mothering skills been so apparent to her.
She smiled. She was not sure what made her do it or even where the energy for it had come. But she did, and she saw Samuel twitch. It was a physical thing, and she held her breath as Samuel answered the question.
"No, sir. If I'm a spy, I won't be here to look after my mother."
Nora's heart dropped again. She knew the bond with her son was strong and close, but she had not quite realized how much of a parental role her own nine year old boy had assumed. He should not have been doing thusly. He should have been playing marbles or jacks or running around causing mischief with other boys his age. He should not have been taking care of his mother, much less worrying over her. Nine year old boys were not supposed to worry.
Nora looked about her suddenly, taking in everything around her, and feeling the weight of the house itself and her station in it press down on her.
Samuel should not be here. He should be running through fields and catching frogs and scraping his knees. That's what she had always wanted to do as a child instead of running Aunt Martha's household for her and her seven brats. She looked back at Samuel and saw him watching her, not looking at Nathan in the slightest and she wondered if the two of them had asked a question of her. But then Nathan spoke.
"Samuel." Nathan's voice came out on a soft tone, and Nora wondered if he realized Samuel's trepidation. "What are you thinking of doing if spying is out of the question? Perhaps you would like to be king of England?"
Samuel scowled. "Indeed not, sir. I would not like people to know my name when I passed them on the street. Everyone would be bowing down to me, and it would be a nuisance. The streets would be clogged with bowing people, and no one would get anywhere."
Nora saw Nathan blink and felt a pang not knowing what he thought of her son.
"What would you like to do then?" Nathan asked.
"I want to be a lamplighter." Samuel smiled, huge and proud, tucking his hands into the pockets of his well-worn breeches as if he were a real, grown up man. The last of the unease slid off his shoulders, and Nora imagined it falling to the floor in a dissolving puddle.
Nathan sat on an overturned urn. He crossed his legs and leaned his head on his fist, assuming a serious face. Nora smiled honestly now, watching the scene unfold before her.
"And why a lamplighter, Samuel?"
"The lamps make the streets safer at night. It would be a huge and noble responsibility to be the one to light those lamps."
"Yes, a very important task. Are you sure you're up to it?"
"I'm working very hard on being responsible, sir. My mother helped me plant some flowers in an old cup, so that I could tend them. And if I do not tend them, they will not grow. It's teaching me responsibility."
Nora realized she was still smiling as maids began to filter in from adjoining rooms armed with mops and rags. Footmen carried large buckets to remove the debris, and Nora wondered on the time. Her son should be in bed.
"That is exactly right, Samuel. Now, I think you have taken up enough of Mr. Black's time." Nora started to move briskly toward them and placed her hand on her son's shoulder to draw him away.
Samuel's face turned red. "I am very sorry, sir. I did not mean to be going on about such things."
Nathan stood up and walked over to kneel in front of the boy, ignoring Nora's attempt to pull the lad away. Nora's heart flipped again, and she wondered how much more she could take in one evening. No man had ever knelt down to her son's eye level, but she was not sure if it were because no man had ever bothered or if she had never let anyone get that close to her son.
"I think such things need a lot more discussion. Perhaps, you will have time this week to discuss responsibility further with me. And
She smiled. She was not sure what made her do it or even where the energy for it had come. But she did, and she saw Samuel twitch. It was a physical thing, and she held her breath as Samuel answered the question.
"No, sir. If I'm a spy, I won't be here to look after my mother."
Nora's heart dropped again. She knew the bond with her son was strong and close, but she had not quite realized how much of a parental role her own nine year old boy had assumed. He should not have been doing thusly. He should have been playing marbles or jacks or running around causing mischief with other boys his age. He should not have been taking care of his mother, much less worrying over her. Nine year old boys were not supposed to worry.
Nora looked about her suddenly, taking in everything around her, and feeling the weight of the house itself and her station in it press down on her.
Samuel should not be here. He should be running through fields and catching frogs and scraping his knees. That's what she had always wanted to do as a child instead of running Aunt Martha's household for her and her seven brats. She looked back at Samuel and saw him watching her, not looking at Nathan in the slightest and she wondered if the two of them had asked a question of her. But then Nathan spoke.
"Samuel." Nathan's voice came out on a soft tone, and Nora wondered if he realized Samuel's trepidation. "What are you thinking of doing if spying is out of the question? Perhaps you would like to be king of England?"
Samuel scowled. "Indeed not, sir. I would not like people to know my name when I passed them on the street. Everyone would be bowing down to me, and it would be a nuisance. The streets would be clogged with bowing people, and no one would get anywhere."
Nora saw Nathan blink and felt a pang not knowing what he thought of her son.
"What would you like to do then?" Nathan asked.
"I want to be a lamplighter." Samuel smiled, huge and proud, tucking his hands into the pockets of his well-worn breeches as if he were a real, grown up man. The last of the unease slid off his shoulders, and Nora imagined it falling to the floor in a dissolving puddle.
Nathan sat on an overturned urn. He crossed his legs and leaned his head on his fist, assuming a serious face. Nora smiled honestly now, watching the scene unfold before her.
"And why a lamplighter, Samuel?"
"The lamps make the streets safer at night. It would be a huge and noble responsibility to be the one to light those lamps."
"Yes, a very important task. Are you sure you're up to it?"
"I'm working very hard on being responsible, sir. My mother helped me plant some flowers in an old cup, so that I could tend them. And if I do not tend them, they will not grow. It's teaching me responsibility."
Nora realized she was still smiling as maids began to filter in from adjoining rooms armed with mops and rags. Footmen carried large buckets to remove the debris, and Nora wondered on the time. Her son should be in bed.
"That is exactly right, Samuel. Now, I think you have taken up enough of Mr. Black's time." Nora started to move briskly toward them and placed her hand on her son's shoulder to draw him away.
Samuel's face turned red. "I am very sorry, sir. I did not mean to be going on about such things."
Nathan stood up and walked over to kneel in front of the boy, ignoring Nora's attempt to pull the lad away. Nora's heart flipped again, and she wondered how much more she could take in one evening. No man had ever knelt down to her son's eye level, but she was not sure if it were because no man had ever bothered or if she had never let anyone get that close to her son.
"I think such things need a lot more discussion. Perhaps, you will have time this week to discuss responsibility further with me. And
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