Page 11 of Avenging the Earl's Lady
“Are we settled then on the plan?”he asked Farnsworth.
The girl’s hand shook hefting the heavy pot.She wasn’t a kitchen drudge—the chit had risen in the servant ranks to serve each of his sons’ wives and then Lady Perpetua, and she was a loyal thing.Every word they spoke here would be reported back to his stubborn daughter and Jane.Jenny, this sly little one from the Seven Dials, had proved a formidable ally for the women.
“Yes,” Farnsworth said, “the plan is well in place.”He glanced at the girl as she set out the cups.“I see all the rolling pins are still festooning the kitchen.Have you had occasion to use them, girl?”
An entire wall was hung with glass cylinders of every tint, painted with every scene imaginable—florals and oriental themes, stripes and solids, messages of love.Purely decorative now.
A memory flooded him, of a week he’d spent here with Felicity, just the two of them, huddled in this kitchen, living on buttered bread and cold meats.He’d sneaked back to England to recuperate from some wound or other and meet with his government contact, and Felicity had shared the story of these ornaments.
“No, sir.”the girl said.“They’re too pretty to use.Lady Jane thought so too.”
“They belonged to my late wife’s grandmother,” he said.“Those rolling pins came to England filled with salt.”
Farnsworth smiled.“Duty free.”
His wife’s wealth had come from banking, but the bank had been staked with the profits from smuggling.
They weren’t filled with salt now, but perhaps they would still have some value.
He turned to the maid.“Tell Lady Jane she may take whichever ones she wishes with her when she leaves, with my blessing.”
“Yes, milord.”
“And did I not tell you to start packing my daughter’s things for tomorrow?”
“It won’t take but a moment to pack for us, milord.”
“You’ll stay here.Lady Jane and Fox will need you to prepare meals.”
The girl colored.“To be honest, milord, Mr.Fox has done most of the cooking.I don’t know much more than boiling water for tea.”
Farnsworth took a sip.“But it’s a fine job you’ve done with it.We’ll get in some bread and things from the village so old Kincaid doesn’t starve.Do you suppose Lady Jane knows her way a bit around the kitchen?”
“She might,” Shaldon said.“And if she’s hungry enough, she’ll learn along with you, girl.”
He downed his cup and handed it to the maid.“Farnsworth, let’s go up and have a look at the statement from Fenwick.”
When the innerdoor that led to the stairs closed, Jane slipped out of the storeroom with the wheel of cheese she’d gone to collect.
“Oh, my lady,” Jenny whispered.
The girl’s pity made Jane’s eyes moisten.
Blinking hard, she plopped the cheese down on the board.“So, it’s to be you and me, Jenny, hungry enough to find our way around the kitchen.”She grabbed a great carving knife and slammed it into the wedge.
The blade stuck there like King Arthur’s sword.She had been hungry moments before.Now…
She blinked some more and eased in a breath.Patience.Shaldon was right, wasn’t he?A hungry woman would find her way in the kitchen, even if she was an earl’s daughter.She didn’t want to be one of Shaldon’s retainers.She didn’t want to be in his care and keeping.
“I don’t believe I’ve broken my fast this morning, Jenny.I’m glad we had this cheese put aside.”
A chunk of this cheese would go with her when she left.She had some money for the journey—she always made certain of that.And she could ask Perry to loan her more.Or perhaps Shaldon’s credit would carry her through the nearest villages.Or she could insist he leave extra money on the pretense of purchasing more food.
Jenny slid a steaming cup to her.
She forced a smile.“I’m glad for your company here, Jenny.”Her gaze caught the wall of painted glass cylinders.“I can take whichever of these I want, he said.”
“They’re pretty,” Jenny said.“How ever will you carry them without them breaking?”
