"Perhaps, but then I would have to leave the children alone."
"Prudence and Rebecca can look after them."
"They are both very responsible girls, but they're still so young. If something happened to me-"
"You just don't want me to go. You want me to stay here forever!"
"Samantha, please, that's not what I meant-"
"Is too! You're just like Reverend Crane. You want to keep us all here forever!" Samantha launched herself from the pew and then stomped out of the church.
Along the way to the meadow, she wiped at the tears in her eyes. It wasn't fair. For five years she had put off looking for her family to help take care of the children on Eternity. It had made sense since she was still a child herself; as Miss Brigham had said, the sea was no place for a little girl by herself. But Samantha wasn't a little girl anymore. Maybe she wasn't a grown-up either yet, but she was close enough. She didn't want to put it off any longer. Her real family was out there, waiting for her. By now they might have given up hope of ever seeing her again. She couldn't wait anymore. If Miss Brigham wouldn't let her go, then she would have to do it on her own.
The children had gathered in the meadow for lessons as they did when it was warm enough to do so. The sky had turned gray, the dark clouds reflecting Samantha's mood, but it hadn't started to rain yet. She supposed they would have to hurry today's lesson so they could get the chores done before it did rain.
"All right children, settle down," Samantha said. "Miss Brigham is ill today, so I'll be conducting the lesson today. Now yesterday Miss Brigham talked about some words beginning with 'A,' so today we'll be talking about words beginning with 'B' and try to spell them. Who wants to start?"
Rebecca raised her hand. Samantha nodded to her. "Bible."
"How is that spelled?"
"B-I-B-L-E."
"Very good. What else?"
One of the youngest children, Annie, raised her hand. "Bee," she said. "B-E-E."
"That's good. And what sound do bees make?"
"Buzz, buzz, buzz!" Annie shouted and giggled.
"How would you spell that?" When Annie only shrugged, Samantha looked around at the other children. "Who can spell it? Prudence?"
"B-U-Z-Z," Prudence said in almost a whisper.
"That's good. Who else has one?"
Samantha heard Helena giggle. She whispered something into Phyllis's ear, which prompted her to laugh as well. "Helena, do you have something to add?"
"I was just telling Phyllis I know another word that starts with 'B.'"