FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38  
39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   >>   >|  
twelve waving black plumes! Chris's jaw dropped at the sight of the turbaned, hatted head, the flowers bobbing and swaying, the ostrich plumes blowing and curtseying with every slightest movement. [Illustration] As if blissfully unaware that her costume was not the usual one for cooking, the woman hummed and stirred, tasted, and hung up her ladle. But the sight was too much for Chris. Before he could stop it a shout of laughter exploded from his lips. He laughed and laughed, and the indignant expression on the woman's face when she turned, to stand glaring at him with her hands on her jutting hips, only added to Chris's laughter. At last, sobering up somewhat as he realized that his behavior was rude, to put it mildly, Chris stopped and caught his breath, shaken only now and again by a diminishing paroxysm. Seeing the spark of bad temper in the red face of the enormous woman, Chris decided to pour oil on the troubled waters. "Good morning, ma'am. I--I'm Chris Mason, from upstairs, and I'm sorry I laughed so loud. I--" he floundered and grabbed desperately at any passing idea "--I saw something comical out the window there"--he pointed wildly--"and it just set me off. I hope I didn't disturb you?" Mollified, though not entirely, the woman accepted this effort at peacemaking and her face eased a little. "Well now. So you are awake at the last, eh? And hungry, bein' a boy, I don't doubt?" She moved to the dresser and took down a mug and plate, the roses and ostrich plumes nodding in evident agreement. "So you are Chris, did you say? Christopher, that would be? And I am Mistress Rebecca Boozer, should you be wanting to know. Becky Boozer, they call me." She bustled over to a covered bowl, dipped out creamy milk with a long-handled dipper, and set bread, butter, and bacon in front of Chris at a table pulled up to one of the window seats. "Eat up now, young man," Becky Boozer advised, every red rose and feather accenting her words, "for Mr. Wicker will be wanting to see you when you have done. It's late. Past eight of the clock." She glanced out the window. "It might be just possible that Master Cilley will be passing by before long for a midmorning snack and here I am gossiping with you instead of getting on with my work." Chris ate with a will, looking around as he chewed. The spotless brick floor and the starched curtains at the windows, the shining copper pans hung beside the huge fireplace, were pr
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38  
39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

window

 

plumes

 
laughed
 
Boozer
 
passing
 

wanting

 

laughter

 

ostrich

 

handled

 

covered


bustled

 

creamy

 

dipped

 

hungry

 

dresser

 
nodding
 

Christopher

 
Mistress
 

Rebecca

 
evident

agreement

 

chewed

 
midmorning
 

gossiping

 

spotless

 

fireplace

 

copper

 

shining

 

starched

 

curtains


windows

 
Cilley
 

Master

 

advised

 

feather

 

pulled

 

butter

 

accenting

 

glanced

 

Wicker


dipper

 

exploded

 

indignant

 

Before

 

expression

 

sobering

 
jutting
 
turned
 
glaring
 

tasted