Read Online The Forgiving Heart (The Heart of Minnesota Book 1) by Becky Riker - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Becky Riker
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breakfast?”
“I am,” she pulled a scarf from her pocket and began to tie it around her head. “I do not wish to make a bad impression.”
Leif took her elbow, “Then I think it would be wise not to go yet.”
Karlijna went willingly with him, but frowned at his words.
“It is but six in the morning. They will not wish you to intrude on their sleep, nor their breakfast.”
He didn’t add that she needed to eat to keep her strength for the job.
Ingrid fed her young charge a large breakfast. It was amazing, even to Karlijna that she could force any food down, so nervous was she. Ingrid, however, had no intention of letting the girl go anywhere without ample food in her stomach.
“Thank you for the food,” Karlijna helped clean the dishes once she had eaten her fill, and began to pull her light sweater back on her shoulders, “I should start off.”
Ingrid handed her a brown paper package, “Don’t forget this.”
Karlijna looked at it in confusion, “What is this?”
“That is your dinner,” Ingrid’s voice was matter-of-fact.
Karlijna smiled, realizing that food for a noon meal had not occurred to her before that, “Thank you, Ingrid.”
Ingrid gave the girl a quick hug, “You’re welcome.”
Karlijna found her way back to th e large house with no problem. She took a deep breath and stepped up to the door. Gathering all her courage, she knocked firmly on the portal. There was no answer.
The young girl wondered if she had misunderstood. Maybe there was nobody here this morning or she was to report to a different location. She stood a moment in indecision.
The girl had nearly decided to leave to find Leif when she noticed the doorbell. Remembering Leif using that, she touched it lightly. When that did not elicit a response, she pushed again, harder this time.
Expecting the same man who had answered the door before, Karlijna was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Sodergaard, himself, greeted her, speaking in Swedish.
“Miss Bergstrom,” he smiled and stepped aside to allow her entry, “you are here early.”
The girl flushed, “I hope I am not disturbing you. We did not discuss a time so I thought to come early would be better than to come late.”
“You are right about that,” he agreed as he walked ahead of her into his study, “please sit down.”
Karlijna did as she was bid while he sat in a chair next to her.
“I assume you are able to read and write in all the languages we discussed?”
Karlijna nodded, wondering if planned to write down her instructions, “I am able, but as I am still learning Swedish, I have had little time for reading.”
The man nodd ed, “I think you do very well. Do you not find it similar to German?”
She tilted her head to the side, “S ome of the sounds are similar. They are more like each other than English or French.”
“I ndeed,” he scrutinized her. “Do you always wear that scarf?”
She touched the grey fabric , “I have a red one as well.”
He blinked as if confused but didn’t question her further.
Instead, he rose and retrieved a stack of papers from his desk.
“I do business , mostly in Sweden, but also in France and England. I used to travel to these places, but with the war, I conduct most things through correspondence.”
Karlijna was becoming more c onfused by the moment. She wished he would explain to her what her principal duties were to be. It would probably be best if he would take her to the housekeeper for instruction. She knew better than to rush her employer, however. She nodded at the times she thought appropriate.
Mr. Sodergaard walked to a smaller desk in the corner of the room and laid the papers down, “This will be your desk. I will be in here from time to time, but that shouldn’t interfere with your work.”
Karlijna felt she must be honest now, “Mr. Sodergaard,” she spoke up as loudly as she dared, “I don’t know what it is I am to be doing. Am I not here to be a maid. . .or a kitchen
“I am,” she pulled a scarf from her pocket and began to tie it around her head. “I do not wish to make a bad impression.”
Leif took her elbow, “Then I think it would be wise not to go yet.”
Karlijna went willingly with him, but frowned at his words.
“It is but six in the morning. They will not wish you to intrude on their sleep, nor their breakfast.”
He didn’t add that she needed to eat to keep her strength for the job.
Ingrid fed her young charge a large breakfast. It was amazing, even to Karlijna that she could force any food down, so nervous was she. Ingrid, however, had no intention of letting the girl go anywhere without ample food in her stomach.
“Thank you for the food,” Karlijna helped clean the dishes once she had eaten her fill, and began to pull her light sweater back on her shoulders, “I should start off.”
Ingrid handed her a brown paper package, “Don’t forget this.”
Karlijna looked at it in confusion, “What is this?”
“That is your dinner,” Ingrid’s voice was matter-of-fact.
Karlijna smiled, realizing that food for a noon meal had not occurred to her before that, “Thank you, Ingrid.”
Ingrid gave the girl a quick hug, “You’re welcome.”
Karlijna found her way back to th e large house with no problem. She took a deep breath and stepped up to the door. Gathering all her courage, she knocked firmly on the portal. There was no answer.
The young girl wondered if she had misunderstood. Maybe there was nobody here this morning or she was to report to a different location. She stood a moment in indecision.
The girl had nearly decided to leave to find Leif when she noticed the doorbell. Remembering Leif using that, she touched it lightly. When that did not elicit a response, she pushed again, harder this time.
Expecting the same man who had answered the door before, Karlijna was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Sodergaard, himself, greeted her, speaking in Swedish.
“Miss Bergstrom,” he smiled and stepped aside to allow her entry, “you are here early.”
The girl flushed, “I hope I am not disturbing you. We did not discuss a time so I thought to come early would be better than to come late.”
“You are right about that,” he agreed as he walked ahead of her into his study, “please sit down.”
Karlijna did as she was bid while he sat in a chair next to her.
“I assume you are able to read and write in all the languages we discussed?”
Karlijna nodded, wondering if planned to write down her instructions, “I am able, but as I am still learning Swedish, I have had little time for reading.”
The man nodd ed, “I think you do very well. Do you not find it similar to German?”
She tilted her head to the side, “S ome of the sounds are similar. They are more like each other than English or French.”
“I ndeed,” he scrutinized her. “Do you always wear that scarf?”
She touched the grey fabric , “I have a red one as well.”
He blinked as if confused but didn’t question her further.
Instead, he rose and retrieved a stack of papers from his desk.
“I do business , mostly in Sweden, but also in France and England. I used to travel to these places, but with the war, I conduct most things through correspondence.”
Karlijna was becoming more c onfused by the moment. She wished he would explain to her what her principal duties were to be. It would probably be best if he would take her to the housekeeper for instruction. She knew better than to rush her employer, however. She nodded at the times she thought appropriate.
Mr. Sodergaard walked to a smaller desk in the corner of the room and laid the papers down, “This will be your desk. I will be in here from time to time, but that shouldn’t interfere with your work.”
Karlijna felt she must be honest now, “Mr. Sodergaard,” she spoke up as loudly as she dared, “I don’t know what it is I am to be doing. Am I not here to be a maid. . .or a kitchen
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