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Authors: Lawana Blackwell
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for a couple of days until the place is more presentable, she thought.
They had sufficient money to do so. Besides the hundred pounds lent to her by Jensen and the six quid still left from the original household money, she had an extra thirty-five pounds from selling several gowns to a shop on Petticoat Lane. Some were of Parisian design and worth five times what she received for them, but she’d been too grateful for the extra money to feel any loss. In fact, she would have culled out even more of her wardrobe had not Fiona persuaded her to keep some colorful gowns for when her year of mourning was up. “You won’t be wearing black forever,” the maid had argued. “And your lodgers will expect their landlady to look cheery and presentable.”
But I’ve no idea how much it’s going to cost to refurbish the house , Julia thought, mentally counting the money again. How could she know, until all the rooms had been examined and cleaned? And her children’s futures lay in making the Larkspur Inn presentable to lodgers who were accustomed to quality.
The driver grunted from beneath the trunk. “Where d’ye want this?”
This is our home. We have to stay. Julia shot a questioning glance to Fiona. But where indeed should the luggage go? She wasn’t even sure which bedrooms they would choose for their own yet.
“How about in here?” Fiona suggested. “We can always move everything later.”
“Yes, that’s fine,” Julia said to the coachman. “But why don’t you rest before unloading the others?”
“Want t’make Shrewsbury before lunch,” the driver replied. When he was gone, accompanied by Philip to hold the door for him when he returned with another load, and while Fiona went to look for the lantern room, Grace pointed to a sheet-covered form in a familiar shape. “Look, Aleda!” she exclaimed. “That looks like a piano. You’ll be able to play for us.”
“I’m not touching anything in this house … ever,” her sister sniffed.
Julia squelched the sharp words that rose in her throat. She just needs time to get used to the idea. Mercifully, a few minutes later the doorway they had walked through earlier became brighter and brighter, until Fiona appeared carrying two paraffin lamps. “I found a lantern room just inside the courtyard door,” she said, placing one on each side of the chimneypiece. “Candles, paraffin, and gallons of oil. We’ll have enough light for months to come. And I’ll bring more lanterns in here when we’ve uncovered the tables. A little light always makes a room more hospitable.”
This fact lifted Julia’s spirits, but the girls still huddled close to her with dazed expressions. Give them something to do , she thought when Philip had returned and the coachman was gone. It’ll keep their minds occupied . And today was as good a day as any for the children to understand that the days of having servants attending their every need were over.
“Look, children, I’ve a little chore for you,” she said.
“Chore, Mother?” Philip said, but the puzzlement was across all three faces. Julia sighed inwardly, recalling the two times she’d explained to the children that their help would be vital to making the Larkspur a success. It still obviously hadn’t sunk in, for now all three sets of eyes had drifted over to Fiona.
Aleda was the only one with enough bluntness to voice what they were all thinking. “But why can’t Fiona do it?” There was no animosity in her voice, just the incomprehension of a child who’d taken it for granted all her life that children amused themselves and servants did the work.
“Because Fiona can’t do it all. And she and I need to see how the other rooms are laid out.” Moving over to a sofa-shaped form, Julia took up a corner of the sheet and snatched it aside. A cloud of dust overwhelmed her nostrils and brought on a fit of sneezing.
“It’s better to fold the sheets aside, ma’am,” Fiona said tactfully as Julia wiped her
They had sufficient money to do so. Besides the hundred pounds lent to her by Jensen and the six quid still left from the original household money, she had an extra thirty-five pounds from selling several gowns to a shop on Petticoat Lane. Some were of Parisian design and worth five times what she received for them, but she’d been too grateful for the extra money to feel any loss. In fact, she would have culled out even more of her wardrobe had not Fiona persuaded her to keep some colorful gowns for when her year of mourning was up. “You won’t be wearing black forever,” the maid had argued. “And your lodgers will expect their landlady to look cheery and presentable.”
But I’ve no idea how much it’s going to cost to refurbish the house , Julia thought, mentally counting the money again. How could she know, until all the rooms had been examined and cleaned? And her children’s futures lay in making the Larkspur Inn presentable to lodgers who were accustomed to quality.
The driver grunted from beneath the trunk. “Where d’ye want this?”
This is our home. We have to stay. Julia shot a questioning glance to Fiona. But where indeed should the luggage go? She wasn’t even sure which bedrooms they would choose for their own yet.
“How about in here?” Fiona suggested. “We can always move everything later.”
“Yes, that’s fine,” Julia said to the coachman. “But why don’t you rest before unloading the others?”
“Want t’make Shrewsbury before lunch,” the driver replied. When he was gone, accompanied by Philip to hold the door for him when he returned with another load, and while Fiona went to look for the lantern room, Grace pointed to a sheet-covered form in a familiar shape. “Look, Aleda!” she exclaimed. “That looks like a piano. You’ll be able to play for us.”
“I’m not touching anything in this house … ever,” her sister sniffed.
Julia squelched the sharp words that rose in her throat. She just needs time to get used to the idea. Mercifully, a few minutes later the doorway they had walked through earlier became brighter and brighter, until Fiona appeared carrying two paraffin lamps. “I found a lantern room just inside the courtyard door,” she said, placing one on each side of the chimneypiece. “Candles, paraffin, and gallons of oil. We’ll have enough light for months to come. And I’ll bring more lanterns in here when we’ve uncovered the tables. A little light always makes a room more hospitable.”
This fact lifted Julia’s spirits, but the girls still huddled close to her with dazed expressions. Give them something to do , she thought when Philip had returned and the coachman was gone. It’ll keep their minds occupied . And today was as good a day as any for the children to understand that the days of having servants attending their every need were over.
“Look, children, I’ve a little chore for you,” she said.
“Chore, Mother?” Philip said, but the puzzlement was across all three faces. Julia sighed inwardly, recalling the two times she’d explained to the children that their help would be vital to making the Larkspur a success. It still obviously hadn’t sunk in, for now all three sets of eyes had drifted over to Fiona.
Aleda was the only one with enough bluntness to voice what they were all thinking. “But why can’t Fiona do it?” There was no animosity in her voice, just the incomprehension of a child who’d taken it for granted all her life that children amused themselves and servants did the work.
“Because Fiona can’t do it all. And she and I need to see how the other rooms are laid out.” Moving over to a sofa-shaped form, Julia took up a corner of the sheet and snatched it aside. A cloud of dust overwhelmed her nostrils and brought on a fit of sneezing.
“It’s better to fold the sheets aside, ma’am,” Fiona said tactfully as Julia wiped her
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