"Be sure to dry your feet," Miriam said as the twelve entered the old house that rainy Sunday afternoon. They let down their umbrellas leaving them perched by the door outside.

"It's just as beautiful when it rains," Selene said. "Come on, Astrid I'll show your around." She took her sister by the hand and lead her into the building.

"Keep your coat on," Miriam cautioned after her.

"I can't wait to get to work," Ladybird said with a big step forward. "Once the walls are finished I should like to hang my paintings."

"I plan to come every day," Beatrice said proudly. "Though I fear the amount of manual labor we shall face will call for helpers."

"Travis Goode has agreed to help," Heloise said. "And he's bringing his friends."

"Mr. and Mrs. Calico were beside themselves that we won," Taitiann said. "They said they'll come when they can. And then there is Mama and Papa."

"I'm not worried about not having enough help," Miriam said. "We after all have a town of friends. Once the hard work is finished I'll bring the school children to help with the decorations and the garden."

"It all sounds very marvelous," Wysteria said. "But wouldn't it be grand if we had a piano; like we did back in Narrow Lake, Ladybird?"

"The only piano we have access to belongs to the church," Alifair said. "And it doesn't work very well."

"I know," Wysteria said, "I'll put an advertisement in the paper for one. One piano, any condition so long as it plays." They all laughed.

Heloise pirouetted. "I can't wait!" she exclaimed. "It's going to be beautiful."

"Just maybe..." Hannah said. "Maybe I could donate one of my dolls to sit in the window here and look pretty to passersby." She stuck her hand out into the rain. "As soon as everything is fixed that is."

Ladybird wrapped her arms around her and kissed her head. "We are truly the blessed twelve," she said. "It's just like your song, Heloise."

Heloise smiled. "That gives me an idea," she said. "I shall have to come up with a motto for our school."

"You do that, Heloise," Ottaline said. "I'm going to sell a few extra pies to make money. We'll need it if you consider the cost of paint and other supplies."

"Good thought, Ottaline," Ladybird said. "We could sell some right here in Brickyard if we had to."

"But we still haven't a name yet," Providence said.

"What do you have in mind, Rovy?" Ottaline asked her sister. "We have thought about it for some time now."

"Well," Providence said. She was never one to often voice her opinion or ideas. Selene and Astrid rejoined them now and Hannah was quick to tell them that Providence had an idea. "What about Twelve Briars?"

"It does have a bit of mystery to it," Ottaline said. "I like it, Rovy."

"And I think that name is enough to make people curious," Miriam said and Providence smiled. Once Miriam decided something it was usually done. "Well what does everyone say to calling it Twelve Briars?"

"I'm in love with it already," Wysteria said. "And I think roses will look fine in the garden."

"Providence, you and I must make the sign," Ladybird said. "I'll teach you how to use the paints if Beatrice will carve it up."

"Of course I will," Beatrice said then raised her hands. "Twelve Briars, school of dance."

"Music and dance," Wysteria said.

Selene clapped her hands. "I can't believe this is happening!" she exclaimed. "We're going to have our own dance hall." The girls rushed together in a hug.

"They're going to have their own dance hall," Rothschild said as he watched with Cleve and Sumner across the street. "We'll see about that."

"I haven't got a plan," Sumner said. "I think it will be hard to run them out. Mr. Sweetland is happy they won."

"I'll take care of it, Woodrow," Rothschild said. "And I can assure you all will be in its rightful place when we are through." He kicked his horse and turned it up the street with the other two men following him.

/

The sisters got into the habit of going to Brickyard after school let out taking their crews along with them. They'd work until the sun started to set then return home in time for supper and a good night of rest.

"Still no sign of those dolls," Alifair said pulling on her long underwear as she got cold easily at night.

Ottaline sat on her bed putting her hair in four plaits. "I begin to wonder if we should start looking for clues," she said. "We know Hannah buried the doll and it somehow disappeared and so did one of her own dolls. Both of these events occurred outdoors so the culprit never came into the house."

"We could try Birdy again," Alifair suggested but Ottaline doubted the red hound could help anymore than she had.

"Twelve Briars is coming along beautifully thanks to all the help," Ottaline said. "Aunt Grace and I are going to bring food over for everyone on the weekend and tomorrow I'm sending a pie to Mr. Christenson by way of your father."

"I wouldn't send him a pie," Alifair said. "I don't think I like him too much."

Ottaline shrugged. "He wasn't the one to take Travis out the raffle," she said. "Besides he'd be paying for it and we need the money. I hope I can convince him to purchase two." She pulled her blankets up and lay down on her pillow as the room began to fill for the night as everyone else came to bed.

/

True to her word Ottaline sent two pies by way of her uncle to Mr. Christenson's house and they were purchased straightaway by Mrs. Christenson who hadn't concerned herself with her husband's affairs.

After school Ottaline and Wysteria took the wagon and went about Brickyard putting in orders for pies. These orders mostly came from servants who answered the backdoors of the grand houses.

Ottaline hugged the growing list to her chest. "Miriam will be so proud of our progress," she said. "Beatrice says we'll need much lumber."

Wysteria paused in the street and looked at the next house. "How many people do you think live there?"

Ottaline looked at the mighty house that towered over them with a certain arrogance. "Do you think we should go?"

"I'm not sure," Wysteria said. "We should be careful."

"Indeed you should," the voice came from behind them and the girls turned around to see a fair man mounted on a dark horse, contrasting each other. "What do you want?"

 "We were just out selling pies, sir," Wysteria stammered.

"What kind of pies?" Rothschild demanded.

"All kinds, sir," Ottaline said. "We have a green house and grow berries just about year round. Wysteria here is good at it."

"Is that so," Rothschild said. "Give me your list." He took the list from Ottaline when she held it up to him. Reading over it he saw that many households he knew well had put in orders. "Right, I'll take black berry then or better yet something with nuts." He scribbled down his name and tossed the list into the wagon. "Ya'll know you shouldn't be up here."

"I'm sorry, sir," Wysteria said. "We just wanted to extend or offers to everyone."

Rothschild turned his head at the sound of a horse approaching as Andrew Addams joined him.

"And what is this?" Andrew asked when he saw the girls.

"Peddlers, Addams," Rothschild said. "Out selling pies."

"In this heat," Andrew said. "I'm half dead. You'd make more selling water."

Rothschild laughed. "Well I hope your pies are up to standard. And take my word that I'm not usually this greedy." He smiled at Ottaline and Wysteria. "Ya'll take care, you here." He stirred his horse around them and went up to the mighty house with Andrew following him.

"At least we know who lives there now," Ottaline said.

"Yes," Wysteria said. "I remember the fair one's face from Raffle Day. He was at the table with Mr. Woodrow and Young Mr. Christenson. He would have been one of the people to take out the colored tickets."

"Then why is he buying pies from us?" Ottaline asked.

"Maybe he doesn't know who we are," Wysteria suggested.

"Wysteria, I think he'd recognize his enemies pretty well," Ottaline said. "I think he's up to something."

"I can't imagine what?" Wysteria said.

"He's rich and male and bored," Ottaline said. "That kind is always up to something."

Wysteria took up the wagon handle. "We'll we had best make ourselves busy too," she said walking on. "I still haven't decided what color roses to plant."

"What about a light blue," Ottaline said.

"I'm afraid they don't come that way," Wysteria said.

"Why not?" Ottaline asked.

"We'll I'm afraid they just don't," Wysteria said. "Sort of like people don't come in green."

Ottaline laughed and added a skip in her step as they went up the street.

/

As the time of day approached twilight the girls sat up in their room, some dancing and others going over their specific plans for Twelve Briars.

Wysteria sat up with her flower book trying to decide on the roses to order. Selene was making the curtains in her spare time by reworking some old fabric that Ottaline had helped her to pick out. Hannah sulked dramatically over losing the nutcracker doll and Astrid sat in silent wonder as to where it could be while Ladybird and Providence discussed the color they would paint the sign.

Every once and again the busy few would look up at the dancing few as they pirouetted about the room with spring gaiety.

In their own room Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild listened to the young women laughing and making plans.

"Is it wrong that I still worry about them, Ezra?" Grace said. "How many women have twelve girls to raise?"

Ezra patted her hand. "Darling, they are good girls," he said. "I feel blessed to have that. Some people can't control their daughters."

"You are right," Grace said. "And how does, Mr. Christenson feel about the matter? Mrs. Trout mentioned to me on Sunday that he had his eye on that building according to her brother who lives over at Brickyard."

"Hm, Mr. Christensen didn't mention anything to me," Ezra said. "His nephew has been over often and we haven't really talked."

"Has he left Miriam alone?" Grace asked.

"You'd have to ask Miriam," Ezra said. "Mr. Christenson has always been fair. I vaguely remember his sister Eden but she was supposed to have been the most beautiful woman in the county."

Grace sucked her teeth, "They say that about at least one white woman every generation," she said. "I do remember Eden though. She didn't talk very much. What did happen to her, Ezra?"

"Her maid found her dead," Ezra said getting a small gasp from his wife. "She had been ill for some time, or so I heard. Her son wasn't home when it happened and the family didn't call him back for the funeral. It wasn't until his uncle decided to help him that he even decided to return home. And even then he didn't come past Angel Veil until he started making trouble for Miriam."

"I wonder how he felt that no one told him his mother died," Grace said. "I would have never forgiven myself if it were me."

"Well he carries himself as though he hates humanity," Ezra said. "He must think the world has done him wrong."

Grace had to laugh. "The boy should try being colored," she said. "Or Irish or a Jew."

Ezra had to laugh as well. "He can be whatever he wants so long as he leaves or Miriam alone."

Grace nodded in agreement as he kissed her.