Sunday morning always starts the same. The hired workers wake up in the house. Chef Marco prepares two rge picnic baskets. Ann prepares books for reading, which the mistress approved the day before. Governess Alice helps Nanny Sophie get ready early in the morning, because the day is going to be active. The gardener Cude and the cleaning dy Marie are two more of the servants. They are married. And while Marie is washing the house until it shines, Cude is cutting fresh flowers in the greenhouse, because the elderly dy believes that the smell of flowers is very useful. Their smell makes the air cleaner and germs disappear, although this is just her superstition. But no one will contradict her, because that is not the way it is done in the house. Also, not so long ago Lady Eugena (yes, she likes to be called like that sometimes) decided to get herself a Yorkshire terrier. And since Alice supported her in this, she has to brush the dog before a walk, although the furry creature spends most of the time with the mistress of the house herself.
Christina also wakes up early. Caring Ann had already woken her up and brought her oatmeal and two toasts with aromatic bckcurrant tea for breakfast. The girl stretches in bed, reluctantly gets up and goes to wash her face and brush her teeth. She returns and puts on a clean fred dress, pale yellow on top and blue with pale yellow flowers on the bottom. She quickly eats the oatmeal, which, by the way, she doesn’t really like. And then she looks out the window and chews toast, washing it down with tea. There are small clouds outside, but it doesn’t look like it will rain. Christina is happy about this. When the days are rainy, she have to walk through the park under an umbrel, then come in a gazebo, which is a twenty-minute walk away, in a distant park behind a stream, and sit there for about an hour, looking at the streams of rain flowing from the sloping roof gazebos. And then the way back, and although she could sit at home and just look out the window, her grandma believes that the schedule comes first. Also, she had to read books to show her reading skills. The books were often incomprehensible to her because they were not age appropriate, but her grandmother was a tough woman, and Christina really didn’t want to anger her. Christina didn’t understand why the grandmother loved her grandson so much, but felt a restrained dislike for her.
Ann came in, removed the tray and brought the girl a coat. She combed Christina’s hair into a ponytail, and now the girl looked very decent.
“Put this on, it will suit today’s weather best”, Ann said and gave the girl a loud kiss on the forehead.
Christina cheered up a little. She put on her coat and went out onto the stairs, the servants were already ready, they all greeted the girl quite warmly. Mrs. Eugena treated the servants at the proper level, we must say, respected them, but on the condition that they followed the rules. And the Sunday promenade was one of them. Christina put on bck patent leather shoes, which had already been polished by caring Marie. It was about ten o’clock in the morning when grandmother came down, followed by John, whose curls were falling in his face and disturbing him. The grandmother hugged her grandson, wished everyone good morning, and then the house was empty.
If a central alley led to the house in front, then at the back there was a rge wn with a fountain in the middle and trimmed trees around the perimeter. Near the fountain there were two stone benches for those who wanted to sit. Under the trees on one side there was a smaller alley, which gradually narrowed, turning into a wide path. A little further away there was a stream, across which there was a somewhat narrow bridge with elegant metal railings. Next was the city park, a little overgrown, but still maintained in decent shape. Since it was a good day, we pnned to walk around the wn several times and then sit on bnkets right on the green, trimmed grass. The dog Astra ran back and forth, squealing happily. While the grandmother and grandson were walking, and the other inhabitants of the house were ying out everything for a comfortable time in nature, Christina walked behind and kicked a small pebble that came her way. The shoes were getting dusty. John was telling some funny story, and grandma was in a good mood. Suddenly, the girl stumbled and fell noisily to the ground. The old dy turned around, the boy immediately ran up to Christina and pointed his finger at her:
“Grandma, look, the clumsy girl fell again!”
“You don’t have to say that, honey,” said Eugene’s grandmother.
“And you! You ruined the dress again. Maybe I shouldn’t buy them at all until you learn to wear them with dignity?! Now please go to the clearing with the others and wait for John and me there. You will read aloud and show whether there is progress or whether you haven’t learned anything in your csses.”
The elderly woman turned around quite sharply for her age and, taking her grandson by the arm, walked on. Dejected Christina shook out her dress and trudged toward the bnket-covered clearing. Governess Alice looked at her disapprovingly, but said nothing. And Ann quietly squeezed her hand for a second and winked. The rest pretended not to notice anything.
Soon the walking owners also arrived. Everyone sat comfortably on spread bnkets, with mats pced under them. And they began to slowly eat. Tiny canapés, ham rolls stuffed with cheese, beef Wellington and vegetable snacks went into mouths. And all this was very tasty, and she wanted to eat more, but my grandmother paused the process and told Christina to read. The girl was very nervous, as always. She was a little afraid of her strict grandmother. She read well for her seven years, but she still stammered with excitement and the elderly woman was very unhappy at such moments. Christina wanted to sink into the ground, but she continued reading without taking her eyes off the book. John occasionally teased her, but his grandmother gently reined him in and then let him go completely. He ran across the wn with Cude, and Cude caught up with him, and then circled him.
Half an hour ter, the grandmother gave everyone a sign indicating the end of the picnic. But before the inhabitants of the house could return to the premises, Lady Winnes made a speech:
“I’m gd you spent another Sunday in the fresh air with me. We must not forget about the benefits of fresh air. Also, I have gathered you here to tell you some important news. We don’t usually welcome guests to our estate that often, but two days ago my old friend Agnia called me from Belfast. She had been pnning to visit me for a long time, but said that she was a little sick and would please us with her presence a little ter, but her daughter Mabel would still come next weekend along with her granddaughter Amber. The girl is already ten, but she has never been here. Their visit will be somewhat drawn out. We rarely accept guests for such a long period of time. So I want the house to be in the best possible condition. Marie, tidy up the two rooms on the first floor in the right wing. Cude, special attention needs to be paid to pink roses. Mrs. Mabel loves them. Marco, give me the menu on Thursday. And you, Anne, find someone who will repaint the railings on the stairs from olive green to dark brown and varnish them. It will be more noble that way. Mrs. Olson, please focus on working on Christina’s manners so that she behaves with dignity, yes?!”
Lady Winnes looked at the girl with a meticulous look.
“As for you, my angel, just be yourself, because you are my best. And if you live up to expectations, grandma will give you a gift.”
With these words, she pinched her grandson on the cheek, and let everyone go about their business, and she went home, calling Astra. John secretly stuck out his tongue and, pulling his sister’s hair, skipped after his grandmother, who was already approaching the house. Christina hissed something after him, but he had already run away. She waited for Ann and went with her to the kitchen to help Marco carry everything back. The rest went about their business.
Sunday evening ended routinely. First, a dinner with what Christina thought was too much pathos. And then she pyed with the doll. At nine in the evening Ann came and put the girl to bed, telling her another bedtime story, of which there were many in her head. And the first-grader fell asleep.
