“Well, they certainly don’t want to see me.” She glanced down at where his hand still held her wrist.
He let it slide away. “What are you going to do?”
“I told Mr. Thorton that I would take him over there for visits, but I wouldn’t leave him with them. I don’t trust them not to say things against me to Levi or even try to keep him from me. They’ve tried to take him twice now already.”
“What did Mr. Thorton say?”
“He wasn’t happy.” She glanced around the room. The only person who seemed to know they were still there was Mark. She turned to Nick. Concern lay etched in his cobalt-blue eyes. “He said that although I’m a wonderful cook, it’s easier to hire a new cook than it is to deal with the kind of fallout a man like Claude Hart can cause. He said I was skating on thin ice, and not to get too comfortable here after all.” She surveyed the smoke-fogged dining room. “Now look at this place. I fear I may be more trouble than I’m worth.”
Another cough tickled her throat, and she pressed her fist to her lips. Would her lungs be filled with smoke for a week?
Nick went to the counter and poured Lilly a glass of water. After delivering it to the table, he waited to speak until after she took a drink. “It was his niece who caused the fire. You shouldn’t take the blame. Maybe I need to remind him of that.”
“Please don’t say anything.” Lilly set the glass on the table and smiled at him. “But I am thankful for the offer.”
20
“You have something to report?”
Mark Westing settled in a leather chair across from his new employer, Claude Hart, and smiled at the elderly attorney’s question. Once Mark shared what he’d witnessed, he’d become the powerful man’s new favorite person. After all, that’s why he’d been hired—to find useful information on the Westings’ former maid that would make her more cooperative. The venture would help them both. Mr. Hart would get the information he needed, and Mark would secure a position as an associate with Claude Hart and be well on his way to a most lucrative future.
Marguerite would be furious to know what he was doing, but, like Lilly Hart, she’d never grasped the invisible line between servants and the wealthy—the one that should never be crossed. Lilly should have known better than to defy Mr. Hart, and her son would benefit from an excellent education.
“I hope this is important enough for you to come to my home on a Saturday morning. Could it not have waited until Monday?”
“I’ll let you be the judge of that.” Mark tugged on his vest. “It’s as you feared. Your daughter-in-law is definitely sweet on the roller coaster builder.”
Mr. Hart steepled his fingers. “And what about his feelings toward her?”
Needing to rid his nostrils of the diner’s stench, Mark took a deep breath. The air in Claude Hart’s office smelled of expensive cigars. Mark crossed one ankle over his knee and leaned back in the chair. “Nick Perrin’s clearly smitten.”
“Fool.” Mr. Hart slammed his fist on the desk. “What power does she have over men?”
The harsh words kicked at Mark’s conscience. “Sir, I’ve never known our former maid to be that kind of woman.”
Mr. Hart’s brows drew close. “Tell me what’s going on. I’ll be the judge.”
“I arrived immediately after there’d been a fire in the kitchen. Nick Perrin stepped in and started barking orders like he owned the place.” Mark uncrossed his leg and leaned forward.
“That hardly sounds like he’s smitten.”
“You’d have to see him. It’s the way he coddles her and treats her like a queen. And he even got one of his men to cook lunch so she could have a break.” Mark coughed. “Sorry. It was smoky in the diner. And all this happened on the heels of their day at the zoo together.”
“Zoo?”
“From what my sister told me when I dropped by, Perrin arranged a private showing at Lake Manawa’s zoo. Your grandson said Lilly and Nick rode a camel together. I think the only person who doesn’t realize this has taken a romantic turn is Lilly herself.”
Mr. Hart frowned. “This is unsettling news.”
“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, why are you so bothered by this? Your son has been gone long enough for the mourning period to be over. And Lilly has made it clear she has no intention of moving back in with you. I know you still feel responsible for her, but if she marries Nick Perrin, she’ll be out of your hair.”
Peering over the top of his reading spectacles, Mr. Hart studied Mark. “If Lilly falls in love with this man, she’ll move away with him. If that happens, she’ll take my grandson with her. I know I may not show it well, but I love my grandson, and he’s all I have left of my son. My wife barely survived losing our Ben, and she’d never recover if Levi were ripped from her as well.” His hands balled into fists. “I cannot let that happen.”
“How could you possibly stop her?”
“How indeed?” Mr. Hart stood and paced behind his desk. “Lilly is a shrewd woman. She’d catch on too easily if I interfere directly. I have to make her see Nick Perrin isn’t the man for her.”
“And how do you propose we do that?”
“We?” Mr. Hart offered Mark a nod of approval. “I like how you think, Mr. Westing. Keep this up. I’ve got big plans for you, son.” He drew his hand along the length of his well-groomed, white beard. “I believe if you put your mind to it, you’ll find all sorts of ways to keep her and Mr. Perrin apart.” Mr. Hart jotted a note on a piece of paper and folded it in half. After addressing it, he handed it to Mark. “Now, I need you to deliver this to the man I’ve listed and wait for a reply.”
“What is it?”
With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed Mark. “The less you know, the better.”
“Could I interest you in a chicken leg, well done?”
Lilly turned to see Nick holding up a blackened piece of meat with a pair of tongs. When she’d arrived this morning, he was already there. The ceiling had been scraped free of all blackened signs of yesterday’s smoke, a fire roared in the oven, and he’d even made a pot of coffee. Try as she might, she couldn’t shoo him away. “I told you to leave that.”
“And I told you I would do it.” Nick put the leg with the other charred remains and picked up the skillet. “I’ll dump this out in the grass somewhere. Some raccoon will be delighted.”
“I don’t think we should be that unkind—even to the raccoons.”
“But they ate Eugenia’s oatmeal.” With a chuckle, Nick nudged the back door open with the toe of his boot. “I’ll be right back.” By the time he returned a few minutes later, Lilly had a bowl on the counter with flour measured into it.
“What are you doing?” He thumped his hand on the counter in front of her.
“Making pancakes. Slowly. I’m still a little stiff from Eugenia’s and my cleaning jag yesterday.”
Nick carried a stool to the center of the room. It wobbled a bit when he set it down, and he frowned at the piece of furniture, but when he glanced at her, a crooked smile lit his face. “This is your throne. You can sit here all morning and rule your loyal subjects, but you can’t help them.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I have only one loyal subject, and she is decidedly late. At this rate, your breakfast will be more like lunch. I know you’re behind at the site, so you need to get an early start.” Lilly filled a cup of water from the sink and took a long drink. “I’ll abdicate the throne if you don’t mind.”
He cupped her elbow and led her to the stool. “It is true the Lady Eugenia seems to have misplaced her hourglass, but I have my trusty kitchen weapon at hand.” He lifted a wooden spoon in the air. “I will mix these pancakes myself.”
“Nick, really, it’s sweet of you to offer, but I can do this.”
“And probably with your eyes closed. But indulge me. It’ll be fun.” He set the spoon beside the bowl. “What do I add next?”
She sighed. “Baking powder.”
“How much?”
�
��Three good-sized tablespoons.”
Nick dipped a spoon into the Calumet baking powder tin and pulled out a heaping tablespoonful. “How’s this?”
“Shake a little off. Too much. Try again.” She watched him refill the spoon. “That looks pretty good. After you put that in, add a little salt and some sugar.”
“A little salt? Would you care to be more specific?”
“Let’s go with three teaspoons of salt and three tablespoons of sugar. That ought to do it.”
After checking with Lilly to make sure he had the correct spoons in his hands, Nick deposited the two ingredients into the bowl with a flourish and grinned at Lilly.
“Don’t go getting cocky yet. Now make a well in the center of the flour mixture.”
Nick carved out a perfect half circle. “Okay. Done.”
“See that coffee cup on the Hoosier cabinet? Fill that with milk three times and then add a few splashes more.”
“Splashes? How much is a splash?” Nick retrieved the jar of milk from the icebox. “I’m beginning to feel sorry for Eugenia.”
Lilly dipped her fingers into her glass and flicked the water in Nick’s direction.
He jumped back. “What are you doing?”
“Teaching you about splashes.” She suppressed a smile when he shot her a mock glare. “Remember, you’re the one who wouldn’t let me mix it. You know, I’m gonna have to give added effort to teaching Eugenia to cook. If I do lose my job here, she’s the one who’ll be cooking for your men all the time. But that means they may have to endure a few Eugenia fiascos in the process.”
Nick moaned and wiped his flour-covered hands on the back of his dark trousers. He left handprints. Lilly stifled a laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.” Her cheeks flushed hot. She couldn’t exactly tell him where the handprints were located.
He frowned. “Do I need to add anything else?”
“Three eggs and a little of the melted butter in that tin on the stove.”
“I don’t suppose you know how much ‘a little’ is.”
Lilly shrugged. “Enough to butter a dozen biscuits? Let me show you.”
“No.” Nick retrieved the tin can and held it in his hand. “I can do this. Tell me how much.”
“I tip the can five times.” She moved off her stool to supervise the mixing. “Then you need to beat the whole mixture until it’s smooth. Not too long or they’ll get tough, but long enough so there aren’t any lumps of flour.”
He looked down at her and chuckled. “You know, you make building a roller coaster seem simple.”
“We could trade jobs for a day if you like.”
Before he could answer, the back door swung open. Like a whirlwind, Eugenia flew inside with her hat askew and her face flushed. “I’m ever so sorry. I missed the streetcar and had to catch another ride.” She plucked a leaf from her hair. “Mr. Billett, the milkman, spotted me and let me ride with him.”
Lilly turned her attention to Eugenia and smiled. “Please make every effort to be on time, especially now when we have so much to catch up on.”
Tears filled the girl’s eyes. “I know, and I am truly, abundantly sorry. Here you are at the crack of dawn, and I’m sleeping the morning away. Maybe I should move in with you so I can get here on time to help you.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Nick quirked a grin that Lilly would have happily slapped off his handsome face. How could he encourage Eugenia, even in jest?
“While it is kind of you to offer, Eugenia, it won’t be necessary.” She looked at Nick. “Nick, we’ll discuss this more later. When we’re alone.”
Nick grinned again. “Is that a promise?”
Lilly’s cheeks flamed. What was she going to do with him?
The next half hour was a flurry of activity. Eugenia poured the pancakes, and Nick had never seen such an assortment of shapes and sizes. Still, they’d be edible since he’d made them under Lilly’s tutelage, and for that he was glad.
Lilly layered slabs of ham in a skillet, made coffee, and set the table all without a hiccup. By the time Eugenia had created a lopsided stack of pancakes, the ham was heated. Nick scooped up Eugenia’s creations and carried them to the men’s table, and Lilly followed with the plate of ham.
The comments began as soon as Lilly returned to the kitchen. Lanky Milt displayed his pancake. “What continent do you think this looks like?”
“China.” Archie cocked his head to the side. “No, maybe Africa. No, how about Argentina.”
“Argentina isn’t a continent.” Frank Ward grabbed another three pancakes for his plate.
“Look at this one.” Always the comedian, Forest held up a clown-shaped flapjack beside his face. “Who do you think is more handsome?”
The comments went on for several minutes between the crew members. Would they survive Eugenia’s cooking? What if Lilly planned to have her cook more often now? Maybe they could hint enough that she’d curtail that idea. Thankfully, Lilly and Eugenia were in the kitchen and couldn’t hear their jesting.
Finally, he’d had enough. He hit the end of his knife on the table to get their attention. “I don’t want to hear another word about Eugenia’s cooking. She and Lilly will do their best. In fact”—he speared a piece of ham—“I think they are going to need some extra help today because of yesterday’s fire. Percy, I’m going to assign you to help out at mealtime. The kitchen ceiling needs to be painted, and they may need some help scrubbing the pan after that burnt chicken.”
Percy gaped at Nick. “Me? Why me?”
“First of all, you’re the youngest man here, so they all have more seniority on the job. Second, you’re good at following directions and pitching in wherever necessary.” Nick took a swig of coffee. “That’s exactly the kind of help Mrs. Hart needs.”
“But Mrs. Hart is a she.”
“Observant lad, aren’t ya?” Sean teased.
Percy’s cheeks grew cherry red. “But it’s women’s work to make pancakes.”
Nick chuckled. “Well, not all the time. I made the ones you’re eating. Eugenia only poured them on the griddle. Besides, you’re still working for me, and I’m having you help out here for just one day. That won’t be a problem, will it?”
“No, sir.” Percy dropped his gaze to his syrup-drenched pancakes and shoved a bite around on his plate.
Forest elbowed him in the side. “And I bet you’ll look good in an apron.”
The whole crew roared with laughter. Nick glared at them and prayed he hadn’t made a mistake concerning assigning the boy to the kitchen.
21
Lilly plopped a cabbage on the counter. “This vegetable is your best friend.”
Eugenia lifted her eyebrows. “A cabbage? I might be desperate for companionship, but not that desperate.”
Laughing, Lilly snagged a knife from the drawer. “You’re gonna make something the men will love, and it’s easy.”
“Easy for you, maybe impossible for me.”
“Once they taste your corned beef and cabbage, you’ll be listening to their praises.”
“If you say so.” Eugenia walked to the pantry shelf and returned with a jar of preserved corn.
Lilly chopped the cabbage in half. “What is that for?”
“Corned beef.”
“Oh, Eugenia.” Lilly shook her head and stifled a giggle. “You don’t need corn for this.”
“Then why do they call it ‘corned’ beef?”
“I have no idea.” Lilly shrugged, chuckling. “Why don’t you get the two beef briskets out? I’ve been brining them for over a week now. They’re in a crock in the icebox on the bottom shelf.”
After locating the crock, Eugenia set it on the counter. “What’s floating in this?”
“Different spices I used in the brine.” Lilly used her knife to point to the large pot hanging on a hook. “Get that down, then rinse the beef and set it in the pot.”
Eugenia complied. “Now what?”
&n
bsp; Lilly wiped her hands on her apron. “Now you are really gonna cook. Get the tin that says Allspice and the one that says Bay Leaves.”
“You’re going to let me put the spices in?”
“It’s now or never.”
Once they had the corned beef and cabbage on the stove and simmering, Lilly ventured outside to find Levi.
He sat on his haunches, studying something in the grassy area.
“Levi, honey, let’s go for a walk.”
“Mama, come see this.”
Lilly smoothed the front of her dress. “If we hurry, we can see how Mr. Nick is coming along with the supplies they delivered yesterday.”
“Oh, all right.” Levi sighed and stood. He walked backward, apparently not wanting to take his eyes off his animal friend. Finally, he turned and skipped to her.
Lilly hugged him. “What was in there?”
“A giant black kitty. It was acting silly.” Levi held out his hands about a foot and a half apart. “It was this big and had a white stripe too.” With his hand, he drew an imaginary stripe from his head to his bottom.
She gasped. A familiar stench made her scrunch her nose.
“Here he comes.” Levi pointed toward the bush.
“Levi, get inside now!”
“But—”
She pushed him toward the door as a skunk emerged from the bushes and turned toward her. Before she could raise its ire, she slipped inside the door to the diner behind her son and thanked God for sparing them both.
“Miss Lilly, I thought you were going for a walk.” Eugenia set down the plate she was drying.
“There is a skunk outside. I think it’s best if we all stay in here for a while. It’s rare for a skunk to come out in the daylight.”
“But, Mama, he was funny. He walked real silly. All wobbly-like.” Levi demonstrated the uneven gait as he crossed the room, then pressed his nose to the front window of the diner. “See?”
Lilly joined her son and witnessed the skunk’s strange behavior for herself. She glanced at Eugenia, but the girl gave no indication she understood that this most likely meant the animal was diseased with rabies or distemper. They needed to get someone to come take care of it before anyone was hurt. She didn’t want to risk leaving to do that, but what if Nick or one of his men happened upon it and was bitten?
Lorna Seilstad - [Lake Manawa Summers 03] Page 14
