the glass and left the room, but she stopped just outside the door when she heard Robert Lonsdale burst into laughter.
“Since when did you get a sweet tooth?” Robert asked, chuckling.
“I haven’t. But I told you I’d make her earn her keep,” Crystal answered, then giggled. “My, it’s gonna be fun havin’ that girl here after all.”
“Yes. I think I might extend my visit,” Robert said thoughtfully, then added, “To watch the fun, of course. I never realized you had such a cruel streak in you, sister. If the old man knew what—”
“Oh, hush up, Robert!” Crystal snapped, then smiled wickedly. “Father Maitland ain’t gonna know.”
Angela was close to tears as she hurried back to the kitchen. To be purposely cruel, just for sport!
“Can you make this a little sweeter?” she asked, trying not to show how upset she was.
“Tilda puts lots of sugar in her lemonade,” Hannah answered, surprised. “If you wants more sugar, you’s gonna get fat, Missy.”
“Oh, it’s not for me,” Angela said quickly. “The lemonade is for Miss Crystal.”
“Why you fetchin’ for her?” Hannah asked, her brow creased.
“She told me to.”
“Then she tell you it ain’t sweet enough?”
“Yes.”
“Lord, what’s the gal think she’s doin’?” Hannah exclaimed. “You wait here, Missy. Don’t you do nothin’ ’cept watch Tilda make her peach pie. I’ll take Miss Crystal her lemonade. You wait about ten minutes, and then come to the master’s study. He’ll want to talk with you.”
Ten minutes later, Hannah opened the door to the study and Angela walked in apprehensively. The room was large, and extended to the rear of the house, with the red-yellow rays of the setting sun steaming in the back windows. One wall was covered from floor to ceiling with books, another held a large gun case. There were stuffed animal heads mounted on wooden plaques, and pictures of wild horses and open plains on the walls. The floor-length draperies were dark brown, and thefurniture was covered in black leather. This was definitely a man’s study.
“Hannah, tell the others to wait in the dining room. I will be delayed for a few minutes,” Jacob said.
“Yessuh,” Hannah replied and closed the door, a knowing smile on her lips.
Jacob came around his desk and led Angela to a long sofa. “My dear, something has happened that I don’t quite understand, and I think you can help me.”
“I’d be mighty pleased to help, sir,” Angela returned eagerly.
“Hannah tells me that you went to the kitchen for a glass of lemonade, and that you came back a few minutes later to make it sweeter. Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And that lemonade was for my daughter-in-law?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did she ask you to get her the lemonade, or did she tell you to get it?” Jacob questioned.
“It don’t really make much difference, sir,” Angela returned.
“Which was it, Angela?”
“Well, as I recall, she told me to get it,” Angela answered meekly. What had she done wrong?
“And why did you do it?”
“Why did I? Oh, I know you told me to rest, and I didn’t mean to disobey your wishes, but Ijust ain’t used to restin’, sir. I had to do somethin’ and so I come downstairs to see if I could be helpful. I started dustin’ furniture, and then Miss Crystal told me. I know you ain’t said what my duties are yet, but I didn’t see no harm in startin’ work. I’m right sorry if I made you angry, Mr. Maitland.”
“Oh, Angela, what am I going to do with you?” he laughed. “One more question, my dear: Did my daughter-in-law refer to you as a servant?”
“She did mention it when she was talkin’ to her brother about me. But that’s a silly question, Mr. Maitland. You must of told your family why you was bringin’ me here.”
“Yes, I did,” he said with a sigh. “But apparently I didn’t explain the situation well enough. Come along, we’ll go into dinner now.”
“Do you want
“Since when did you get a sweet tooth?” Robert asked, chuckling.
“I haven’t. But I told you I’d make her earn her keep,” Crystal answered, then giggled. “My, it’s gonna be fun havin’ that girl here after all.”
“Yes. I think I might extend my visit,” Robert said thoughtfully, then added, “To watch the fun, of course. I never realized you had such a cruel streak in you, sister. If the old man knew what—”
“Oh, hush up, Robert!” Crystal snapped, then smiled wickedly. “Father Maitland ain’t gonna know.”
Angela was close to tears as she hurried back to the kitchen. To be purposely cruel, just for sport!
“Can you make this a little sweeter?” she asked, trying not to show how upset she was.
“Tilda puts lots of sugar in her lemonade,” Hannah answered, surprised. “If you wants more sugar, you’s gonna get fat, Missy.”
“Oh, it’s not for me,” Angela said quickly. “The lemonade is for Miss Crystal.”
“Why you fetchin’ for her?” Hannah asked, her brow creased.
“She told me to.”
“Then she tell you it ain’t sweet enough?”
“Yes.”
“Lord, what’s the gal think she’s doin’?” Hannah exclaimed. “You wait here, Missy. Don’t you do nothin’ ’cept watch Tilda make her peach pie. I’ll take Miss Crystal her lemonade. You wait about ten minutes, and then come to the master’s study. He’ll want to talk with you.”
Ten minutes later, Hannah opened the door to the study and Angela walked in apprehensively. The room was large, and extended to the rear of the house, with the red-yellow rays of the setting sun steaming in the back windows. One wall was covered from floor to ceiling with books, another held a large gun case. There were stuffed animal heads mounted on wooden plaques, and pictures of wild horses and open plains on the walls. The floor-length draperies were dark brown, and thefurniture was covered in black leather. This was definitely a man’s study.
“Hannah, tell the others to wait in the dining room. I will be delayed for a few minutes,” Jacob said.
“Yessuh,” Hannah replied and closed the door, a knowing smile on her lips.
Jacob came around his desk and led Angela to a long sofa. “My dear, something has happened that I don’t quite understand, and I think you can help me.”
“I’d be mighty pleased to help, sir,” Angela returned eagerly.
“Hannah tells me that you went to the kitchen for a glass of lemonade, and that you came back a few minutes later to make it sweeter. Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And that lemonade was for my daughter-in-law?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did she ask you to get her the lemonade, or did she tell you to get it?” Jacob questioned.
“It don’t really make much difference, sir,” Angela returned.
“Which was it, Angela?”
“Well, as I recall, she told me to get it,” Angela answered meekly. What had she done wrong?
“And why did you do it?”
“Why did I? Oh, I know you told me to rest, and I didn’t mean to disobey your wishes, but Ijust ain’t used to restin’, sir. I had to do somethin’ and so I come downstairs to see if I could be helpful. I started dustin’ furniture, and then Miss Crystal told me. I know you ain’t said what my duties are yet, but I didn’t see no harm in startin’ work. I’m right sorry if I made you angry, Mr. Maitland.”
“Oh, Angela, what am I going to do with you?” he laughed. “One more question, my dear: Did my daughter-in-law refer to you as a servant?”
“She did mention it when she was talkin’ to her brother about me. But that’s a silly question, Mr. Maitland. You must of told your family why you was bringin’ me here.”
“Yes, I did,” he said with a sigh. “But apparently I didn’t explain the situation well enough. Come along, we’ll go into dinner now.”
“Do you want
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