On Saturday the girls walked into town to bring lunch to Selene Fairchild, the second born who was known in the town as the reader. She had taught many illiterate citizens how to read since the town did not need any more teachers and the only place she could get work was several counties over.
It would be impossible for her to get a ride that far much less afford it six days a week. Aside from teaching the illiterate she also read to the visually impaired.
The door of the shoe store swung open easily and the out to lunch sign rattled against the glass. Mrs. St. Cloud was at the counter refilling a tray of sweets and she smiled at the girls as they came in.
"Come to see your sister did you?" she said licking her fingers then putting a glass lid over the sweets. "Let me take a look at you girls."
As she made her way around the counter, Heloise, Alifair and Hannah stood tall and very still. Mrs. St. Cloud inspected each of them nodding in approval. "I see you got that spot out of your pinafore, little Miss. Hannah," Mrs. St. Cloud said. "You girls are always dressed so nicely and you always behave so well in my store." She pinched Hannah's cheek. "Go on and take your sister her meal." As the girls started to walk off she stopped them. "Bup, bup, bup...aren't you three forgetting something?"
Each girl curtsied out of sync and Mrs. St. Cloud nodded. "You can't be a lady in this world if you don't know how to curtsy. "Now shoo, shoo." She waved them off.
Heloise stepped through the rose patterned curtain that separated the store front. Behind it was a small kitchen where the St. Cloud family took their meals. To the left was a flight of stairs going up to the rest of their living quarters.
The door leading out from the kitchen was open and the room was being filled with a warm summer breeze. Heloise led the way into the backyard where her sister was sitting at a white table beneath a balding young oak. She could tell by the words that she was reading about Huck Finn.
"Well if it isn't my three favorite people," she said when she heard them coming. Heloise and Hannah approached her while Alifair went and stood under the tree.
"We brought your lunch," Heloise said placing the parcel in her sister's lap. "I'm sorry Young Mr. St. Cloud, I should have brought you something as well."
"Don't worry about me, Heloise," Jethro St. Cloud said, "I'm not a lunch hour person."
Heloise smiled as she stood behind her sister's chair. It always amazed her that Jethro St. Cloud could recognize her voice.
"Young Mr. St. Cloud was just telling me that he has books he'd like to donate to your school," Selene said. "I know Miss Martin will like that."
"And I have no use for them," Jethro said.
"No use for books?" Hannah questioned resting her elbows on the table. "Miss Martin says that books are the windows to the world."
"And they say the eyes are the window to the soul," Jethro said to her. "But I haven't had use of mine for over ten years." He smiled at her.
"Young Mr. St. Cloud," Hannah said tracing the flower design of the table. "What's it like not being able to see?"
Selene gave her a look and Heloise rolled her eyes. Even Alifair looked up from where she was walking the roots of the tree.
"Well Hannah," Jethro began, "It's like having your eyes closed all the time." He looked in her direction but not at her.
"But won't you get lost or confused?" Hannah asked.
YOU ARE READING
Fairchild's 7 Daughters-The 12: Book One
Historical Fiction-Old Ghosts Die Hard- Mr. Fairchild has always been an honest man, so no one can understand why he and his family are suddenly driven from their house. Without a word of objection the family settles in a little house beneath the pines. But each Satu...
