Chapter Eight
In the afternoon, they walked back to the sheep-down with the kites. Newingham demonstrated how to launch them into the air and the girls watched with earnest attention. It hurt Pip’s heart to see how eager they were and yet how cautious, how afraid of making mistakes and bringing criticism down upon their heads.
Mistakes were made and the kites did fall from the sky, but Newingham only laughed and offered cheerful encouragement—and then the magic happened: the kites stayed aloft and the girls ran back and forth across the sheep-down, shrieking with laughter. Pip’s heart no longer hurt; it expanded with joy.
She flew her kite, too, and it swooped high in the air, an apron given freedom on the end of a piece of string. She found herself thinking that if aprons could be joyf
