Heaving myself upright, I made for the stairs down. I leaned on my walking stick more than usual. The day would come whenit might be a necessity instead of an affectation. I frowned at the idea.
The aroma of freshly baked bread made my pique disappear. “That smells heavenly,” I told Clem when I entered the kitchen. “I don’t suppose I could get a bit of an advance on that before dinner? With some butter and jam?”
“Of course, Lady Mary.” He cut off two large wedges from the loaf and put them on a plate before me. The butter and jam quickly followed.
“Won’t you join me?” I indicated the spot across from me at the wide wooden table.
“Don’t mind if I do.” He fixed his own plate and sat. “I hope the syllabub was to everyone’s liking last night. I wanted to make a more exotic dessert, but couldn’t get the needed spices in Modbury. That will be one benefit to living in London.”
I paused, a bit of jam trickling down onto my fingers from the slice of bread I held. “So you’ve decided? You’ll be leaving Perrin Manor?”
He nodded. “I will be moving to London, but—”
“Splendid.” My empty stomach fluttered, most likely looking forward to all the delicious food it would soon be enjoying. “Absolutely splendid. You won’t regret it. And London is a much more suitable place to live for an unmarried man such as yourself. Many more prospects for potential matches.”
He nodded again. “I expect that too, but—”
I loosed a chuckle. “And to think Ryder thought he could get you for his club. It isn’t even White’s but some small, bookish affair over on Brown Street. It would be an absolute monotony cooking for those members.”
“No, a club doesn’t interest me.” He sucked in a deep breath. “I do feel I should tell you—”
“Oh, we can work out all the details later.” I hummed a happy tune as I bit into the bread. I loved being the victor, especially over Mr. Ryder. “He shall be so disappointed.”
“He’s not the only one,” Clem muttered before savagely biting off the crusty bit of his bread.
“Hmm?” I flapped a hand. “Oh, yes, I’m sure the vultures were circling. You’ve made quite a reputation for yourself. Who else asked for you?” I couldn’t imagine enjoying a victory over anyone else as much as I did over Ryder, but I was open to being surprised.
He hesitated. “Well, Lord Havenstone pressed his case most avidly. He and his wife even cornered me in my bed chamber, trying to make the case that their servants’ quarters were more comfortable than any that I’d slept in before. Havenstone tried to make that sound as though it compensated for the salary he offered, which was significantly less than what I make now.”
I inhaled sharply. The nerve of Lady Havenstone. She’d tried to make me feel guilty going for Clem when she and her husband had set their sights on him, as well. She was a most unpleasant woman. The baron’s failure to acquire Clem’s services partly explained his wife’s sour countenance, however.
It also explained something else. My heart sank. As macabre as it sounded, I’d hoped Havenstone had been the killer. If he’d been sneaking about only to bargain with the cook, then that left only two other options. “The night they went to your chambers, was it last Tuesday?”
He nodded. “The night the windows were broken. When we heard the commotion, the baron and baroness flew from my room faster than a winning racehorse.”
“And last Friday before lunch, did he find you then?”
“He did.” Clem twisted his lips. “I was trying to take a nap before I had to begin dinner. I’m still not feeling all there since my illness. I think that was when I definitively knew I wouldn’tbe accepting his offer. He also found me again after lunch. He was relentless.”
I made a note to myself. Don’t pester the cook. Now that I’d managed to lure him away, I didn’t want to aggravate him into leaving my service.
I finished my snack and brushed the crumbs from my hands. “Thank you for the treat. I think I’ll have dinner in my room tonight. If you could send up a plate?”
“Of course, milady. And….”
I stood. “Yes?”
He gave me a tight smile. “You’ll be here for a bit longer. We’ll have time to talk further.”
I hoped he wouldn’t try to negotiate for a higher salary. I’d pay it, of course, but I didn’t want to feel taken advantage of. “Goodbye for now.”
I climbed the stairs, exhaustion pulling at every step. I had one more letter I needed to write today. I only hoped the magistrate would believe it.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Henry
She was amost frustrating woman, his Katherine. And with a most nimble tongue. Whenever Henry tried to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted, she twisted it to an entirely different matter. He understood that she didn’t want to be at this tavern eating dinner with him, but she needed some understanding, as well. She should understand it was only natural for her father to want something in return for agreeing to his proposal. And she damn well should understand Henry would sacrifice almost anything to marry her.
