The Strangely Beautiful Tale Of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber Read Free Book Online

together with the cover of her soft blue shawl, kept her from attracting attention; living or deceased, no Sunday morning penitent whispered, pointed or even stared at her.
    Percy would not have thought to find such a unique chapel within a Quaker school. The place seemed…alive. Rows of amber stained-glass angels burned with inner light. White pillars supported smooth, arched rafters, and made the tiny building appear larger than possible, as if a portion of heaven itself had been annexed by it. An elegant fresco, a white dove of peace, covered the dome above a modest altar dressed in white linen. To Percy’s delight, the shape of the bird’s outstretched wings, and the generous spread of light about its feathers, reminded her of the pendant she wore against her skin.
    The service was sprinkled with long, reflective silences for the benefit of meditation. It was peaceful, vastly different than elaborate Catholic rituals. Yet, oddly, something here felt like home.
    Leaving the chapel in a daze, Percy wandered back to herhall and sat in the shade of the front stairs. Listening to the splash of the fountain in the courtyard, she eventually found herself roused from her reverie by the anxious sound of a young lady struggling to say an English word. Behind her stood a pair, one of whom attempted to overcome a thick German accent. The other, a plump brunette, stared blankly.
    “I’m sorry, miss, but I don’t understand you,” snapped the brunette, and walked away.
    The German girl watched the other girl depart, baffled. Clad in an elegant, russet-coloured traveling dress, she put her pretty face into her hands. Her blonde hair, set in elaborate braids atop her head, shuddered as she began to cry.
    Percy rose with a hesitant smile. “Guten tag, Fräulein. Was ist seine Problem?”
    The young lady looked up with a priceless expression and turned to see who spoke. Percy expected the girl to gape, and was surprised when there came no reaction to her odd appearance.
    “Oh!” the girl exclaimed happily, and flew into a torrent of German, stating that she’d lost her room key, wasn’t sure of her hall assignment, what to do about it or with whom to speak.
    “Kommen Sie mit mir,” assured Percy, leading the way toward the headmistress’s office.
    “Danke! Danke!”
    “Bitte.” Percy smiled. “Ich heisse Percy. Percy Parker.”
    “ Ich heisse Marianna Farelei! Forgive me, I try English. I need speak as much as I can to be better student, yet some words I always… vergesse. I’m especially bad when others are impatient.”
    “Well, I’m happy to assist, Marianna.”
    “Thank you so much…Percy. How happy I was to hear Deutsch!” The girl’s pleasure was obvious.
    “It must be overwhelming for you here in England,” Percy pointed out.
    “ Ja, ja. How do you know to speak my language?”
    “I love all languages.” Percy smiled warmly. “I suppose you could say I collect them, and have since long before I came here.”
    “How interesting,” Marianna said. “Your previous place of study must have been very nice.”
    Percy paused. “I was raised in a convent. Eine Kirche. ”
    “Ah.”
    Marianna had finally taken the time to consider Percy’s face. This prompted Percy to explain, “I was born with this terrible pallor. Forgive me if I frighten you.”
    “Frighten? No, I think it is lovely, your face. You are like a doll—I do not know the name…one of those that break if you drop them. I used to have one. She was my favourite.”
    However awkward, Marianna had chosen the perfect words. Percy smiled at the girl’s kindness. “What happened to your doll?”
    “She broke. I dropped her.” Marianna bit her lip. “I am sometimes very clumsy.”
    Percy giggled. Marianna stole a glance at her, then started to giggle, too.
    With one quick trip to the headmistress’s office, the two solved Marianna’s problem, facilitated by Percy’s translation whenever necessary. The girls then strolled back across the