Literally, a dirty old man.
And he didn’t like the appearance of women in his domain.
“Oy!” he yelled, lifting the nearest implement, which happened to be a long wooden spoon. “What do you want here?”
Lady Warenton faced down the spoon raised at her. “Yer name is Brickie, isn’t it?”
The old man’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”
“Lady Warenton.”
He frowned. “I don’t care,” he snapped. “Out of my kitchen! No one is allowed here!”
“I am.”
Mattie stepped forward, unafraid of the threatening wooden tool. As everyone looked at her in surprise, she faced off against her husband’s cook, who scowled at the properly dressed lady.
“And just who are you?” he said. “I don’t know you.”
Mattie cocked a dark eyebrow. “I am Lady de Wolfe,” she said. “LadyGarde Wolfe. Your liege is my husband and the moment we were married, this kitchen, and this castle, became my domain. I am allowed here, any time I wish, and you will like it or you will get out. Is that clear?”
Caria, cowering back by the door, stood there with her mouth hanging open in shock while Lady Warenton fought off a grin.
“Ye heard her,” Lady Warenton said. “Like it or get out. We can always find another cook.”
Brickie’s reply was to swipe the spoon in Mattie’s direction, though he missed her by a mile. Still, she couldn’t back away. If she did, he would never respect her. She’d made a statement and she had to enforce it. Grabbing another wooden spoon, this one dirty with whatever he’d been using it for, she swung it at him in return.
Brickie wasn’t used to someone challenging his authority. He jumped back as she lashed out at him, but only momentarily. He swung the spoon at Mattie again, and she swung hers in return, and suddenly, they were dueling with wooden spoons across the kitchen floor. It was like a sword fight, only the weapons were wooden kitchen tools.
And Mattie was going to win it.
Brickie wasn’t a big man. He was small and wiry and grumpy, which was how he was able to rule over his kitchens, but the new Lady de Wolfe wasn’t about to put up with his bullying. They dueled around the table in the center of the kitchen, slapping spoons, until Mattie gained the upper hand and chased him back into the buttery. Lady Warenton, Caria, and Avrielle, who had been tagging along, followed. They watched Mattie back Brickie into the rear of the buttery, unaware that Rhoswyn, who had been hunting for the women, had finally found them. Rhoswyn only caught the end of their battle as Mattie finally knockedBrickie’s spoon to the ground. As the old man raised his hands in surrender, Mattie tossed her spoon aside as well.
“Now,” she said, the slightest bit winded from dancing around the kitchen. “You willnottell me where I can and cannot go in my own home. You will not tell me, or any de Wolfe woman, that she cannot come into your kitchen. While I respect that you have been my husband’s cook and will continue to be so, this is nowmykitchen. You will do as I say. Do you understand me so far?”
Brickie was frowning. The sides of his mouth were so downturned that they couldn’t possibly go any further. “I understand,” he grumbled. “But you know nothing about this kitchen!”
“I realize that,” Mattie said evenly. “But you will teach me. I will listen and learn from your experience. But, with God as my witness, you had better behave yourself or I will take a spoon to you again—and the next time, you might come away with a knot on your head. Do you comprehend me?”
Brickie nodded, once, but it was enough. Mattie stood back, indicating for him to return to his kitchen, and he did so, knowing those other women were smirking at him and feeling just as humiliated as he could possibly be. It was then that Mattie looked up and saw Rhoswyn standing back by the buttery door, an expression of surprise on her face. Lady Warenton saw Rhoswyn at nearly the same time and she grasped Caria by the hand as she headed in Rhoswyn’s direction.
“How much of that did ye see?” Lady Warenton asked.
Rhoswyn wasn’t entirely sure. “I saw… I saw the lady chasing Brickie intae the buttery,” she said. “What happened?”
Lady Warenton let her smile break through as she glanced at Mattie, just emerging from the buttery. “She did what needed tae be done,” she said with pride. “Brickie is too much of a tyrantfor his own good and the lady righted it. I like her, Rhos. She’ll do well here.”
With that, Lady Warenton headed out of the kitchens, pulling Caria along with her, as Rhoswyn and Mattie faced one another.
For a moment, Mattie didn’t know what to say. Her introduction to Rhoswyn had been uncertain at best before the woman simply disappeared. Now, she was back, and Mattie wasn’t sure what to say. Rhoswyn had clearly seen her take issue with the cook. Perhaps the woman thoughtshewas the bully.
She was coming to sorely regret the spoon fight.
“He… he was rude to Lady Warenton,” Mattie said, trying to explain. “I do not tolerate rudeness from those who serve in my household. It was inexcusable.”
Rhoswyn was still looking at her rather appraisingly, but the coldness from earlier seemed to be gone. “I’ve got news for ye, lass,” she said. “Lady Warenton can take care of herself. She’s the strongest woman ye’ll ever know.”
“Aye, my lady. I hope I did not offend.”
