Last time, Zechariah had gone to the Appleton farm around lunch in his excitement to drag the Wards through the mud get eggs. He had waited a few days before returning, but not so long that Tobias would have forgotten him. He picked right after his evening shave, that he might be answered by Tobias himself instead of dragged back into the reeking servant passages.

Rose had been instructed to deep clean every nook and cranny in his absence. Mr. Benjamin had been instructed to ‘help’ her. Those ‘toys’ that had sat neglected long enough to gather dust were now gathering dust in the wine cellar instead of in the room Nesah had waylayed.