"Yes, sir."  She paused then.  "What if I am told something in privacy?"  She thought about the letter she had been given to take to town.  Now that she was to stay there, how was she to take it to town?  She would have to tell Mrs. Alice.  Would the woman still be wanting her to be her companion if she couldn't take the note?  Should she tell Mr. Appleton about it?  "If it isn't mine to say, should I tell you anyway?"

Mr. Appleton eyed her suspiciously. "Like what?"

She tried to figure out how to say it to not get the woman in trouble.  "What the Misus says to me, or things she might do?  How much of that do I report to you and how much do I keep her private things between her and I?  Am I to be her friend or .... a gossip?"  She finally managed to come up with a word that didn't make it sound like he was a jailor or her a spy.

He didn't like that clarification one bit. What was Alice up to this time? "Mrs. Appleton is not in her right mind at the moment and needs protecting against herself. You will tell me the truth when I ask you a question and if you are aware of her doing anything behind my back, you will tell me." He continued to look at her critically.

She gave an expression of concern.  She did not like giving someone else's secrets, but he said she was ill in her mind.  Nat fought with it a few moments and nodded.  Pulling a letter from under her jacket, she showed it to him.  "I was asked to deliver this to town when I got there, sir.  I haven't read it or anything but it seemed very important to her."  She explained, with a tone that still showed that she disliked breaking a secret.

What was Alice sending secret letters for? If she wanted to write to her family, he could post a letter for her. He held out his hand for her to give him the letter. "Who's it for?"

Nat indicated the letter.  "A Mr. Noah Longbottom, Tate Hill, Whitby".  She responded watching his reaction to the name.

Tobias's eyes narrowed. He snatched the letter and opened it. His eyebrows furrowed together while his eyes moved over the short scribbling. He breathed out slowly. Then he pocketed the letter.

"Thank you," he said grimly. "The third condition is that giving in to her in this matter will not encourage her in her willfulness. If it should, though, and you have proven reliable from your side and skilled at housework, I will still give you a letter of reference, so you can start somewhere else."

She nodded, hoping she had not caused harm to Alice.  Though if the woman was mentally sick, then it was for the right thing.  "May I bring and put my sack to where I will be sleeping before I get to work on whatever you have for me to do?  Or should I let the missus know that I am able to stay first?"  She asked politely and with a great amount of gratitude.

"Ye may bring it up now and bring her breakfast later. Perhaps ye can persuade her to eat. Jenny?" he called out.

"Yes ser," said Jenny as she entered the room.

"Show Nat to the attic. We'll get a mattress up there later, but ye can take these blankets up already. Leave yours out until they are washed, Nat... Natalie."