Free The Ribbon Weaver by Rosie Goodwin

everything she needed, Toby pointed to the chair at the side of the fire.
    ‘Sit there,’ he smiled. ‘I’ve got another surprise for you.’
    ‘Oh, Toby, no, my book was more than enough.’ she exclaimed, but all the same she sat down and did as she was told.
    ‘Now close your eyes,’ he commanded and giggling, Amy closed them.
    Presently he dropped a bulky parcel into her outstretched arms, and she frowned as she felt it and tried to think what it could be.
    ‘Well, go on then … open your eyes and take a look. It won’t bite you,’ he teased.
    Amy began to tear at the brown paper as excited as a child, with a radiant smile on her face. However, when she saw what the parcel contained, the smile vanished from her face and her huge velvety brown eyes filled with tears.
    ‘Oh, Toby,’ she whispered. ‘This is just too much.’ And to his dismay she began to weep. Inside the parcel was the beautiful woollen coat that Molly had hoped to buy for her. The old lady had shown it to him in the shop window weeks ago, and determined that Amy should have it, he had saved for weeks to buy it.
    ‘Don’t you like it?’ His voice held such disappointment that her head snapped up.
    ‘Not like it?’ she cried. ‘Oh, Toby – why, it’s lovely . It’s the most beautiful coat I’ve ever had; I just can’t believe how kind you are. What with Gran pulling through and now this, it’s just turning out to be the best Christmas and birthday ever. I can’t believe how lucky I am.’
    And with that she threw herself into his arms and gave him a resounding kiss on the lips, which made him blush to the very roots of his hair and caused Amy to burst out laughing again.
    The coat fitted perfectly and Amy strutted up and down the kitchen in delight. Toby thought secretly that it set the colour of her hair off to perfection, but was too shy to tell her so.
    She in turn looked at Toby as if for the very first time. Tall and broad-shouldered, with straight fair hair, his mouth was wide and his nose not quite straight – and yet his eyes, which were his best feature, more than made up for that. They were a lovely deep blue, almost sapphire, and when he smiled they lit up his whole face. Amy suddenly realised that he had grown into a very handsome young man and wondered why he wasn’t courting or married. She knew that there was more than one girl who had set her cap at him, yet Toby had never seemed interested. Still, she supposed it was none of her business at the end of the day and they spent the next hour admiring the designs in her new book.
    Later in the evening, however, her mood became more sombre and she decided to confide in him.
    ‘Toby, I have to get a job now.’ Her voice was heavy with anxiety. ‘I know Gran doesn’t want me to, but the savings are almost gone. It will be months before she’s strong enough to start weaving again, and we can’t live on fresh air, can we?’
    Understanding her dilemma, Toby nodded his head, waiting for her to continue.
    ‘As soon as she’s well enough to be left on her own I’m going job-hunting,’ Amy declared with a defiant toss of her head. ‘Beatrice has been working up at The Folly for ages now and here’s me still stuck at home.’ Amy missed her friend dreadfully.
    ‘Then if that’s your intention I’d say nothin’ about what you’re proposin’ to do until after Christmas,’ Toby advised. He could have said much more on the subject but wisely held his tongue. He knew Amy well enough to be aware that, once she had made up her mind to do something, nothing would change it. He also knew that once Molly learned of her decision, fireworks would go up and no mistake.
    ‘I’d like to be a fly on the wall when you tell her,’ he chuckled, and before they knew it they were both laughing naughtily at the thought.
    Christmas came and went and Amy and Molly enjoyed it. Amy had decorated the cottage with holly branches and mistletoe, and they had a nice fat chicken for