A Change of Heart by Jo Noelle

Author:Jo Noelle [Noelle, Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little Box Press LLC
Published: 2020-11-09T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Edna Williams

“I told you I can get that myself.” She might as well have spoken to the wall for all the good it did. Fredrick insisted on hauling a sack of flour into the kitchen to spare her the trouble before she started on fresh biscuits.

“And I told you to stay off your ankle as much as possible.” He brushed flour from his hands. “Now stop arguing, or I’ll make the biscuits again, and I think you remember how poorly I can do that.”

She winced before she could stop herself. It had been like eating rocks that were heated in the ashes of the fireplace. She’d even considered dipping them into a cup of tea to soften them up before attempting to chew, but why ruin perfectly good tea?

“What else do you need?” he asked, looking about the kitchen.

She sat at the table with one foot propped up on a chair at his insistence. On one hand, it was gratifying to be taken care of. How long had it been since anyone had considered her well-being or fussed over her? Five long years. She’d learned since that time to take care of herself. It wasn’t a bad lesson, but learning how to be taken care of was equally pleasant.

On the other hand, she wasn’t going to become accustomed to having someone take care of her. She took care of them. It was still her purpose in living in the doctor’s house. She was a mother with a son to provide for.

As such, it frustrated her beyond reason to not be able to come and go as she pleased to accomplish her work. She tired easily and her foot ached if it was used too much or just hung down for too long. It was hard having to be mindful of it or to ask for help in tasks that would have taken mere moments otherwise. By the time she asked for help, she might have had it done and been on to the next thing.

“You’ll need eggs for breakfast, I’d imagine.” Fredrick found the basket she left by the back door and was outside before she could answer.

Then later in the morning, when Edna sat at the churn, Fredrick offered to take the paddle from her. “I can do that.”

This time, she held tight, even pulling the churn closer to her. “I do not know how you churn, Dr. Parker, but I do it while seated. Not while standing or putting weight on my ankle.”

When he scowled, she added, “I have to do something to earn my wage this week.”

That seemed to get through to him. He backed away. “Forgive me. I never thought about it that way. I hope you know I would never withhold your wage because of your injury.”

She sighed. “I appreciate you saying that. Still, I would rather earn my wages if given the choice. I don’t like feeling useless.”

He flashed a warm, winning smile before leaving her to her work. “I would never call you useless.

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