what is expected of me, but Sir Tyler seems willing to let me find my own way. Truthfully, I believe Mr. Tate might be my best source of help.”
“You’ll figure it all out. I look forward to hearing how your day goes.”
“Thank you.” Georgia took one more sip of coffee and stood. “I’ll see you this evening.”
Several of the other boarders came in just then and wished her well as she headed to the foyer.
Mr. Tate had informed her that he’d let her in through the front door, since she wasn’t actually a servant, or she could come in through the kitchen entry downstairs. But as Georgia let herself out of Heaton House, she decided to use the kitchen door. She didn’t want anyone believing she thought herself better than them, and besides, ringing the bell might awaken the girls before she could get to them.
Sir Tyler and his daughters had sat a few pews behind the Heaton House group at church the day before, and they’d seemed quite glad to see her when she’d gone back down the aisle after the service.
The girls had looked neat and tidy, although Georgia noticed that their dresses appeared a bit short and her heart went out to both them and their father. He probably hadn’t paid that much attention to their hemlines and neither had they. She’d take stock of his daughters’ clothing that week, and then, if need be, she’d broach the topic of getting new ones to Sir Tyler.
He had asked her if she’d mind coming over that Sunday afternoon so he could give her a key and make sure she knew her way around before starting work the next morning. Of course she’d agreed, and she was glad she had. It was much larger than Heaton House, but at least she now knew just where to go once she was inside. She used the key to unlock the kitchen door and Mrs. Biddle seemed a bit surprised to see her, but approving that she’d used this entrance.
“Good morning, Miss Marshall. Would you like some coffee or tea before you go up?”
“No, thank you. I had some at Heaton House. I think I’ll go check on the girls now.”
“I’ll have breakfast ready around eight—that’s when they normally come down.”
“I’ll go up now, then. Thank you, Mrs. Biddle.”
“You’re welcome, dear.” The woman actually smiled at her and Georgia hoped they would have a good relationship.
She hurried up the back stairs to the girls’ room and opened the door as softly as she could, only to find the two little girls in their nightclothes, looking out their window that faced the street. “She’s not coming,” Lilly said.
“Oh, I’m sure she is. She’ll be here any minute now. If she wasn’t coming, Maid would have already been up here to tell us,” Polly said.
Lilly put her hands on her hips and glared at her sister. “Maid wouldn’t know yet!”
“Good morning, girls! Am I late?”
They turned to her with such relief on their faces, she wanted to rush to them and hug them. But she let them decide how they wanted to greet her.
For a moment they stood there just staring at her. Then Lilly grinned from ear to ear. “You came!”
“Of course I did. I told you I’d be here and I keep my word. We’d better get you both dressed for breakfast. Cook said it’d be ready soon. Show me your wardrobe and we’ll choose something for you to wear.”
They led her to their wardrobe and with their help she was able to find them something she hoped was suitable. The girls pulled out matching plaid dresses in different colors. Polly’s was in blue and green and Lilly’s was in pink and yellow. The skirts were a bit shorter than she thought they should be, just as the ones they’d worn to church had been, and Georgia feared everything in their wardrobe was a little outdated.
It appeared she would need to speak to their father about their clothing soon. She really did need to talk to Elizabeth and get her help on how children of the wealthy dressed. Her friend came from a rich family although she wasn’t part of that lifestyle any longer. But perhaps she would remember how she was treated as the child of wealthy parents.
She could also speak to Betsy about the styles for children now.
“Are we ready?” Georgia asked, after tying their hair up with ribbons that matched the dresses they had on.
“Yes!” they said in unison as they hurried out the door and to the stairs. As she followed her charges, they looked quite good to her, but she wasn’t sure if what they had on was appropriate for breakfast. Still, all she could do for now was hope that no one in the house had anything bad to say about how they were dressed.
There seemed to be a lot of whispering going on between the girls as they made their way to the breakfast room, but Georgia couldn’t make out what they were saying. She thought it sweet that they were so close, but of course they would be after losing their mother.
She followed them into the room and Mrs. Biddle brought in their breakfast as soon as they sat down at the table. The round table was just the right size for four to six people. It appeared to have had the leaves taken out and was nowhere near as large as the one in the dining room.
It was set for only three, and as Georgia had told Cook that she’d eaten already, she thought Sir Tyler would be coming.
But Mrs. Biddle took away the third place setting and asked, “Did you want coffee or tea now, Miss Marshall?”
“Oh, Sir Tyler doesn’t have his breakfast with the girls?”
“Oh, no. He has his in the dining room, but he’ll most likely look in on them before they’re through eating.”
He ate alone at that long table? Just him in that room? Georgia didn’t think she’d ever understand the ways of English gentry. “I’ll have some tea, then, please.”
Mrs. Biddle hurried to the kitchen and brought back a small pot that held at least two cups, then poured Georgia a cup and set the pot down beside it.
“Thank you,” Georgia said in example to the girls. She had no idea how they’d been trained, but she knew manners mattered. And just because someone was in service didn’t mean one shouldn’t show appreciation for what they did.
Georgia waited until the cook left the room and said, “I’ll say the blessing.” She waited until the girls bowed their heads and then she began, “Dear Lord, we thank You for this day and ask that You guide us through it. We ask You to bless this food and the cook who prepared it for us. Thank You for our many blessings. In Jesus’s name, amen.”
She smiled when both girls added their amen to hers. “What do you think you two would like to do today? Would you like to go to the bookstore so we can order you some books? Your papa would like me to start your lessons. Is there anything specific you’d like to learn more about?”
“I want to learn more about America because Mama lived here when she was young, too,” Polly said.
“Me, too,” Lilly said. “Let’s learn about ’merica!”
“Then that will go to the top of the list.”
Georgia had just taken a sip of tea when Lilly looked up and grinned at something behind her. She turned to see Sir Tyler leaning against the door frame just as Lilly said, “Papa!”
“Good morning, Papa! Miss Marshall did come, just as you and she said she would!” Polly said.
“Good morning. Of course she came.” He smiled at Georgia and something in her chest quickened as he pushed away from the door frame and came around and kissed each of his daughters on the top of the head. “You both look very nice today. Have you made any plans?”
“We’re just starting to,” Georgia said as he took a seat across from her and between his girls.
Mrs. Biddle must have heard his voice from the kitchen, for she hurried in with a