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When Mary Sue returned, Jessica asked her just that. “How am I going to tell George? He’s going to find a way for everything to be my fault.”
“I didn’t realize things were still so awkward between you and George. I’d hoped you were getting on better.”
“I would hope so as well, but it’s not the case. He seems thankful for everything I do for him and the children, but he doesn’t desire to have me as a wife. Just a servant.”
Mary Sue frowned. “Well, that’s not right. If he wanted a servant, he should have advertised for a servant, not a wife.”
“I agree. But that’s not how things were done, and it’s too late now. I’ve thought several times about going home in the last month, but I couldn’t bear to leave the children.”
The front door banged open, and Jessica smiled. “All right, you two. Bread and butter for your afterschool snack.”
“Do you make them a snack every day?” Mary Sue asked, shaking her head. “You spoil them.”
Jessica shrugged. “I enjoy spoiling them.” She got up and went into the kitchen to put the bread and butter on the table for the older children. “I’ll go wake the little ones,” she said.
Mary Sue smiled. “Let me get the little ones. You could do with a snack yourself, I think.”
Jessica knew her friend was right. She did need a snack. She sat down with the children, and they had bread, butter, and cold glasses of milk for their snack.
“Can I help make supper?” Nancy asked. She had yet to change into her play clothes, but Jessica let them snack first usually.
“It’s already in the oven.”
“What are we having?” Nancy seemed disappointed not to be able to help.
“Something my mother used to make. Baked potatoes with roast beef and gravy served over them. It’s perfect for the cool weather we’re having.”
Nancy nodded. “Sounds good.”
“I think so too. And I have apple pie in the oven for dessert.”
“I like apple pie!” Bertie said.
“Me too!”
Mary Sue came downstairs with a disheveled-looking Sally and Joe following behind her. “I’ll get Sally her bottle,” Mary Sue said. “I don’t know how much longer she’s going to be content with as much milk as she drinks.”
Jessica agreed. “She enjoys real food more than the milk, but she still finds the milk comforting. The goat is giving less and less milk daily, so we may have to switch her to cow’s milk soon.”
Mary Sue carried Sally close to the table, and she leaned over to try to grab Jessica. Jessica laughed, taking the baby from her friend. “Did you have a good nap, sweet girl?” Jessica kissed the baby’s forehead as she popped the nipple into her mouth.
“You know she doesn’t talk, right?” Joe asked.
Joe had said the same thing at least twice a week since her arrival, and she answered how she always did. “She doesn’t talk now, but she will soon if we keep talking to her.”
Joe looked at her as if she’d lost her mind, but Jessica didn’t mind. She had a real fondness for little Joe.
“Can we play outside until supper time?” Nancy asked. She’d gotten good about watching her siblings after school.
Jessica nodded. “But it’s cold out there, so we all must bundle up.”
“I’m ready for winter,” Nancy announced. “I miss taking sleigh rides.”
“The snow will be here soon enough,” Jessica told her. “Then we’ll wish it was hot so we could play outside more.”
“Not me,” Nancy said. “I like playing outside all winter.”
When the children went out to play, Jessica cleared the table from their snack, washed the few dishes, and set the table for supper. “You are always cooking,” Mary Sue said. “I worry you’re going to do too much while you’re in the family way.”
