Page 3 of Princesses & Pastries
"I didn't realise your expertise spread to things that weren't involved in baking," she says as she helps herself to more tea.
"I use cheese in baking," I point out. "Cheese scones, quiche, cheese and rosemary biscuits..."
"All right, I get your point," Veronica says.
"I can bake you something with cheese, if you want?"
"Maybe," she responds. "But it'll probably have to wait until after our cousins have been to visit."
I wrinkle my nose, but don't respond, as a maid enters the room with a tray in her hands.
"Your Highnesses," she says, dipping into a curtsy to me, and then repeating the gesture towards Veronica, but seeming to take longer about it.
Veronica clears her throat, seeming to remind the maid that she's here to do something.
She straightens and replaces the pot of hot water in the middle of the table. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Your Highness?" she asks Veronica, still leaning forward slightly.
"That will be all, Eleanor," she responds.
The maid nods and disappears from the room. As soon as the door closes behind her, Veronica lets out a sigh.
"What's that for?" I ask as I eat the rest of my breakfast.
"Nothing," Veronica mumbles. "Or nothing I want, anyway."
I don't know what that means, but it's clear she doesn't want to talk about it.
The door to the solar opens again, and I look up to find my brother walking in. "Morning," he says brightly as he comes over and takes the seat beside Veronica.
"You're cheery," she says. "Good night with your wife?"
Artie almost chokes on the air. "Can you not talk like that?"
"Well with her baker away, Evie's not got much going on that I can tease her about these days."
"I'd rather you didn't anyway," I say, stirring my tea.
"I'm your little sister, there's nothing you can do to stop me."
"You're twenty-three, you're hardly little."
Artie laughs. "It seems like you're doing just fine with teasing Evie. Besides, I think there might be something I can do to give you a subject." He holds out a letter to me. "The steward gave me this. It arrived from Wafeland this morning."
"It did?" I take it from him without waiting for an answer. I don't really need one. There's only really one person who writes to me anyway.
It only takes me a couple of seconds of seeing my name scrawled across the front of the letter in a handwriting I know well to confirm who it's from. I tear it open, completely ignoring my breakfast. I scan the letter, my eyes widening as I take in the words within. A gasp escapes me, and I press my hand against my mouth, though I'm not entirely sure if that works.
Veronica and Arthur exchange a look, but I ignore them.
"I'm assuming she's just reading the part of the letter where it says that her baker is coming to visit with our cousins," Arthur says.
"Did you read my letter?" I demand, glaring at my brother.
"Of course not. But I recognised the writing on the front, and they always send cooks to help with the preparation of the Wafelandian aspects of the banquet. You wouldn't have reacted to any other news the same way, and so, the solve. Your baker is coming to Falhaven."
I nod. "Though Nate is not my baker. He's my friend."
"The more you protest, the less true it sounds," Veronica says.
