Chapter 51

Louise lifted her wrinkled eyelids and gazed at Juliet for a very long time. It went on so long that Juliet began to wonder if she had asked a silly question. Her fingers were starting to curl. "Embroidery is not just a craft," Louise said in a calm voice. "It's a blade that hones the spirit. Child, your heart is full of cracks. If you don't do something about it, it'll break." As she spoke, she picked up a stretched piece of plain white silk, along with threads and a needle, from the sewing basket nearby. Then, she handed the items to Juliet. "If you want to learn, take these." Juliet accepted them, stunned. The small embroidery hoop felt extremely heavy in her hands. "Thank you, Mrs. Johnston Senior." From that day onward, Juliet's life became remarkably simple. The twittering of birds in the yard would wake her in the morning. After breakfast, she would grab a stool and sit under the tree to learn embroidery from Louise. The first step was practicing until her hands were ste