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Chapter 82

A FAMILIAR VOICE brought me out of a deep sleep These days I cae of fear It was only when I blinked at the two figures s down on me that I was able to relax

“Near ’bout time for breakfast,” said Yvella, my father’s cook Beside her was Dabney, the houseman Each held a silver tray

“Way past time,” said Dabney “In another hour it’ll be time for dinner”

A the ite a tendril of stea of Mama’s best china

Yvella’s tray offered just about every breakfast ites, spicy link sausage, hohu-powder biscuits, butter, water preserves

“Yvella, you don’t expect me to eat all this?”

“Yes, suh, I sure do,” she said “You too damn skinny”

“I have lost soht here recently,” I said and rolled my eyes

“Yeah, I heard all about it,” she said

“How’d y’all knoas here… in the guest quarters?”

“Duke come and told me,” Dabney said

I realized that I was standing in front of the only my drawers I looked around for my clothes

“Don’t you worry about it, Mister Ben,” Yvella said “I seen plenty worse than that I took your clothes to the wash”

Dabney brought over a filigreed iron tea table I rearden