This was the second time he’d mentioned his former fraa’s name. What had she been like?
“It’s a gut blueprint to use to keep all of the work organized and to make sure everything gets done. It also makes it easier to allocate the tasks fairly when my brieder and I are between housekeepers.” He slid the paper in front of her. “I’ve gone over it with every housekeeper we’ve had since.”
Every housekeeper? “How many housekeepers have you had?”
He frowned. “Four in the five years since Dinah’s been gone.”
Was it a touchy subject?
But he’d returned to the original topic. “As you can see, the tasks are listed based on the frequency that they should be carried out. At the top are the ones that need to be done every day—cooking, sweeping, dishes, tending the livestock, collecting the eggs and such. Next are the tasks that should be done weekly—laundry, cleaning baseboards, mending and such—and each is allocated to be done on a particular day. For instance today is the day to do the mending. Edna can show you where the basket is.” Then he glanced at her bandage. “Of course if you don’t feel up to it today I suppose it could be skipped this week.”
She brushed that particular worry aside. “It shouldn’t be a problem.” She was much more concerned with how regimented this was.
“Gut.” He turned back to his list. “Then there’s a checklist of chores that need less frequent attention, to be done as time allows or as need arises.” He leaned back. “Any questions?”
“Jah. How important is it that these chores get done on these specific days?”
His forehead wrinkled. “What do you mean?”
“I mean if I feel like doing tomorrow’s tasks today and push today’s off until tomorrow, is that a problem?”
“Why would you want to switch them like that?”
She chose her words carefully. “I don’t know. Maybe my eyes are feeling strained the day mending is on the list and I don’t want to have to focus on delicate work. Or maybe there’s something else I feel is needed more.”
He stroked his beard. “You’re in charge of the housework so I suppose, as long as it all gets done within a week’s time, it doesn’t have to be done in a specific order.”
“Gut. And I will for sure and for certain get it all done.”
He stood and cast a quick, exasperated look Edna’s way, before turning back to Phoebe. “I’ll put this back on the corkboard so you can find it when you need it. And I’ll be in the equipment shed for the next hour or so and then in my workshop if you should need me for anything.”
“Actually, I do have one more question.”
Seth paused in front of the corkboard, a wary look on his face. “And that is?”
“How do you want me to handle the shopping when there are groceries or supplies I need for the house?”
He pinned the list back in place. “I go to town most Tuesdays to pick up supplies and ship packages when I have product to go out—it’s on this list. You can accompany me to do your shopping then.”
Today was Wednesday so it seemed she’d have to wait nearly a week.
He must have read something in her expression. “Is there anything you need that can’t wait until Tuesday?”
“Nee. That sounds gut. And between now and then I’ll check with your brieder and look through the pantry to see what’s needed.”
He pointed to a notebook on one end of the counter. “No need. There’s a running list we keep in there that we all add to when we think of something we’re running low on or need. You can just add anything there you need from town as well.”
Him and his lists. But Phoebe nodded. She could have Edna help her read the list when the time came so she could memorize what was there.
Once he’d donned his coat and headed out Edna met her gaze. “So you survived your first morning and got everyone out the door on time.”
Phoebe straightened. “Did you doubt that I would?”
“Nee, but I think perhaps you did.”
Phoebe grimaced. “I forget how well you know me.” Then she drew her shoulders back. “How do you think I did?”
“Phoebe Kropf, you know it’s wrong to fish for compliments.”
Feeling properly chastised, Phoebe stood and fetched the broom from the mudroom. Just as she reached for the wooden handle, Edna spoke again without looking up.
“That being said, I believe more than ever that I was right about you being gut for this familye.”
Phoebe smiled and found herself pushing the broom across the floor with a lighter step.
Later that morning, she headed to the chicken yard to collect the eggs.
First she scattered the chicken feed to encourage the chickens to leave the nesting boxes. There appeared to be nineteen or twenty hens. It was hard to get an accurate count when they were moving so much. That seemed like a large flock compared with the dozen at home but she supposed they needed that many to keep up with a household comprised of six energetic menfolk. Once she’d scattered enough feed she went to the coop and moved from nesting box to nesting box to collect the eggs. She carefully placed each egg she found in a straw-filled basket. She also checked around on the floor of the coop, making sure none of the hens had decided to make her own nest. While she worked she thought about Seth and his lists. She’d never met anyone so determined to manage the world around him.
What had made him that way? Was it just his nature? Or had something happened to change him? From something he’d said it seemed Dinah had been that way too. Was that the kind of woman he was attracted to?
Not that that was any of her concern.
This morning she’d watched Seth and Levi work side by side at the stove. The two Beilers had such different personalities. She guessed Levi wouldn’t have so much as blinked at her use of dollop as a measurement. And he would have entertained her with his attention and nonsensical small talk while they worked, doing his best to make her smile.
Seth on the other hand was all business and liked things to be done a certain way. Still, he’d offered to help her cook breakfast without drawing attention to himself. Other than his pushback at the word dollop he’d allowed her to take the lead. And he’d also helped with the dishes.
She was coming to see that there was a kindness in Seth, a genuine caring for those around him, that wasn’t readily evident on the surface. Like when she’d burned her hand earlier—he hadn’t made her feel clumsy or incapable. He’d just treated it like an accident, made sure she was okay and moved on.
