Maggie walked through town with change jingling in the pocket of her skirt. Her father had given her the money and tasked her with going to the store to purchase some food. While they had milk and vegetables and home, they needed more than that in order to survive.

As she walked down the dirt road, a carriage passed by and stirred up the dust. She waved an arm and squinted until the cloud of dust died down. They were in desperate need of rain.

She walked into the general store and mentally went over her checklist of items once more. "Hello, Mr. Clark," she greeted as she scanned the shelves.

"Hello, Miss Margaret," he called. His voice sounded slightly muffled, so she assumed he was somewhere in the back of the store.

She picked up a jar of canned peaches and another of green beans before moving onto a different area of the store. Pa needed a new shirt, so she looked at the cloth. The bell by the door chimed, signaling that someone else had entered the store, but she paid no mind to it.

"What can I do for you, son?" Mr. Clark said as he came back to the front of the store.

"I'm here with my father. He sent me in to pick up a revolver he ordered last week."

Maggie dropped the piece of red fabric she had been holding and ducked behind another shelf.

She heard the old man rummaging around for a moment. Then the sound of money hitting the counter.

"There you go, Mr. Langdon. I hope your father likes that gun," Mr. Clark said in his usual cheerful voice. "It's one of our bestsellers."

"Thank you, sir. And there's no need to call me Mr. Langdon. Vincent is fine."

Maggie listened as the two exchanged a few more brief formalities and then to the footsteps of Vincent leaving the building. She was just about to step out of her hiding place when she heard his footsteps stop.

"Wasn't there someone else in here, Mr. Clark?"

"Oh, yes. Miss Margaret?" The old man's voice called throughout the store. "Where has that girl gone off to?" He added, muttering.

She cringed and hesitated for a moment before stepping out from behind the shelf.

"Ah, there you are," Mr. Clark said. "Margaret, meet Vincent. He's about your age. Maybe the two of you will get along." With that, he disappeared into the storeroom once more.

He was such a nice old man. She found it hard to be mad at him. She turned her gaze and locked eyes with the boy she had met only last week. He wore a similar outfit as he had that night and his hair was neatly combed.

She had enjoyed her dance with him at the party, but she had never expected to see him again.

Recognition flashed in his eyes. "Maggie?"

She braced herself. He was going to be ashamed of himself for dancing, or even associating with someone like her. She pictured how angry he would be and how he would blame her for deceiving him. She supposed she had, in a way. Her gaze turned to the worn out wooden floor below her.

"It's so good to see you again."

She jerked her head up when she heard that sentence leave his lips. She expected laughter, eye rolls, or disgust when she looked up, thinking it was sarcasm. But what she saw was a pure and genuine smile.

"I had no idea your real name was Margaret," he said when she didn't speak for several moments. "It's a pretty name, but Maggie does suit you better."

"You aren't mad at me?" Maggie wished she hadn't said that the moment the words left her mouth. She internally cursed herself for not at least saying hello.

His smile faded a bit and his expression turned to one of confusion. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"

Maggie's own expression now matched his: pure confusion. "Because I'm poor." She gestured to her plain dress with dirt and holes in the bottom. "Usually people from rich families like you don't like people like me."

A heavy sigh escaped from Vincent's lips. "All money does is make people greedy. I don't care how much money you have, I still want to be your friend. You're nice." He smiled once again. "And you're a good dance partner."
A smile quickly formed on Maggie's face. It seemed her father was wrong. Not all of the rich people in Georgia hated them. "I'm happy to see you again."

"I am too," he replied. "But unfortunately, I have to go. My father is waiting on me and he isn't very patient."

Maggie felt her heart sink, but her smile remained. "I'll see you again sometime then."

"Goodbye." He gave her one last smile before exiting the building.

She stood there for a moment, still in shock at the whole interaction. Both Willamina and Vincent had treated her with kindness, despite her background. That was more than most people in this town could say.

She thought about him as she continued her shopping. She was never good at making friends, but found herself having two more that week.

~~~~
Word Count: 873

I apologize for giving y'all another short chapter. It is just a creative decision of mine.

What do you guys think of Vincent?

Thanks for reading!