<div style="text-align: justify;">The girl - whose name was Ellinor and who was almost considered an 'old maid' in town - was so busy with her work that she barely noticed the man's presence up until he started helping her gather up her sticks. Her gaze locked at the hands first. Those didn't look like the hands of the men she often met. The few young men she met often - usually for some sort of service or goods - had rough hands, the hands of a farm worker. Not this man, though. After looking at the hands for a while, the young woman started moving her gaze up, slowly, until she looked at the man's face.<br/><br/>"I... yes. Thank you", the young woman replied, accepting the sticks from the man's hands.<br/><br/>Once she had accepted them, the woman gathered the rest of the sticks and stood up. Her gaze was still upon the man, and her expression was curious, but not fearful.<br/><br/>Being very close to a recluse, due to her circumstances, the young woman had never met this man, and, not being given to the town gossip - since she was the subject of some of it -, she had never heard of the man who sometimes showed up.<br/><br/>After a moment of awkward silence, during which she picked her mind about something to say, the young woman finally spoke again.<br/><br/>"I'm sorry, where are my manners?", she asked herself. Sure, she didn't plan on spending too much time there speaking to a man - she didn't need more rumors about her -, but he had been really kind to help her, and it wouldn't kill her to display some politeness.<br/><br/>"I am Ellinor, and I really appreciate your help", she completed, feeling incredibly inadequate. That man was obviously wealthy, and he probably wanted nothing more than to be rid of her.<br/><br/>"Now... I must go, if you do not mind. I thank you again, sir".<br/><br/>With these words, the brunette waited for the man to say something, as she really wanted to get going before someone could show up and see her talking to a strange man.</div>