Jenny was about to go back into the kitchen to finally have her meal, when Mr. Appleton's brother spoke to her. She turned. "Since I left school last year, ser. Me sister may have been 'ere. I'm Britt Cook's daughter." The Cook's had lived on the corner of the Appleton's land since Nate and Tobias were schoolboys. The land had been near an ironstone mine before it collapsed.

"I remember now, thank you Jenny. Is your family well?" he asked.

"Aye ser... Me father and Paul and Bert passed away, but the rest of us are well. I hope you are well, ser?"

"I am sorry to hear that, Jenny" Nate did not know if his brother had been equally sympathetic. He suspected not. "But I am well, thank you." He answered with no clue as what was about to happen to him.

"I'm glad to hear, ser..." Jenny said. She looked at Tobias.

"Go have yer meal, Jenny." Tobias said.

"Thank ye, ser." the girl said, and she fled before she could be stopped again.

"Mr. Cook and the two oldest boys died when the mine collapsed... I wrote to you about that..." Tobias told his brother when the girl was gone.

"You did? Oh I'm sure you're right, Toby. I'm sorry. My work has just kept me very busy." he said.

"Of course," answered Tobias indifferently. "Well, I'd love to keep you company for the rest of yer meal, but there's still a lot of chores to be done," he said and he stood up, delighted that the farm kept him so busy. "Jenny's in the kitchen if you need anything. She'll prepare yer room for ye."