The Sugar Queen by Tess Thompson

Author:Tess Thompson [Thompson, Tess]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tess Thompson

When I woke the next morning, the sky was a vibrant blue. Two new feet of snow sparkled like tiny crystals under the sun. Hearing the voices of children, I washed and dressed quickly and went to round them up for breakfast. Flynn and Cymbeline were already up and gone outside to play, Josephine informed me when I entered the girls’ bedroom. “On Saturdays, the staff has the day off, which means we take care of the animals and our own meals.” She sat sideways on the window seat behind Fiona. They wore plain gray dresses with drop waists. Josephine used a soft-bristled brush to comb out tangles in her little sister’s hair. A white bow lay in wait.

“You’re both such big girls to get yourselves dressed and ready for the day,” I said.

“Jojo helps me,” Fiona said, then winced as a particularly stubborn tangle met the brush.

“Sorry, pet,” Josephine said. “You must have been wild in your sleep last night.”

Fiona grinned. “Miss Quinn, one time I fell out of the bed.”

“She was lucky not to break something.” The knot out, Josephine tied the bow around Fiona’s curls.

“Papa said I bounce,” Fiona said.

Josephine popped from the window seat and smoothed her skirts. “We’re ready now.”

“Would you like to meet our pigs?” Fiona asked.

“You have pigs?” I lifted Fiona off the window seat and gave her a kiss on top of her head before setting her on her feet.

“Baby ones.” Fiona’s voice wobbled. “They’ll get killed after they’re fat.”

“Fiona likes bacon but doesn’t care to think where it comes from.” Josephine gave her sister an indulgent smile.

“I understand completely,” I said.

“They have curly tails,” Fiona said. “And pink noses that make funny sniffing noises.”

Fiona kept hold of my hand as we went down the stairs to the main floor. Ironically, the scent of bacon greeted us the moment we stepped into the dining room. Lord Barnes and Theo were already seated at the table. The elder Barnes read from a newspaper and Theo from a book. They both looked up and said good morning. Jasper stood watch.

“I let the other two eat and go out,” Lord Barnes said. “I hoped just this once we could skip the prayer.”

“It’s your conscience.” I winked at Josephine.

“I’ll say my prayer silently,” Josephine said. “Fiona, you should do the same.”

“Yes, Jojo.” Fiona kept hold of my hand as we contemplated what to choose for breakfast.

I added a blob of eggs to Fiona’s plate in addition to the two pieces of bacon she asked for. Once we were seated, Lord Barnes set aside his Denver Post.

“Any news from the world?” I asked.

“Not anything worth repeating,” Lord Barnes said. “Would you like it? The news is a week old by the time I get it, but at least I can keep somewhat abreast of the world’s events.”

I declined his offer, saying I might read it later if I had a quiet moment.

“And what do we plan to do with our day?” he asked the girls.

“We’re showing Miss Quinn our pigs,” Fiona said.

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