expected.
Even more surprising than her intelligence was her vigilant desire to learn. Perhaps it sprang from her desire to transform herself from a common tavern wench into a suitable planter’s wife, or perhaps it was an innate quality, but Jennifer seemed determined to memorize and analyze every bit of knowledge that came her way. Usually it was Catherine who grew tired of the lessons and called a halt to the learning for the day. Jennifer seemed tireless, almost relentless, in her search for more knowledge.
After the lessons were over for the day, the two young women talked. Though neither would have admitted it, they were fast becoming close friends. In the evenings, while Grey sulked in his study, Catherine and Jennifer played backgammon, draughts, and whist. Jennifer had never before had a woman friend, and the experience was slowly encouraging her to emerge from her shell. Catherine was too stiff to admit even to herself how she enjoyed talking with the other woman, but the truth was that theirfriendship filled a void in her life. Since Grey was considered mad by most of the planters along the James, they all too rarely had visitors. Catherine had been denied the chance to make friends for many years now.
“And the light shineth in darkness, and … and the darkness comprehended it not.…”
Recalled to the present, Catherine reached out and took the Bible from the other girl’s hands. Grey’s library, like the library of any well-educated gentleman in the colony, included a vast quantity of classic works, by authors as diverse as Homer, Shakespeare, and Chaucer, as well as more practical works, such as
Tull’s Horse-Hoeing Husbandry
, but Catherine had wisely decided to teach Jennifer to read using a book she was somewhat familiar with. “I think that’s enough for now.” To forestall the inevitable look of disappointment on Jennifer’s face, she said thoughtfully, “You know, Jen, I still don’t feel as though I know you very well. What was your life like before you came to Greyhaven?”
Jennifer shrugged. “It was not much of a life,” she said, reticent as ever.
“Were you happy?”
Jennifer shook her head.
“Why not?”
At last Jennifer was coaxed to speak. “I did not care for my uncle,” she said honestly. “You know that he beat me, for any reason or for no reason. And my aunt was a timid woman who did not dare to stop him. I scarcely knew her at all, even though I lived with her for nine years. She never spoke.”
“So your uncle punished you for no reason whatsoever?” Catherine said. Her parents had never punished her; in fact, they had rarely paid any attention to her at all. She wondered now if perhaps she had not been lucky in that regard. “That doesn’t seem very fair.”
Jennifer remained silent, and Catherine frowned. “You don’t expect life to be fair, do you?”
“My life ’as never been fair,” Jennifer said with a completelack of bitterness. Despite her words, there was no self-pity in her tone. She seemed to be merely stating a fact.
Poor girl, Catherine thought. These days Jennifer only saw Grey at meals, where he maintained an icy silence. The rest of the time he seemed to go out of his way to avoid her. The entire situation was intolerable, yet Jennifer bore it without complaining.
To cover the sympathy she was certain showed on her face, Catherine said irritably, “For heaven’s sake, pronounce your aitches, Jennifer.” Jennifer’s lower-class accent, while fading noticeably, always annoyed her, perhaps because it seemed so at odds with the young woman’s upper-class appearance. Today she wore a rose-colored open robe gown, with the bodice and overskirt joined together, but with the skirt open in front to reveal an ivory petticoat. Masking the extremely low, round neckline was a filmy kerchief. Her waist appeared impossibly tiny, owing to the tight stays, and Catherine thought with satisfaction that no one could have guessed by looking at her
Even more surprising than her intelligence was her vigilant desire to learn. Perhaps it sprang from her desire to transform herself from a common tavern wench into a suitable planter’s wife, or perhaps it was an innate quality, but Jennifer seemed determined to memorize and analyze every bit of knowledge that came her way. Usually it was Catherine who grew tired of the lessons and called a halt to the learning for the day. Jennifer seemed tireless, almost relentless, in her search for more knowledge.
After the lessons were over for the day, the two young women talked. Though neither would have admitted it, they were fast becoming close friends. In the evenings, while Grey sulked in his study, Catherine and Jennifer played backgammon, draughts, and whist. Jennifer had never before had a woman friend, and the experience was slowly encouraging her to emerge from her shell. Catherine was too stiff to admit even to herself how she enjoyed talking with the other woman, but the truth was that theirfriendship filled a void in her life. Since Grey was considered mad by most of the planters along the James, they all too rarely had visitors. Catherine had been denied the chance to make friends for many years now.
“And the light shineth in darkness, and … and the darkness comprehended it not.…”
Recalled to the present, Catherine reached out and took the Bible from the other girl’s hands. Grey’s library, like the library of any well-educated gentleman in the colony, included a vast quantity of classic works, by authors as diverse as Homer, Shakespeare, and Chaucer, as well as more practical works, such as
Tull’s Horse-Hoeing Husbandry
, but Catherine had wisely decided to teach Jennifer to read using a book she was somewhat familiar with. “I think that’s enough for now.” To forestall the inevitable look of disappointment on Jennifer’s face, she said thoughtfully, “You know, Jen, I still don’t feel as though I know you very well. What was your life like before you came to Greyhaven?”
Jennifer shrugged. “It was not much of a life,” she said, reticent as ever.
“Were you happy?”
Jennifer shook her head.
“Why not?”
At last Jennifer was coaxed to speak. “I did not care for my uncle,” she said honestly. “You know that he beat me, for any reason or for no reason. And my aunt was a timid woman who did not dare to stop him. I scarcely knew her at all, even though I lived with her for nine years. She never spoke.”
“So your uncle punished you for no reason whatsoever?” Catherine said. Her parents had never punished her; in fact, they had rarely paid any attention to her at all. She wondered now if perhaps she had not been lucky in that regard. “That doesn’t seem very fair.”
Jennifer remained silent, and Catherine frowned. “You don’t expect life to be fair, do you?”
“My life ’as never been fair,” Jennifer said with a completelack of bitterness. Despite her words, there was no self-pity in her tone. She seemed to be merely stating a fact.
Poor girl, Catherine thought. These days Jennifer only saw Grey at meals, where he maintained an icy silence. The rest of the time he seemed to go out of his way to avoid her. The entire situation was intolerable, yet Jennifer bore it without complaining.
To cover the sympathy she was certain showed on her face, Catherine said irritably, “For heaven’s sake, pronounce your aitches, Jennifer.” Jennifer’s lower-class accent, while fading noticeably, always annoyed her, perhaps because it seemed so at odds with the young woman’s upper-class appearance. Today she wore a rose-colored open robe gown, with the bodice and overskirt joined together, but with the skirt open in front to reveal an ivory petticoat. Masking the extremely low, round neckline was a filmy kerchief. Her waist appeared impossibly tiny, owing to the tight stays, and Catherine thought with satisfaction that no one could have guessed by looking at her
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