January 28th, 1895 — Effie's Room at the Boarding House

Effie was smart, and level-headed — more level-headed than either Annie or Hanna, for sure. She was also good at keeping a secret, Johanna thought — not that she had any intention of telling Effie where she had come up with such an idea. She brought a puzzle over to Effie's boarding house room, and had completed the edges of the puzzle before she focused on the real questions she wanted to ask Effie. It was important that she had control over her thoughts first.

"Effie," Hanna said, looking up from where her puzzle was set on the floor, "Can I ask you something scandalous?"

Effie Clarke Elias Grimstone

  

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set by Bee

Effie could lose herself in a puzzle like the best of them, even if Hanna always seemed more intense about them; but Effie only half-heard the question from where she was busy sorting certain pieces into smaller piles, and looked up curiously as she digested it.

Scandalous. Effie paused, brow furrowing slightly in spite of herself. She did not have any experience with scandal, nor condoned it – but she was determined, always, to be a good influence on her friends. So she could surely indulge a question.

“Ask me anything,” she said, purposely light, head tilting to observe Hanna, “as long as you don’t presume that I have all the answers. I’m – not an expert.” (She presumed.)

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Effie was open to it, as Hanna had half-expected — now onto the harder part. How did she phrase this? "Have you ever heard of — a man being with another man?" she asked, tone obviously quizzical. Effie was more worldly than she was, which meant that maybe she had heard of it, and maybe had a perspective to offer.

  

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set by Bee

Effie – didn’t know what she had been expecting, but that had not been it.

She startled where she was sitting, eyes widening at Hanna, who was... all academic curiosity, it looked like. Where in God’s name had this come from?

Effie feigned confusion and a cough, the latter mostly because it felt like her throat had closed up in absolute betrayal. “What do you mean, being with?” she asked, cautiously. Her friend might have a habit of directness, but it would be worse if she was mistaken, and Hanna wasn’t actually asking about...that.

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