Alias Grace

Grace remarks that Simon looks like he hasn’t slept at all when he comes into the room.

She takes up her story after Mary’s death. Grace sold Mary’s belongings to pay for her funeral, which Grace also arranged. She didn’t feel comfortable after Mary’s death staying at Alderman Parkinson’s, so she left.

She drifts from house to house: Mr. Dixon’s, Mr. McManus’s, Mr. Coates’s, where she stays until after her fifteenth birthday, followed by Mr. Haraghy’s. She left Mr. Haraghy because he tried to get into her room at night. She next went to Mr. Watson, a shoemaker.

She meets Nancy Montgomery at Watson’s, through the cook, Sally. Nancy is handsome and dark-haired, and about 24 years old. She laughs and jokes, reminding Grace of Mary Whitney. Nancy is housekeeper to Thomas Kinnear, and she offers Grace a job. Kinnear’s is in the country near Richmond Hill. She said that she needs help with all the work. In addition, she is lonely and wants another woman there with her, as people might talk about her living there alone with Mr. Kinnear.

When she asks Sally, Nancy’s childhood friend, her opinion, Sally says that she doesn’t think it is a good position for a young girl like Grace. Grace doesn’t understand what she could mean, and the cook never comes right out and says what she thinks is going on at Kinnear’s.

Grace thinks it over, and decides to take the job. She is particularly swayed by Nancy’s resemblance to Mary Whitney. Grace has never gotten over Mary’s death.

Grace takes the coach to Richmond Hill on the appointed day, and Mr. Kinnear picks her up in town. He disconcerts her by making her sit up on the wagon next to him, instead of in the back of the wagon. His egalitarian ways are confusing for her.

At Kinnear’s she meets Jamie Walsh, a neighbor boy of about 14 years old, who runs errands and does odd jobs for Mr. Kinnear’s household, and James McDermott, an unfriendly, scowling stable hand. Nancy doesn’t welcome her, though she is out front cutting peonies, wearing a beautiful, fancy pink dress.

Grace is immediately sorry she took this job and realizes that things do not seem right. She tells Simon that it’s strange to think that all of them who lived there were dead within six months, except for her.

McDermott takes Grace to her room, which is off the kitchen on the first floor. Nancy comes in and finally welcomes Grace. Grace notices that Nancy is wearing real gold earrings, and she wonders how a housekeeper could afford them. Nancy proceeds to show her the house and the property. Grace can see that Nancy and McDermott cannot stand each other. Nancy also remarks that she is learning the piano, which is another thing that strikes Grace as odd for a housekeeper.

Things went on quietly for about two weeks, says Simon, reading from her confession. 

The next morning Grace gets up at dawn and begins her chores, which include starting a fire to make tea, milking the cow, and feeding and watering the chickens.

Nancy goes over Grace’s duties, detailing how she wants everything done. They have a falling out, where Nancy is proven wrong in front of Mr. Kinnear. Grace realizes that she and Nancy are not going to be a good friends working together like she had been with Mary Whitney. 

On her second day, Grace does the washing. She eats supper with McDermott while Nancy eats with Mr. Kinnear. She draws McDermott out, asking him about his life before he came to Mr. Kinnear’s.

McDermott is from Ireland. He ran away from home at an early age, because he was always getting into trouble. He joined the army in England, but soldiering was too hard a life for him. He stowed away on a ship bound for America and ended up in Canada. He worked on boats, then, when he got bored with that, he enlisted again in the Glengarry Light Infantry. They were a disreputable band. McDermott attended a Captain as his personal servant. The regiment was disbanded, however, throwing him out of a job. He drifted to Toronto, where he heard that Kinnear needed a man. He thought that he was coming to be Kinnear’s personal servant, but instead he ended up working for Nancy, whom he cannot stand.

McDermott mistakes Grace’s interest in him, and begins to flirt with her. She puts him in his place and continues her work. Mr. Kinnear jokes with her, as she is mending a shirt and making butter. He gets on his horse and leaves. Grace asks Nancy where he has gone, and Nancy relates that Mr. Kinnear goes to Toronto on business every Thursday, staying overnight and visiting a friend who cannot receive him when his wife is at home because Mr. Kinnear is considered a bad influence. Grace asks what he’s done, but doesn’t get an answer.

Nancy and Grace do mending together and get along well. Grace notes that Nancy was easy-going when Mr. Kinnear wasn’t home but that she became jumpy when Kinnear was home or when Grace was alone with Mr. Kinnear. McDermott shows off by running along the fence and jumping over it. Jamie Walsh appears with his flute, and they listen to the music as night falls. It is a beautiful summer evening. McDermott even comes to listen, skulking like a “tamed wolf” (230).

As darkness falls, they rush to complete their chores and go to bed. Nancy is afraid to sleep alone with Mr. Kinnear gone, so Grace sleeps in her room with her, after locking up the house.