Vela smiled settled down her portfolio and started putting on the large apron.  "I suggested she and Ruth might like to have some material, buttons, and lace that my mother gave me some time ago that I never got into making dresses."  She explained.  "Oh, and spoke about maybe having tea parties once a week after we got off work.  She liked the idea.  I figure you and I will be having weekly meetings about the menus and such, that she might enjoy it as well."

"Hrmmm, I suppose it depends on the time of day. There are rest days, of course, light duties on Sunday for everyone." There was never strictly speaking a day off but Sunday mornings were always open for those who wished to go to Church and Master Lane left the duty roster light that day. Only the bare bones required to keep the household running.

"So fer your tea parties that is when I would suggest. And it is mighty generous of you to offer that to Betsy. Sometimes I fear I am a bit hard on the lass but I fear if I don't keep a hand on her she'll..." Eleanor frowns realizing she was about to say something that was a bit rude, so she lowers voice. "Well, I am afraid she will wind up in the same situation as Ruth. Poor dear doesn't deserve what happened to her and I feel bad for saying it but my daughter would be easy for a lout to trick for a time."

"Sunday evening would be a great time.  After the last meal of the day, as that comes first."  She nodded.  She planned to attend worship when she was able to premake up most of the meal the night before.  "It would not be at the proper tea time, of course, but just a time for us girls to just be at ease and visit after our duties are done."  She explained, not wanting to let Eleanor think she would take the girls from their duties.

"My governess was very strict about where I went and who I was around outside our household, but when I got old enough my mother thought I would want to go on my debut, meet a handsome man, and get married, I just wanted to go to school and cook.  They made a deal that if I had my debut and still wanted to go to school, then they would think about it."  She gave a shrug.  "They thought for sure I would find a proper husband and drop off the idea of being a chef.  They were so dismayed when that plan did not work and it even took a trick the chef and I did on them to actually get them to let me go along with my wishes."

She gave Eleanor a friendly look.  "You love your daughter.  You are teaching her to be the best person she can be.  Sometimes, trusting in your training and love.  There can be problems that come up, but there is no way to perfectly protect them."  She offered just something to think about.   "I don't know Ruth's story, but I doubt she walked into it thinking she would be alone with the baby.  Good people trust too easily often, I think, too. It doesn't mean that they are a bad person, just making mistakes.  I though would rather trust than distrust everyone I meet.  It would be a very miserable life, wouldn't it?"

"Good for you." Eleanor says with an approving nod. "Lord knows too many women are content to just stay at home and be wives. I had to fight my own husband just to keep my job as a maid after we married. Seemed to think it was insulting to his manhood rather than thinking we could use the extra money." She lets out a snort of wry amusement. "Having someone in your life is good but I think we pressure young women into marriage far too soon." Reaching out she pats Vela on the shoulder. "I think you did the right thing by chasing your dreams love. I'm glad your parents let you follow through even if they didn't approve."

The woman liked Vela already, at least in part because the head maid thought she'd be a good role model for her daughter. A reminder that a woman could be more than just a man's wife. Even if she could be that as well. "I think that distrusting people would make fer a miserable life, you are right my dear. However, I think that you don't really know a person until you see them on a bad day." A pauses as she says softly. "Like Master Edward, every day is a bad day for that man. Yet he is always polite and kind to all of us even though it's plain he is in pain. I think Ruth trusted that bastard of a former husband of hers too much before she saw him have a bad day."

That was Eleanor's take anyway. Don't hitch yourself to a man until you saw him upset. How they handled that would tell you what kind of husband they would be. If a man's response to things not going his way was to run or break things, then he weren't worth your time in her opinion.

Eleanor's approval made Vela smile.  She didn't get that kind of reaction to her choices very often, so it meant a lot to her.  "The chefs I've been around are males, and other than the one we had back home and one or two fellow students were very much against me even being there.  A cook, yes, but a woman as a chef?  Not proper."  She imitated some of the people she had heard that from and then chuckled.  "I just showed them all by being in the top of the class all the way through my time there."  She had graduated higher than almost all of the men in her class group.

The comment about getting to know a man on a bad day, before settling down with him made sense to her.  She would have to remember that if she ever got courted by someone again.  The life she had now did not make much room for meeting a man that she wasn't working for.   At that, she thought of Edward as Eleanor mentioned their employer. 

"It is sad.  He seems like a brilliant man.  By the way, do you know what he is doing out there now?  I was him working on something with Angus."

Eleanor nods as Vela explains it all the woman now, more so than ever, certain that such a driven and independent young woman would be an excellent influence on her romantic of a daughter. "Well, it sounds like you showed them sure enough my love." Eleanor says with a smile that was as proud as any a mother might give to a daughter.

"Oh, is he out there again? I've no idea what he is doing but likely something to do with fire. The man is fixated on it, I hope that something draws him away before it consumes him like it did..." She trails off. "Well, it's a nasty thought." Vela would likely remember the tragedy that had broken the poor man well. That he'd started the fire that had wound up consuming his entire family.

Vela nodded.  "Well, let's see if I can at least get a start in that and get him to eat more often."  She replied, with a sad expression when she mentioned the fire that had killed the man's wife.  "On that topic, here is the menu I worked up for the coming week starting on Sunday, until then I thought I would use what you have here already."  She opened her portfolio to bring out a copy of the week's menus and a list of things that would need to be purchased to create those menus. 

"I also have the scheduled events I have in the coming month, for you and Mr. Blackwood."  She pulled that out as well with the dates that would take her away to prepare, create, and deliver the meal to her client.  There were only two of the events for the next month currently. 

"I thought I would go shopping for the items that I prefer to pick myself, mainly the meats, as the vegetables here are beautiful, thanks to Mr. Angus after I prepare the breakfast tomorrow."  She added.

Eleanor accepts the portfolio with slightly wide eyes as she starts flipping through this. "Oh." She murmurs softly. "Oh my, what do they teach in culinary school? I've never even heard of half this dishes." The woman shakes her head in bewilderment as she goes over page after page. "This is a far cry from mince and shepard's pie." She finally says settling it down on the counter and adding. "But if you need any help I'll be sure to do so. I'll also pass along the note of when you will be gone to Mister Lane. Master Blackwood isn't currently present." Eleanor didn't correct Vela when she called the man Mister, the American wouldn't actually care even if it was proper.

"As for going shopping, I am sure Angus wouldn't complain if you joined him. Though I would say you'd likely be fine trusting him. Man grew up on a farm so he knows good produce and meat from bad. Still, I can understanding wanting a hand in such things." She'd not trusted Angus at first either but when it came to making things grow and what a healthy animal was like, the man certainly knew his stuff.

Vela smiled.  "So many things.  I was glad to get to go.  I learned a lot from our own chef, but not as much as I did in school.  I learned to create my own recipes as well, which is enjoyable."  She explained.  When it came to talking about Angus she thought about it. 

"Once I've seen what he would pick a few times, I likely won't mind.  It is just one of those things they taught me.  When it comes to the focus of the dish, be sure it is quality."  She explained.

"Most good chefs are picky, but I also learned the hard way not to let those that are not in for my success help me pick up groceries.  It just sticks with you after a few sabotage." She gave Eleanor a wave of her hands as if to say 'what can you do otherwise'.  It wasn't distrusted Angus, it was just her habit now. 

"You will notice I picked a lot of recipes that include apples.  When I was told Mr. Blackwood liked a particular apple dish as a younger man, I thought it might be helpful.  Not every dish, but many.  I would like to keep them in large numbers in supply, if possible."  She added.  "Cutting those up and some of the vegetables will be a great help if you would not mind?"

"Ah, I see. Well he would take you into town anyway so you can ask his opinion then and judge his capabilities herself."

Eleanor says with a nod of her head. Unable to fault the younger woman for learning her lesson and her craft enough to do so herself. Indeed, if she had men trying to hold her down like that she would have done the same thing. If you couldn't trust you didn't need them.

"Aye, I noticed that. Never heard of half the things in your menu but apples won't be a problem. I just hope your idea pans out."

Lord knew that Eleanor would be thrilled if the poor man started eating on his own. As it stood they couldn't spend the time with him than it took to make sure he didnt faint too often.