It was time for dinner.
Today, with Mrs. Hurley's assistance, Cecelia had prepared a sumptuous meal, filling the entire dining table.
Cecelia smiled and said, "Elsa cooks at a five-star level, and I just lent a hand today. Try it, everyone."
Mrs. Hurley came forward and placed Joyce's postpartum meal in front of her. "Miss, this is your confinement meal."
Joyce nodded. "Thank you."
Looking around and noticing that the other maids were not present, she asked, "Mrs. Hurley, won't you join us for dinner? Where are the other ladies? What about Jane? Shouldn't we all dine together?"
Mrs. Hurley replied politely, "We had our staff meal an hour ago. Thank you for your concern, Miss."
Joyce hesitated. "I'm not that formal. You don't have to be so restrained. Let's all sit down together and have a meal. It's more lively with everyone."
"Miss, it's not appropriate. There are rules to follow, and they must be adhered to. I'll excuse myself." With that, Mrs. Hurley respectfully left the dining room, leaving Joyce feeling a bit embarrassed, as she was, after all, family.
Cecelia reassured her, "It's alright, let's follow the rules. They've already finished their staff meal an hour ago and take turns eating and taking care of the children. Elsa will have a schedule prepared for these few days."
"Alright," Joyce shrugged. Despite being accustomed to being served, she realized that she couldn't be overly familiar. This was the way it had to be.
Luther sensed Joyce's thoughts and gently patted her hand. "Don't overthink it; their main task is to take care of you and the children."
"Mm," Joyce agreed.
At that moment, Anderson commented, "Ivy, who took care of me before, was quite nice. It's been a while since I last saw her, and I find myself missing her a bit."
Following the destruction of the Warner residence and the increase in family matters, Joyce had Ivy return to the Capital for safety reasons and had generously compensated her.
"Anderson, do you want me to call Ivy back?" Joyce inquired.
"No need, I was just thinking. I'm all grown up now; I don't need someone to look after me. Besides, there are so many people at home now. It's the younger brothers who need care," Anderson shook his head.
Alisha chimed in, "I don't need anyone to take care of me; I'm all grown up. I can even look after my younger brothers."
Cecelia ruffled Alisha's head. "That's right, Alisha is the most capable! Alisha is the best."
Alisha grinned happily.
"I'll start eating," Alisha said eagerly. She picked up a crab leg pastry with her chopsticks. "I want to try this; it looks delicious."
Taking a large bite, her mouth full, she mumbled, "So tasty!"
Everyone began their meal.
After trying her confinement meal, Joyce wrinkled her nose. "Why is my dish so bland? How about yours?"
"Ours are fine, well-seasoned, with a perfect balance of flavors," Luther replied.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: You Hit My Heart