turn. In just five days there was more healthy color in their cheeks, more life in their eyes.All except Tom. Oh, he looked better. She saw more energy in his rangy body. But there was a definite trace of animosity in his expression, too. He didn’t think he needed taking care of, she reminded herself. He was bound to dislike anyone who hired on as housekeeper.
Abby noted that their clothes were the ones she had first seen them in, but she would take care of that soon. She looked carefully at each of them and was satisfied that they were well.
“This is Lily,” Jarrod said, standing behind the girl, his hands on her shoulders. “The others, in order of age, are Tom, Katie, and last, but
not a baby, is
Oliver. Children, I’d like you to meet Miss Peters.”
“How do you do?” Lily said. The others mumbled greetings.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Bea said.
Jarrod cleared his throat. “Miss Peters is going to be our housekeeper.”
4
Katie stepped out of line
and stood in front of her sister. “But we don’t like her. Right, Lily?” Jarrod felt Lily’s shoulders tense, then she turned her sister around and put her hand over her mouth. “Hush, Katie.”
The child wiggled until she could talk. “But you said—”
“I said you should be polite. You’re being rude to Miss Peters.”
“Sorry, ma’am,” Katie said, hanging her head.
Bea shifted in the green velour chair. “No harm done, child.”
Jarrod saw Katie’s bottom lip thrust forward in a pout. Being corrected by her sister had obviously put her in a snit. But why had she decided so quickly that she didn’t like Bea? And to say it straight out that way. Katie was direct and said whatever popped into her head. Maybe she just saw something the rest of them didn’t.
He glanced at Abby, standing beside Bea’s chair. There was understanding in her eyes as she looked at Lily and Katie. She was the one who had pointed out to him that it was unfair to put Lily in the role of parent when she was still a child herself. If Abby had chosen well with the woman she’d brought them, Lily wouldn’thave to take responsibility for her brothers and sister any longer.
Abby should be pleased that he’d said the woman would be the housekeeper. Instead she looked like something was eating her as she studied the two girls.
Abby folded her arms over her chest. “Katie? What did you mean you don’t like Bea? You just met her.”
Jarrod wanted to know the answer to that himself.
“She’s old,” Katie answered.
Jarrod studied the woman and tried to see what Katie meant. He couldn’t find anything wrong. He thought her age perfect. Not too old to keep up with the kids, but old enough that there wouldn’t be gossip about her living under his roof. She had worked in the boardinghouse, and she was a teacher. What more could he ask for?
He shouldn’t have blurted it out to the kids that she would be the new housekeeper. The only reason he could figure for the slip was lack of rest. But his gut told him the woman would do a good job. If she accepted the position—and he had no reason to think she wouldn’t—he ought to be able to sleep the night through real soon.
He looked down the line of children. “Does anyone else have anything to say? Lily?”
“Miss Peters looks very nice,” Lily said doubtfully.
Abby smiled. “She is. She was my teacher when I was in school.”
“Is she gonna make us do lessons?” Tom wanted to know.
“Absolutely, young man. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” Bea looked over the spectacles on the end of her nose. Her tone was firm, but not unkind.
Katie shot an angry look at her older sister and brother. “I want to learn to read and write. Mama wanted us to. Lessons are good. Right, Uncle Jarrod?”
“Right, Katie. Miss Peters is going to help out around here. And give you your lessons.”
“She can’t take Mama’s place,” Tom said angrily.
“I would never try,” the older woman told
Abby noted that their clothes were the ones she had first seen them in, but she would take care of that soon. She looked carefully at each of them and was satisfied that they were well.
“This is Lily,” Jarrod said, standing behind the girl, his hands on her shoulders. “The others, in order of age, are Tom, Katie, and last, but
not a baby, is
Oliver. Children, I’d like you to meet Miss Peters.”
“How do you do?” Lily said. The others mumbled greetings.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Bea said.
Jarrod cleared his throat. “Miss Peters is going to be our housekeeper.”
4
Katie stepped out of line
and stood in front of her sister. “But we don’t like her. Right, Lily?” Jarrod felt Lily’s shoulders tense, then she turned her sister around and put her hand over her mouth. “Hush, Katie.”
The child wiggled until she could talk. “But you said—”
“I said you should be polite. You’re being rude to Miss Peters.”
“Sorry, ma’am,” Katie said, hanging her head.
Bea shifted in the green velour chair. “No harm done, child.”
Jarrod saw Katie’s bottom lip thrust forward in a pout. Being corrected by her sister had obviously put her in a snit. But why had she decided so quickly that she didn’t like Bea? And to say it straight out that way. Katie was direct and said whatever popped into her head. Maybe she just saw something the rest of them didn’t.
He glanced at Abby, standing beside Bea’s chair. There was understanding in her eyes as she looked at Lily and Katie. She was the one who had pointed out to him that it was unfair to put Lily in the role of parent when she was still a child herself. If Abby had chosen well with the woman she’d brought them, Lily wouldn’thave to take responsibility for her brothers and sister any longer.
Abby should be pleased that he’d said the woman would be the housekeeper. Instead she looked like something was eating her as she studied the two girls.
Abby folded her arms over her chest. “Katie? What did you mean you don’t like Bea? You just met her.”
Jarrod wanted to know the answer to that himself.
“She’s old,” Katie answered.
Jarrod studied the woman and tried to see what Katie meant. He couldn’t find anything wrong. He thought her age perfect. Not too old to keep up with the kids, but old enough that there wouldn’t be gossip about her living under his roof. She had worked in the boardinghouse, and she was a teacher. What more could he ask for?
He shouldn’t have blurted it out to the kids that she would be the new housekeeper. The only reason he could figure for the slip was lack of rest. But his gut told him the woman would do a good job. If she accepted the position—and he had no reason to think she wouldn’t—he ought to be able to sleep the night through real soon.
He looked down the line of children. “Does anyone else have anything to say? Lily?”
“Miss Peters looks very nice,” Lily said doubtfully.
Abby smiled. “She is. She was my teacher when I was in school.”
“Is she gonna make us do lessons?” Tom wanted to know.
“Absolutely, young man. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” Bea looked over the spectacles on the end of her nose. Her tone was firm, but not unkind.
Katie shot an angry look at her older sister and brother. “I want to learn to read and write. Mama wanted us to. Lessons are good. Right, Uncle Jarrod?”
“Right, Katie. Miss Peters is going to help out around here. And give you your lessons.”
“She can’t take Mama’s place,” Tom said angrily.
“I would never try,” the older woman told
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