“Let me show you.” As if sharing a great secret, Catherine motioned to follow her and led Leonie into the woods lining the path to show her a trail that led to the cottage’s back garden. From this direction, Catherine and David’s cottage was not that far off the path at all.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” Catherine asked.
Leonie would have preferred the elderberry wine. She’d had her fill of tea. “I’m fine.”
“It won’t be any trouble.”
“I understand but I’m not thirsty.” Pride. Leonie must cling to her pride.
“Would you like to help me?” Catherine said.
“Help you do what?”
“Why, garden.” Catherine laughed, the sound happy and a thousand years from how Leonie felt. “Do you believe I would be this dirty for any other reason?”
Leonie didn’t know her mother-in-law well enough to answer that question. In truth, Catherine was a bit of an enigma. She brewed her own wine, made salves that had worked miracles on Leonie’s bruises, and even baked bread. She didn’t mind doing the things that servants did. In fact, she seemed to enjoy herself.
“I’ve never gardened before.” And she didn’t think she’d like it. Leonie took a step back, but Catherine would not let her go.
Showing that she was as persistent as her son, she hooked her arm in Leonie’s and said, “Oh, come. I need company. There is no joy in gardening alone. If you try it and you don’t like it, then no harm will come out of the venture.”
“I’m not dressed for playing in dirt.”
“You aren’t,” Catherine agreed. “I have an apron you can wear.” She was directing Leonie into the cottage’s back garden. There was a patch of overturned dirt in the middle of the yard.
“Is Dora here?”
“No, she is helping Beth at the school today. Did you know she was a governess? She hated it, but she knows how to help children learn. Beth and Lawrence have both been after her to work with them at the school. She digs in her heels every time Beth begs for her support. David and I thought teaching was in her blood like it is for my late husband. We may have been wrong.”
“What, then, shall she do?”
“That is a very good question, my lady. I would like to see her married but she is a strong personality. I don’t know if there is a man who could go toe to toe with her. Stay a moment and I’ll fetch the apron from the house.”
She didn’t wait for Leonie’s answer but hurried to the cottage’s back door.
Leonie walked over to the open patch of turned soil. There were some plants by their roots in a bucket. They didn’t look very appealing, or alive.
Catherine came outside with a huge apron that would cover Leonie’s skirts. “How do you like this?” She shook it out.
Leonie accepted the fact that to please her mother-in-law she would garden. What else was she doing?
It was also true that since Catherine had come upon her, she’d not thought about needing a drink.
Catherine said, “I brought these gloves out as well. They are David’s. He will be most pleased that you are helping me. He likes the result of the garden but he does not enjoy the work.”
Casting a doubtful eye on the fresh turned earth, Leonie tied the apron around her waist and changed her good gloves for David’s. They were well-worn leather and too large for her hands; however, they would suffice. “What do I do?”
Catherine beamed her approval and handed her a rake. “We must continue to smooth out the big clumps of dirt until they are the size of peas.”
What seemed an impossible order.
Catherine picked up a hoe and started breaking up the clods. Leonie decided she should at least try.
The work was not that demanding, but within an hour of the two of them being diligent, they had created a relatively smooth piece of earth. It had not been a difficult task and Catherine’s company had been enjoyable, although they had been so busy they had not spoken much.
“This is good,” Catherine said.
“What do we do now?” Leonie asked.
