Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2022 15:23:49 GMT -5
[ For Edith Byron]
Temperance was in her greenhouse as she often was, working on a potion for a customer. It'd already been a long day, and they were moving into mid-afternoon when someone else walked through the door. "Ah, Mr. Burton," she said as she looked up from her work to see him approaching. He was a slightly older man, maybe in his fifties, who walked with a cane to aid in his limp. He'd been in the military for years but had been injured, and now he enjoyed a life of easy retirement with his wife and youngest daughter. "How is Mrs. Burton? And Jenny?"
"They're quite well, quite well," the older man replied with a smile, carefully sitting down in the chair beside her desk and resting his cane in his lap. He had a thick head of all grey hair, a bushy mustache and a light beard, and he looked to be doing well enough. "How about you, Miss Towers? Is your fathers business still running well?"
"Yes, sir, he's as busy as always. You know he doesn't know when to stop. I do wish he'd retire, then the two of you could do what old men do best."
"Sit around and talk about our disrespectful daughters?" He asked with a laugh, and she shared the laugh with him.
"Of course I'm joking, Mr. Burton. You look fantastic for your age, which is why I'm surprised to see you. What can I help you with today?" She walked over and sat at her desk as her current potion simmered, taking her journal and pen out and flipping to a new page. The older man was silent for a while, coughing a little and pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to dab at his mouth.
"Well, Mrs. Burton has been having some pain in her hands. She was tending to Mrs. Shannon's garden a couple of days and got the worst ache. She thought it'd just cramped up, but it's been two days and it still hurts. I was hoping you'd know what to do. Mrs. Shannon told her that you give her some kind of...cream for her pain. Would that work for my wife as well?"
"It's possible," Temperance nodded. "If it's the same issue. Mrs. Shannon has arthritis, which is common in people who have worked with their hands a lot. Many women get it. Here, I still have some of the oil and cream I give to Mrs. Shannon."
Standing up, she reached into her cabinet and pulled out two different vials, held them up in front of the older man and showed them to him. "This oil should be heated - not very hot, just warm. Massage it into her hands gently, then repeat the process with the cream. If that helps, then we know the problem and you can keep those and get more when she runs out. If not, bring them back tomorrow and I'll give you something else." She placed the two vials in a linen bag and handed them to the older man, who tipped his hat.
"How much, Miss Towers?"
"Oh, nothing for now. Let's make sure it works, if it does, you can pay me then. Sound okay?" He nodded, gave the slightest bow, and was on his way. Temperance took her seat once more, recording Mrs. Burton's information in her book and making a note to make more of the oil and cream for Mrs. Shannon. As she was finishing up the summary, she heard someone else step into her greenhouse. She closed the journal and stood, nodding her head to the woman, though she didn't recognize her.
"Welcome, my Lady," she said, holding her hands in front of her. It was always best to greet a stranger as 'my lady', just in case. "How can I help you today?"
"They're quite well, quite well," the older man replied with a smile, carefully sitting down in the chair beside her desk and resting his cane in his lap. He had a thick head of all grey hair, a bushy mustache and a light beard, and he looked to be doing well enough. "How about you, Miss Towers? Is your fathers business still running well?"
"Yes, sir, he's as busy as always. You know he doesn't know when to stop. I do wish he'd retire, then the two of you could do what old men do best."
"Sit around and talk about our disrespectful daughters?" He asked with a laugh, and she shared the laugh with him.
"Of course I'm joking, Mr. Burton. You look fantastic for your age, which is why I'm surprised to see you. What can I help you with today?" She walked over and sat at her desk as her current potion simmered, taking her journal and pen out and flipping to a new page. The older man was silent for a while, coughing a little and pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to dab at his mouth.
"Well, Mrs. Burton has been having some pain in her hands. She was tending to Mrs. Shannon's garden a couple of days and got the worst ache. She thought it'd just cramped up, but it's been two days and it still hurts. I was hoping you'd know what to do. Mrs. Shannon told her that you give her some kind of...cream for her pain. Would that work for my wife as well?"
"It's possible," Temperance nodded. "If it's the same issue. Mrs. Shannon has arthritis, which is common in people who have worked with their hands a lot. Many women get it. Here, I still have some of the oil and cream I give to Mrs. Shannon."
Standing up, she reached into her cabinet and pulled out two different vials, held them up in front of the older man and showed them to him. "This oil should be heated - not very hot, just warm. Massage it into her hands gently, then repeat the process with the cream. If that helps, then we know the problem and you can keep those and get more when she runs out. If not, bring them back tomorrow and I'll give you something else." She placed the two vials in a linen bag and handed them to the older man, who tipped his hat.
"How much, Miss Towers?"
"Oh, nothing for now. Let's make sure it works, if it does, you can pay me then. Sound okay?" He nodded, gave the slightest bow, and was on his way. Temperance took her seat once more, recording Mrs. Burton's information in her book and making a note to make more of the oil and cream for Mrs. Shannon. As she was finishing up the summary, she heard someone else step into her greenhouse. She closed the journal and stood, nodding her head to the woman, though she didn't recognize her.
"Welcome, my Lady," she said, holding her hands in front of her. It was always best to greet a stranger as 'my lady', just in case. "How can I help you today?"