four o'clock in the afternoon
`` No , thank you . You 're busy , and so am I. Yes , I 'm Doctor Churchill 's housekeeper , and his mother 's before that . '' The sharp eyes noted with approval , in one swift glance as Charlotte turned away with the jelly , the fact that the little kitchen was in careful order . To be sure , it was four o'clock in the afternoon , an hour when kitchens are supposed to be in order , if ever , yet it was a relief to Mrs. Fields to find this one in that condition . Brass faucets gleamed in the afternoon sunlight , the teakettle steamed from a shining spout , the linoleum-covered floor was spotless , and the table at which Charlotte was stirring her gingerbread had been scrubbed until it was as nearly white as pine boards can be made . `` Gingerbread ? '' said the housekeeper , lingering in the doorway .