Winter Is Past Read Online Free PDF

blesses it before and after the meal, and we don’t bless it at all?”
    There was a silence as Miss Breton glanced toward him. He shrugged over his daughter’s remark, saying, “We Jews are always looking for ways to ingratiate ourselves with God, I suppose.”
    Althea ignored the remark and turned to Rebecca. “You must eat some of your food. Your stew will be cold by now.”
    After taking a spoonful, Rebecca reminded her father, “Tell us about your trip.”
    He buttered a slice of bread before proceeding. “I went to some mills to see what I could discover about the people working there.”
    â€œWhat do they make in the mills?”
    â€œCloth.” He fingered his napkin. “Something like this, although not quite. This is linen, but what comes out of the mills is mainly cotton. It comes from a plant. It has to be spun to make thread and the thread is then woven into pieces of cloth. People used to do this in their homes, but now they can do it much faster and make more in these large mills.”
    Althea made a silent motion to Rebecca to take another spoonful of stew. Instead the girl imitated her father and buttered some bread.
    â€œWhy can they make more in the mills?” she asked.
    â€œBecause they figured out how to use a thing called steam to make the weaving go much faster.”
    â€œBut, Abba, why did you have to go to the mills, if the prince is here in London?”
    Simon swallowed a spoonful of stew. “Because some people who were not very happy working in these mills tried to kill Prince George.”
    â€œBecause he made them work in the mills?”
    He considered her question seriously. “No. They worked in the mills in order to earn money to feed their families. But they have to work a long time and they receive only a little money afterwards. Sometimes it is not enough to feed their families. That’s where we, the lawmakers, come in. Some of these workers expect the laws to be changed quickly so they can earn more money and be treated better at the mills.” He fingered his napkin, trying to put things in the simplest terms. “Sometimes the laws don’t change quickly enough to suit them, and some of the men become angry, but they don’t know exactly who is to blame. They look to the Prince Regent as the head of their country. They don’t understand why he can live in big palaces while their own children suffer cold and hunger.”
    â€œWill they do what they did to the king of France?” she asked in a whisper.
    â€œNo, no, it won’t come to that here.” His gaze strayed to Althea, noticing her attentiveness to the conversation. “England is a civilized nation.” He turned back to his daughter. “And your father is working to change the laws, so the people won’t become as angry as they did in France.”
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    The next day, Althea entered the morning room promptly at half-past seven. Simon had requested her presence at breakfast. She had not yet entered this room since arriving, having taken her breakfast in the servants’ dining room early each morning before Rebecca was up. A pale February sunshine filtered through the long windows at one side of the room.
    â€œGood morning, Miss Breton.”
    Her employer was already seated at the breakfast table, The Times in front of him.
    â€œGood morning, Mr. Aguilar.” He stood as she entered theroom. “Please don’t disturb yourself. I didn’t expect to see you here so early.”
    â€œYou’ll usually find me here at this hour.” He motioned to the footman. “What would you like—toast, eggs, tea, coffee? Harry will see to it.”
    â€œThat’s quite all right. I—I’ve been waiting on myself.” She moved to the sideboard, asking the footman for the porridge. He indicated the silver dish, removing its cover. “Thank you, Harry,” she said with a smile, comparing his