As she stirred the mixture, she heard Seth let out a mock-protest at a move made by one of his brieder. Hearing him really interact with his brieder this way brought a smile to her face.
She waited until the current game was over to tell them the cocoa was ready and they immediately abandoned the dominoes to fill their cups.
“There is something special about this cocoa.” Seth raised a brow. “Is that a hint of strawberry I taste?”
“Ach, it’s not that easy to get my secrets from me.”
Seth merely grinned in response.
What would he think if she told him her actual secret, that she could barely read or write and tried everything to avoid it? She felt a pang of guilt for keeping it from him while knowing he assumed she could. But she needed time to prove herself first.
Besides, if it didn’t affect her work, it shouldn’t matter.
Should it?
The next morning Phoebe was more comfortable in the kitchen and she had breakfast well under way by the time Seth came in with the milk. This time she was careful to turn the burners off before she went to help him strain the milk. Her hand still gave her sharp reminders that she’d burned it yesterday.
When they were done Seth gulped down a second cup of coffee then went back out to finish up whatever morning chore he’d set himself.
As Seth was going out, Daniel came in from the mudroom and Edna entered from the back porch. Both headed for the coffee. After they’d each poured up their cups Phoebe noted that the second oldest Beiler quietly went about fixing a fresh pot.
Phoebe decided to take the opportunity to get to know him better. “You work in an orchard, is that right?”
“Jah. The Fretz apple orchard. It’s located right next door.”
“Do you enjoy the work?”
He nodded while he took a sip from his cup. “Someday I’d actually like to have an orchard of my own.”
“I’m not familiar with what it takes to maintain an orchard but I would have thought there wouldn’t be much to do this time of year.”
“Actually, this is the time of year where we do maintenance—trimming away dead growth, lopping off the tops, checking for damage, mulching.”
“You said you want to have an orchard of your own someday. Would you plant it here, on this farm?”
“Nee. This land is for the farming that supports our familye. But I have half an acre here that I’ve planted with apple and pear trees—if you go out behind the dawdi haus and look to your right you’ll see them. I use it for experimenting.”
“Experimenting?”
“I’m trying to use new growing techniques and grafting of one stock onto another. I’d like to improve the fruit production and quality.”
“So you do more than just cultivate and grow the trees.”
He gave her a smile that was almost prideful. “Jah.”
She supposed he had a right to take pride in his work. “Have you harvested any fruit yet?”
He shrugged. “Nee, the trees are too young.”
The two younger boys arrived in the kitchen just then, ending the discussion on orchards and reminding Phoebe she had to focus on getting breakfast on the table and lunches packed.
For breakfast this morning she’d decided on pancakes, though getting enough batter prepared for this household was a bit daunting.
To go with the pancakes she’d gathered up a jar each of strawberry, blackberry and raspberry preserves, added a little bit of cream cheese, honey and lemon juice and simmered the mixture on the stove for a while. The result was a chunky mixed-berry syrup to spoon over the pancakes. She’d also cooked some bacon to have on the side. By the time she had everything on the table everyone had gathered in the kitchen.
As the Beilers dug into their meal, they made it obvious her efforts at the stove had not gone unappreciated.
“This syrup is wonderful gut,” Mark said as he grabbed the bowl and ladled another portion on his pancakes.
“Save some for the rest of us,” Kish warned.
“I must say,” Levi added as he speared another forkful, “I’ve begun looking forward to your meals. And not just because they’re so tasty, but also because of the surprising touches you add to them.”
“Danke. But, just like Daniel and his orchard, I enjoy experimenting with new ways of doing things when I’m cooking and you all end up with the results of those experiments.”
Levi grinned. “Well, let’s just hope Daniel’s experiments turn out as well as yours.”
She cast a quick glance Daniel’s way. “Ach, I didn’t mean to say my cooking efforts compare to Daniel’s work in importance, just that they are both experiments.”
But Levi shook his head. “I’d say feeding us is every bit as important as Daniel’s attempts to improve his fruit trees.”
Phoebe decided it was time to change the subject. “Everyone’s lunch is packed and on the counter whenever you’re ready for it. And I’ve written your names on them so there should be no confusion.”
Levi’s grin said he knew he’d gotten to her. But he accepted her change of subject and didn’t attempt to tease her further.
Later, as Phoebe finished clearing the table, Seth gestured toward her hand. “I see you’re no longer wearing your bandage.”
