Thy dainty hand, so deft, sofleet,
Prepares a most celestialtreat.
No feast of kings, nor banquetgrand,
Could tempt as doth thy silverhand—
To crack the shell with tendercare,
And stir with spoon both light andfair.
In porcelain cup of purestwhite,
Thy eggs do bask in steamylight,
Like clouds that dream in butteredskies,
And melt beneath thy watchfuleyes.
Thy spices fall with nobleair—
A pinch of salt, a pepperedprayer;
A whisper of the nutmeg’skiss,
A sigh of thyme, a swirl ofbliss.
No evening chorus quitecompares
To thee in thy domesticlairs,
As thou dost tend the simmeringflame
And gently call each yolk byname.
For not alone thy eggs arewarm—
Thy smile too holds a softenedcharm;
Thy kitchen is a hallowedspace
Where hunger yields to art andgrace.
So here I sit, with hearto’erthrown,
Beside thy dish, my lovefull-blown.
Not for the eggs—though rich,divine—
But for the hand that coddlesmine.”
He finished with a dramatic flourish of his hand. “And that, Miss Felicity, is what you inspired.”
Eyes stinging with tears of delight, she was rendered speechless. “Oh…my.” The last stanza played over and over in her mind.So here Isit, with heart o’erthrown, beside thy dish, my love full blown. Not for the eggs—though rich, divine—but for the hand that coddles mine.
She swallowed hard and shook some sense into herself.Good heavens.The man was jesting because she had cooked him some eggs to make up for his missing dinner. When one was fed, it automatically put one in a jolly mood. She was a ninny for taking it to heart. “You were quite right, Lord Wakefield. You are most certainly an eloquent earl.” She heartily clapped as if at the theater. “Bravo! Bravo!”
“I meant every word,” he said as he popped the last bit of toast into his mouth and chewed as if it were the most delicious morsel on earth. “I cannot thank you enough for this delightful repast that will certainly go far in holding me over until the rout cakes come out of the oven.” As he rose from the stool, he wiped his mouth and hands with the kitchen rag Felicity provided, then gave her a heartfelt bow. “I suppose I should return to the other guests now, even though the company here in this room has been most enjoyable.”
