Page 94 - RotalTutor

rapturous expressions spread across their faces as well. Everyone else, seeing the looks on their faces, clamored even louder for the last ones. The next corn stick was for the cook to try, so she would know what it was like and how to prepare it. He did promise that everyone in the castle, down to the last servant, would get to try it once more had ripened. The cook took a bite from her corn stick and grinned. “My boy, you’ve done it again.” Alexander was true to his word and made sure everyone had a chance to try some. He had planted most of a field with corn, thinking that would be more than enough for everyone to have all they wanted. But he could have used many times that to satisfy their appetites. He was cautious to save half for seed, and he wanted to make sure there was plenty for Louise’s parents to try when they came back. Before the summer was out, Louise had tried potatoes and beans as well. It took Alexander quite a while to get the hang of cooking potatoes, but he found they tasted good boiled like Gareg said, with butter and salt, just like the corn. At first he tried to boil them and put the butter on the outside. The butter just rolled off, so he took to cutting them and laying the butter inside them. Louise found she liked potatoes, but she wasn’t sure the beans were all that good. They soon were eating corn every evening as the cool nights of fall were starting to hang in the air. Alexander was afraid it would all ripen before Louise’s parents came. 92