The Downstairs Girl: Chapters 7–12

by Stacey Lee
In 19th-century Atlanta, Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid while secretly penning a controversial advice column and attempting to learn the truth about her past.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–12, Chapters 13–21, Chapters 22–32, Chapter 33–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. seminary
    a private place of education for the young
    "Lucy's having a 'first day,' too—at Spelman Seminary. She's a lucky girl," Mrs. Washington says to Old Gin in her slow, lilting voice.
  2. lilting
    characterized by a buoyant rhythm
    "Lucy's having a 'first day,' too—at Spelman Seminary. She's a lucky girl," Mrs. Washington says to Old Gin in her slow, lilting voice.
  3. matron
    a married woman who is staid and dignified
    The matron in front of us mutters to her daughters, “Ain't they got nothing better to do than act like men?"
  4. pneumatic
    relating to or using air or a similar gas
    Inside the gazebo, a safety bicycle leans against a post. It looks new, with its pneumatic tires, a polished metal frame, and a red leather seat.
  5. scullery
    a small room next to the kitchen for household jobs
    She hauls me past the onion-scented scullery and into the kitchen, never one to waste movements.
  6. sable
    of a dark somewhat brownish black
    The only signs of her age are a few liver spots on her sable skin and the graying of her hair at the temples.
  7. doff
    remove
    Old Gin doffs his hat and follows.
  8. tawny
    having the color of tanned leather
    A smile animates her handsome features—pointy cheekbones, tawny skin, and bushy eyebrows that hail from her Portuguese ancestry.
  9. gentry
    the most powerful members of a society
    The Payne house typifies those of the Southern gentry, with family needs subjugated by the need to entertain, something Southerners consider their God-given duty.
  10. plait
    weave into a braided hairdo
    It'd taken me a good part of the morning to plait my locks into a side braid I call “waterfall over rocky ledge."
  11. astride
    with one leg on each side
    As girls, Caroline and I rode horses astride—she in knee-length dresses, and I in boy's overalls—but now that we are older, we are expected to use the sidesaddle.
  12. suffragist
    an advocate of the extension of voting rights
    "Of course, they might mistake you for a suffragist.”
    "Oh, they won't make that mistake,” I return brightly. "You have to be a citizen before you can be a suffragist.”
  13. adornment
    a decoration that is added to relieve plainness
    Puffed sleeves deemphasize a stocky middle, and adornment on the bib adds “treasure” to the chest.
  14. intermittent
    stopping and starting at irregular intervals
    Is this to be my life, then? One tedious chore after the next, with intermittent pokes in the eye?
  15. pliant
    capable of being bent or flexed or twisted without breaking
    I stroke her left front leg, which still bears the crook that made her limp as a foal, but it feels strong and pliant.
  16. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
    I catch my breath at the lithe athlete she has become, with no hint of a falter remaining in her step.
  17. beau
    a man with whom one has a romantic relationship
    Its name is Thief, and it belongs to Mr. Quackenbach, Miss Saltworth's beau.
  18. debauch
    corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
    "I trust your afternoon was refreshing, miss." If not debauching.
  19. lark
    any carefree episode
    The idea of taking daily larks on Sweet Potato is enticing, though I know it is wicked.
  20. sorrel
    a horse of a brownish orange to light brown color
    While his sorrel drifts on the sidewalk, he works a pocketknife over the tree's thick bark with quick slashes.
  21. ruse
    a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture
    My stand-in father clearly wanted to distance himself from me, though I doubt his ruse succeeded. Anyone familiar with Atlanta would know that two Chinese people in the same place at the same time is more than a coincidence.
  22. lucrative
    producing a sizeable profit
    A factory is more lucrative than a single home.
  23. consternation
    sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
    “I have no desire to be someone's wife."
    Consternation pulls the wrinkles on Old Gin’s face. “Motherhood is a most noble calling..."
  24. knoll
    a small natural mound
    On the wall hangs a painting of a horse standing atop a knoll, his tail high, ears rigid.
  25. banal
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
    For me, the piece is simply banal—one of Nathan's favorite words. For once, couldn't the artist show the things people don't pay attention to?
  26. gilded
    made from or covered with gold
    In the drawing room where the Paynes receive their visitors, golden curtains pool onto milky carpets. A gilded piano plays catch and throw with the late-morning light streaming in from the windows.
  27. discreet
    marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint
    Mrs. Payne discreetly returns a card that has flown into her lap back into Pepper's deck.
  28. brandish
    exhibit aggressively
    Below the title, Nathan had drawn the silhouette of a lady in an old-fashioned hat adorned with cabbage roses, brandishing an ostrich quill.
  29. misgiving
    uneasiness about the fitness of an action
    Well, Nathan, I am not the lady you imagine me to be, but may you never find out. So much for my misgivings of last night.
  30. deferential
    showing courteous regard for people's feelings
    "These could use more pepper."
    "Yes, miss," Noemi says deferentially.
  31. tincture
    a medicine consisting of an extract in an alcohol solution
    "If I have to hear another word about Mr. Q, I may need a tincture for headache.”
  32. simper
    smile in an insincere, unnatural, or coy way
    If Salt knew how Miss P was minding her Q, she wouldn't be simpering like that.
  33. enigmatic
    resembling an oracle in obscurity of thought
    Sweet Potato carries the distinguished yet enigmatic advice columnist off for a romp of her own.
  34. mundane
    found in the ordinary course of events
    “It wasn't a fair fight," he says in that animated tone he uses for everything, even something so mundane as “looks like rain."
  35. divan
    a long backless sofa, usually with pillows
    "Where is she?" He glances around him with mock concern. "There are no silken divans here on which to rest her mollycoddled posterior."
  36. mollycoddle
    treat with excessive indulgence
    "There are no silken divans here on which to rest her mollycoddled posterior."
  37. vex
    disturb the peace of mind of
    He wiggles his fingers. "Jo, I don't wish to vex you...."
  38. accost
    approach and speak to someone aggressively or insistently
    Sighting the curly oak where Billy Riggs accosted Old Gin, I squeeze past the low hedge to inspect the trunk.
  39. jounce
    a sudden jarring impact
    Then I take one of the handlebars, laying my other hand on the triangle seat. The leather feels smooth, almost slick, and it's attached to the frame with metal coils to take the jounce out of the bounce.
  40. frigate
    a medium-sized warship of the 18th and 19th centuries
    The bicycle is heavy. Miss Sweetie assures Jo Kuan that means a more stable ride, like how a frigate feels less turbulence than a rowboat.
Created on Wed Jan 15 10:18:43 EST 2020 (updated Thu Jan 23 14:04:05 EST 2020)

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