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.