'Non! ' he screamed, evidently believing her to be a servant in her plain black dress. ' Out! Out! Get out. To attend to your duties.'
Victoria was heartily sick of being treated like a useless idiot. Very politely, but very firmly, she said, ' I can be of help here, and it is obvious from the way everyone is rushing about that you can use an extra pair of hands. "
The chef looked ready to explode. You are not trained, ' he thundered. ' Get out! When André needs help, he will ask for it and he will do zee training! '
There is nothing the least bit complicated about making a stew, monsieur, ' Victoria pointed out, exasperated. Ignoring his purpling complexion at her casual dismissal of the complexity of his culinary skills, she continued in a bright, reasonable tone, ' All one has to do is cut up vegetables on this table here - She tapped the table beside her. -and toss them into that kettle there. ' She pointed to the one hanging above the fire.
An odd, strangled sound emerged from the apoplectic man before he tore off his apron. ' In five minutes, ' he said as he stormed out of the kitchen, ' I will have you thrown out of his house! '
In the crackling silence he left behind, Victoria looked around at the remaining servants, who were staring at her in frozen horror, their eyes mirroring everything from sympathy to amusement. ' Goodness, girl, ' a kindly, middle-aged woman said as she wiped flour from her hands onto her apron, ' what possessed you to stir him up? He'll have you thrown out on your ear for this. "
Except for the little maid named Ruth who looked after Victoria's room, this was the first friendly voice Victoria had heard from any of the servants in the entire house. Unfortunately, she was so miserable at having created trouble when she only wished to help that the woman's sympathy nearly reduced her to tears.
'Not that you weren't right, ' the woman continued, with a gentle pat on Victoria's arm, ' about it being ' that simple to make a stew. Any one of us could carry on without André, but his lordship demands the best - and André is the best chef in the country. You may as well go and pack your things, for it's certain - sure you'll be turned off the place within the hour. '
Victoria could scarcely trust her voice enough to reassure the woman on that head. ' I'm a guest here, not a servant - I thought Mrs. Northrup would have told you that. '
The woman's mouth dropped open. ' No, miss, she did not. The staff isn't permitted to gossip, and Mrs. Northrup would be the last to do it, her being ' related by marriage to Mr. Northrup, the butler. I knew we had a guest staying at the house, but I- ' Her eyes darted to Victoria's shabby-genteel black dress and the girl flushed. ' May I fix you something ' to eat? '
Victoria's shoulders drooped with frustrated despair. ' No, but I'd - I'd like to make something to ease Mr. O'Malley's swollen jaw. It's a poultice, made of simple ingredients, but it might lessen the pain of his infected tooth. '
The woman, who said her name was Mrs. Craddock, showed Victoria where to find the ingredients she asked for and Victoria went to work, fully expecting ' his lordship ' to come stalking into the kitchen and publicly humiliate her at any moment.
Jason had just started to dictate the same letter he'd been dictating when he learned Victoria had gone out to the barn to milk a cow when Northrup again tapped on the door of his study.
'Yes, ' Jason snapped impatiently when the butler was before him. What is it now? "
The butler cleared his throat. ' It's Miss Seaton again, my lord. She ... er ... that is, she attempted to assist the head gardener with his planting of the flower beds. He mistook her for a servant, and now he wonders since I informed him she is not a servant if you are displeased with his work and sent her there to
Jason's low voice vibrates with annoyance. ' Tell the gardener to get back to work, then tell Miss Seaton to stay out of his way. And you, ' he added darkly, ' stay out of mine. I have work to do. ' Jason turned to his thin, bespectacled secretary and snapped, ' Now, where were we, Benjamin? "
'The letter to your man in Delhi, my lord. '
Jason had dictated only two lines when there was a commotion outside his door and the cook barged in, followed by Northrup, who was trying to outrun him and block his path. ' Either she goes, or I go! " 'Monsieur André boomed, marching up to Jason's desk. 'I do not permit that red-haired wench in my kitchen! '
With deadly calm, Jason laid down his quill and turned his glittering green gaze on the chef's glaring face. "What did you say to me?"
'I said I do not permit- '
'Get out, ' Jason said in a silky-soft voice.
The cook's round face paled. ' Oui, ' he said hastily, as he began backing away, ' I will return to the kitchen '
Out of my house, ' Jason clarified ruthlessly, ' and off my property. Now! ' Surging to his feet, Jason brushed past the perspiring chef and headed for the kitchens.
Everyone in the kitchen jumped and spun around at the sound of his incensed voice. ' Can any of you cook? ' he demanded, and Victoria assumed that the chef had resigned because of her. Horrified, she started to step forward, but Jason's ominous gaze impaled her, threatening her with dire consequences if she dared to volunteer. He looked around at the others in angry disgust. ' Do you mean to tell me none of you can cook? "
Mrs. Craddock hesitated, then stepped forward. ' I can, my lord. '
Jason nodded curtly. ' Good. You're in charge. In the future, please dispense with those nauseatingly rich French sauces I've been forced to eat. ' He turned the icy blast of his gaze on Victoria. ' You, ' he ordered ominously, ' stay out of the barn and leave the gardening to the gardeners and the cooking to the cooks! '
He left, and the servants turned to Victoria, looking at her with a mixture of shock and shy gratitude. Too ashamed of the trouble she'd caused to meet their eyes, Victoria bent her head and began mixing the poultice for Mr. O'Malley. '
Let's go to work, ' Mrs. Craddock said to the others in a brisk, smiling voice. ' We have yet to prove to his lordship that we can manage very well without having our ears boxed and our knuckles rapped by André. "
Victoria's head snapped up, her shocked gaze flying to Mrs. Craddock. '
He is an evil-tempered tyrant, ' the woman confirmed. ' And we are deeply grateful to be rid of him. '
Except for the day her parents died, Victoria couldn't remember a worse day than this one. She picked up the bowl containing the mixture her father had taught her to make to ease the pain of an afflicted tooth and walked out.
Failing to find O'Malley, she went searching for Northrup, who was just emerging from a book-lined room. Beyond the partially open doors, she glimpsed Jason seated at his desk with a letter in his hand, talking to a bespectacled gentleman who was sitting across from him.
'Mr. Northrup, ' she said in a suffocated voice as she handed him the bowl, ' would you be kind enough to give this to Mr. O'Malley? Tell him to apply it to his tooth and gum several times a day. It will help take away the pain and swelling. '
Distracted yet again by the sound of voices outside his study, Jason slapped the paper he was reading onto the desk and stalked to the door of his study, jerking it open. Unaware of Victoria, who had started up the staircase, he demanded of Northrup, ' Now what the hell has she done? '
'She she made this for O'Malley's tooth, my lord, ' Northrup said in a queer, strained voice as he raised his puzzled gaze to the dejected figure climbing the stairs.
Jason followed his gaze and his eyes narrowed on the slender, curvaceous form garbed in mourning black. ' Victoria, ' he called.
Victoria turned, braced for a tongue-lashing, but he spoke in a calm, clipped voice that nevertheless rang with implacable authority. Do not wear black anymore. I dislike it.
"I'm very sorry my clothes offend you, ' she replied with quiet dignity, but I am in mourning for my parents. '
Jason's brows snapped together, but he held his tongue until Victoria was out of hearing. Then he told Northrup, ' Send someone to London to get her some decent clothes and get rid of those black rags. '
When Charles came down for lunch, a subdued Victoria slid into the chair on his left. ' Good heavens, child, what's amiss? You're as pale as a ghost. '
Victoria confessed her follies of the morning and Charles listened, his lips trembling with amusement. ' Excellent, excellent! ' he said when she was finished and, to her amazement, started to chuckle. ' Go ahead and disrupt Jason's life, my dear. That is exactly what he needs. On the surface, he may appear cold and hard, but that is only a shell - a thick one, I'll admit, but the right woman could get past that and discover the gentleness inside him. When she does bring out that gentleness, Jason will make her a very happy woman. Among other things, he is an extremely generous man . . . ' He raised his brows, letting the sentence hang, and Victoria stirred uneasily beneath his intent gaze, wondering if Charles could be harboring the hope that she was that woman.
Not for a moment did she believe there was any gentleness inside Jason Fielding and she wanted as little to do with him as possible. Rather than tell that to Uncle Charles, she tactfully changed the subject. ' I should receive word from Andrew in the next few weeks. '
Ah, yes - Andrew, ' he said, his eyes darkening.