Chapter Twelve
It didn’t take long for Alfred to realize that Sunday service was a full affair on the island. Crowds of coaches deposited church-goers on corners and in front of church doors while pedestrians flanked the streets. The pews were dotted with blue and yellow hats as women fanned themselves against the heat, filling the rows to the brim, but Mrs. Poplar had a reserved seat for him, a benefit of longevity as she described it. Keen on treating her boarders well even beyond the kitchen, she’d found Alfred a spot beside her after negotiating the rest of the group down the pew.
The service at St. John’s was lengthy, a heavy-handed lecture that the reverend dragged through the humid chapel, and Alfred struggled to keep his attention on the words. He was used to the shorter services
