She took Betsy's offer and threaded her arm through hers. "Is it really that late? I didn't realize," she said honestly as they walked down the hall.

"Ye've been working all day. Plus ye spent a good while with Master Edward coaxing him ta eat at lunch. Though that should get a bit easier, the new cook has been hired on just ta make sure he eats. So ye can focus on any plans ye might have ta try and help him when ye aren't working." Which was the big part of why Ruth had gotten the job, if she could coax Edward out of his depression enough to do things like eat and sleep then she was worth hiring in Ambrose's eyes.

"Ye were there when he was teachin' about the books... did ye see how his eyes lit up when he was doin' it?" she asked excitedly. "I bet it is just the thing ta pull him out of his shell." Her own eyes were alight with the possibility of getting the man out of his understandable funk. She couldn't just watch someone fade away like that.

"Aye, I do remember. Remeber yer eyes lighting up a bit as well." Betsy teases her lightly though it was, obviously, in jest. "Still, ye might be right all of us are a mite too busy ta take time out fer leassons. Still, iffin ye bring him out of his funk Ambrose might just pay ye ta learn. Wouldn't that be something eh?"

"Aye, because I love books," she grinned. It wasn't at all because she was attracted to the good man, but he was off in his own world and she had no business being in that world... he was far richer than she, for one, and she didn't think she deserved someone, for two. Why did the thought even cross her mind when her friend was teasing her? "Ye looked liked ye were about to fall asleep."

"Oh aye, I could tell. Ye seemed right keen, right keen." Betsy chortles at Ruth's response believing it well enough. The arrive in the kitchens where Eleanor awards them with their dinner.

"If I could stay in a library all day, I would," she said with her eyebrows aloft and her eyes dancing with humor. She was hungry, so when rewarded with dinner she took it with good cheer and, "Thank ye." She set the food down first and popped over to check on the boy who was peering around with his curious, dark eyes. She gave a smile and touched his face. "I'll feed ye after I feed me, baby." He made a sound that babies make and she moved to sit down and eat.

Dinner proceeded without event, the most she would learn is that Edward had already been fed by the new chef that evening. Beyond that, she got to eat the excellent and hearty chicken pot pie she received from Eleanor in peace.

She ate her dinner slowly, relishing the pot pie. Ruth sighed about halfway through and she murmured, "This is a good pie, mum. If I didn't have ta tend to me boy soon, I'd beg another piece off of ye," she chuckled. She wasn't joking, between the work and breastfeeding, she always looked forward to meal time and sometimes was hungry enough she felt like she could eat a horse... Not that she had to worry about starving in this house, she thought, glad to be in a place where she wouldn't go hungry. Her ugly thoughts about Angus reared up for a moment there as she realized just what a jackass she had married, worried more about his damned ale than feeding his growing family. She shook her head at herself and forced her thoughts back to the present, returning to savoring her meal. Jacob was cooing away in the basket.

"Well, then I'll just go ahead and keep it warm fer ye dear." Eleanor says with a smile reaching out to pat the baby's cheek. "He's a right angel. Barely a peep from him all day except ta get his diaper changed and a burping once er twice. Such keen eyes as well, always looking around like he is trying ta piece it all together."