Abilene nodded swiftly following the question, but waited until Mr. Appleton was done speaking to answer. She gathered that his wife, though he did not want to embarrass her by saying so, was not an excellent cook, but Abilene didn't mind one bit, for that was the only reason there was a job offer on the table. Abilene had always loved working in the kitchen; she enjoyed shaping things into tasty meals and so had made most of the meals back home in London from the time she was ten onward. Relaying this to Mr. Appleton, she was careful to keep her word choice and posture balanced between showing she needed the job for money and that she liked to cook because it was a passion.