the rest of the afternoon.” He turned back to Angela. “We’ve already had lunch, my dear, but Hannah will have something sent to your room. And someone will call you when it’s time for dinner. My son Zachary has developed the southern habit of napping after lunch, as his wife does, because of the heat. But you will meet them this evening.”
“Come along, Missy,” Hannah said as she held the door open. “I gots you a room on the cool side of the house all fixed up. It overlooks the river, and gets a real nice breeze when there’s one to be had.”
Angela followed Hannah into the entrance hall, hurrying to keep up as she headed for the large curving staircase at the end of the hall. Angela didn’t have time to stop and look at the beautiful pictures that covered the white walls, or to havemore than a glimpse through the open doors they passed.
At the top of the stairs was a long hallway that covered the length of the house, and on each end was a wide-open window, letting in daylight and what little breeze there was. There were eight doors off the hallway, four on each side. Hannah turned left at the top of the stairs and stood waiting in front of the last door at the back of the house.
Angela hurried on, glancing at the family portraits lining the hall. She stopped short when a pair of golden-brown eyes stared down at her from the wall. The picture held a remarkable likeness, the artist catching the proud, uplifted chin, the high cheekbones and straight, narrow nose, the firm, smiling lips, and the high forehead and thick, slightly curving black eyebrows that matched his wavy hair. It was an excellent portrait of Bradford Maitland.
“That’s a real nice picture of Master Jacob. Always thought it should of gone in the study,” Hannah said as she approached the portrait.
“But I thought it was Bradford.”
“No, child, that’s Master Jacob when he was younger. Master Bradford’s picture’s down the hall. If you puts them together, it looks like someone done painted two pictures of the same man—’cept for the eyes. Bradford got’s a little more fire in his eyes, ’cause he didn’t like havin’ his picture done, and it shows. He wanted his picture faraway from his room, which is on this side of the house.”
“This side?”
“Yessum,” Hannah chuckled gleefully. “Thought you might like havin’ the room across from his—that is, if that boy ever decides to come home.”
The fact that Angela was going to live inside the house, instead of with the other servants, struck her. She didn’t understand it. Perhaps Jacob Maitland was just being very considerate, because she would be the only white servant.
Angela was shocked by the room that was going to be hers. This one room was bigger than the house she had lived in all her life. Painted in off-shades of lavender and rich, dark shades of purple and blue, it even smelled of lavender. She had never seen anything so richly beautiful. And this room was to be hers!
The floor was polished to such a high gloss that it actually reflected the fine, expensive furniture. The massive bed had four tall posts and a frilly canopy overhead, with a lavender and blue taffeta spread covering it. The drapes were a dark blue velvet, and were presently closed to keep out the afternoon heat. There was a comfortable chair in a corner, and a long sofa, tables, a dresser, and a tall, framed mirror. How ever could she get used to living in all this?
“Are you sure I’m supposed to have thisroom?” Angela whispered, disbelief apparent on her lovely face.
Hannah laughed. “Master Jacob said I could choose any one of the empty rooms for you, and I chose this one. They’s all about the same anyway. I know this ain’t what you use to, Missy, but you’s here now, and you just gonna have to gets use to it. There’s nothin’ to worry yourself about no more, and I sure is happy about that. Now you rest, like the master said.” And Hannah left her there.
Rest? In
“Come along, Missy,” Hannah said as she held the door open. “I gots you a room on the cool side of the house all fixed up. It overlooks the river, and gets a real nice breeze when there’s one to be had.”
Angela followed Hannah into the entrance hall, hurrying to keep up as she headed for the large curving staircase at the end of the hall. Angela didn’t have time to stop and look at the beautiful pictures that covered the white walls, or to havemore than a glimpse through the open doors they passed.
At the top of the stairs was a long hallway that covered the length of the house, and on each end was a wide-open window, letting in daylight and what little breeze there was. There were eight doors off the hallway, four on each side. Hannah turned left at the top of the stairs and stood waiting in front of the last door at the back of the house.
Angela hurried on, glancing at the family portraits lining the hall. She stopped short when a pair of golden-brown eyes stared down at her from the wall. The picture held a remarkable likeness, the artist catching the proud, uplifted chin, the high cheekbones and straight, narrow nose, the firm, smiling lips, and the high forehead and thick, slightly curving black eyebrows that matched his wavy hair. It was an excellent portrait of Bradford Maitland.
“That’s a real nice picture of Master Jacob. Always thought it should of gone in the study,” Hannah said as she approached the portrait.
“But I thought it was Bradford.”
“No, child, that’s Master Jacob when he was younger. Master Bradford’s picture’s down the hall. If you puts them together, it looks like someone done painted two pictures of the same man—’cept for the eyes. Bradford got’s a little more fire in his eyes, ’cause he didn’t like havin’ his picture done, and it shows. He wanted his picture faraway from his room, which is on this side of the house.”
“This side?”
“Yessum,” Hannah chuckled gleefully. “Thought you might like havin’ the room across from his—that is, if that boy ever decides to come home.”
The fact that Angela was going to live inside the house, instead of with the other servants, struck her. She didn’t understand it. Perhaps Jacob Maitland was just being very considerate, because she would be the only white servant.
Angela was shocked by the room that was going to be hers. This one room was bigger than the house she had lived in all her life. Painted in off-shades of lavender and rich, dark shades of purple and blue, it even smelled of lavender. She had never seen anything so richly beautiful. And this room was to be hers!
The floor was polished to such a high gloss that it actually reflected the fine, expensive furniture. The massive bed had four tall posts and a frilly canopy overhead, with a lavender and blue taffeta spread covering it. The drapes were a dark blue velvet, and were presently closed to keep out the afternoon heat. There was a comfortable chair in a corner, and a long sofa, tables, a dresser, and a tall, framed mirror. How ever could she get used to living in all this?
“Are you sure I’m supposed to have thisroom?” Angela whispered, disbelief apparent on her lovely face.
Hannah laughed. “Master Jacob said I could choose any one of the empty rooms for you, and I chose this one. They’s all about the same anyway. I know this ain’t what you use to, Missy, but you’s here now, and you just gonna have to gets use to it. There’s nothin’ to worry yourself about no more, and I sure is happy about that. Now you rest, like the master said.” And Hannah left her there.
Rest? In
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