Thomasin nodded. Mariot had clearly been giving them some difficulty during her absence.
“Where is the girl?”
“I have set her to polish the cutlery in the study.”
“Very well. Show us the kitchens.”
It was not as bad as Thomasin had feared. Part of the wall was blackened, but the roof of the oven had collapsed inwards and could not be used at all. A brackish, burned smell hung in the air, despite all the windows and doors having been opened.
“We have skillets and the means to boil, but no baking,” clarified Williams. “Soups and stews, fried items, sauces, poached and braised pieces will work.”
“Then all is not lost. Thank you, Williams; how long do you estimate it will take to repair this?”
“I have a connection who has assessed the damage and can begin work in the morning, but the oven will need to be rebuilt from scratch, so a day to build, a day to set.”
“We are to depart for Suffolk soon enough, but I should like to see it completed before then.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Serve us what you can for tonight, and I will make arrangements for tomorrow. I think it is time we took the young lady to dine at court, so this is a good opportunity.”
“Dine at court?” Lettice had been standing behind her all the time, and now her ears pricked up.
“Yes, Lettice, you heard right. We will dine at court tomorrow, while the oven is rebuilt.”
The girl clapped her hands together. “At last! But what shall I wear?”
“You run up and look through your clothes. I will be up in a moment.”
Thomasin found Mariot hunched over the silver, polishing a fork as if she could wear it away to nothing. She looked a pitiful figure, with her hunched shoulders, spinning round at the sound of her mistress, revealing eyes that were red from crying.
“Oh, my lady, I didn’t mean it. I am so sorry — I forgot about the bread. I am a terrible maid; you are right to take me back to my father.”
“Come now, it was not entirely your fault. You were not to know the coals would spark.”
“But if I had been there, I might have stopped it. I was out in the garden instead, picking flowers.”
“Well, again, you could not have known. These things happen and it is being fixed.”
“You aren’t angry?”
“Well, I’m not delighted, Mariot, but I don’t think you did this deliberately.”
“I honestly didn’t. I never would. I am so grateful for the opportunity you’ve given me, I truly am. I wanted to help you, not cause you trouble.”
“You can help by bringing that silver to a lovely shine.”
“I will, my lady, I really will. It’ll be the shiniest silver in all of London.”
Thomasin closed the door quietly behind her as Mariot resumed her enthusiastic rubbing of the fork. She wondered again about the wisdom of her choice. Mariot was a well-meaning girl, with a good heart, but he couldn’t help wondering what fresh disaster awaited them next.
The workmen arrived early the next morning, while they were breaking their fast. Williams had sent out for fresh bread and Cook had managed to boil eggs, so along with some cold cuts of meat and cheese, the household was well enough catered for. Lettice had chosen her only suitable dress, which was one she had inherited from her mother, made from ash-coloured silk with a pearl-grey trimming, and she looked very well in it. She had trapped her hair in a lace net and placed a plain French bonnet on top, suddenly transforming from a young girl into a suitable lady of the court. Thomasin could not help but stare at her. It was like looking at her old self.
“We had better watch you carefully today, or else you will disappear among the ladies and I will not be able to tell you apart from them.”
“Do I look well in this dress?”
“Very well indeed. You must take care not to drop sauces down the front of it, as it is such a delicate colour.”
