything like it. Yet performed with such a crude instrument."

　　Matilda explained her ukulele and described other instruments she had seen from the future. Walt was enthralled by the possibility of even more beautiful music and promised to carve a fiddle based on Matilda`s descriptions.

　　"Only after the new tables," Matilda insisted as she and William set off to their next visit. He begrudging agreed.

　　They`d barely rounded the corner when William burst into laughter.

　　"Speaking of beauty," William mocked. "I think he fancies you!"

　　Matilda agreed. "I don`t think his wife would like that. Besides, I got the feeling last night that there`s others I should be more concerned about."

　　Matilda had attracted quite a lot of attention from Holford`s male population. She wasn`t sure if it was her height, her accent or just her general foreignness but it only became clearer as the Brewer`s drinks continued to flow and the men became less subtle. Matilda didn`t know when they expected her to find the time for romance and the scars of her encounter with the Bishop meant the thought still made her stomach churn. Fortunately it wasn`t something she needed to worry about with their next visit.

　　Timothy Potter sat outside his home. He skilfully wrestled a large ball of clay and specks were stuck in his bushy white beard. A gaggle of young helpers darted around the yard behind him, laying fresh rooftiles out to dry or unstacking freshly fired ones from the kiln. There were hundreds of them.

　　"Almost done, little missy," he told her jollily. He gave the clay a wet slap. "Three more lumps like this and your roof will be done. The crew pretty much navigate themselves now. They`ll start on floor tiles for your warehouse next. Can we finally start your next lesson?"

　　Whoever said you can`t teach an old dog new tricks had never met Timothy. Matilda thought that teaching the basics of glass making would keep him busy but the elderly man threw himself into the task with unrestrained enthusiasm. After surprisingly few failed attempts, he was well on the way to mastering the skill. He`d already blown small glass bottles for Matilda`s other projects and she`d vowed to next teach how to make flat panes for windows.

　　Matilda promised Timothy another lesson, provided he first make a prototype of Matilda`s flushable toilet. Recalling the stench of Holford`s outhouses, she couldn`t over-emphasise how valuable it would be. Timothy needed some convincing and then insisted on showcasing his entire inventory of tiles before Matilda and William could finally move on to their next visit.

　　Things were quieter at the blacksmith. Matthew had only taken on one apprentice, William`s friend Ralph.

　　"Quality over quantity," Matthew had said when Matilda had offered more. "There`s too much to teach, plus smithing is dangerous. One will do, for now."

　　As always, Matthew had pushed the boundaries and argued again that William should be his apprentice but Matilda wouldn`t hear it. William was much too important to her broader plans but she suggested Ralph instead, arguing that he had the bulk to throw into the heavy smithing work. Matilda was amazed how quickly Ralph`s puppy fat had converted into muscle.

　　"We`re ready to cast these gears you`re so excited about," Matthew reported. "Edric already dropped by and said he`ll deliver his first load of ore within the week. He`s recruiting more newcomers for the mine, sounds like they`re practically eating through the rock. But when can we get started on Walt`s saw blades?"

　　Matilda sighed. She`d promised to teach him how to make stronger steels for giant blades that would allow the Carpenter to rapidly saw beams. Matthew understood the benefits of the stronger material but unlike Timothy wasn`t quite up to the task.

　　"Patience Matthew, one thing at a time. Perfect these gears first and then we`ll get started on the blade."

　　Matthew wasn`t happy at the need to delay but he lapped up Matilda`s praise for his other projects. He`d mastered extruding molten metal to make wires and screws, even modifying Matilda`s design to make it more efficient. He was back to his usual overly charming self by the time they left.

　　Matilda and William continued their visits for the rest of the day, checking that Joshua was still managing at the mill, waving at Pa and Luke ploughing the fallow fields, and visiting Edric. Looking bashful, the Miner said nothing of the previous evening and they managed to repair Matilda`s makeshift hose, which was sucking water from the mine again when Matilda and William finally left.

　　It had started getting dark and they were both weary by the time they reached the cottage for a long overdue meal.

　　"Surely there`s a better way to do this?" William asked.

　　"I was thinking the same thing," Matilda said. "All this running around is time we could spend actually working and everyone`s almost doing everything themselves. They just need coordination. Perhaps we could establish a council?"

　　"Huh?"

　　"You know, a gathering of the key townsfolk to discuss our progre.."

　　"I know what a council is. I mean what`s that? Listen."

　　They stopped walking and Matilda strained her ears. Then she heard it. Yelling. Tears. They`d just passed the Brewer`s house near the centre of the village and the commotion was coming from the building next door. Rachel`s house.

　　The pair stood rooted in place, unsure what to do. The yelling continued, occasionally punctuated as thrown pottery crashed against the wall. There was one last thunderous yell before the door was thrown open and the Brewer`s son stormed outside. Even in the darkness, they saw that Alan`s face was a warped with fury.

　　Silence fell over Holford once more, broken only by the loud sobs of William`s sister alone in her new house. Matilda instinctively wanted to console Rachel but knew that her presence was likely to only make things worse. She gave William a look, asking what they should do.

　　"It`s late," he said. "Let`s get home."

　　The pair trudged home in silence, unsure what to make of what they`d just witnessed. They pushed solemnly through the front gate, only for Ma to open the door and greet them with a broad grin before dashing back inside to prepare their food.

　　Matilda was glad to see Ma in better spirits.

　　"Have you heard the exciting news?" she called over her shoulder. "Rachel is pregnant!"

　　(C) Jay Pelchen 2023. All rights reserved.