Once he and Phoebe had the kitchen to themselves, they got to work on the dishes, chatting about inconsequential things.
“So how did you come to need Edna as a housekeeper? Were you all on your own before she returned to Sweetbrier Creek?”
He nodded. “For a month or so. Our former housekeeper was part-time—she came in for about four hours a day, five days a week. She was with us for ten months before she became engaged.” He gave the bowl he was washing a vigorous scrub. “The gut Lord was certainly watching out for us when Aenti Edna came along. She offered to take the housekeeper’s place if we would give her use of the dawdi haus.”
“Edna isn’t afraid of hard work, that’s for sure and for certain.”
He cut her a sideways glance. “That seems to be a trait you share with her.”
Her cheeks pinkened at that—it was a look he was coming to appreciate. “How did your eldre feel about you coming all this way to take the job of housekeeper for a familye they’d never met?”
She put away the bowl she’d just dried. “They were hesitant at first—I think they still see me as a youngie. But Daed came around to the idea and Mamm followed his lead, though not happily I’m afraid. It did help that Edna was here, though.”
“If you need to speak to them while you’re here, you are welcome to use the phone shanty.” He wasn’t sure why he’d said that, of course she’d know she was welcome to use it.
“Danke.”
By this time they’d finished with the dishes. While Phoebe finished straightening up a few things, Seth headed for the living room.
He found his brieder had taken out a couple of sets of dominoes but instead of playing the game, they had lined up two domino runs on the floor and were competing in some fashion. Jesse and Kish were working on one of the runs and Mark and Daniel on the other. Levi was stooped on the floor alternately cheering and critiquing from the sidelines. As Seth watched, the run Jesse and Kish were working on toppled prematurely and there were groans and heckles from the other three.
This looked like an ideal time to have that talk. “Levi.”
His bruder looked up and met his gaze, his brows raised in question.
“Would you join me in my office please? There’s something I’d like to speak to you about.”
He saw his brieder all exchange glances before Levi nodded and stood from his stooped position. “Lead the way.”
When they reached the small bedroom Seth had turned into his office, Seth took a seat behind his desk while Levi dropped into a guest chair and lounged back. “I haven’t been singled out for one of your talks in a long time. So am I in some kind of trouble?”
Seth frowned at his bruder’s amused tone. “I just wanted to talk to you about Phoebe.”
His words seemed to have no effect on Levi’s mood. “Do you now?” his bruder asked. “What about her?”
No point in mincing words. “I notice you’ve been paying her some particular attention.”
Levi shrugged. “Phoebe is an interesting woman. Why shouldn’t I pay attention to her?”
“I don’t think you realize the effect you have on some of the more impressionable ladies you interact with.”
If anything Levi appeared even more amused. “And what effect is that?”
Seth usually ignored Levi’s attempts to goad him but this time it irritated him for some reason. “Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed and even taken advantage of it on occasion. You know very well most of the girls find you charming and attractive. In fact it’s beyond me why you haven’t found one to court yet.”
That remark seemed to finally get under Levi’s skin. But he recovered quickly enough. “Don’t worry, I’m just being nice to Phoebe, trying to get her to smile a little more. It can’t be easy for her to just pick up and leave her familye this way.”
“Regardless of all that, Phoebe is not just our housekeeper, she’s a guest of Edna’s and her eldre have entrusted her to our care. While she’s here she’s a member of our household and should be treated as such. Besides, she’s going to be returning to Bergamot in a few weeks and we probably won’t see her again. I don’t want her to leave with a broken heart and unhappy memories.”
“I don’t want that either.” Levi’s gaze held a note of challenge. “Maybe you should take charge of seeing that her stay here is a pleasant one since you know how to take care of that without endangering her heart.” He stood. “Is there anything else we need to discuss?”
“Nee, that was all.”
With a nod, Levi left the room.
Seth followed more slowly. He was concerned that he hadn’t gotten through to his bruder. Was Levi right that he himself should take a more active role in ensuring Phoebe’s stay was pleasant? After all he was the oldest, the head of the household.
And that was his only motive, of course.
When Seth reached the living room it was to find that the group had moved to the kitchen and were playing an actual game of dominoes. Phoebe was laughing at something that Kish had said and her whole face was aglow with her mirth. For a moment he imagined her like this, in this kitchen in the midst of his brieder, for the long term.
Then he shook his head—it wasn’t like him to allow such fanciful thoughts to distract him.
Phoebe glanced up and saw Seth in the doorway watching them. Why did he insist on keeping himself separate from his brieder?
She stood. “Ach, Seth, you’re just in time. Kum take my place for a few rounds while I make hot cocoa for everyone.”
He straightened and she saw a refusal forming on his lips.
“Unless you think you can make a pot of cocoa that’s better than my special recipe.”
“I vote for Phoebe’s recipe,” Levi said.
There was a chorus of agreement from those around the table.
Seth held his hands up palms-out in a sign of surrender and took her place at the table.
With a smile, Phoebe went to work on the cocoa. She’d promised them a special recipe so she looked at the spices in the cabinet and available ingredients in the refrigerator and found a jar of strawberry jelly. Smiling she added a large dollop of the jelly to the pot of milk heating on the stove. Then she added a touch of salt and finally the cocoa.
