Margaret still seemed uncertain, she added, "We all make mistakes. Sometimes out of desperation, and sometimes because we don't know any better. Give them a chance to get to know you. You may find they turn out to be wonderful friends." If you'd give yourself a chance, they just might give you one, too.
Grace called for Rupert and gave him instructions to send all the female servants in and to send the footman to speak with Dorothea and see if she could also come. Before long, all the female servants of Castle Felton were in the sitting room. Everyone except Grace was busy sewing what they could.
Since she couldn't sew a straight line to save her life, Grace was relegated to organizing the finished products. She wanted to give each of her students one brand new outfit. Many of the younger children had never owned anything new because their clothes had all been handed down to them from older siblings. While they were always clean and tidy when they arrived for their lessons, it was hard not to miss the threadbare nature of most of the children's clothing. Grace had cleaned three seamstress shops out of all their serviceable materials while in Newcastle in the hope of pulling together this special gift.
The children would be at the castle for lessons in two days' time, and Grace wanted to have this surprise for them. Margaret likely would have finished by now had it not been for Grace insisting she wanted to help. Watching the women speak to one another and slowly warm up to Margaret did Grace's heart good. Perhaps ruining half the clothes was the best thing Grace could have done for these women.
****
The big day arrived. The girls had all worked harder than a team of plow horses during planting season, and Grace wanted them to be able to participate in giving the gifts out. Each new outfit was wrapped in plain paper with the child's name written on it. They hid all the younger children's parcels around the great hall, while the older children's were outdoors in various places around the grounds.
As the children came in and settled into their places on the floor, Grace said, "Thank you, boys and girls, for coming today. I am so pleased to see each of you. Today we have a special treat." A murmur of excitement rose among the children. Their curiosity showed in their widened eyes, tightly clasped hands, and broad smiles. "Before we get to the surprise, I need to give each of you an exam. You will be expected to spell your name."
A collective groan rose up from the assembled group. Grace waited for it to quiet down, then added, "I am not asking you to write it." The sigh of relief that rose up from the group brought a smile to Grace's face as she continued, "You simply need to tell me the letters that make your name. Once everyone is done, we can move on to the surprise."
As with numbers, writing their letters was a slow and tedious process for the children. Spelling out loud, and even reading, was proving a much easier skill to learn. Most of the children had memorized the letters of their names early on.
When Grace gave the command, the children lined up in a single-file line in front of her. One by one, they spelled their names for her. Almost every child had something else to say as well. "You look lovely today, Your Grace." "Are you wanting that bairn you're carryin' to be a boy or a girl?" "I hope ye have a boy. The duke'll be mighty proud to have a son." "My mum said to thank you for all the nice things you do for us."
Elsie's younger sister Fran was the last child in line. The little girl held the sides of her skirt spread wide and sank down into a regal curtsy. Her posture and glowing smile belied her drab dress. When she rose again, she said, "It's an honor to be in your presence today, Your Grace."
"It is a pleasure to see you, too, Fran. You've been practicing your curtsy, I see."
"Just like you taught me."
"You did it beautifully. Now, can you please spell your name for me?"
"My name is Fran. It's spelled
Grace called for Rupert and gave him instructions to send all the female servants in and to send the footman to speak with Dorothea and see if she could also come. Before long, all the female servants of Castle Felton were in the sitting room. Everyone except Grace was busy sewing what they could.
Since she couldn't sew a straight line to save her life, Grace was relegated to organizing the finished products. She wanted to give each of her students one brand new outfit. Many of the younger children had never owned anything new because their clothes had all been handed down to them from older siblings. While they were always clean and tidy when they arrived for their lessons, it was hard not to miss the threadbare nature of most of the children's clothing. Grace had cleaned three seamstress shops out of all their serviceable materials while in Newcastle in the hope of pulling together this special gift.
The children would be at the castle for lessons in two days' time, and Grace wanted to have this surprise for them. Margaret likely would have finished by now had it not been for Grace insisting she wanted to help. Watching the women speak to one another and slowly warm up to Margaret did Grace's heart good. Perhaps ruining half the clothes was the best thing Grace could have done for these women.
****
The big day arrived. The girls had all worked harder than a team of plow horses during planting season, and Grace wanted them to be able to participate in giving the gifts out. Each new outfit was wrapped in plain paper with the child's name written on it. They hid all the younger children's parcels around the great hall, while the older children's were outdoors in various places around the grounds.
As the children came in and settled into their places on the floor, Grace said, "Thank you, boys and girls, for coming today. I am so pleased to see each of you. Today we have a special treat." A murmur of excitement rose among the children. Their curiosity showed in their widened eyes, tightly clasped hands, and broad smiles. "Before we get to the surprise, I need to give each of you an exam. You will be expected to spell your name."
A collective groan rose up from the assembled group. Grace waited for it to quiet down, then added, "I am not asking you to write it." The sigh of relief that rose up from the group brought a smile to Grace's face as she continued, "You simply need to tell me the letters that make your name. Once everyone is done, we can move on to the surprise."
As with numbers, writing their letters was a slow and tedious process for the children. Spelling out loud, and even reading, was proving a much easier skill to learn. Most of the children had memorized the letters of their names early on.
When Grace gave the command, the children lined up in a single-file line in front of her. One by one, they spelled their names for her. Almost every child had something else to say as well. "You look lovely today, Your Grace." "Are you wanting that bairn you're carryin' to be a boy or a girl?" "I hope ye have a boy. The duke'll be mighty proud to have a son." "My mum said to thank you for all the nice things you do for us."
Elsie's younger sister Fran was the last child in line. The little girl held the sides of her skirt spread wide and sank down into a regal curtsy. Her posture and glowing smile belied her drab dress. When she rose again, she said, "It's an honor to be in your presence today, Your Grace."
"It is a pleasure to see you, too, Fran. You've been practicing your curtsy, I see."
"Just like you taught me."
"You did it beautifully. Now, can you please spell your name for me?"
"My name is Fran. It's spelled