Chapter 5
The next day I woke at daybreak with the sun streaming through my window. Spring was arriving quickly now and the days were lovely. I washed my face, braided my brown hair and reported to the kitchen for another day of work. Borlan was already directing a crew of workers in breakfast tasks, so I looked for something to do on my own. I saw a dark-haired woman kneading bread and decided to join her.
"Could you use some assistance?" I asked her with a smile.
"Bless you child, I certainly could! Twelve loaves a day they want here, and me doing all the kneading myself! I'm as strong as an ox for it, but landsakes it wears me out!" Her muscular arms were white with flour to the elbows, and her apron, which was blue, had a dusting of flour right in the center where she leaned against the worktable. She had a blue kerchief tied over her long hair and her brown eyes were warm and friendly.
I lifted a mound of bread dough out of an immense bowl and began to knead it on the table. I had always loved the meditative rhythms of kneading dough. We worked in companionable silence for an hour before we had all the loaves in their pans to rise. By that time, breakfast was over, so I grabbed an apple and a small bun and went out to the garden to enjoy my own breakfast.
There were stone pathways between the beds. I saw strawberries, leeks, onion greens, lettuces, peas, beans, and many sprouts that were still too small to identify. It was a well tended garden, not a weed in sight. But I thought they might be able to fit more produce in if they laid things out differently and used the walls more. I decided to find the gardener and ask if I could help sometime with planting out more of the seedlings as the weather got warmer.
There was a man turning the composting mound in the corner.
"Good morning, sir!" I said politely.
"Eh? What's that? Oh, hello there, miss!" He said very loudly. He faced me and propped himself up with his turning fork. He was a wizened old man with brown leathery skin and a tuft of shocking white hair over each ear. I could tell that he had spent the majority of his life caring for growing things. He smiled at me and I saw that although he was old, he still had fine white teeth and clear gray eyes.
"Hello sir! I was wondering if you know where I might find the head gardener?"
"Why on earth would I want my bed harder? It feels like stone as it is!" He yelled at me with a smile.
I spoke louder, "Are you in charge out here, sir?"
"Aye, that I am! Are you the new kitchen wench?"
"Yes, I was hoping to give you a hand before I do the lunch meal."
"You want to show me land to steal? I don't think that's a good idea. I've got a mind to turn you in to Gertrude! We don't take kindly to thieves around here!"
"No, sir!" I shouted, "I asked if you need help with your garden!"
"Oh, its help you're offering? I can always use extra hands in my garden, thank ye kindly miss!" He took my hands in his and looked them over with an expert eye. He saw the stains of root plants embedded in my fingerprints from my time in the forest. He read in my calloused palms my experience with tools. And he looked into my brown eyes and saw eagerness and delight in the living things of the earth. He gave my cheek a pat and handed me a spade.
"You can turn that bed there to prepare it for potatoes. What did you say your name was?" he shouted.
"Addie, and what shall I call you?"
"Thomas. Or you can call me Old Tom, most folks do."
"Tom, does anyone else help you with these gardens?" I called out loudly.
"No, these vegetables and fruits are my sole responsibility. There're others that do the shrubs and bushes and flowers, but just me back here for the kitchen." He shrugged his shoulders, resigned to the overwhelming task.
"I would be happy to help as much as I can between my kitchen duties." I yelled.
"That would be a real boon, thank ye kindly, Addie," he gave me a little bow and then we both began to work. I dug into the dark, rich soil and turned it over, creating a loose soft bed for the potato plants.
When the sun was nearing its zenith, I leaned my spade against the wall, waved goodbye to Tom, and went back to the kitchen. Borlan was stirring a pot of soup and beckoned me over to him.
"Where did you get to this morning, dear?" he asked curiously.
"Oh, I've been out in the vegetable garden. Is that alright? I didn't mean to neglect duties here in the kitchen." I suddenly worried that my absence in the kitchens would be a mark against me during the trial period.
"Yes, Addie. It's fine to take a break, but by the look of your hands, you haven't been resting, have you?"
"Oh, good gracious! I suppose I'd better get cleaned up before I start work in here." I hurried over to a water barrel and ladled out water to wash my hands and face.
"Don't you worry about Gertrude, either," said Borlan, "I've already told her what a good worker you are, and that I want her to keep you."
"Really?" My face was radiant with gratitude. "Thank you so much! This job is very important to me."
"Good, well, let's get started shall we?"
I peeled and chopped and stirred and seasoned. It was a very good lunch. After things had been tidied, I found Borlan again.
"Borlan, I was wondering if I might shift some knives closer to the area for root storage and preparation?"
"Certainly, in fact, that's a very good idea."
"Thank you. Do you think it would be alright for me to go out to the garden for a bit before dinner preparations begin?" I felt the pull of the outdoors tugging at me, I could hardly bear to be indoors on such a glorious spring day.
"Of course, I'll just step out and call to you when I need you inside. But don't wear yourself out!" He waved me out the door with a shake of his head and a jolly chuckle.
Tom was not around, but I could see the potato sets ready to go into their hills. I tucked up my apron, to keep it from getting dirty, and knelt to work.
As I was finishing, I heard footsteps behind me. Thinking it was Borlan, I called, "I'm nearly finished with this, then I'll be right in to start dinner."
I stood up and turned around, then gasped quietly. It was the handsome young man I'd met last night. I bobbed my head in greeting, momentarily tongue-tied.
"Good afternoon, miss. Are you helping Old Tom in the garden? Last night I guessed you were a kitchen worker, but perhaps I was mistaken?" His eyes twinkled in merriment, likely because of the potato peel yesterday.
"Yes, I mean, no. I mean . . ." I swiped a hand across my brow to gather stray hairs and tucked them behind my ear, trying to clear my brain. I could feel my cheeks burning.
"Yes, I'm helping Tom, and no, you are not mistaken in assuming I work in the kitchen."
"I see. I wasn't aware the kitchen maids were required to dig the vegetables they use in the meals."
"We're not. I enjoy working in gardens. It's pleasant to be out of doors in this beautiful sunshine." My cheeks felt as though they were on fire, and I worried about every word I said.
I cleared my throat and asked, "What work do you do in the palace?"
"Oh, I do a bit of this and that," he responded elusively. "Nothing you could put a name to, really."
"Well, that sounds . . . interesting. It was--" Borlan's voice came floating over the air to me, calling me in to the kitchen for work.
"Excuse me please, I need to go." I curtsied and quickly turned, almost running away, although I didn't know why I felt like running.
When I'd washed my hands I went over to begin work. Borlan's mouth turned up at one corner as he reached across the table and wiped a streak of dirt off my forehead.
"You're hopeless, Addie!" he said with laughter. "Tomorrow, why don't you take the whole day to work with Old Tom. Then I won't have to worry about you getting dirt in my cakes."
The next day I went straight to the garden and found Tom struggling with the peas, which had begun to creep along the ground in all directions.
"Tom, I don't know if you'd like to try this, but where I grew up, we always wove a frame of branches for the peas to climb up. It saved considerable space on the ground for other plants." Luckily, I remembered to yell, the speech was too long to repeat.
"Well now Addie, that's a grand thought. I've got a heap of work to do in here today, but why don't you go gather some wood and fix that up for me. Borlan told me you'll be able to help all day today." He smiled happily and gestured to a door in one of the walls, "That leads out to a wilderness, you'll be able to find branches out there, and if you go in the servants entrance you'll see the carpentry shop on the left. Go there and Jacob will let you use whatever tools you need. I'm so glad to have an eager lass like you helping. I can tell you've got a mind for gardening!"
"Thank you, Tom. Just leave the peas to me! I'll be back soon." I unlocked the gate and went out into the woods. Spring leaves and buds had begun to form and there were a few trees with bright blossoms already opened. I gathered a bundle of slender, pliable branches and then paused at the edge of a small outcrop to gaze at the sparkling sea below me. The salty tang in the morning air was so refreshing. I marveled that I had lived my entire life never setting eyes on the sea before. I thought I could live near it forever.
I circled the palace walls until I found the entrance I'd used previously to get inside. It was as busy as ever, but I slipped in and looked to my left. I saw a shed with a strong blond haired man working inside. I walked up to his bench and he looked up.
"Excuse me, are you Jacob?"
"Yes, I'm the chief carpenter here. Who are you?" His voice was full and rich, like the beautiful wood that surrounded him.
"My name is Addie, and I work in the kitchen, although today I'm working with Old Tom in the vegetable garden. I just need a small carving knife and some twine to do this project for Tom, thank you."
"Knife and twine, is it? Well, I think I've got something here you can borrow. Just bring it back when you've finished with it." I began to walk away when Jacob called out, "What is it you're making there?"
"Oh, just a trellis for the peas."
"Sounds innovative, I'll have to come take a look at it when you're finished."
"Certainly, good-bye." I walked back through the gate and began to retrace my steps. I didn't want to try and find the garden from the inside out. I only knew how to get from the kitchen to my room, and back. Besides, it was such a glorious day, I didn't want to spend a minute inside if I didn't have to.