On Sunday morning, Mary Bloom -- the "good" daughter -- rose early and made the family a nice hot breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon. After filling the plates, she ran back upstairs to dress in her white "virgin" dress and braided pretty blue cornflowers into her long golden hair. Where she found the cornflowers in the dead of winter is a mystery. Suffice to say that girls like Mary Bloom have an infinite supply of cornflowers.
Holding her long white dress up over her boots to keep it out of puddles, Mary sploshed her way through the slush to the neighboring house, where she made a nice hot breakfast for Mrs. Peacock and served it in the parlor. As Mrs. Peacock tucked in to her plate of eggs and toast, Mary sat in the opposite chair and toyed nervously with her cornflowered braids.
"What's on your mind, dear?" asked Mrs. Peacock. Mrs. Peacock understands that when Mary toys with her braids she has something on her mind.
"I think....Miss Agassiz is losing interest in me" stammered Mary, holding back tears.
"Miss Agassiz? What makes you think that, dear?"
"Last week I turned in my homework with mistakes, and instead of having me stay after school for 'correction', she just handed it back with a bad grade. I'm so worried..." Mary burst into tears.
Mrs. Peacock hugged Mary. "There, there, my child", she cooed. "This sort of thing happens in love. But if you want my advice, I think the problem is that you are too easy."
"Too easy?"
"Yes. People like 'Mistress Renee' like resistance. If you give in too easily, they get bored and want to move on. If you want my advice, find someone to help you with your homework for awhile, so you can show Miss Agassiz you don't need her 'special help'. She'll be at your doorstep in no time."
"Oh, Mrs. Peacock, you're so wonderful!" cried Mary, hugging her effusively. Mary ran home just in time to meet her family on the front porch as they set off for services at the Church of Nothing.
Later that morning, Roderick met Megan Cupcake at the doorstep of Mr. Smiley's new cottage. Roderick needed to check the house as he does every Sunday, and Megan wanted to see the place. She followed him to the basement as he checked the furnace, and again as he prowled each room of the house.
In the master bedroom of Mr. Smiley's cottage, there is a large four-poster bed, of Victorian design. Roderick checked the windows. As he turned to leave the room, Megan blocked his egress playfully. "We could play 'house' here, you know..." she murmured suggestively.
While they did not, in fact, play "house" that afternoon, Roderick found the idea to be most interesting.
Around four in the afternoon, Roderick sat in the living room of the Smith house -- Megan had some errands to do, so they split up after lunch. Roderick sat in one of the nice comfortable chairs and read a book about single premium deferred annuities. He borrowed the book from his Dad, and it was a real page-turner.
The doorbell rang; Roderick answered it. Mary Bloom stood on the porch in her long winter coat. Roderick invited her in, and took her coat. Mary had exchanged her white "virgin" dress for her standard "schoolgirl" outfit -- white blouse, plaid kilt, knee socks and penny loafers, which were slightly soggy due to the many slush puddles. "What a nice girl", thought Roderick. "And so nicely dressed..." although her attire did seem a bit odd for a Sunday afternoon.
"Um, Roderick....I was wondering of you could help me with my Science homework...?"
