Finding Self.

Preparations

"Which is where dear old Lord Knight Heanric is to be." Uncle finished. "The North is perfect, the door make it easy for people to come and go unnoticed. That will help with the spies."

Charity nodded, and entered the kitchen. "I just hope that no one comes to realizes that I was copying notes that did not exist. Or there will be yet another problem." Turning to Beth she said, "I need food, pleases. I don't care what it is, just food." She sat in her chair at the table. Beth laughed and sat two plates of food down.

Uncle sat down in the front of the other plate. "So how is it you missed lunch?"

Charity said. "I didn't miss lunch I just did not get to eat. Instead I got a lecture on how a lady must always appear delicate. I apparently am capable of scaring away husbands just by eating. You see I should never have so much food on my plate and no more than this much on my fork at a time. Take no more then three such bites of any item unless it is salad then you may take four. So you see I am hungry." She then cleaned the plate and said shyly. "Now to be comply indelicate I am going to get some more, then a piece of that cake. I seem to recall that I sleep though breakfast."

Beth smiled and filled her plate before she could move. "Now that is what I want to see. It is about time you ate. I have Molly and Kate starting on the North wing Katrena and a few others will join in a bit. Just remember that you are to supervise them."

Charity laughed. "Is there any place you don't have ears? If anyone wants to learn any thing all they need do is have a spy among the servants."

Uncle sputtered and jumped. "That's it! His servants, of course." With that he ran out, calling back. "I trust you make sure there are none among us."

Charity looked after him puzzled. "I think it best that I don't know what that was about." Beth nodded and Charity finished eating then went to see how thing were coming in the North wing. She looked around a bit then saw one of the maids. "Well this is not as bad as I thought it would be. Or you have been working longer than I thought. Either way it is looking good."

The maid looked up. "There is still plenty to be done, but it did get a dusting last year. Now do you have any idea of the types of sheets and should we change curtains. "

Charity said. "From the little I know of mercenaries, as long as it is clean they won't care. That being said, the curtains are fine. As for the bedding, see that is of the same quality as in the East rooms, but in colors to suite these rooms. How is that for supervising? Now you have things well in hand. So I will leave you to it, and take myself to the still room, before I am in the way." The maid nodded and went back to work, and true to her word Charity left her to it. Knowing they would see things were done up right.

Once in the still room she started making mental list of what ingredients were needed, and which would have to be bought. Of those she added how badly they were needed, by going over there uses and the amounts of those medicines they had. Wishing she dared write it down, she went to find Mother and give her the list. She would then decide which items made it onto the list of needed items, having a servant write it up for the boys to take when the went after goods. It was a very round about way to do things, but it was the way it had always been done. So she had to go though the hoops. Mother was in the sewing room, no surprise. "The north wing is coming along nicely, I will of course check back. I went over items in the still room and find that there are some that will have to be bought."

Mother called the servant forward. "Father has said to just give him a list of the items and he will sort them himself. So just tell Nathan what is needed."

Charity said. "Ok. Then in order of importance we need jars, the more the better, there are some salves that can only be put up in new jars. Then there are several herbs." She went on to list them. "That is it, the others I will be able to find in the woods."

Mother looked up. "That is a short list, I am impressed. Good job, others have been known to go overboard."

Charity nodded. "Thank you. I would suggest that a large amount of linen be purchased as well, for bandages."

Mother nodded. "It is all ready seen to, but good management there. With this much notice all should be ready when the troops arrive. Is that all?"

Charity said. "Yes Ma'am." And with that she headed back outside, and oninto the woods to start gathering the herbs, making sure to say in hearingrange of the diner bell. It wouldn't do to be late, now would it? She workeduntil the diner bell sounded, then took her plants to the shed and put them onthe drying table. Then brushed her dress off, washed up and headed to diner.Glad that it was not a formal affaire tonight. If it was she would have had toof come in an hour or two before to change clothes and get the hair put up, anda hundred other nonsense things. Of course a lady would have likely went andchanged anyway. She was likely going to hear the off comments about wearingwork clothes to the dinner table directed her way. Never mind the boys would bedoing the same. They were men after all. It was only to be expected. Heck allthey had to do for a formal diner was change there shirts. They could be donein ten minutes at the most. It wasn't fair, but there was nothing that could bedone.