The Accidental Duchess by Blair Sandy

Author:Blair, Sandy [Blair, Sandy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical romance
Publisher: Winn-Hampton Press
Published: 2013-03-20T23:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 6

Rachael, her arms burning as she whipped the last load of batter, cast a glance at her fellow conspirator as they labored beside her by lamplight.

Lilith, unused to any domestic duty, had managed to cover herself from head to toe in white as she sifted through mounds of clotted flour and scrapped three-foot-high sugar cones down to granules, then ground those into a mountain of fine powder.

Mantef, working alongside her, was now grinding cocoa beans. His normally white caftan was splattered with cocoa as well as flour making him look more like a speckled thrush than a gentleman’s gentleman. Seeing him turn his back yet again, she grumbled, “Mantef, stop eating the profits. If I see one more spoonful of filling disappear, I’m sending you to your room.”

He huffed, but put the spoon down. Lady Kenroe arched her back. Using her forearm to brush her falling coiffure out of her eyes, she asked, “What time is it?”

Rachael scraped the last of the chocolate batter into the largest of the baking pans. “Three, I think.”

Lilith groaned. “How many more hours?”

“One more should do it.” They were all exhausted. Had been since Lady Chatham had bragged from Mayfair to Southwark about her divine find, Deserts of Distinction. They’d received five additional orders, the smallest being a white chocolate and raspberry torte for twenty-four, in the last three days. They hadn’t slept in as many nights.

Which, as far as Rachael was concerned, was just as well. Sleep eluded her, what with worrying about whether or not her scheme could pull Lilith out of her horrendous dilemma and with her perpetual thoughts of Connor—an impossible dream, as Lilith has so succinctly pointed out. Not that it mattered. He barely noticed her now. He only nodded to her at breakfast before running out the door. When he returned he occasionally smiled but rarely initiated conversation. Suppers, at best, were stilted affairs they all tended to rush through with barely a word spoken.

She heaved a sigh. In any event, she did have one bit of news that should cheer those around her.

Hoping she sounded nonchalant, Rachael murmured, “I calculated our profits today.”

Lilith immediately came wide-awake. “And?”

Rachael grinned. “Three hundred and ten pounds.”

As Lilith’s hands flew to her breast. “Oh my word!”

The marble pestle she held in her right hand hit the granite counter with a loud thud as tears flooded her eyes. Rachael giggled as she found herself engulfed in a great floury hug.

After a minute she pried herself Lilith’s arms loose and muttered, “Enough. Now, get to work grinding that sugar or we’ll be up all tomorrow night, as well.”

Lilith, smiling ear to ear, saluted. “Aye, aye, Captain.”

Mantef chuckled as he swiped another mouthful of whisky cream filling.

~#~

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