Read Online An Old-Fashioned Education by Fiona Wilde - Free Book Online Page B

take the blame for it, because I was scared. At the last moment I did the right thing, but I should have done it sooner.” She paused. “Can you forgive me, Peter?”
    He looked up at his parents. Willow and Ben Criner were looking at each other. Willow’s face softened and Ben sighed. His mother nodded.
    “Yeah, it’s okay,” he said. “Sometimes I do bad things, too. I’m not mad at ya.”
    Polly hugged him, trying hard to swallow the lump in her throat as she blinked back the tears welling up in her eyes.
    “Off you go then,” she said, sniffing and Peter ran to his desk and pulled out his reading book.
    “Thank you.” Willow Criner’s eyes were filled with tears, too. “That took a lot, I know.”
    “Not really,” she said. “I’m really feeling awful for what I put your family, for what I put everyone through. If I’d thought for a minute…”
    “Hey, there’s no need to say more.” Even Benjamin looked a bit emotional, or as emotional as a bear of a man could look, Polly thought. “Part of being in a community is being able to get past things. I can’t guarantee everyone else will come around as quick as you want, but what you did apologizing to our son means a lot to me and the missus.”
    Polly nodded, turning now to welcome Noni and her children. She could sense that Noni wanted to speak to her, but Noni’s husband stopped her when she started to speak.
    “We have to be going,” he said, and Noni dropped her eyes from Polly’s.
    “I believe Noni was about to say something,” she said.
    “I don’t think she was,” Paul said, and turned his wife by the shoulder towards the door. Noni did not look back and Polly felt her sadness replaced by anger as the reasons she wanted to leave Pepper’s Hollow resurfaced in sharp relief.
    But she had to put all emotion aside as she turned to her class once the parents were gone. She had a roomful of kids to teach. Dealing with them turned out to be a good way to take her mind off of things. Walt’s assertion that Pepper’s Hollow was a forgiving place certainly seemed to be evident in the kids. Even the older ones who came in mirroring their parents’ cold expression warmed out as she helped them with their work and taught them how to make paper snowflakes for an art project. They sat in a circle and ate bag lunches as Polly read poetry to them.
    “I think Robert Frost is appropriate given the weather,” she said to giggles of the little kids and groans from the older ones. But everyone grew quiet as she read “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening,” and “Dust of Snow,” the kids fell quiet as the white world outside the door.
    By the end of the day, Polly was feeling more positive and relaxed. Even if the adults of the village—with the ironic exception of the Criners—planned to cold-shoulder her until spring, at least she’d still spend half her time in the classroom with kids who enjoyed her company.
    I can do this , she thought as she bundled the children into their coats. Just a few more months and I’ll be able to leave.
    Willow was the first to arrive to pick up her son and was pleased that Peter got a good report. Noni was next, and apologized for not having Paul with her. Polly nodded, trying not to show her relief; she was secretly glad that he didn’t come. The hostility in his eyes bothered her.
    “Can we go have a snowball fight?” her son William asked as he pulled his brother Martin towards the door.
    “Okay, but don’t go near the woods or the edge of the building. Those icicles can kill you if they fall.”
    The boys promised they’d stay in the open.
    “The men try to keep the icicles knocked down, but they form so fast …” Noni’s voice trailed away and Polly could tell there was something else on her mind.
    “Is there something you need to talk about, Noni?” she asked.
    Noni looked at her, obviously debating whether to say what was on her mind.
    “They say that Walt spanked you for what you