A Most Affectionate Mother by Maria Grace

Author:Maria Grace [Grace, Maria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780999798409
Publisher: White Soup Press
Published: 2018-11-21T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Shortly after sunrise, the children in the rooms above Mary’s began to stir. No sound came from the room beside hers, Mrs. Johnstone’s chamber. The matron had a fretful night, with sounds of nightmares and walking the creaky floor filtering through the walls the majority of the nighttime hours. The sighs and groans that accompanied her steps were hardly affectations—Longbourn had taught her what those sounded like. No, Mrs. Johnstone was experiencing something disturbingly real.

Perhaps she suffered with some kind of digestive complaint. It was difficult to tell from the sounds alone, but there might be some way to improve the old woman’s comfort. For now though, it would be best to let her sleep.

Mary dressed quickly and made her way upstairs. A maid paced the halls, as if trying to work up the courage to enter the children’s rooms. Silly child—but in truth the maid was little more than a child herself, only two, maybe three years older than the oldest of the students. No wonder she was apprehensive.

“Where is Mr. Johnstone?” Mary asked.

The maid wrung her hands in her apron. “He was called away early this morning. It seems there was some emergency—the parish is fond of him, you see. They call on him at all hours with all manner of complaints. Sometimes it is most unnecessary, I think. But today I understand someone was close to dying, and he was wanted very much.”

“I see.” Well, that would complicate matters quite nicely, now, would it not?

The reason for his absence made it difficult to object. In truth, it was admirable that he was the sort of vicar people counted upon in trouble. There were not many like that, really. Certainly, Mr. Collins was not that type of man. Somehow it was reassuring Mr. Johnstone was.

Still though, if this sort of thing were apt to happen, he really should have some manner of plan in place to deal with it and not leave things to fall as they would. No wonder Mrs. Johnstone needed help. “What do the boys usually do in the morning?”

The girl scuffed her foot along the carpet. “I cannot be entirely sure, Miss, but I think he takes them into the schoolroom for some kind of reading or lesson before breakfast.”

Well, that would not work. Without knowing specifically their planned lessons, she dared not try to take teaching them upon herself. Asking the boys about their lessons was to invite them to play tricks upon her which no one should have to deal with upon first rising in the morning. Not to mention, it would give them the upper hand, and it was far too early in their relationship to risk that happening.

Mary brushed her hands together and straightened her apron. “Help me get them dressed, then inform the cook I shall have them back at ten o’clock for breakfast. If Mrs. Johnstone should wake while I am out, tell her I have them well in hand and she need only appear below stairs if that is her preference.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.