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Then she walked away, and Nat followed her along the narrow dirty road. Kit stood alone, waiting. She already regretted this trip to the shore. There was no welcome for her at this Saybrook.

* * *

At last the captain called everyone back to the boat. There were four new passengers: a tall young man with long fair hair, then a sullen older man, his wife and their little girl with a wooden toy. They were halfway back to the ship when the child started crying. Her mother smacked her, but the child only started crying harder. “Ma! The dolly’s gone!” she cried. “The doll Grandpa made for me!”

Kit could see the little wooden doll drifting in the water right behind the boat.

“Shame on you!” the woman said angrily to the girl. “He worked so hard to make you a toy, and now you throw it away!”

“I was showing her the ship! Please get her back, Ma! Please!”

The toy was drifting farther and farther away from the boat. No one in the boat paid any attention. Kit could not keep silent. “Turn back, Captain,” she asked.

The captain did not even look at her. Kit had never been ignored before. Then, suddenly, she took off her shoes and jumped over the side of the boat. The water was terribly cold. Kit saw the wooden doll and quickly swam to it. She had the doll in her hand when she saw that Nathaniel too was in the water beside her. She laughed and swam back to the boat. The captain helped her and Nat to get in. Kit was smiling excitedly, and her cheeks were red, but then she saw the shock, horror and anger in the faces of the other passengers.

“You must be mad,” the woman said angrily.

Even Nathaniel was furious. “You don’t think about anybody else, do you?” he asked her.

“Why did you jump in anyway?” Kit asked.

“I wouldn’t have, if I had known that you could swim.”

“Swim?” she was surprised. “My grandfather taught me to swim before I could walk.”

The others stared at Kit silently. What was wrong with these people? Only the young man with fair hair smiled warmly, and the child, holding her wet doll, looked gratefully at her.

* * *

Two hours later Kit was sitting on the deck when the tall young man came up to her. “I am John Holbrook,” he said. “I’m going to Wethersfield.”

Kit had not forgotten his warm smile. “I am Katherine Tyler,” she answered. “I am on the way to Wethersfield too to live with my aunt, Mistress Wood.”

“Is Matthew Wood your uncle then? His name is well-known there.”

“Yes, but I have never seen either him or my aunt. I only know that she was my mother’s very beautiful sister back in England.”

The young man looked puzzled. “I have never met your aunt,” he said. “I came to talk to you because I think that it was a kind thing you did for the child.”

“It was a very foolish thing, I understand now,” she replied. “But I don’t understand why it made everyone so angry.”

He paused. “You surprised us, that’s all. We were sure you would drown. It was shocking to see you swimming.”