A Countess of Convenience by Sarah Winn

Author:Sarah Winn
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press

Chapter 12

Prudence reluctantly gathered the bread-making ingredients on the worktable in the kitchen. Mr. Snavely's confidence in the Bailey sisters’ cooking ability had been ill founded. About all either of them could manage was a stew or a boiled pudding, probably all the Bailey family normally ate. So Prudence had to take on many of the cooking chores, especially the baking.

She had loved baking while living with her mother, but there she'd mostly prepared fancy cakes and biscuits to tempt her mother's failing appetite. Here she had to make enough bread to supply the household, and kneading dough was hard work. This time she'd let Hazel do most of the kneading.

She noticed the older sister adding tea to the pot. “Another spoonful, Hazel. Lord Weathersby likes his a bit strong.” The girl insisted on giving short measure to the tea, apparently a dear commodity in her own home.

The back door opened and Neil stalked into the room. Prudence was glad she'd finally convinced him to stop using the front entry when coming from the stables, but a look at the tracks he now made on the kitchen floor caused her to frown censure at him.

"What?” His gaze followed hers down to the muddy footprints. He stopped and balled his fists on his hips. “Well, how am I supposed to get into the house?"

"My papa takes ‘is work boots off at t'door,” Hazel said, and then blushed violently when she realized she'd earned herself a glare from Neil.

Nevertheless, he plopped onto a nearby bench to pull his boots off. As he dropped one of them, brown particles of something other than mud fell from it.

Prudence fought down laughter. “Been mucking out the stables, brother dear?"

Neil slammed the other boot down. “Somebody has to do it. Even plow horses deserve clean stalls. That stable is a disgrace. Only one man works there fulltime and Snavely's as apt to send him elsewhere as not."

She grinned maliciously. “Oh, I think it's commendable that you're taking an interest in your new employment."

He took a deep breath as though preparing for a heated retort, but then his expression softened into a sneer. “No more so than you, Countess, up to your elbows in flour."

Looking down at her flour-dusted apron, Prudence chuckled. “Quite right, we're both a disgrace to our social positions."

"And it's your husband's fault,” Neil grumbled.

"I don't give him all the credit,” Prudence replied.

He shifted his eyes toward Hazel, warning Prudence not to share the family secrets with the servants. She knew that was just his excuse for avoiding any mention of the part he'd played in their downfall, but she let the subject drop. After all, Neil's hopes for the future had been dashed too.

Polly, the younger Bailey sister, rushed into the kitchen. “Visitors comin'!"

"What? Who could be visiting us?"

"Looks like Squire Culpepper's rig."

"Did you leave him standing at the door?” Prudence asked in alarm.

"No, ma'am. I saw ‘em coming down the road. Looks like Miss Effie's with ‘im."

Someone rapped the front door knocker so firmly that Prudence heard the sound quite clearly.

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