The Midwife and the Marquess

Chapter 3: After the Rain

Maria entered the kitchen early the next morning to see Mrs. Poppy Crumb kneading a comically large ball of dough. "Good morning, Mrs. Crumb," she said. The woman looked up in surprise before her features softened into a homely smile.

"Oh Maria, how good it is to see you!" she exclaimed, swiftly approaching to embrace Maria with her floury hands held out wide.

Relief coursed through Maria. She'd been nervous to see her old friend again. While Mrs. Crumb occasionally visited her sister in the village, Maria did not know how she would react to seeing her again in this particular setting. The circumstances in which they had last been in this house together hadn't been ideal. She embraced her friend and lightly kissed her on the cheek. "It is good to see you too."

"Now, come sit down and tell us all about yourself and the news of our dear Mrs. Thorne and the babe! Oh! Have you breakfasted yet?" Mrs. Crumb brought Maria to the long dining table in the kitchen. At the table sat a young footman, absentmindedly sipping his tea. Vestiges of a mid-morning refreshment sprinkled the small china plate in front of him. He was reading from a small pamphlet which lay spread open in his palm. Maria could see drawings of figures posed mid-action, swinging a bat while a black dot sailed over the page. Maria smiled to herself. Was he reading a sports pamphlet?

"Off with you Marcus! Mr. Graves is certainly wondering what's taking you so long." Mrs. Crumb made a shooing motion at the young man, who smiled crookedly up at her, dimples playing at the corners of his mouth.

He gulped the dregs of his tea, scooped up his reading material and mumbled, "Ta for the bite to eat, Mrs. Crumb," before bolting out of the kitchen.

Mrs. Crumb pursed her lips. "Young men and their appetites. They'd empty my larder in the blink of an eye if I let them."

"Some things never change, I suppose," Maria replied amiably.

Mrs. Crumb guffawed. "Oh yes, indeed." She looked at Maria contemplatively, her eyebrows raised. "Some things never change. Is that so, girl?"

Maria felt a flush heat her cheeks. Which was ridiculous; she had nothing to feel ashamed of, not now anyway. She cleared her throat and tried to revert the conversation. "I have not yet broken my fast, Mrs. Crumb. In fact, I came down to see if I might be able to bring up a tray for Mrs. Thorne and myself so that we might breakfast together."

Cook gave Maria a sly look, obviously noting the deflection. "Well of course!" she exclaimed in an overly loud voice and turned to speak to a young woman behind her. "Jenny, put a platter together for Maria and Mrs. Thorne. Oh, and add some of those tarts from yesterday."

"Yes ma'am," the scullery maid answered respectfully, turning from her place by the fire to take a large tray down from a shelf.

"May I be of assistance?" Maria asked.

"Oh pish!" Mrs. Crumb waved her chubby, floury hands at Maria as she recommenced roughly beating the poor dough. "No need for that now. Jenny can handle a simple breakfast platter on her own." Cook's words were scolding but her expression was warm.

Maria remembered a time when she had been in Jenny's position; a young scullery maid to this older, eternally bustling woman who was far more perceptive than she seemed. But that was a long time ago and Maria was no longer employed under this woman. No, the only people she was beholden to now were the mother and baby waiting for their breakfast upstairs.

So Maria sat down at the table and watched as the young woman prepared the tea and toast, filling the platter with neatly arranged slices of meats and cheeses, a pot of jam and a bowl of pickled vegetables- plus the tarts. It was a rather lovely display, and Maria exchanged a smile with Jenny as she took the finished platter from the girl. "Thank you," she said, turning from Jenny to Mrs. Crumb. "It was good to see you again Mrs. Crumb."