Page 40 of A Promise Through Time

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The kitchen was as hot as it had been on her first visit, but Mary and the other women working there didn’t seem fazed by it. The hustle and bustle was constant when there were so many mouths to feed.

“Good day to ye, lass,” Mary said as she entered. “What can we do for ye?”

“I wondered if I might get some tea,” she said. That wasn’t really her reason for visiting, but she thought she’d ease into that.

“Sit right there, dear,” Mary said, motioning to the table where she was busy chopping vegetables and where Sophia was kneading dough. Two other young women were also working feverishly in the background.

“Sophia? Right?” she said. “We met the other day.”

“Yes. How are you?”

“Okay.”

“You don’t sound okay.” she said.

“I’m sure you know how I’m feeling.”

“Like a fish out of water?”

“Something like that.”

“Here ye go, lass. Honey?” Mary asked, placing her tea down in front of her.

“Yes, please.”

Mary set a small jar down for her.

“Thank you. You must be getting ready for tonight’s meal,” Tina said.

“Oh, aye. We’re always getting ready for one meal or another.” Mary set a slice of warm bread down in front of her.

“Mmmm … That looks and smells wonderful.”

“Enjoy it, lass. I hear ye havenae been eating much.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’ve heard from the lads. Jock and Marcas told me ye hardly touched the food I packed for them. And Donal says ye havenae liked the food.”

Thankfully, Mary seemed more concerned than angry. Tina didn’t want to offend her cooking, especially when she worked so hard to feed so many people day in and day out. “It’s not that I don’t like it. It’s just different.”

“Well, eat that bread,” Mary ordered. “I dinnae wish ye to go back to yer home looking as if we didnae feed ye.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m a picky eater at home, too.”

Mary chuckled at this.

“Have any of you seen Donal?” she asked.

“Nae,” Mary said. “Lassies?”

“I haven’t,” Sophia said.

“Nor I,” the youngest lass said.

The other young woman remained suspiciously silent. “Have you seen him?” Tina asked when the woman looked her way.