Absently Edward places the mostly eaten plate of food to one side and finds a pen and a piece of paper writing down a few things on a piece of paper. He then looks up for a moment and blinks in surprise when he notices his brother.

"Oh, Ambrose. There you are." He smiles at the man and Ambrose gives him a weak smile in return. It would be clear to Vela that the emaciated state of his brother was painful for Ambrose but it was also clear that there was fraternal love in spades between them. Edward walks up to him and hands him the note. "Can you get me these supplies please?" Ambrose nods his head. "Of course, I've gotten an out-building set up if you want to run some experiments." Edward pauses and nods. "Yes, an out building. That is wise."

Then Edward wanders back to his chalkboard to scribble on it, clearly on the new ideas Vela had put into his head.

Vela moved over to Ambrose as Edward went back to work.  "He has some very interesting ideas.  And I think finger foods left in here would be a good idea during the day.  I think he might snack without realizing it as he works if they were there.  But definitely, a very meaty meal would be good for the main meal of the day and more of substance "snacks" two or three other times in the day will help bring his body to a healthy state."  She spoke quietly, having noticed Edward's thin body and Ambrose's reactions to his brother.  "If I am hired, that is."  She added.

Ambrose listens to the entire meal plan in silence as he watches his brother. His attention seemed to be fixed to the point of ignoring Vela but when she finished he inclines his head. "It is certainly an idea. He seems to drink water when we leave it out, if the snack doesn't require his full attention then as you said there is a chance he will eat it. You have the job, come I will introduce you to Mister Lane. He is the house Butler and you can put any required material or item requests through him for approval."

Gesturing, Ambrose leads Vela away from the library and they soon find a man in his late twenties wearing an impeccable suit in the classic butler cut. "Ah, Master Ambrose and guest, what can I do for you?" The man inquires smiling at them both as Ambrose explains Vela's new role in the manor and advises Lane of the required salary. When he is finished Mister Lane nods to Vela. "I look forward to working with you then."

Vela smiled when Ambrose said she had the job.  "Wonderful.  I will take good care of his nutritional needs."  She followed to meet the butler.  Once there, she gave a polite and friendly nod and smile to the young man.

"And I look forward to working with you."  She responded.  "I will make a list of the more immediate items when I get my portfolio from the kitchen.  What are the current times for the house meals?"  Her comment and question were made to the butler.  She felt it likely to stay with that since it would be what Edward was most used to.   Her snacks would be there in his workroom all through the day, of course. 

Then looking to Ambrose. "When would you like me to start?  I will start working on menus for the main meals today."  She assured him.  She needed to know when to arrive each morning and when to start each meal.

"The servants will handle their own meals so you do not need to worry about them." Mister Lane explains to her. "The Head Maid Eleanor spends most of her days in the kitchens and will handle cooking for the staff and give you any assistance you require in the short term." If Vela wound up requiring a proper sous chef they would look into that, they trusted Vela to realize that Eleanor would outrank her within the household so she should not abuse her help.

"Meals for the family are at eight, one, and seven generally. Though most of the time the family is simply Master Edward so it will be more, whenever and whatever you can get him to eat. When Master Ambrose and any family and guests are around though, that will be what you need to keep to." For the most part, though her job would be somewhat light and easy-going, she was in many respects being hired to feed only one man.

"You can start as soon as you are ready. I will be here until the end of the week, then I will be heading to London and from thence back to America. I will be gone for two months and Mister Lane is the De Facto head of house in my absence." Ambrose explains to her. Not even sugar-coating it by implying that his brother had some authority but she should default to Lane if she needed something. Lane was the one who would keep things moving and ensure things were paid for while he was gone. Edward was to be obeyed on minor matters but he was in no fit space to make decisions for a household.

Vela listened closely and would make these notes in her portfolio once she picked it up again from the kitchen.  "Sounds very organized and logical."  She nodded.  "I will be ready to start tomorrow morning."  She stated, thinking she would use the rest of the day and evening to plan up a menu for the meals of the week and the snacks she planned to have out within Edward's hand in his work area. 

"I'll have a list by tomorrow, though meats and vegetables I prefer to choose myself and I have a grocer that I trust to have the best produce and a butcher that I find to be the best quality meats."  She motioned to the kitchen.  "Do you mind if I go get my portfolio and I will  give you the location of each of those places to arrange an account for the household."  She gave Ambrose a questioning look, "If that is acceptable to you that is?  Of course."

Ambrose inclines his head to Lane and Vela.

"As it pertains to kitchen matters grant any reasonable request."

While Ambrose would not specify in front of her what he considered reasonable, if she tested it she would find that anything short of a major renovation was going to be granted without much difficulty. With this out of the way, he says to the both of them.

"Take her back to the kitchen, make sure she is introduced to Eleanor and the rest of the household staff, and arrange for her to get a ride home in the carriage. Now, if you will both excuse me I have other matters to attend."

While this was phrased like a polite request, it wasn't. Ambrose held the purse strings and he simply departed after he informed them he was leaving, Vela would have time to give a goodbye, there was a brief pause, but Albert would interject to answer any questions she might have. He would also gesture back towards the kitchens.

"Miss Eleanor should be back in them now, so we can introduce you to her and take you for a quick tour of the grounds to meet the rest of the staff."

Vela gave a brief nod of gratitude about the grocer and butcher account.  She said goodbye to Ambrose and then went with Lane to the kitchen.  There she gathered her portfolio and made a note of the location of the grocer and butcher that she had mentioned before, and a list of a few things that she used often and would need to have in the kitchen.  Most were spices. She also added the items she would need to make the next day's three meals and a few snacks to start with. She then handed the two pieces of paper to Lane. 

"I will create a week's menu and list of things that I won't go to the locations to pick out myself tonight.  But this should do for tomorrow."  She explained.

Lane takes the list and nods his head. "I'll see it done. In the meantime," He gestures over to a matronly looking woman who was busying herself over a pot of lamb stew. The fixings for Shepard's Pie on the table next to her. It smelled good but rustic, definitely not a professionally trained cook. Just a woman who knew her way around the kitchen.

"Eleanor." Lane says and the woman looks up and smiles, she'd done so when they'd entered but she'd waited for them to finish. Coming over she overs Vela a hand, letting her get a better look. She was a bit plump but sturdy, with hair that had faded to silver kept in a neat bun on her head, her smile was warm and said she was someone's mother. It said that to the point that Vela would just know that if she needed it, Eleanor would be happy to mother her a bit as well.

"Hello there dear, I am the Head Maid Eleanor. I take it you are the cook Master Ambrose hired? Can't say I'm sorry ta see you in my kitchen, make life easy for me. Betsy, that's my daughter and one of the maids, never had the patience ta learn how ta do it proper."

"Hello, Mrs. Eleanor.  It is nice to meet you."  Vela reached to shake the other woman with a matching smile.  She liked the woman instantly.  It was just one of those things that you could feel from some people.  "I am looking forward to working with you.  And learning from you as well.  I enjoy learning new recipes.   I will not only be working here, but also I have my own business creating and cooking menus for events and private gatherings."  She explained.

"At the moment I have only had a few a month.  But more people are hearing about it and I get a new customer or two each month."  She explained.  "I rented a small cottage in town and have turned it into basically a large kitchen and bakery."  She chuckled.  "I stay there as well, but use a very small amount of the space."