her food, watching Patience carefully. “So, you were my chaperone. Is Grace going to be yours?”
Patience looked down at her food, moving it around on her plate with her fork. “Papa said Charlie could chaperone us. I’d take Grace otherwise.”
Charlotte looked over at George. “Charlie, a seven year old boy, is a good enough chaperone? You wouldn’t have let me leave the house with a seven year old boy.” Charlotte almost sounded insulted by the fact Patience would only have a young boy as a chaperone.
George rolled his eyes at Charlotte. “You left with Patience, who was a seven year old girl at the time.” After the time Charlotte had lived with their family, George had started looking at her as a younger sister.
“But a boy? He’s not going to be a good chaperone. I think you need to send Grace. And Faith. And maybe Jacob.” Charlotte’s eyes gleamed at the idea of loading down Mr. Walker’s wagon with chaperones.
Patience made a face at Charlotte. “Why are you trying to make me miserable? Have I not been a good teacher to your children?”
Charlotte laughed. “I just really expected your papa to go overboard and expect you to only be with a man when there were at least fifteen other people present. He’s surprising me. That’s all.”
George shook his head. “Patience is older than you were when you and James were courting. I absolutely trust Hugh. I’ve spent a lot of time talking to him, and he’s a good man.” His eyes twinkled as he said, “That James just couldn’t be trusted.”
James laid down his fork. “Now why are you dragging me into this nonsense? I didn’t do anything wrong!”
They all laughed. Patience glanced over at the children who were all talking animatedly between bites. She was hoping they weren’t listening to all this talk of her courting, because it could undermine her as a teacher.
After the dishes were done, Charlotte and Bess went into the room Patience shared with Grace to see her new dress. “It’s beautiful! You’re going to be the belle of the ball.” Bess smiled as she ran a finger along the front of the dress. “Even Charlotte couldn’t have done better.” Charlotte was known for her sewing skills.
“It really is nice,” Charlotte praised. “Are you nervous?”
Patience nodded slowly. “I am, and I don’t know why. We just spent forty-eight hours locked up in the schoolhouse together. It’s not like I don’t know him. I’m worried we won’t have anything to talk about, but that’s just silly.”
Charlotte sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to her. After Patience sat down, she slipped her arm around her shoulders. “I felt the same way the first time James came to take me for a sleigh ride. I think all women feel that way with their first beau.”
Bess nodded. “I felt that way with John, and I’d known him my entire life.” Bess smiled sweetly at the young woman. She was happy Patience was finally going to be going to a church social with a beau.
“It’s going to work out fine. Pray about it. If God wants you to marry him, then He’ll make it happen. If He doesn’t, it won’t.” Charlotte always had sage advice for her young friend.
Patience thought about that for a moment. “Maybe I should write down some conversation ideas.”
Bess laughed. “Ask him how his animals fared during the blizzard without him there. Ask him what he thinks of Minnesota. Ask him if he’s always been a believer. There are so many things to talk about when you’re first starting to get to know someone.”
“Ask him how farming is different here than it was in New York. Ask him if he thinks boys should be allowed to attend school for a full nine months instead of having to help with the plowing and the harvesting. Ask him if he thinks a dog or cat is more important to a farm family.”
Patience looked down at her food, moving it around on her plate with her fork. “Papa said Charlie could chaperone us. I’d take Grace otherwise.”
Charlotte looked over at George. “Charlie, a seven year old boy, is a good enough chaperone? You wouldn’t have let me leave the house with a seven year old boy.” Charlotte almost sounded insulted by the fact Patience would only have a young boy as a chaperone.
George rolled his eyes at Charlotte. “You left with Patience, who was a seven year old girl at the time.” After the time Charlotte had lived with their family, George had started looking at her as a younger sister.
“But a boy? He’s not going to be a good chaperone. I think you need to send Grace. And Faith. And maybe Jacob.” Charlotte’s eyes gleamed at the idea of loading down Mr. Walker’s wagon with chaperones.
Patience made a face at Charlotte. “Why are you trying to make me miserable? Have I not been a good teacher to your children?”
Charlotte laughed. “I just really expected your papa to go overboard and expect you to only be with a man when there were at least fifteen other people present. He’s surprising me. That’s all.”
George shook his head. “Patience is older than you were when you and James were courting. I absolutely trust Hugh. I’ve spent a lot of time talking to him, and he’s a good man.” His eyes twinkled as he said, “That James just couldn’t be trusted.”
James laid down his fork. “Now why are you dragging me into this nonsense? I didn’t do anything wrong!”
They all laughed. Patience glanced over at the children who were all talking animatedly between bites. She was hoping they weren’t listening to all this talk of her courting, because it could undermine her as a teacher.
After the dishes were done, Charlotte and Bess went into the room Patience shared with Grace to see her new dress. “It’s beautiful! You’re going to be the belle of the ball.” Bess smiled as she ran a finger along the front of the dress. “Even Charlotte couldn’t have done better.” Charlotte was known for her sewing skills.
“It really is nice,” Charlotte praised. “Are you nervous?”
Patience nodded slowly. “I am, and I don’t know why. We just spent forty-eight hours locked up in the schoolhouse together. It’s not like I don’t know him. I’m worried we won’t have anything to talk about, but that’s just silly.”
Charlotte sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to her. After Patience sat down, she slipped her arm around her shoulders. “I felt the same way the first time James came to take me for a sleigh ride. I think all women feel that way with their first beau.”
Bess nodded. “I felt that way with John, and I’d known him my entire life.” Bess smiled sweetly at the young woman. She was happy Patience was finally going to be going to a church social with a beau.
“It’s going to work out fine. Pray about it. If God wants you to marry him, then He’ll make it happen. If He doesn’t, it won’t.” Charlotte always had sage advice for her young friend.
Patience thought about that for a moment. “Maybe I should write down some conversation ideas.”
Bess laughed. “Ask him how his animals fared during the blizzard without him there. Ask him what he thinks of Minnesota. Ask him if he’s always been a believer. There are so many things to talk about when you’re first starting to get to know someone.”
“Ask him how farming is different here than it was in New York. Ask him if he thinks boys should be allowed to attend school for a full nine months instead of having to help with the plowing and the harvesting. Ask him if he thinks a dog or cat is more important to a farm family.”
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