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Cook speaks with Ginger
‘Now what were you wanting, Ginger?’ asked Cook, as she dropped in a last pinch of salt and added a grind or two of pepper to the mutton stew. ‘’Hand me that bowl of steamed peas, won’t you.’ She stirred them into the stew, saying how she preferred her peas a bit on the crisper side, not mushy.
Cook wiped her hands on the towel tucked into the apron strings that wrapped about her waist and tied in front. She took the blue dress from Ginger’s hands and took a good look at it. ‘Won’t take long at all to get this mended.’ Her eyes lit up as she handed it back to Ginger. ‘And won’t little Wren look lovely in it!’
She opened the heavy door to the oven and pulled out the last pan of rolls. ‘Here, now,’ she went on, placing the pan on a rack to cool. ‘You go ahead and lay the dress out on my bed. I’ll get the sewing basket for you once lunch is done and you can get it mended. The kitchen’ll be quieted down by then and we can heat up the irons.’
Cook looked closely at Ginger. ‘And have you given a thought yet as to what you’ll be wearing to the festivities? Will it need a bit of pressing, too?’
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