* * *
“How is she, doctor?”
“She is perfectly safe now, Mrs. Oakley. Timothy and Miss Lillian are recovering much quicker than her, but then again, it is common for ailments to have a more severe impact on those who are a getting on a bit in their years.”
Catherine shook her head, “Oh, poor Susan. In your professional opinion, Dr. Wentworth, when is the soonest that she can return to work?”
“From a professional standpoint, I would say she could resume her duties by next week. But personally, Mrs. Oakley, I think that this might be a sign that she requires a much lengthier break, either temporarily or indefinitely.”
Catherine made her way to the study to relay this information to His Grace.
“I see, Mrs. Oakley. Well, this is certainly quite troubling. If none of them are in a condition to cook, then what on earth are we going to do about luncheon?”
“Indeed, Your Grace.”
Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “Mrs. Oakley, please fetch me Miss Meyer.”
* * *
“Yes, and I understand that this is a lot to ask, but the servants would be assisting you in everything. Really, it is more of a supervisory capacity, er, but if you would rather not do it, that is completely understandable, Miss Meyer.”
Anthony watched as Miss Meyer considered his strange—almost preposterous—suggestion, but it was the only feasible solution at the moment.
“I would be happy to do it, Your Grace. I understand that this is merely a temporary measure.”
“Yes. Yes, a very temporary measure, Miss Meyer. I have even sent Fletcher into town once more to recruit a new head chef as soon as possible. In fact, Dr. Wentworth believes that should her recovery go well, Miss Lillian should be ready to take over starting tomorrow.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
He dismissed Miss Meyer so that she could get started in the kitchen. As soon as she had left the study, Mrs. Oakley inquired, “Your Grace, do you think Miss Meyer will be all right?”
With cautious optimism, Anthony sighed, “I think so, Mrs. Oakley. After all, Miss Meyer has at least some experience with feeding many mouths, given her background and all that.”
“And as I explained to her already, the meals need hardly be elaborate or fancy. Just something substantial enough to sustain us for today. My only hope is that she does not end up burning this house to the ground.”
Chapter 12
“You’re to do everything Miss Meyer asks of you. This is all temporary, but His Grace expects your utmost compliance. Remember, girls, you’re cooking not just for him and Lady Cecilia, but for yourselves as well.”
“Yes, Mrs. Oakley.”
Meredith sucked in a deep breath. Jenny, Philippa, and Ella were all awaiting their orders.
“Thank you, ladies, for being so kind as to assist me under these unusual circumstances. His Grace has made it clear that we needn’t worry about preparing an elaborate meal, especially considering our lack of experience and the limited time we have.”
“For these same reasons, I propose that we prepare only two things: a soup and a main dish.”
This suggestion seemed to agree with everyone. But Ella raised a hand, “Excuse me, Miss Meyer. I am just a scullery maid so I have no experience with preparing animals for cooking. That role usually belongs to Timothy, who is still quite ill.”
After reflecting on this for a moment, Meredith replied, “Then we shall prepare a vegetable soup. And as for the main dish, we can do shirred eggs and herbs.”
With this plan in mind, the women divided the work and got to it. Ella brought out the needed baking pans and got the oven started. Jenny and Philippa brought in vegetables from the garden, which Meredith promptly washed and sliced.
The eggs were slightly more challenging to acquire because the hens were only accustomed to Timothy or Miss Lillian. But with great effort (and a copious amount of shrieking), they finally acquired the last of their main ingredients.
Meredith put Jenny and Ella in charge of the soup, while she and Philippa worked relentlessly at covering the flat baking pans with butter and cream. After this, they began the messy job of carefully cracking the eggs onto the trays.
At this point, they received a surprise visit from Mrs. Oakley and the Duke.
