Mail Order Mommy. Christine Johnson

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      Amanda nearly lost her grip on the basket. Her knees wobbled as she recalled what Pearl had told her to say if Garrett reached the house before she returned.

      She hefted the basket onto the table, the delicious smells of beef stew and fresh-baked rolls emanating from inside. “I brought supper.”

      She did feel a bit guilty about not making the meal. Thankfully, Mrs. Calloway had enough left from supper there to send this pot of stew with her.

      “Sadie, could you set the table? Isaac, please wash up.”

      Garrett cleared his throat. “Wipe the tabletop, too.”

      “Why?” Amanda eyed her employer, trying to figure out if his anger had diminished.

      Instead of answering her, Garrett turned to his son.

      Isaac shrugged. “We found a huge beetle.”

      “A beetle?” she gasped. “Where is it?”

      “Outdoors,” Garrett informed her.

      She pressed a hand to her midsection. “What a relief.”

      “Don’t you like bugs, Miss Amanda?” Isaac asked.

      She shuddered. “Not so much.” The outbreaks of fleas and chiggers at the orphanage had kept her itching and scratching. “They belong outside.”

      Isaac fetched a rag from the dry sink and ran it quickly over the center of the table, while Sadie set the cups and plates in place.

      “Are you eating with us, Miss Mana?” the little girl asked.

      “No,” Garrett answered for her.

      Amanda held her breath. The stew the family shared tonight was her portion, plus the little bit left after the boardinghouse guests finished.

      Garrett looked her in the eye. “Miss Amanda needs to return home.” He motioned toward the door.

      Her stomach rumbled. She hoped no one heard. No matter how strong Pearl said she must be, Amanda could not seem to stop the trembling that began deep inside and ended up in her hands. She clenched them tightly so Garrett wouldn’t notice. “Let me at least serve supper.”

      “That’s not necessary.” Garrett’s gaze, darker than his brother’s, never left her face.

      She could not breathe, could not think, could not move.

      “I would like a word with you outside, Miss Porter. Children, you can begin.”

      “But we haven’t blessed the food,” Amanda cried out.

      He stiffened. After getting the children in their chairs, he said a quick blessing and then ushered her out into the cold.

      Amanda’s heart pounded so hard it felt like it would leap out of her chest.

      “I asked you to look after the children,” he said.

      “I was only gone a few minutes, and they were quite safe. I told them to stay in the house.”

      Even before she finished, she could tell he wasn’t hearing a word she said. Garrett Decker had already made up his mind.

      “I’m not interested in excuses.”

      That eliminated telling him about the lack of food in the house. He would probably insist she ought to have taken the children with her to the mercantile while she purchased what was needed. The truth wouldn’t help. Even if the larder had been full, she couldn’t have cooked anything. Pearl had failed to gain Mrs. Calloway’s permission to give lessons last night, and the boardinghouse proprietress’s brief instructions this morning had left Amanda even more mystified.

      She swallowed the last shreds of pride she had left. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

      “No, it won’t.” He went back into the house and shut the door in her face.

Chapter Four

      “Did Garrett say you were dismissed?” Pearl asked Amanda as they dressed the following morning.

      “Not in so many words.” Amanda glanced in the mirror. Her color was pale after a night of hunger and tearful prayer, and the plum coloring of the dress did little to hide that fact. “But he did say I wouldn’t have a chance to make the same mistake again. Was it really so awful leaving Isaac and Sadie alone for ten minutes? Isaac said his papa and uncle leave him in charge all the time.”

      “Mmm-hmm. There can be different standards for relatives.”

      Amanda thought of the Chatsworths. The lines of distinction were clearly marked. Their daughter stood at the top. Amanda ranked a distant second or even third. At times the housekeeper and butler seemed to carry more weight than she did. That’s why she’d begged Mrs. Brighton never to divulge what had happened that night with Hugh. The kindly housekeeper promised to hold it in confidence, but watching Hugh announce his engagement to Lena still hurt. He had never seen Amanda as an equal. None of them had.

      “I suppose you’re right,” she admitted, pulling her thoughts back to last night’s painful events, “but what was I to do? The children were hungry, and there was only oatmeal and crackers in the house.”

      “Did you tell Garrett that?”

      “He didn’t give me a chance.” His refusal to listen still churned her stomach. “He said he didn’t want to hear any excuses.”

      “Completely unreasonable.” Pearl tied a length of ribbon into a bow around the high collar of her dress. “And not like Garrett. He’s generally quite practical and slow to speak. He must have been upset about something else and took it out on you.”

      Amanda sank to the bed. She could never win him over, least of all get the job back, if he was disposed to dislike her. “Then what do I do?”

      “You march right back to the house after school and carry on as if nothing happened.”

      “I do?” Even after all these years, Amanda was stunned by her friend’s audacity. “But he dismissed me.”

      “No, he didn’t. You said yourself that he simply told you that you wouldn’t make the same mistake, which of course you won’t, since you’re going to stock the larder and learn to cook something simple.”

      Pearl made it sound so simple, but she wasn’t taking into account Garrett’s animosity toward Amanda.

      “What if he shouts at me? What if he tells me to leave and never come back?”

      “Then you’ll have your answer.” Pearl jabbed a hairpin into her topknot. “His loss, if you ask me. He’ll have a difficult time finding anyone else for the job, and there’s no one in all of Singapore who can compare to you when it comes to keeping house.”

      “But I still don’t know how to cook.”

      “That’s why you are going to stay here through the midday meal so you can learn from Mrs. Calloway. She’s promised to take more time showing you how to do everything.”

      “Don’t you need me at school?”

      Pearl laughed. “I think I can manage for half a day.”

      “I’m sorry.” Amanda blanched. “I didn’t mean to imply that I’m indispensable.”

      “But you are.” Pearl gently tugged her to her feet. “I couldn’t manage more than a few hours without your help.” She grinned. “Don’t tell the school committee members, though, or they’ll hire you instead of me next year.”

      Pearl always managed to lift her spirits. “Don’t be silly. You’re the one doing the teaching. I just help keep everyone occupied.”

      “So they can learn.” Pearl