Page 24 of The Witch

I smile, hoping this heralds that Judith has finally turned a corner, although there is still a long way to go before she is recovered. “I will fetch her some water from the well. I can also bring you some broth.”

Hitty recommended broth with sage when Archie was ill. The only sage I have is what I have been using to bring forth a son, but I will use it for Judith instead. This is more important.

“Thank you, Caroline,” Hiram says in a choked voice. “You saved her.”

“’Twas nothing,” I say, although as I get to my feet, I realize that I am so tired, I can barely stand. “I will return soon.”

17

PRESENT DAY

JULIA

I spent the entire afternoon cleaning the kitchen.

It was a big job, for which I bought cleaning supplies at the supermarket on the way home. First, I rewashed all the dishes and glasses on the shelves, many of which had visible bits of food clinging to them. I then spent over an hour scrubbing the stovetop, trying to get off years of caked-on oil and grime.

Next, I tackled the refrigerator. I removed every item on the shelves and in the bins, then sorted them into piles of things to keep, things to throw away, and things to drive out to the dump right now. I kept the bread and the chicken from the grocery trip, but every one of those ketchup packets went in the garbage.

After that, I sanitized the shelves with cleaning spray and sponged them off until they shone. When I finally put everything back, it looked a lot better and smelled much better.

Now I’ve got a few pieces of chicken cooking in the sauté pan and a pot of rice simmering on the stove. I’ve been cooking for one for a while now, so it’s satisfying to make a meal for four. The aroma of garlic has filled the kitchen, pushing out the musty smell. I’m quite pleased with myself.

At least, until Ethel walks into the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” Ethel screeches in a voice that makes me want to clasp my hands over my ears.

“Cooking dinner?”

Somehow, it comes out as a question.

“This is my kitchen!” she bursts out, her watery eyes bulging. For a split second, I feel a twinge of fear. Gram and Mick are somewhat frail, but Ethel seems younger and tougher. She could do some damage. “How dare you!”

I turn down the stove and back away, not sure what to make of Ethel’s fury. Then she opens the door to the fridge, and her face turns scarlet.

“How dare you!” she shouts at me again. “You had no right to disturb my property! You’re a guest here!”

“I just cleaned it,” I say in a tiny voice.

“What happened to the ketchup packets?”

“I…I threw them out…”

Ethel glares at me like I just murdered her firstborn. “You threw them out?”

“But…there’s a whole bottle of ketchup!”

She slams the refrigerator closed, then approaches the food simmering on the stovetop. I thought I was doing her a favor by cooking dinner tonight, but she looks like she wants to throttle me.

“This meat is too salty!” she declares, although she hasn’t even tasted it. “All you young people pour the salt on your food like it’s going out of style.”

I take a long, deep breath, allowing the ticking of the grandfather clock to calm me. “I…I’m sorry,” I say carefully. “I was just trying to help.”

“You’re the one who’s going to be sorry,” she says coolly, “when you’re taking three different medications because your blood pressure is through the roof. You’re already looking a bit puffy, Julia.”

Gram wanders into the kitchen then, possibly to see what all the commotion is about, although I’d imagine she’s used to the sound of Ethel having a fit. She’s still wearing the same nightgown from yesterday, and I don’t think she’s showered. This makes me sad, because when I was a kid, I remember she always had a nice clean, flowery smell. After dinner, I’m going to lay out some new clothes for her and see if I can coax her into the shower.

“Hi, Julia,” she says cheerfully. “How was your first day in Woodhaven?”