“Like you,” Izzy said. “Thank you, Martha. For standing by me. I lost my mother recently, and I thought I would only have my sisters.”
“Think nothing of it. Albert is a good man,” Martha said, “but he’s set in his ways, as men often are. You’ll need patience, Izzy. Understanding, too.”
Izzy met Martha’s gaze, finding an unspoken kinship in the depths of her eyes. “I want to be a good wife to him, Martha. I do. But everything here is so new, so... overwhelming. I always imagined spending my days in the kitchen as my mother did. To spend a morning choosing dresses with a dressmaker is a bit of a surprise.”
“Change is never easy,” Martha acknowledged. “It’s like breaking in a new pair of boots. At first, they pinch and rub, but given time, they form to your feet as if they were made just for you. Your marriage to Albert will be much the same. Give it time. Give yourself time.”
“Is it always going to be this hard?” Izzy whispered.
“Hard?” Martha asked. “Life is difficult. But there’s beauty in the struggle.”
Izzy nodded, absorbing the tacit fortitude that seemed to emanate from Martha’s very being. “Thank you,” she murmured. “For everything you’ve taught me, for the kindness you’ve shown. I’ll remember your words, Martha, and I’ll try. I promise.”
Martha reached across the table, her hand covering Izzy’s. “You’re stronger than you know, child. Remember that when the nights get cold, and the days get long.”
“Strong,” Izzy repeated. She almost said that the night was the only time she could be with Albert that he wasn’t cold, but she knew that his housekeeper didn’t need to know that about him.
“Come,” Martha said, standing with a rustle of skirts. “Let’s finish up here. Tomorrow’s another day, and who knows what it’ll bring.”
Izzy wiped her hands on the apron cinched around her waist.
“Albert will be back from town soon,” Martha’s voice cut through Izzy’s thoughts.
“Of course,” Izzy replied. There were truths unspoken between them.
“Patience is a virtue hard-earned, but you’ll find your way.”
“Tonight,” Izzy breathed to herself, “I begin anew.”
She heard the front door open and hurried to remove her apron. It wouldn’t please Albert to know that she’d been helping in the kitchen, so there was no reason to let him see her wearing it.
She would be the best wife to him she could possibly be. Starting now.
