Thad,” he said.
The young man looked up and responded slowly, “Best Christmas presents I ever got.” He stroked the coat softly and looked at the crudely made socks.
Winslow cleared his throat and studied the boy. “I’ve been talking to Toby. He says that if you could stay around and help, you two could fill the icehouse in a month or so. I’ll pay two dollars a day if you want the job—and if that works out, maybe we can discuss a permanent job.”
Thad stared at him in astonishment. “You mean, you’d hire a Yankee?”
Sky Winslow scowled. “Well, to tell the truth, Thad, being born in the South doesn’t necessarily confer sainthood on a man!” Then he shrugged his shoulders. “Let’s just say I’ll take a Yankee who is ready to do a day’s work over some of our southern ‘gentlemen’ who are too good to get their hands dirty. How about it? Do you want the job?”
Thad began to twist the button on his shirt. He seemed to have trouble speaking for a time. Finally raising his eyes, sparkling with new hope, he said softly, “I’ll try to please you, Mr. Winslow.”
CHAPTER FIVE
NEW YEAR’S BALL
“Lucy—pull harder! I’ll never get into my new gown if you don’t hurry!”
Belle’s maid heaved back on the strings of the corset, and Belle held tightly to the post of her canopy bed. She gave a gasp, crying, “That’s it! Tie it quickly!”
Lucy finished lacing and tying the corset, grumbling all the time. “If you don’t hold still, I ain’t never gwine git you dressed! Now, hold up them hands and git this dress on.” She took the bright red taffeta dress from the bed and Belle wiggled into it, then twisted impatiently, trying to see herself in the mirror as Lucy laced up the back.
Pet sat cross-legged on the bed, watching her sister curiously. She did not mind in the least that her parents felt Pet was too young to go to a ball—held this evening at Belle Maison. Next year when she was sixteen she could go—but watching Belle’s excitement and frantic preparations for the New Year’s Ball, Pet failed to understand what the excitement was all about.
“Pet, be a dear and hand me my locket,” Belle purred. “Over there on the table—the gold one with the red stone.” She took it from Pet, held it against her throat and sighed. “It’s so tacky! I must have a new necklace before the ball at Deerfield next month. Papa will just have to understand that I can’t go around looking like a scarecrow!”
“I think you look beautiful, Belle,” Pet said. “Anyway, you’re always the prettiest girl at the dances.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that, Pet,” Belle replied with a trace of smugness.
Pet’s eyes twinkled. “I’m sure you’ll be the prettiest one there—unless Martha Sue Grimes comes.” She was delighted to see Belle’s head snap up, and added innocently, “‘Course, I think you’re much prettier than she is, but you know what I heard—” She stopped. “Oh, my goodness, I didn’t mean to tell you!” Pet clapped her hand over her mouth and pretended to be horrified.
“Didn’t intend to tell me what?” Belle demanded. “Tell me!”
“Oh, it was just Beau Beauchamp, Belle. You know how he is!”
“What did he say? ”
“Oh, I heard him tell Papa last week, ‘I don’t care if Martha Grimes is prettier than Belle, Mr. Winslow—her father doesn’t have half as many acres of good cotton land as you do’!”
Belle’s face was crimson with fury! Pet stared at her sister’s expression, then fell into a fit of laughter. Belle ran to the bed and began beating Pet with both fists. “I’ll kill you—you little beast!” she cried.
“Miss Belle, you gwine ruin dat dress! Now stop dat messin’ round, you hear me?”
Belle straightened up and glared at Pet. “I’ll get even with you for that! I’ll tell Papa not to let you go to a ball until you’re an old woman!”
Pet rolled over and smiled at Belle. “I don’t care. Papa said I could
The young man looked up and responded slowly, “Best Christmas presents I ever got.” He stroked the coat softly and looked at the crudely made socks.
Winslow cleared his throat and studied the boy. “I’ve been talking to Toby. He says that if you could stay around and help, you two could fill the icehouse in a month or so. I’ll pay two dollars a day if you want the job—and if that works out, maybe we can discuss a permanent job.”
Thad stared at him in astonishment. “You mean, you’d hire a Yankee?”
Sky Winslow scowled. “Well, to tell the truth, Thad, being born in the South doesn’t necessarily confer sainthood on a man!” Then he shrugged his shoulders. “Let’s just say I’ll take a Yankee who is ready to do a day’s work over some of our southern ‘gentlemen’ who are too good to get their hands dirty. How about it? Do you want the job?”
Thad began to twist the button on his shirt. He seemed to have trouble speaking for a time. Finally raising his eyes, sparkling with new hope, he said softly, “I’ll try to please you, Mr. Winslow.”
CHAPTER FIVE
NEW YEAR’S BALL
“Lucy—pull harder! I’ll never get into my new gown if you don’t hurry!”
Belle’s maid heaved back on the strings of the corset, and Belle held tightly to the post of her canopy bed. She gave a gasp, crying, “That’s it! Tie it quickly!”
Lucy finished lacing and tying the corset, grumbling all the time. “If you don’t hold still, I ain’t never gwine git you dressed! Now, hold up them hands and git this dress on.” She took the bright red taffeta dress from the bed and Belle wiggled into it, then twisted impatiently, trying to see herself in the mirror as Lucy laced up the back.
Pet sat cross-legged on the bed, watching her sister curiously. She did not mind in the least that her parents felt Pet was too young to go to a ball—held this evening at Belle Maison. Next year when she was sixteen she could go—but watching Belle’s excitement and frantic preparations for the New Year’s Ball, Pet failed to understand what the excitement was all about.
“Pet, be a dear and hand me my locket,” Belle purred. “Over there on the table—the gold one with the red stone.” She took it from Pet, held it against her throat and sighed. “It’s so tacky! I must have a new necklace before the ball at Deerfield next month. Papa will just have to understand that I can’t go around looking like a scarecrow!”
“I think you look beautiful, Belle,” Pet said. “Anyway, you’re always the prettiest girl at the dances.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that, Pet,” Belle replied with a trace of smugness.
Pet’s eyes twinkled. “I’m sure you’ll be the prettiest one there—unless Martha Sue Grimes comes.” She was delighted to see Belle’s head snap up, and added innocently, “‘Course, I think you’re much prettier than she is, but you know what I heard—” She stopped. “Oh, my goodness, I didn’t mean to tell you!” Pet clapped her hand over her mouth and pretended to be horrified.
“Didn’t intend to tell me what?” Belle demanded. “Tell me!”
“Oh, it was just Beau Beauchamp, Belle. You know how he is!”
“What did he say? ”
“Oh, I heard him tell Papa last week, ‘I don’t care if Martha Grimes is prettier than Belle, Mr. Winslow—her father doesn’t have half as many acres of good cotton land as you do’!”
Belle’s face was crimson with fury! Pet stared at her sister’s expression, then fell into a fit of laughter. Belle ran to the bed and began beating Pet with both fists. “I’ll kill you—you little beast!” she cried.
“Miss Belle, you gwine ruin dat dress! Now stop dat messin’ round, you hear me?”
Belle straightened up and glared at Pet. “I’ll get even with you for that! I’ll tell Papa not to let you go to a ball until you’re an old woman!”
Pet rolled over and smiled at Belle. “I don’t care. Papa said I could
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