Page 73 of Lord of Mischief
Zeus wagged his tail hard against her skirts.
“The dog.He didn’t deserve to be saddled with that other foolish name.He never answered to it anyway.He seems to like his new name much better,” replied Freddie.
A frown appeared on his face, and Eve silently guessed what the next words out of his mouth would be.
“Are you alone?”
She chuckled, having won the wager against herself.“Yes.Caroline is in Oxford Street at an appointment.She will call by and collect me on the way home in an hour or so.I thought we might take the time to talk to one another in private,” she replied.
“Will you allow me to say you should not be visiting a young man at his home without a chaperone?I need to say it in case I get asked by your father or one of your brothers,” he said.
Eve smiled and nodded.
“Then you had better come inside.”
She followed him into the house.Entering the kitchen, she discovered Freddie had made quite a comfortable home for himself.There was a fire burning in the hearth.Pots were cooking over the flames, and she caught the scent of fresh pastry baking in the oven.
“Got yourself a housekeeper?”she teased.
Freddie laughed and shook his head.“No.I was left to fend for myself and that is exactly what I have done.I taught myself to cook.”
There was pride in his voice and a sparkle in his eyes.He was happy.“It smells good, whatever it is that you are baking,’ she replied.
He opened one of the kitchen cupboards and pulled out a plate covered in cloth.He placed the plate on the kitchen table and unwrapped it.The heady smell of recently baked pie filled her nostrils.Her stomach promptly rumbled in anticipation.
“This came out about an hour ago.I have to put it on a high shelf otherwise Zeus will get to it.I didn’t think dogs ate pie, but after twice having come home to the remains of crumbs for my supper I realized they did.”
He set about the kitchen with a comfortable familiarity, and soon had plates and a pot of hot coffee on the table.Taking a large knife, Freddie cut into the pie and placed a piece on one of the plates.He handed it to an eager Eve.“I am doing some experimenting with my pies.This one has leek, potato, and chicken in it.Tell me what you think.”
Eve slipped her gloves from her fingers and broke off a piece of the pie.Zeus scuttled under the table and made himself at home.As soon as she took her first bite, Zeus whimpered.
“Do not let him give you that sob story.I fed him not an hour ago.That dog is a bottomless pit when it comes to food,” said Freddie.
Eve broke off another piece of the pie and conveniently dropped it onto the floor.Looking under the table, she watched as Zeus made short work of her offering.
Freddie shook his head.Eve took another bite of the pie and sat working it thoughtfully around her mouth for a minute.
Freddie laughed.“That is exactly the same face our family cook at Rosemount Abbey pulls when she makes something new.”He pulled a notebook and pencil out of his jacket pocket, then proceeded to thumb through the pages until he got to a clean page.“So, would you say it needs more pepper?”
Eve took a second bite and let it sit in her mouth for moment before chewing.Her tongue tasted chicken and leek mostly but only a hint of pepper.She chewed the bite down and swallowed.“A little more pepper, perhaps.Have you considered some parsley or thyme?Our family cook often adds them to roast chicken,” she replied.
Eve saw him make a note of her suggestions in his book, and then added in rosemary and tarragon.
“Thank you.Constructive criticism is most welcome.I don’t get a lot of it at the soup kitchen.The parishioners are usually too busy filling their empty bellies to give me their opinions of my cooking.”He put his pencil down and gently clasped his hands together.The mood in the kitchen changed, and Eve felt tension in the air.“I am very pleased to see you, even though we both know you should not have come alone.”
She waved his concerns away.“I came because I realized the conversation we had at the church was the first honest one you and I have ever had.Every one before that had been clouded with either the game, or our own private agendas.”
“I suppose you are right.We never did get off to an even start,” he replied.
“Which is why I am sitting in your kitchen.I don’t want to go through all the whys and wherefores of what happened before.I need to know just one thing.Do you want me?”
He took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips.She smiled as he kissed the last of the pie from her fingertips.He continued to kiss her fingers long after the last trace of the pie had gone.Eve felt heat stir in her body remembering what else his fingers had done to her.
“Yes.I do want you.Trust me, the one thing this whole disaster has taught me is that you and I are meant for one another,” he said.
Eve fought to hold back sudden tears.“I am not so sure about the trust part.I have discovered you can love someone, but not trust them.It will take time for you to win back my faith in you.I want to know the real Freddie Rosemount and if he truly feels life’s passion the way I do.”
He went quiet.She watched with interest, having never seen this side of him before.It felt like she was seeing him for the very first time.
“If you give me a second chance, I will do all I can to win your trust.To have you offer up your love to me once more.Just tell me what I need to do,” he replied.
She let out a long slow breath and met his gaze.“When the time comes you will know.”
