B00BWX9H30 EBOK Read Online Free PDF Page A

blouse, chemise and bloomers that needed washing. “Martha, do you know how to do laundry or do you send it out?”
    Martha choked on a laugh. “Send it out? You are from the city. Honey, we don’t send nothin’ out for…nothin’. If we can’t do it here, it don’t get done. Tomorrow is laundry day. You kin help me and see how it works. The day after that is ironin’ day. I’ll let you do that since ya know how now. Then there’s the cooking that has to be done three times a day, everyday. Not much time for anything, but work. Now that you’re here, maybe I can get a day off.”
    Ella was aghast. “You don’t get a day off? Surely you jest.”
    “Why would I ‘jest’ about that? There’s work to be done and if I don’t do it, it don’t get done. Nathan and the men have their own work to do. I can’t expect them to take over my chores because I want a day off.”
    “Yes, of course,” Ella felt totally ashamed of herself. They’d always had Sundays off for all the servants. She wasn’t used to them not having some time for themselves. Of course, they always had plenty of servants to cover for one another if they were sick or needed personal time. One of the other maids could always take over. Ella had learned to cook for Sunday meals, as Cook had the day off to visit her sister.
    “I can cook a little,” said Ella. “I’ve never cooked for such a large number of people, but I can increase the recipes. I make a very good Yorkshire pudding to go with my roast beef, if you’d like to try that one night.”
    “I’m more than happy to have ya cook whatever ya please. What is it anyway? Some sort of sweet dessert?”
    “No, it’s a baked side dish made with beef drippings and served with roast beef. It’s very good.”
    Martha finished with the potatoes she was peeling. “You can fix it tonight if ya want. We be havin’ a roast beef fer dinner. I got potatoes, green beans and carrots I canned last year and peach cobbler fer dessert.”
    “Sounds wonderful. I’ll check the larder. I only need eggs, milk, flour, salt and beef drippings.”
    Martha wiped her hands on her apron. “Well, we got all that so I guess yer cooking some of supper tonight.”
    “Thank you, Martha.”
    “Fer what? Lettin’ ya help me with my work? That’s my pleasure. Now, you go rest until I call for ya to help. Your trip was long and your night will be even longer.”
    Ella cocked her head in question, but took her freshly pressed clothes to the bedroom and hung them in the closet. Then she looked at the other bedrooms. One of them would have to be turned into a closet for the clothes that were coming and a sewing room. She may not do much of anything else as far as housekeeping, but she could sew. Her nanny had loved to sew. She passed that love on to Ella. She made all of her own clothes.
    It wasn’t fashionable for a society woman to sew, but it had saved Ella’s sanity after the accident. When she couldn’t go out in society without a veil, she spent a lot of time at home. There was only so much reading she could do without going crazy, so she sewed. By the time she’d left for Golden, she had an entirely new wardrobe. She hadn’t ever worn most of the clothes that were in the trunks that were coming.
    Excited about something now, she checked the closet with Nathan’s shirts. She could make him a new shirt. Maybe one in blue to go with his eyes. That would be on her list when they went to town.
    She went into the bedroom and lay down on the bed suddenly very tired. It was as though all the excitement of the day came crashing down on her at once.
    When she woke the sun was low in the sky, dusk setting in. Nathan came into the bedroom, hat in hand. He tossed it on the hat tree next to the door.
    “I wondered where you were. I’m glad you were able to rest. Martha said you’re making some of supper tonight so I thought I should check on you,” he said.
    “Yes, supper.” She put her feet over the side of