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found the berry lost on the ledgeof his lip. She let her gaze drop further and noted that his church trousers were much too small this year and stretched tight over the lump between his legs. She was a proper young lady, but Addy felt a surge nonetheless.
    Even though it was Sunday and she knew it was a sin, Addy encouraged her thoughts to roam. She imagined herself pressed against the willow, lips parted and ready to be swallowed up by Chester Monk’s. She imagined his big hands creeping up from her waist, daring to touch her breasts through her new Sunday dress. She imagined leaning against him, feeling his body, his hot breath on her neck. Addy glanced at the sky briefly, hoping God was too busy to see what she was thinking.
    She was still lost in her imaginings when Chester tossed his final bite of berry tart out to the gulls. The trio snapped and flapped around the morsel as all four girls looked up. Chester Monk shrugged like he didn’t know what he’d done wrong and Birdie said he’d be reckoned with if the flock appeared now and they had to move from under the willow. Chester dropped down on the blanket next to Addy and acted like he hadn’t meant for his arm to brush hers. He tilted his head at Birdie Brown. “Your Sunday dress is pretty, Birdie.”
    â€œThank you, Chester.”
    He glanced at Addy. “Yours is too, Adelaide. Ain’t from last year.”
    Addy smoothed the folds of her dress. “No, Chester, this here’s from the catalogue bought new for today.”
    Chester Monk nodded and released a willow leaf snared in the hair on his arm. “Good day for the supper, wouldn’t you girls say?”
    The other girls stayed quiet and pretended not to be holding their breath. Addy nodded. “Yes it is. It’s a very good day. Last year we had that storm.”
    Chester Monk nodded and was silent again. Addy stole a glimpse of his face and thought how one day they would lie naked and unashamed in their marriage bed and she would confess her wicked thoughts about him on this Strawberry Sunday. She wanted to ask him if he’d sampled her pie and was thinking how to phrase it right, when Chester took a deep breath and said, “Would you care to go for a stroll, Camille?”
    The girls’ jaws came unhinged all at once. Camille knew about Addy’s plans for Chester but she nodded just the same, letting him take her hand and heft her to her feet.
    As they walked out from under the willow, Camille looped her arm through Chester’s and flashed her collection of long white teeth. She didn’t look away, even when it was clear that Chester had his sights fixed on her father, Teddy, in the distance, with his black calf boot set up on the runner of his shiny new automobile.
    Birdie grasped Addy’s arm. Addy didn’t cry but neither did she smile bravely. Josephine shook her head from side to side and said, “My sister’s been thieving my possessions all my life and my Daddy never did believe me and now look she’s thieving Addy Shadd’s man.” She crammed a boiledegg in her mouth and secretly wondered why Chester chose her twin and not her.
    â€œNever mind about Chester,” Birdie whispered softly. “There’s better and more deserving boys in Rusholme. He’d never be sincere to just one girl and he’s much too big anyway. Much too big. ”
    Addy felt stung. “I never saw him look sideways at Camille before. Never.”
    Birdie cupped her hands and whispered into Addy’s ear, “We could follow them and see what.”
    Josephine squinted at both girls. When neither looked her way, she shrugged and headed off to the lake. Addy wanted to go home. Birdie said she’d go too and they could both have a good cry. Though Addy did want Birdie’s company, she thought it’d be a good deed to tell her to stay.
    Laisa didn’t like the look of Addy and felt her forehead and cheeks with