“She was going to try to salvage some of the meat, but it looks as though she’s thrown out the entire bird. “If this goes on much longer, we’ll be feeding the entire feline population in Maybridge Falls.” Holly widened her arms dramatically.
“If we aren’t doing that already.” Eve followed her youngest sister into the kitchen, leaving the door to the back open to allow some of the leftover smoke to escape. Eve had truly hoped that Cook would serve up something edible that evening. Not that she was nervous about Nicholas’s visit. Why would she have cause to be nervous?
Before walking her home the night before, Nicholas had told her he would spend the early part of today going through the correspondence he’d neglected. Eve had encouraged him to do so. What other news had he missed? Of his family, of his estates? He’d agreed that it was high time he lived up to his responsibilities.
Eve wondered if that meant what she thought it meant. Was he adjusting himself to the idea of settling down? Of beginning a family?
With her?
“I suppose someone has to feed them,” Holly smirked and then peered outside as though watching for someone. “Since the dogs ate the roast from the night before. It’s only fair the cats get today's offering.”
Eve considered the ingredients Cook had left out on the worktable. She could make roasted potatoes and vegetables. Perhaps put together a main dish that might resemble some sort of shepherd’s pie.
Sans meat. As frustrated as she was, she could hardly be angry with her aunt’s employee. “I feel sorry for Cook. Mr. Clark says she used to be quite skilled before her eyesight began to fail.”
“It’s good of Aunt to keep her on.”
Eve drew out a few pans and the knife she’d cut herself with the day before and then opened a few cupboards. “Lard, lard. Where is the lard?”
“In the larder,” Holly commented answered cheekily.
“You’re back!” Noelle announced, appearing essentially out of nowhere looking flushed and disheveled. “I couldn’t save the meat, but we could always see if we could purchase a meal from the inn.”
Eve studied her sister suspiciously. Noelle’s lips seemed swollen and pink, and her eyes were unusually bright.
“Where did you come from?” Holly narrowed her eyes. “And what have you done with your hair?”
Noelle smoothed back some dark strands that had escaped her coiffure.
“You’re flushed.” Eve glanced over Noelle’s shoulder. Was something in the larder?
Or perhaps someone?
“Come quick! I need to show you something in the drawing room.” Noelle insisted.
“What? What is it?” When Noelle didn’t’ answer right away, Eve’s heart cracked, assuming the worst. “Is Aunt Winifred all right?”
“Oh, she’s fine.” Noelle set her fears to rest with a wave of the hand. “Just come with me. It’s the most extraordinary thing….” Noelle grasped both Eve and Holly’s hands and forcibly dragged them away from the kitchen.
Eve hated that her mind automatically jumped to the worst possible scenario.
When had she become such a Nervous Nelly? She allowed herself to be pulled along until Noelle presented both Holly and her with her embroidery. “Look at this stitch! I’ve never quite managed anything like it!”
What on earth? “You’ve made that stitch a thousand times.”
Noelle frowned and then peered at it more closely. “I suppose I have, haven’t I?”
Eve barely caught sight of Lord Blitzencreek as he hastily collected his coat and hat from the hook in the foyer.
So that was why Noelle had been flushed—and why she’d been so keen to shoo them out of the kitchen.
Which reminded Eve that she’d invited Nick for dinner and their menu still lacked a main course.
“I’m going to check over at the inn and see if they’ve any leftover courses.” She would not be opposed to catching a glimpse of Nick. Perhaps they could manage an afternoon stroll.
“I will come as well,” Holly volunteered quickly, the tops of her ears flushing pink.
“Give me a moment. You’ll need help carrying it back!” Noelle went rushing back to the kitchen and then past the parlor again and flying up the stairs.
“As if three of us are needed to carry one bowl of stew.” Holly rolled her eyes but then frowned. “Do you think she loves him?”
Ah, yes. Noelle’s embroidery nonsense hadn’t fooled Holly either.
The question was a good one. Noelle had adamantly declared that she didn’t want to love Lord Blitzencreek. She’d insisted she wanted nothing more than to be friends with her husband.
Eve bit inside her lip. Her sister wasn’t acting like a woman who wanted to be “friends” with Lord Blitzencreek.
“What?” Noelle was breathless when she returned and slipped her scarlet cloak around her shoulders.
“You don’t fool us one bit,” Eve commented.
“Help us carry the food!” Holly snorted. “You want to see him again.”
Noelle blushed but then lifted her chin and led them out the front door. “You would too if you were me.”
Eve locked arms with a sister on each side as they marched along the path that had been worn between the inn and their aunt’s home. She wondered whether she or Noelle felt the most anticipation to make this visit to the inn.
Even Holly seemed happy at the prospect of this outing. Was it possible she had a beau as well? Certainly not Tidemore. Holly might be overly silly where gentlemen were concerned but she wasn’t an idiot.
They released one another’s arms and entered the increasingly more familiar building single file.
“Welcome, ladies!” the innkeeper welcomed them jovially.
Eve took a step toward the innkeeper at the same time Lord Blitzencreek approached Noelle. “It seems Cook has done it again,” Noelle announced almost gleefully.
The innkeeper chuckled. Eve made a note to herself to ask after Aunt Winifred’s tab. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve plenty of hot stew leftover from lunch, if you’d like. His Grace was just telling me he’d not had such superior fare anywhere.”
His Grace? Eve whipped her gaze around to stare at the baron, moving closer to her sister almost as though she could feel
