The Song of the Thrush

by Christine Pope

  Of course I knew that Lord Sorthannic would not do anything so cruel, no matter what I might have said to him in the past. Everything everyone had told me about his behavior as lord of this estate proved him to be a good man, just and loyal and generous. But it was so easy to believe the worst.

  “Yes, I suppose I did,” I replied. My fingers found the edge of the table and clung to it, as if I needed its steadying stability to prevent me from falling down then and there. Even if I were allowed to hide in the kitchen and never be seen by the duke or any of his grand guests, I still did not look forward to this next stage of my life at all. I took in a breath, then asked, “For how long?”

  “How long?”

  “How long will I be expected to be a kitchen drudge?” I snapped. “For surely you cannot expect me to toil away in such a demeaning fashion forever.”

  A moment earlier, his expression had begun to soften, but now his jaw hardened again. “For the winter, I expect. Once I am working dawn to dusk again, I would think that Master Brinsell and Master Lewyn will deem I am pulling my full weight.”

  From his tone, I could tell he was being ironic. Still, I decided to take his words at face value. “Very well, then. Through the winter, if I must. But once the snows have melted and you are at work in the fields again, Lord Sorthannic will have to find himself a new scullery maid.”

  “Kitchen maid,” Corin corrected me. “You will be helping to prepare the meals, not doing any of the scrubbing or washing-up. That should help to set your heart at ease.”

  “Oh, yes,” I retorted. “I feel ever so much better now!”

  And then, because I feared I would break down in tears at any moment, I whirled away from him and fled down the hallway to my room, where I flung myself down on the bed and wept as though my life had ended.

  In my mind, it had.

  CHAPTER 11

  Dutiful wife that I was, I presented myself at the kitchen of Lord Sorthannic’s castle promptly at seven o’clock the next morning. I wore the plainer of my two linen gowns, and had braided my hair out of the way and covered it with a white linen kerchief — which I was forced to borrow from Lynnis, for I had nothing like that in my possession.

  A woman who appeared to be some ten years or so older than myself met me at the back door there and told me her name was Nerys. “I will take you to Brynna, the cook,” she told me as she ushered me inside and through what appeared to be a large pantry, although it was bigger than the cottage where I now dwelt. Shelves on every side were filled with all manner of spices and preserves in jars, while stacked on the floor were sacks of flour and meal and potatoes. However, I did not have time to take more than a quick glance around, for Nerys kept up a brisk pace, one that did not encourage dawdling. Was this what I could expect of my days here?

  Out in the kitchen itself, an enormous fire roared in the hearth set into one wall, while a round, red-cheeked woman was issuing commands to the two young women who stood at a large table in the center of the room. Piled around them was an assortment of vegetables, all of which were being chopped into precise one-inch chunks.

  “She’s here, mistress,” Nerys said, and the round woman turned toward me. From the way her brows drew together and her lips pursed, I sensed that she was not overly impressed by my appearance.

  “So you’re Marenna?” the woman, who must be Brynna, inquired.

  “Yes, mistress,” I replied, and sketched a quick curtsey. Of course I had been trained to do so in a far more graceful manner, but I did not think that a cook merited quite the same courtesy as a duke, or an earl.

  “How much experience do you have?”

  If I confessed how new I was to all of this, I rather doubted she would be impressed. Keeping my tone even, I said, “Perhaps not as much as the young woman I am replacing, but I am a quick learner, and my fingers are deft enough.”

  “Hmph.” Brynna glanced over at the two girls who were chopping vegetables. “Alyse, check on the bread and see if it is rising properly.”

  “Yes, mistress,” Alyse responded, and set down her knife before hurrying over to another table, where it seemed that several loaves of bread had been covered with muslin to protect them during the rising process.

  “You,” Brynna said, turning her attention back to me. “Go ahead and finish chopping those vegetables — but do not put them in the bowl. I want to inspect your work before I allow it to be part of his Grace’s luncheon.”

  Her brusque tone made my heart sink that much further. How in the world was I supposed to endure this sort of treatment for months on end? My soul quailed at the very thought of it. But I also could not bear the thought of being sent away from the little cottage that was now my home, and so I knew I needed to do what I must to succeed here, no matter how I was spoken to, or what kinds of menial tasks I was given to perform.

  I went and picked up the knife that Alyse had discarded, and set to work. It was already clear to me that Brynna expected this task to be performed with precision, and so I did my very best to cut the potatoes and turnips and carrots into precise squares, as though somehow Lord Sorthannic’s meal would be ruined if he was forced to eat food that wasn’t completely symmetrical.

  Brynna watched me for a moment, graying brows pulled together, her entire plump form seeming to radiate disapproval. “Is that the fastest you are able to work? I daresay those vegetables might be ready for tomorrow’s supper, at the rate you are going.”

  My first instinct was to snap back at her, but somehow I managed to keep my tongue in check. I was doing this for Corin, and for our future together. I thought of how stiff and disapproving he had been the night before. I had not liked that, no, not at all. No, I wanted him to be proud of me — and I also wanted him to take me in his arms and hold me, to feel the warmth of his body and taste his lips once more.

  “Not much to say for yourself?”

  Once again I made myself remain quiet, although I pulled in a breath and had to count to five before I trusted myself to make a civil reply. “I am sorry, mistress. I will try to work more quickly. My husband did not require this kind of precision when I was preparing his meals.”

  She sniffed. “No, I suppose he wouldn’t. However, this food is being set before the Duke of Marric’s Rest, and so it must be perfect in every way.”

  “Yes, mistress.” I bent my head over the table and tried to go a little faster, enough to prove that I was doing my best.

  Another sniff, but this time she walked away and went over to inspect the bread, after which she told Alyse that it was rising well enough, and so she needed to go into the larder and churn a batch of fresh butter. The girl disappeared promptly, telling me that she was all too glad to be out of the cook’s presence, even if it meant tiring herself while coaxing butter from a churn full of buttermilk.

  I continued to chop away, every once in a while shooting surreptitious glances at the mound of vegetables set off to one side, and wondering how on earth one man could require so much food. To be honest, I did not know that much about Lord Sorthannic’s household. He was unmarried and had no children. His family was far away — his mother and father in South Eredor, his sister married to the ruler of North Eredor. As far as I had been able to tell, his was quite the solitary existence.

  But perhaps he was expecting guests. I had heard he was great good friends with Duke Senric, who was lately married to Gabrinne, the daughter of the Earl of Kelsir. Perhaps the duke and his bride were coming to stay for a time. I recalled how Corin had said Lord Sorthannic would be hosting a harvest ball, but that was still almost a week away. Then again, I had only a very hazy idea of how far in advance food would be prepared for such a momentous event. It was entirely possible that we were already working on such fare. But no, Brynna had said this was all for his Grace’s luncheon.

  I chopped away, frowning slightly as I attempted to ponder the situation. At the same time, I wondered what Corin might be up to at this particular moment. From what I’d been able to tell, this was a
delicate time for the grapes, and the crush needed to be watched over carefully to make sure it would be ready to be filtered and moved into barrels at the proper time. Perhaps my husband was with Master Brinsell, inspecting the vats and preparing for the transfer. After the hard work he had put in since coming to the estate, a more leisurely day would be a happy change of pace.

  As for myself, well, at least it seemed as if Brynna had other matters to occupy her attention, for a moment later she disappeared into the pantry/storeroom, and we kitchen maids were left blissfully alone. I stole a quick glance from under my lashes at the other girl chopping vegetables, whose name I still did not know. However, it appeared that she was in no mood to steal a few words now that the cook was away, for although her eyes met mine for a few seconds, she quickly looked back down at her work, seeming to indicate that she would not allow herself to talk while she toiled away, even when left alone.

  Very well. I certainly had no desire to cause any problems, or to get someone I did not even know in trouble, merely because talking might help to pass the time. And a good thing, too, for a moment later, Brynna reappeared, this time carrying a dizzying amount of spices and other items from the storerooms. She busied herself at the other end of the table, grating and grinding and chopping, assembling what looked to me like an astonishing array of ingredients. What it was all for, I couldn’t begin to guess, but I would be the first to admit that my knowledge of cookery and complicated dishes was not very extensive. Lynnis had showed me how to make certain simple meals, of course. Then again, simply recalling all the food served in the castle where I had grown up told me that there was an entire world of which I knew very little.

  However, I was pleased by Brynna’s preoccupation, for it meant that she did not have as much time to criticize what I was doing. I startled slightly when the other kitchen girl came over and scooped up everything I had chopped so far and put it in a bowl, but I supposed that was something of a good sign, for it meant that what I had prepared had apparently passed muster.

  I could not help but watch in some curiosity, however, as a man wearing the household’s black and silver livery appeared a few minutes later, and went to whisper something to Brynna. Immediately she left off from chopping her herbs and went to the table where the bread was rising. In another basket sitting there was a batch of new, fresh rolls. Even from where I stood, I could smell their warm aroma, and my stomach growled. Luckily, no one seemed to notice, but the reaction served to remind me that I had had only a bit of bread and some tea before setting out this morning. Would we have any luncheon here? Would I be allowed to go home to eat? Or would I have to slave away all day with barely any food in my belly?

  If I had been a bit braver, I might have tried to ask. As it was, I watched as Brynna went to a huge cupboard that covered most of one wall, and retrieved a silver platter and a fine plate, also silver. Alyse reappeared with a pretty little pat of butter on a matching silver plate, and set it down on the platter Brynna had just gotten from the cupboard. Next came two of the rolls. At the same time, the footman went to a kettle that had been hanging over the stove and poured some hot water into a little silver pot that had been sitting out on the counter next to the fireplace. The pot went on the platter, all was arranged in a combination pleasing to the eye, and he went back out, the door swinging shut behind him.

  I raised an eyebrow at Brynna. To my relief, she did not reprimand me for my impertinence, but only said, “His lordship’s breakfast. He does not care to eat much in the morning, but will have his bread and tea. That is why his luncheon must be so substantial.”

  “I see,” I replied. “Substantial” was all very well and good, but at the moment it seemed as if we were preparing enough food for at least ten people.

  However, as the morning wore on, and the chopped vegetables were added to the base Brynna had created with all her herbs and spices and a goodly amount of wine, along with some venison that she cut into cubes herself, I learned that the savory stew we had all helped to create was not intended merely for Lord Sorthannic, but for Master Brinsell as well, and my own Corin, and the other men who were working in the cellars with him.

  Not only that, but each of us in the kitchen was given a good portion of the stew as well, and a slice of bread with butter. The food was delicious, allaying my fears from earlier that I was to be made to starve all day.

  And it seemed that, unless he had guests visiting, the duke consumed his biggest meal in the middle of the day. Brynna watched over Alyse and me as we prepared a pigeon pie for his Grace’s dinner — although the cook made the pastry shell herself — but I was sent home in the late afternoon after that task was done, for I would not be needed again until the morning.

  Which meant I had time to prepare something for Corin and myself. By that point I was heartily sick of looking at the interior of a kitchen, even if it happened to be my own, but I needed to come up with something. Luckily, I had eggs and cheese and bread, and so I layered them all together in a pan, and set them to bake over the fire. Combined with some figs Lynnis had brought over the day before, the dish would make a nice light meal, which sounded very well to me, since I had eaten so heartily in the middle of the day.

  When Corin came home, he appeared relieved that I was not weeping in my room again, or at the very least sulking over my first day of being a kitchen drudge in his lordship’s castle. Indeed, I told him that it had all gone very well, and I was not all that wearied, and I hoped he would enjoy his dinner.

  He sat at the table and smiled at me, and said, “This all looks very good, Marenna, and was more than I expected, frankly. So the work was not so awful after all?”

  “Well, Brynna, the cook, can be rather formidable when she wants. But we ate very well, and because his Grace is not entertaining any guests at the moment, there was no reason for me to stay late and help cook for a multitude. So if my days in the castle follow that particular pattern, I think I should survive this fairly well.”

  Corin nodded, but I watched as his smile faded. He said, “That holds true for now, but I believe the duke is expecting a large number of guests for his harvest ball, which is now only five days hence.”

  The hopeful feeling I had been holding within me as I walked home from the castle began to ebb, but I said stoutly, “I suppose that is true, but even so, that will only be for a few days while his guests are still here. As soon as they have all gone home, things will return to normal, and, as far as I can tell, ‘normal’ is very easy to manage.”

  “I am glad you see it that way.” He ate a few bites of his baked bread and cheese, and nodded in approval. “This is very tasty. Where did you learn to make such a thing?”

  “Oh, Lynnis told me. She said it is good for those times when you don’t have other ingredients on hand, or simply haven’t the time to make something more complicated.”

  “Clever…and practical.” Another bite, and then he set down his fork. “And perhaps you will also begin to pick up a few tips and tricks by working in Brynna’s kitchen.”

  “I hope so,” I said honestly, for the thought had passed through my mind that I could learn from my work in the castle and so be able to offer more dishes to set on the table at home. “However, I could not see all that Brynna was doing today as she prepared that venison stew, and at any rate, she included so many complicated herbs and spices that I am sure we could never afford to stock them all here.”

  “Perhaps. We may be able to do with less.” He paused before adding, “And I have not spent all that much of those fifty gold crowns your father gave me. Once the harvest ball is over, we might see about taking a short trip to Elmcroft to do some shopping. At the very least, we should get you some new shoes.”

  Oh, yes, that was a very good idea. Because the weather had remained fine, and I had not been doing anything too strenuous, my poor battered slippers were limping along, mostly because Lynnis had showed me how to slide a piece of thin leather inside them to help strengthen the worn-out soles. Howeve
r, I could already tell that walking back and forth from my cottage to the castle every day was only going to subject them to more wear and tear, and if it should rain — well, I really did not want to contemplate what a good downpour and some mud might do to those slippers.

  “That sounds wonderful,” I said. “A day away — I think I would like that very much.”

  “Then let us plan for it.” His expression grew quite serious. “I am very proud of you, Marenna, for doing so well today, even though I know you dreaded having to go to the castle and work. But I hope you see now that it is not quite as terrible as you imagined.”

  “No, it was not.” I paused, wishing to gather my thoughts on the subject. At first Brynna had quite intimidated me, but it seemed obvious enough that if I took care as I went about my duties, and was quiet and meek, then we should get on well enough. Yes, I would be the first to admit that “meek” was not a word generally used to describe me, but if I had learned nothing else over the past week, it was that I needed to choose my battles. Squabbling with the cook because she had said something that offended my pride would gain me nothing and very likely could cause me to be dismissed. I couldn’t risk such an outcome, simply because of wounded vanity. “It could have been far, far worse. I think I can manage well enough, especially if I remind myself that it is not permanent.”

  Corin did not respond, beyond inclining his head slightly and returning to the food which still remained on his plate. What that response meant, I was not sure. He had told me that he thought I would only have to work through the winter, but what if Master Brinsell had said something to disabuse him of that notion?

  Well, then, I told myself, you will just have to do something that ensures Brynna will not want you to work there. Something that is no fault of your own.