Chapter 14 He Cared

Isabella sat at the dinner table and waited patiently for Theodore to finish washing his hands. When he took the seat across from her, she picked up her spoon. But just as she was about to take a bite, he unexpectedly switched their plates, pulling the beef stew toward himself and sliding the roasted chicken to her table. She felt a quiet surge of joy at the switch because she had always despised the celery in the stew. "Ruth cooks according to my taste. If you have preferences, let her know, and she'll make things the way you like," Theodore told her. "It's fine. I'm not a picky eater. I can eat anything," she replied. "Is that so?" Isabella nodded. "Yes." Still, he remained unconvinced. Emma had noticed that Margaret always bought all sorts of groceries, but that was mainly because they were cheap. However, he had known Isabella's tastes far longer than these past few days. He remembered what she liked to order in school and what she didn't. He knew she claimed not to be a