Chapter One, Episode 85 - Settings - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update
Critiquing is an awkward activity, unless the critic is the author. I was incredibly disappointed with this episode. Very disjointed. People arriving suddenly in the middle of dialogue with no explanation of where they had come from or what their purpose was in the story. 

This Episode required almost a complete rewrite of some passages, however rather than closing my computer in horror, I took it in the spirit of the writing exercise that it has been. My apologies for what was such a mess. Too hard on myself? I don't think so. All I can say is that I must have been half asleep when I originally posted this one.

Settings

“Where have you just come from with that sweet as syrup look on your face?” Mary Elizabeth Saunders, Cook on the Beaufort Estate, looked up from her work at the kitchen counter when Martha came in. “You left here with James and now you come back alone.“

Martha looked both excited and very happy. She was engaged to James Digby, the butler for the Estate. “You’ll never believe it Elizabeth. James and I had the very best talk. He was so nervous. I thought he was going to cry but that would never be like James. …..” Martha hesitated. Elizabeth was her best friend and James' good friend as well. However, she was cautious if she spoke of him. Changing the subject she said “Oh my, what are you cooking, Elizabeth? Mmm.....mmmm... Smells like roast chicken - did you stuff it with wild rice and chestnuts like you did before?” 

Knowing her friend well, Elizabeth let the sudden change of subject pass. She smiled “I did that, and onions and mushrooms. It’s a cool evening and we’ve had a lot of cool evenings so I thought a nice roast chicken would be good for supper.” With what could only be described as very superficial curiosity, Martha asked “But who’s going to eat it? We’ll all be off home for our suppers. I suppose cold chicken tomorrow will be a treat.”

Elizabeth decided to humour her. “Didn’t you know? There are guests tonight in the estate. Nobody fancy and we’ll all be eating down here. There’ll be Miss Dez and her not so young man, Mr. Matt. The two of them have been out in the orchard clearing the weeds and grass. The bee hives should be here next week so they want it ready and done.” Elizabeth chuckled. “Samuel may even be in for supper. Now that’s a real surprise. Samuel and Dez's fellow, 

Matt have been having big long talks.” She turned to Martha. “Why don’t you stay for your supper, Martha? Brigitte will be here. She'll just be finishing up with Miss Emelina so we could have a real family-type dinner. Mashed potatoes and gravy, a big coleslaw salad and fresh rolls. There’s pie for dessert. Then there’s that new employee who may be staying for supper as well. He's the young man your James hired to do the upstairs cleaning that Brigitte has no time for anymore, what with her work with Miss Emelina……” Cook put down her utensils and looked Martha square in the eye. “Now that I’ve cleared up who's going to eat this roast chicken supper, tell me what you and James did this afternoon, Martha. And don’t skirt around the question again, please.” 

“Well Elizabeth, don’t you be so coy with me. You know perfectly well what we did. I told you we would be talking about the cottage. But we talked about more than how lovely it is. Do you know, that man is seriously considering buying the that precious home?! For me! He hasn’t signed the final papers yet.” Martha prattled on “He got all troubled about whether he was doing the right thing or not. After talking with Giles, he decided that he wanted to be honest about it all. Such a dear man. At first I just wanted to hug his neck, but he was being so serious that I settled right down. I told him to just go ahead with his beautiful gift. And then I told him in no uncertain terms that if he thought this was going to be one of those white picket fence marriages he was sadly mistaken. James looked up at me and smiled. Then he sat back and started to laugh. I laughed with him.” Martha looked wistful as she told Elizabeth her story. With her eyes still bright with happy tears, she changed the subject. “Now, tell me about this new young man that will be working with us. What's his name? How old is he? Oh.....just what is he like?”

Cook stopped peeling potatoes, resting her hands on the counter. She turned her head to look at Martha “His name is Joey Tucker. He’s barely sixteen years old. Can’t get into school right now and has to do all his work at home because of the virus, the schools closed in March. He apparently has to keep up with the class work he's missed. He’s also trying to work but is only getting piece-work - some odd jobs, cutting grass and the like. Brigitte knows him from her neighbourhood and knew we needed someone.” She returned to peeling potatoes. “I’ve barely met him, but he seems a nice young man, except for the tattoos and the earrings. Can you imagine? Only sixteen and all marked up! Holes poked in his ears. But he does have a pretty smile and is polite and mannerly.”

The clatter of footsteps and busy conversation from the front stairway interrupted their conversation  as Dez and Matt came through the mudroom into the big kitchen. Emelina and Brigitte emerged from Digby's office. They had commandeered it for the afternoon, as he said he would be out. Joey Tucker, the new employee, bounded down the stairs, halting suddenly at the foot of the stairs. Seeing quite a gathering of strangers and Mrs Beaufort, he felt a bit awkward. He'd met the cook briefly, but didn't recognize the rest. Reluctant to sound too forward he said “Excuse me please, I'm finished for the day. I'll be on my way home now.” He was about to walk to the back door, when Mrs. Beaufort held her hand out to him. “Joey! I'm glad we've caught you before you could get away. Let me introduce you around” She turned to the rest “I think you've already met Cook briefly and you know Brigitte. There are a few others - our own little sort of family - Martha Haverstock, our Housekeeper, Dez Eliot, my sister and Matt Thornton, orchardist and Dez's good friend.” 

“Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.”

~ Henry David Thoreau