Voices Deep Inside (Book 1)

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty

The Card Tournament

Talia awoke after sunrise and felt fully rested after a splendid night of sleep. Agnes and Myrna were gone. Talia dressed in her navy-blue dress and headed downstairs to find Agnes. She found her in the kitchen, helping Edith and the rest of the staff preparing breakfast.

"Agnes, what in the world are you doing down here?" asked Talia.

"Lass, there has not been a morning in my life that I have not worked in a kitchen," said Agnes. "I sleep so well last night in a proper bed. When I awoke this morning, you were sleeping so sound. Besides, I visited with Edith last night and she welcomed my help."

Agnes was dressed in her black skirt and white blouse with a fresh apron. She was rolling out cinnamon rolls for the morning. Talia saw two other bowls of dough rising by the hearth.

"I welcomed the help this morning, especially when this woman knows her way around the kitchen," said Edith. "This is quite a crowd to feed. We will have our hands full today. Have you seen the weather, child?"

Talia looked out the kitchen windows, and it was a whiteout snowstorm. She couldn't see a building in the yard.

"What about the competitions?" asked Talia.

"I'm guessing everyone will be inside for the day," said Edith.

Talia poured herself some hot water and made a cup of tea. She sat down at the long trestle table to enjoy the steaming beverage. When she finished, she grabbed an apron and helped Agnes with the cinnamon rolls.

"Agnes, what would it take to convince you to come work for Roman and I when we get our new house built?" asked Talia.

"After last night, not much," said Agnes. "Lady Prudence brought one cook from the Garland Estate. She told me that only Bonnie knew how to make certain recipes just for her. I think she thinks I am getting too old for the job."

"Oh, come work with me," said Talia. "You can design your own kitchen and choose your own staff."

"That is a mighty tempting offer," said Edith.

"My family has worked for over three generations for the Huntley's. It is the only home I know."

"I will build you your own bedroom with a proper bed instead of a cot."

"You make it sound tempting."

"Please think about it."

"I will."

The women continued to work as more guests came down for breakfast. Talia enjoyed a fresh cinnamon roll with butter in the kitchen before joining the guests in the dining room.

The men from the bunkhouse came into the house covered in snow. They tied ropes together and followed one another to the house.

"It is blowing up to be a blizzard out there," said Reggie as he walked into the kitchen to help himself to coffee.

The rest of the men followed suit as the servant girls in the kitchen, broomed the snow away and hung their cloaks to dry. Edith chased every one of them out of her kitchen.

Calvin took a seat at the end of the trestle table, and Agnes brought him a fresh cinnamon roll and coffee.

"A man could get used to this kind of treatment," said Calvin, winking at Agnes.

She blushed and said, "Oh, go on with you. Drink your coffee before it gets cold," and she set the butter and a knife next to him.

During breakfast, Gordon announced to the guests that they would cancel the competitions for today because of the weather.