It was a beautiful spring day for Monday market. A pretty young woman in a green dress came to my stall early.

“I’d like some eggs, please, ma’am, the fresher the better. I’ve asked my William to breakfast with me. Our wedding is at midsummer.”

“Please call me Maude,” I said. “I am surely not much older than you.”

I had eggs, fresh from our hens, gathered this morning. I wrapped them up carefully and handed them to her.  “William will surely enjoy these eggs,” I said. “My good hen and I wish you a lovely breakfast.”

“Thank you,” she said, beaming as she left.

It was a beautiful spring day for Wednesday market. The pretty young woman, this time wearing a blue dress, came to my stall early.

“Have you any leeks today? I plan to make my William a leek tart for his midday meal.”

“I do have leeks, warm from the earth, pulled this morning. Did you and William enjoy your breakfast?”

“Oh, thank you for asking. I took your fresh eggs and cooked them until I knew that the sunshine yolks would run like molten gold. I set egg cups before each of us, my mother’s china with a design of violets. On matching plates, I served crisp rashers of bacon and buttered brown bread, cut into strips. It was a splendid breakfast.”

“I am glad that you both enjoyed it.”

“I am not sure that William did. He ate hurriedly, drank his tea, and got up to leave. He said ‘Men must not waste the time that they need to work.’”

I bundled up the leeks for her. “Be sure to wash them well, to remove the sand.”

“Thank you,” she said. “My mother taught me to wash leeks in five changes of water.” Her eyes took on a faraway look. “I will make a fine golden short crust pastry, and fill it with the leeks sautéed in butter until they are soft, sweet and crisp around the edges. Over them, I will pour rich cream beaten with your excellent eggs, with a few scrapings of nutmeg, and I will bake the tart until it is tawny brown. It will make an excellent lunch, served with small lettuces and radishes.”

“I am sure it will. May William and you have a delightful meal.”

She thanked me and left, seemingly in a daze, thinking about her plans.

It was a beautiful spring day for Friday market.

“How did William enjoy your leek tart, miss?” I asked the young woman in the pink dress as she approached.

“I have rarely made a pastry so tender and delicious, and the leeks were cooked to perfection. I do not believe William even tasted his food, he was in such a rush. He repeated, ‘Men must not waste the time that they need to work.’”

“Oh, I am so sorry, miss. I am sure that it was a fine tart. Can I get you anything today?”

“Yes, thank you. Please, do you have a small roasting hen and some rosemary? And I would like some of your black plums. For dinner, I am planning to rub the skin of the hen with rosemary, and roast it until the skin is auburn and crackling. The plums I will put into a cake scented with cinnamon and cloves.”

“Ah, William will certainly have a fine meal tonight.” I wrapped the chicken and rosemary in paper and handed her a small bag of plums.

“William will not be coming to my house tonight. He said, ‘Men work hard. Tonight I will be at the pub.’ My mother taught me not to allow myself to be trod upon, so I told William that I no longer wish to be his wife.” She looked down and then up at me through her eyelashes. “Would you care to have dinner with me tonight, Maude?”