Nat looked up surprised to hear Mr. Appleton come in.  At the request, she nodded and went out to the kitchen porch where her bag was.  She figured he was ready for her to go, so she put her pack on her back after checking the blankets that were lashed at the bottom of the pack.

Nat might be able to hear the muffled voices of Jenny and Mr. Appleton in the other room, but they were speaking quietly and it would be hard to hear exactly what they discussed. After some minutes, Jenny opened the door and stepped into the kitchen. "Nat? Mr. Appleton would like to speak to ye," she said.

Nat wanted to know what they were saying so badly, but she didn't want to be more in trouble.  She was going to have to think about a place to live, not focus on other people's conversations.  Then Jenny came outside to the porch and said Mr. Appleton wanted her back inside, and she nodded heading that way.  Though she was surprised.  She had expected to be on her way.  She remembered he didn't want her pack inside, so she laid it back out on the porch before going inside.  She moved to stand in front of Mr. Appleton.

Jenny stayed in the kitchen, watching Nat as she moved to the other room, until the door was shut. Mr. Appleton was poking up the fire. When Nat entered, he put the poker in the holder and rose, putting his hands behind his back. He looked at Nat, features hard, frowning. "I'm sorry for the events of last night. It won't have eluded you that there is a lot of stress in this house at the moment..."

She nodded.  "Yes, Sir."

He continued to look at Nat, breathed deeply, then said: "Mrs. Appleton has been ill for some time. A combination of an excitable disposition and the pregnancy and birth, is what the doctor says. She will hardly leave her room, and seems to take pleasure in defiance and opposition. Yet for some reason she seems to have taken a liking to you. I'm willing to give in to her wish, if it might improve her condition. I won't be able to pay you much, but you won't have to do much work. You'll have a place to stay and food to eat and we'll get you something more suitable to wear, and you'll have half a bob allowance per week. If you help Jenny here and there and prove that you are reliable, I will write you a reference so you can find a job as a maid on from here."

Nat's face was blank at first.  She couldn't believe she was hearing this.  He was going to hire her?  To do what exactly?  Keep his wife company and do housework? 

"You don't want me helping in the fields?  I mean I can clean really well, I've cleaned some of the empty rentals that the landlords don't want to do themselves.  This place will be nothing hard at all.  For food and shelter, should be doing more."  She wouldn't complain, but she wanted him to know for sure that she had meant what she had said about being a hard worker.

 Should she be hoping again?  Things were going so back and forth, she was just getting confused.  "I mean I am glad for the job, Mr. Appleton.  Just put me to whatever job you have me needed for, and I can do it."  She assured him, starting to believe again in the possibility of a normal life.

"If yer still round in the summer, ye can help in t' hay binding, and for now ye can 'elp in some chores around the yard, milkin' t' cows and all that, especially while Mrs. Appleton is still recoverin'," he answered. "However, there are a few conditions." His voice was stern. He was taking a risk, on several levels, and he was still not entirely certain whether it would be worth the potential pay off.

"Jenny has agreed to share her room with you. We'll get a curtain up so you can both have your own side, but she's giving up room and privacy, and I wouldn't have made the offer if she hadn't agreed to it. If you should give her trouble, that means you will have to go."

Nat blinked then nodded.  "You will not have any trouble with me nor will Jenny.  I promise.  I won't take up any more room than a place to sleep.  Just a pallet and I can use my sack for a pillow and store my things in it."  She didn't want Jenny to resent her staying and sharing some of the other young woman's personal space. 

"I do have a dress I got from the homeless bin after I started to try and find a way to save up for a room and look at other work."  It wasn't fancy but it had been sturdy and looked good after she had washed it up.  Well, it was all wrinkled up in her sack now, but it would do for a clerk or servant.  She didn't have the under that went with it, but those would not cost as much.  She hoped.  She thought further about keeping it clean and figured she could wear her boy clothing when it was time to wash the dress.

"Very well," said Tobias, glad that Nat seemed willing to do her best not to trouble anyone. But he still had reason to be suspicious. "Secondly, I do not tolerate dishonesty. No more lies."