us work so hard, Miss Marian? Is it punishment for being naughty? What did we do?”
“I haven’t been naughty,” Cissy protested before Marian could reply. “It’s not fair if I’m being punished for something Dolly did. You should just make her sit in the corner.”
Dolly stuck her tongue out at her sister. “I’d rather sitin the corner than do all this work. It would be a good rest.”
“You haven’t been naughty.” Marian came between the children before they tried to take out their frustration on each other. “Though making faces at your sister is highly impolite and I expect you to apologize. Your lessons weren’t intended as punishment. I didn’t realize how hard I was making you work.”
She must stop this foolish preoccupation with Captain Radcliffe. It was having an adverse affect on her dealings with the girls, and she could not permit that. Cissy and Dolly mattered more to her than anything. “I’ll tell you what. Since you’ve managed to do a whole day’s work this morning, you can spend the afternoon enjoying yourselves. We’ll go out for a walk in the garden, then later we can go down to the music room and practice on the pianoforte. What do you say to that?”
“Practice?” Dolly wrinkled her nose. “That sounds like more work.”
“What if I cut your practice shorter, then I play some music for you to sing and dance to? Would that be better?”
Both girls nodded eagerly.
“Let’s get ready then.” Marian beckoned them up from their work and supervised their dressing for outdoors.
With the help of the nursery maid, she made sure the girls put on thick wool stockings, sturdy half boots, cloaks, bonnets and gloves, for the day was clear and cold enough that the lake had frozen over.
“Can we go skating?” pleaded Dolly after they’d gotten outside.
Marian shook her head. “I’m certain the ice won’t be thick enough yet. If it stays as cold as this for another fortnight, it should be safe.”
Perhaps that was something she should mention to the captain at their meeting in the evening. The late Mr. Radcliffe had enjoyed every sort of outdoor activity, and skating was one in which he’d been able include his young daughters. Marian had preferred to watch from the shore, not trusting her balance on those slender metal blades.
Looking ahead to the evening, a sense of acute embarrassment overwhelmed her again. But it could not entirely stifle the sparkle of anticipation at spending time with Captain Radcliffe.
In the course of their brief acquaintance she had come to appreciate a number of fine qualities he possessed. He was hardworking, dependable and well-read. Though rather solitary and self-reliant, he could tell an entertaining story and keep up a most engaging conversation when he tried. He had a streak of ironic wit, often at his own expense, that was all the more amusing for being so unexpected.
But none of those things drew her to him as much as his kindness and willingness to forgive. After the way she’d behaved last night, the captain would have been well within his rights to demand her removal from his house. At the very least, he could have changed his mind about his Christmas plans for the girls. But he’d done neither of those things, choosing instead to excuseher outrageous conduct and seeking to ease her shame over it.
She almost wished he would do something to lessen her liking for him before it grew to threaten her happiness.
After an invigorating walk, she and the girls returned to the house for steaming cups of chocolate and currant buns warm from the oven. When Martha set down the tray she had fetched from the kitchen, Marian spied a letter propped up against the chocolate pot. She snatched it up, recognizing the handwriting at once.
“Who sent it,” asked Cissy, “one of your friends from school?”
Marian nodded as she broke the seal. “I have no other correspondents, as you know.”
That reminded her she must get busy writing her own
“I haven’t been naughty,” Cissy protested before Marian could reply. “It’s not fair if I’m being punished for something Dolly did. You should just make her sit in the corner.”
Dolly stuck her tongue out at her sister. “I’d rather sitin the corner than do all this work. It would be a good rest.”
“You haven’t been naughty.” Marian came between the children before they tried to take out their frustration on each other. “Though making faces at your sister is highly impolite and I expect you to apologize. Your lessons weren’t intended as punishment. I didn’t realize how hard I was making you work.”
She must stop this foolish preoccupation with Captain Radcliffe. It was having an adverse affect on her dealings with the girls, and she could not permit that. Cissy and Dolly mattered more to her than anything. “I’ll tell you what. Since you’ve managed to do a whole day’s work this morning, you can spend the afternoon enjoying yourselves. We’ll go out for a walk in the garden, then later we can go down to the music room and practice on the pianoforte. What do you say to that?”
“Practice?” Dolly wrinkled her nose. “That sounds like more work.”
“What if I cut your practice shorter, then I play some music for you to sing and dance to? Would that be better?”
Both girls nodded eagerly.
“Let’s get ready then.” Marian beckoned them up from their work and supervised their dressing for outdoors.
With the help of the nursery maid, she made sure the girls put on thick wool stockings, sturdy half boots, cloaks, bonnets and gloves, for the day was clear and cold enough that the lake had frozen over.
“Can we go skating?” pleaded Dolly after they’d gotten outside.
Marian shook her head. “I’m certain the ice won’t be thick enough yet. If it stays as cold as this for another fortnight, it should be safe.”
Perhaps that was something she should mention to the captain at their meeting in the evening. The late Mr. Radcliffe had enjoyed every sort of outdoor activity, and skating was one in which he’d been able include his young daughters. Marian had preferred to watch from the shore, not trusting her balance on those slender metal blades.
Looking ahead to the evening, a sense of acute embarrassment overwhelmed her again. But it could not entirely stifle the sparkle of anticipation at spending time with Captain Radcliffe.
In the course of their brief acquaintance she had come to appreciate a number of fine qualities he possessed. He was hardworking, dependable and well-read. Though rather solitary and self-reliant, he could tell an entertaining story and keep up a most engaging conversation when he tried. He had a streak of ironic wit, often at his own expense, that was all the more amusing for being so unexpected.
But none of those things drew her to him as much as his kindness and willingness to forgive. After the way she’d behaved last night, the captain would have been well within his rights to demand her removal from his house. At the very least, he could have changed his mind about his Christmas plans for the girls. But he’d done neither of those things, choosing instead to excuseher outrageous conduct and seeking to ease her shame over it.
She almost wished he would do something to lessen her liking for him before it grew to threaten her happiness.
After an invigorating walk, she and the girls returned to the house for steaming cups of chocolate and currant buns warm from the oven. When Martha set down the tray she had fetched from the kitchen, Marian spied a letter propped up against the chocolate pot. She snatched it up, recognizing the handwriting at once.
“Who sent it,” asked Cissy, “one of your friends from school?”
Marian nodded as she broke the seal. “I have no other correspondents, as you know.”
That reminded her she must get busy writing her own
Similar Books
