Tobias nodded. "Alright then. Well then as for the conditions..." he mentioned what the pay would be. It was not a lot, but not outrageous for a first position. "But this would be with food and board. You'd have one day off a week. There's not much to do around there, but we could drive ye to Castleton station in the morning and fetch ye in the evening if ye like. And all the bones and drippings would belong to you to sell as ye like as perquisite of course. What we'd expect of you is preparation of meals, teaching my wife some new recipes as she desires, and cooking for dinner parties when announced. We do... really value discretion. It's a small community and gossip spreads easily. Unfortunately there is some talk about us. Any sharing of what you pick up in the home would result in immediate dismissal, do you understand?" To Tobias, that was almost more important than whether she was a good cook.

Abilene nodded quickly. She certainly understood his wishes for her not to spread gossip, for she sometimes feared the same. "Of course, ser," she replied, "I'm not a gossip and I don't think it's my business to concern myself with the private business of yer family." The pay was satisfactory, but Abilene was more relieved about the food and board. She'd been cooking for herself (and others) for a long while, so that was nothing new, but the chance to leave her shabby cottage in Whitby, live outside of the town for a good time while she reevaluated what she wanted out of her life, was good to her. And she didn't mind staying out of sight, if that's what the Appletons wanted. She'd spent many of the last few years trying to get out of the spotlight, and here was her chance, to live quietly and simply, and she was excited for that.

"Very well then," said Tobias, satisfied with that statement. "When can ye start?"

Abilene perked up and smiled brightly at Mr. Appleton. She'd been hired! Fantastic! "As soon as ye'd like, ser. Even this afternoon." She didn't have much to pack up for a move, anyway, and if they wanted her to cook dinner tonight, she could bring most of it tomorrow. Or something.

Alice looked back at them again and sipped her tea. She now entertained herself with staring at the young woman who was apparently their new domestic, taking in every detail with shameless interest.

Tobias noticed none of this. His eyebrows traveled up. "Well, if you don't have much to pack, you can come back with us this afternoon. We have room for your things in the cart, so that might save ye trouble. Yer room hasn't been prepared yet, but we can take some furniture up there tonight."

Abilene nodded, returning to a business-like manner. Her relief still remained, but it was less evident on her face, though she still smiled. She noticed how Mrs. Appleton was staring at her, but she didn't flinch under the gaze, only a light flush came to her cheeks. A humble girl, attention on her always made her uncomfortable, another reason why she was so willing to stay out of sight if her new employers required it. "Thank ye, ser," she replied gladly. Though she was slender, she was strong from many years of carrying her younger sister Linnie and Linnie's wheelchair around, mostly up and down stairs, so Abilene was quite willing to help move things- in fact, she'd feel bad if she didn't help.

"Very well. Will you be able to meet us back here at four?" said Tobias, relieved that they had managed to sort this business so quickly.

"Certainly," agreed Abilene, compliant to whatever suited the Appletons the best. She rose from the seat, gathering that their discussion was over, and shook both Mr. and Mrs. Appleton's hands as she expressed her gratefullness for the employment opportunity.

When they met her back at four, the cart was ready. It was a simple farmer's cart, pulled by two horses, with boards on two sides to keep things from falling off, a bench on top of it in the front, and open in the back. Tobias gestured for her to sit in the back, between several baskets and boxes and her own luggage and Tobias and Alice sat in the front. And off they went.

It was a long journey, and soon Tobias had to light the lantern on the left corner of the cart, for it was getting dark. By day, Abi might have seen how they rolled past woods and fields and sometimes across long stretches of wild, desolate moorland. The cart moved slowly, for though there was a wagon track, the road was poor, and there were constant ascents and descents, where the horses could only move slowly. The wagon shook and bumped a lot as it passed over the often rocky path, which had to be even more tiring in Abi's position. Whenever they were on higher ground, they were entirely exposed to the cold, biting northern wind, which seemed to roar and shriek. Alice wrapped her thick woolen shawl tighter around her body.

The couple were silent for most of the trip, though occasionally one of them would comment on their surroundings, so randomly that it seemed to derive from nothing but politeness. They would exchange a few trivialities, before going back to long stretches of silence again. Neither of them spoke to Abi, although occasionally Alice cast suspicious glances in Abi's direction, especially during the awkward conversations.

At some point, when they were passing through some woodland on a hill, Alice asked her husband to stop. Tobias did, and helped her off, while Alice held her pregnant belly. "Don't go far," he told her, but Alice did not respond, and disappeared behind some trees. Tobias turned to Abi. "If you have to go, you best do it now as well. It will be another hour before we reach home." He took his bag from the cart and began searching through it.

Abilene thanked the Appletons for the ride and climbed into the back of the cart as was offered. Situating herself quite comfortably between two of her three small suitcases, she drew her legs up, still careful not to show her ankle though she doubted anyone would take notice if it was showing. The journey was a lot longer than she'd expected, but Abilene didn't mind- it gave her time to think. She was just glad she'd brought her shawl, as it was still quite chilly in Whitby during the nights. The cart trudged along at a slow pace and Abilene half-wished they'd made the trip during the daytime so she could see the woods, fields, and moorlands along the road.

Although Abilene's spirits were high during the first hour or so of the trip, she began to weary as the road bumped her around the cart constantly. As the wind picked up and they traveled along open areas, Abilene began to shiver and drew her shawl tighter around her. She huddled up tight now, not bothering to conceal her ankles anymore, more concerned about not catching a cold her first night working for the Appletons than modesty. The Appletons shared small talk every now and again, and Abilene noticed that Mrs. Appleton kept looking at her as though suspicious, and her heart, already chilled by the windy night, sank. Had she already done something to cause such mistrust? She hoped not. Maybe she was seeing the expression wrong in the lantern light. Yes, that was surely it.

Finally, Mrs. Appleton asked her husband to stop the wagon and he helped her down. She didn't reply to his word of not going too far and Abilene realized she was relieving herself after a few moments. Thankful that they'd stopped for a bit, she slipped out of the back of the cart and walked in a circle or two, stretching her sore legs. Mr. Appleton suggested she do the same as his wife and Abilene nodded, stepping away into the woods on the side of the road opposite to where Mrs. Appleton had gone. As she squatted in the dirt beneath a large sycamore tree, she suddenly began to cry. She was leaving everything behind now, her very childhood as well as her job, and the weight of all this newness frightened and overwhelmed her for a moment or two. Stumbling back to her feet once she was finished with her business, she trembled and stood there for a long minute more before hurrying back towards the cart.