The Potter's Lady by Miller Judith

Author:Miller, Judith [Miller, Judith]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2015-07-31T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Rylan had barely gathered his bearings when a maid announced dinner would be served in fifteen minutes. From a distant room, a bell rang and was soon followed by a clatter of feet in the upstairs hallway. Moments later, the twins and Rose descended the stairs and gathered with them in the parlor. They were followed by a young woman with red hair, who carried the youngest of the McKay daughters in her arms. His stomach lurched at the sight of her. Was she the woman he’d seen with Joshua?

Mrs. McKay waved the redheaded woman forward. “Rylan, this is our youngest daughter, Tessa, and her nanny, Beatrice Murphy. Beatrice agreed to come with us when we moved from Bartlett, and we’re grateful for her help with our little girl.” She smiled at the nanny. “Mr. Campbell assists Mr. McKay in the office at the pottery.”

Beatrice gave a slight nod as she pinned him with a disparaging stare, likely wondering why the hired help was being entertained in the McKay home. Her look of disdain made him long to rush home and change into his Sunday white shirt and black trousers, but he remained glued to his chair.

The scene outside the hotel replayed in his mind as the nanny crossed the room. She presented the child to her parents, who kissed her and then returned her to Beatrice’s care. Moments later, Adaira and Ainslee took up positions on either side of him. Ainslee nodded toward the little girl. “Tessa goes back upstairs with Beatrice to eat her dinner when we have guests, but Laura likes to have her come downstairs while we gather in the parlor for prayer before going into the dining room.”

Rylan thought it an odd practice—not the prayer, but the fact that they gathered in the parlor rather than sitting around the table and praying before the meal. When Ewan bowed his head, Rylan and the others followed suit. Ewan’s prayer was earnest. Beyond asking God to bless their food, he prayed for his family members, the staff in his home, all of the employees working for him, and then petitioned the Lord for favor regarding his recent contract bids and the contest entries. He ended by giving thanks for the Lord’s protection and blessings.

Gathering the family for prayer before a meal, or at any other time, was foreign to Rylan. Thoughts of Beatrice and the hotel fled from his mind as he recalled Mam praying with him before bedtime when he was little, but that, too, had changed when his da remarried.

None of the tenants in the boardinghouse had ever offered to say a blessing over their meal, and Mrs. O’Malley had been too busy serving their food to worry if they’d prayed or not, but Rylan liked the idea of thanking God before meals. He hadn’t been brave enough to pray aloud, but he’d silently prayed before his meals. If he ever had a family, he would want to pray with his children. He would want them to learn of God’s love at an early age.

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