A Season of Grace by Lauraine Snelling

Author:Lauraine Snelling
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Fiction;Domestic fiction;Christian fiction;FIC042030;FIC014000
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2018-08-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter

15

I hate to leave right in the middle of this.” Nilda checked the note again. Yes, Mrs. Schoenleber wanted her to come today. She had given Nilda the grace of an extra week since her family was arriving, but the job needed to start soon. Not that Nilda had any real idea what she was going to be doing at the huge formal house, but she’d said be ready at ten when George arrived to take her to Blackduck.

“She must want you to work for her mighty bad to go to all this trouble.” Gunlaug looked at her daughter. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I am truly happy for you.”

“Just so you don’t go getting uppity on us.” Signe stirred the diapers in the boiler on the stove.

“I’m really afraid of that.” Nilda rolled her eyes and knelt in front of the pen where Kirstin was banging a wooden spoon on one of the pots. “Now, don’t you forget your Tante Nilda, you hear me, little one?”

“As if anyone can hear anything with that going on.” Gerd picked up the smocked dress she’d just tried on the squirming girl. “All I need to do now is hem it. You know, if you’d give up and walk, you could wear this,” she said to Kirstin, “but crawling and dresses don’t do well together.”

“She’ll probably take her first steps while I’m in Blackduck, and I’ll miss it.” Nilda stood at the sound of a trotting team coming up the lane. “See you all on Sunday.”

Picking up her satchel, she blew kisses to Kirstin, hugged her mor, and, tucking the scarf Gerd had knitted for her around her neck, went out to meet her driver.

“Good to see you, miss. What a beautiful drive.” George helped her up into the seat of an elegant open carriage and tucked a robe around her legs. “I debated on bringing the victoria, but with such a perfect fall day, here we are.” He settled her satchel beneath his seat, mounted up to the driver’s seat, and clucked the horses into a trot as soon as they straightened around.

I should have brought my knitting, Nilda thought. I could be doing something. “Mr. George?”

“I am not Mr. George. I’m just George.”

“You must have a last name.”

“Hemmelschmidt. Quite a mouthful, wouldn’t you say? George is much easier.”

“Do you mind if I ask you some questions? I need to practice my English.”

“Well, then, you must make sure you understand what I say. If you’re not sure, ask me. All right?” He smiled at her over his shoulder.

“Would it be easier if I were sitting up there with you?”

“Ah, yes, it might be. But that would not be proper, you see. Madam Schoenleber takes her position in Blackduck very seriously.”

“Her position?”

“As a leader of society. Blackduck was a mighty rough town when her father built that house and moved his family there. Social graces were few and far between. But he wanted his family to grow up

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