Healing Montana Sky by Debra Holland

Author:Debra Holland [Holland, Debra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781503948808
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 25698097
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The inside of the schoolhouse, which seemed to Henri to be almost as big as the church and his new pa’s barn, was packed with more people then he’d ever seen in his life. The sound of voices filled the room and buzzed in his ears.

Mrs. Gordon directed him to hang up his coat on a peg by the door.

Henri stuffed his mittens into the pocket, draped his scarf over the top, and then his cap. He set his lunch pail on a shelf with everyone else’s and took his slate with him.

When he turned, Henri saw rows of tables and stopped moving, wishing he didn’t have to go any farther into the room, that he could go home. Just then he didn’t care where home was, Henri just wanted Maman.

He glanced at a shelf holding more books than Pa had. I’ll learn to read those books for Maman. He curled his toes in Charlie’s hard leather shoes lest his feet take him out the door.

Mrs. Gordon patted Henri on the shoulder. “The students are arranged by age. The youngest sit at the tables in the front and the oldest in the back.”

The noise of the room stilled as the children turned to look at him.

Many of the students had lighter skin, as well as hair and eye colors he’d never seen in children before. He would have wanted to look his fill at them. Instead, feeling like a mouse eyed by a flock of hawks, Henri took a step back, only to be constrained by the teacher’s hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” Mrs. Gordon said in a cheerful voice. “You aren’t the only newcomer.” She gestured to a boy sitting in the middle of the room who looked to be Daniel’s age. “Micah Norton arrived here from Africa not too long ago.”

Micah must have heard his name for he glanced over, the expression on his face sullen.

His vivid blue eyes made him seem familiar, but Henri knew he’d never seen the boy before. Norton, like Reverend Norton? He must not want to be here any more than I do. Somehow, the thought of a fellow sufferer made him feel better.

Mrs. Gordon patted his shoulder. “And my own niece, Natalia Stevens, is paying us a visit.”

Henri wasn’t sure what a niece was.

“Since Natalia plans to be a teacher, she is assisting me with my pupils.” She waved to a young brown-haired woman who was tying a ribbon on a little girl’s braid. “Come here, Natalia, and meet Henri Valleau Muth.”

Natalia wove through the tables to them, smiling at each child she passed. She wore a dress almost the color of the flowers Maman held when she married Pa and that they threw into Daisy’s grave. She had a friendly, freckled face and the same gray eyes as his teacher.

The smile Natalia gave him eased some of the tightness in his belly.

“Natalia, dear. Will you take Henri to the end of that table there? Once we finish the pledge and prayers, I’d like you to start teaching him the alphabet as far as he can go by lunchtime.

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