Ethan placed himself on his seat and tried not to focus on Elizabeth as he instructed Jacob to have the food brought in.

“If it isn't much trouble kind sir, I would like a cup of apple juice.” She gave the orders with a smile on her face. Jacob bowed his head before making his way out of the door.

“Tell me Miss Riverside, is it common practice in America to have babies on the breakfast table?”

Gretchen's attention monetarily shifted from Elizabeth. “Not exactly, no. But this is different.”

“How so?” He asked, his curiosity piqued; perhaps there was a perfectly good explanation for this?

“Ellie needs to be around good people. I do not care too much for the maid you sent.”

“Ellie?” He raised a brow.

“Elizabeth. Also, I find Elizabeth too taxing to actually pronounce.”

While she was speaking, the maids appeared carrying their breakfast. Two plates were placed before Gretchen. Ethan had to frown, confused about her intentions. To his utter horror, he watched as she took a piece of bread and offered it to Elizabeth.

“Lastly,” she glanced up at him, “there's a possibility that Ellie hates milk.” She took the glass of juice and poured it into Elizabeth's bottle, before offering it to the baby who hesitated a little bit. But, one taste of the bottle's content and Elizabeth was sucking away.

Ethan watched everything play out before him, barely able to take his eyes off of Gretchen and Elizabeth long enough to actually eat. To his surprise, Elizabeth ate the meal before her without much probing as Gretchen helped pieces the eggs and the bread.

By the time breakfast was over, his plate was lifted from before him without him having had a taste of its content.

Gretchen rose to her feet with the baby seated comfortably on her hips. “That was a good breakfast, don't you think, Ellie?” She cooed. She turned to where he sat, stunned by the events that had just taken place before him. “If you'll excuse us, someone's had too much juice and would absolutely need a change.” She announced, before strolling out of the door.

Focusing his mind on the work before him as he sat in his study after breakfast was proving to be a difficult task to achieve. It seemed beyond Ethan that anybody could come up with a solution to Elizabeth's problem. In truth, he had honestly believed that Elizabeth didn't have a problem, but that she was the problem. The realization only helped to strengthen his resolve to beg Gretchen to take up employment in his home. He would pay her double the salary of any nanny and if she requested it, he would pay her triple the price.

Deciding that it was useless trying to focus his mind on the paper works before him, he reached for the bell that sat on his desk and gave it a ring; Jacob appeared.

“Have Miss Riverside join me in the parlor for tea.” He instructed and rose to his feet.