Read Online Feud by Lady Grace Cavendish - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lady Grace Cavendish
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love it, for it is a high-ceilinged room, with narrow shelves up one wall for drying the sweetmeats. There is no great fireplace like in a proper kitchen, just a row of small grills over charcoal fires, many chafing dishes, and a supply of best charcoal.
When I arrived, the windows were all open to let the fumes out. But where was that supply of best charcoal? I had hoped I would see a sack of it somewhere, waiting for me to borrow a few lumps. But no, there was no sign of it. Perhaps it was stored in one of the cupboards.
Lady Horsley was wearing a plain white cap and apron over an old velvet gown. Her bony, pale face was quite pink with stirring an earthenware pot on a chafing dish full of hot charcoals. I knew at once what she was making—you can't mistake that wonderful smell of oranges from Spain—it was marmeladasweetmeats, one of my favourite treats. On the wall shelves were wafers, and sweet chestnuts soaking in sugar syrup, and apricots and plums waiting for their frosty white sugar coats to harden. Lady Seymour, Lady Horsley's friend, was mixing a big bowl of pounded sugar loaf—just the white sugar, not the sticky brown sugar from the pointed end of the loaf—and Mary Shelton had just arrived as well.
“Mary, my dear, how is poor Carmina?” asked Lady Horsley in her kind, soft voice.
“Not well,” said Mary Shelton, shaking her head. “She says her stomach is sore, and she won't eat anything but sweetmeats. Everyone has been so kind—she has had kissing comfits from Mrs. Champernowne, and sugared violets and marchpanes from Lady Sarah, and even some Turkey sweetmeats. Olwen is making her sweet wafers on a waferiron, too.”
“Do you like sweetmeats, Grace?” asked Lady Horsley, stirring the marmelada mixture briskly.
“Oh yes,” I said. “Sugar is my favourite spice of all. I like the sugar ribbons—and marmeladas, of course.”
“I am making some more ribbons,” put in Lady Seymour. “See, there's the gumdragon soaking, ready to bind the sugar together. Here, have onefrom yesterday.” She handed me a long ribbon in the shape of a bow, from one of the drying shelves. It was coloured yellow and blue to look like marble, and it was quite beautiful. When they make sugar goblets and plates for banquets, I can never decide whether to eat them or keep them to look at.
I crunched up some of the ribbon.
“Have the broken ones,” said Lady Horsley, giving Mary and me two big handfuls. “I dropped a whole tray this morning.”
I put them in my petticoat pocket to give to Ellie later.
“Would you fetch me some nibbed almonds, my dear?” Lady Horsley asked. She was talking to Mary Shelton, but I pretended I thought it was me, so I could have an excuse to open all the cupboards and look for charcoal.
I found big sugar loaves waiting to be broken up and pounded, jars of almonds and gumdragon and eggs, and even more jars of orange flower water and rose water, but no charcoal! I pretended I hadn't seen the almonds and kept opening cupboards.
I spotted a little oven in one corner, with a separate cupboard next to it. I hastened over and opened the door. Yes! There was the charcoal in a big sack.
“Lady Grace, what are you doing?” asked LadyHorsley, sounding puzzled. By this time, I noticed that Mary Shelton was being helpful and had found the nibbed almonds in the first cupboard I opened.
“I, er … Oooh!” I gasped. “I thought I saw a mouse run in here!” Well, it was the best excuse I could think of at such short notice. “Look! There it is!” I cried, pulling on the sack of charcoal so that it fell over and scattered a few little pieces across the floor.
Lady Horsley sighed and smiled. “Lord save us, Grace, you are as clumsy as Mrs. Champernowne says you are—which I didn't think possible! We'll put Grimalkin in here tonight to catch the mouse.”
I swept up the charcoal and managed to grab a few pieces, lift my kirtle, and slip them into my petticoat pocket. I had to be
When I arrived, the windows were all open to let the fumes out. But where was that supply of best charcoal? I had hoped I would see a sack of it somewhere, waiting for me to borrow a few lumps. But no, there was no sign of it. Perhaps it was stored in one of the cupboards.
Lady Horsley was wearing a plain white cap and apron over an old velvet gown. Her bony, pale face was quite pink with stirring an earthenware pot on a chafing dish full of hot charcoals. I knew at once what she was making—you can't mistake that wonderful smell of oranges from Spain—it was marmeladasweetmeats, one of my favourite treats. On the wall shelves were wafers, and sweet chestnuts soaking in sugar syrup, and apricots and plums waiting for their frosty white sugar coats to harden. Lady Seymour, Lady Horsley's friend, was mixing a big bowl of pounded sugar loaf—just the white sugar, not the sticky brown sugar from the pointed end of the loaf—and Mary Shelton had just arrived as well.
“Mary, my dear, how is poor Carmina?” asked Lady Horsley in her kind, soft voice.
“Not well,” said Mary Shelton, shaking her head. “She says her stomach is sore, and she won't eat anything but sweetmeats. Everyone has been so kind—she has had kissing comfits from Mrs. Champernowne, and sugared violets and marchpanes from Lady Sarah, and even some Turkey sweetmeats. Olwen is making her sweet wafers on a waferiron, too.”
“Do you like sweetmeats, Grace?” asked Lady Horsley, stirring the marmelada mixture briskly.
“Oh yes,” I said. “Sugar is my favourite spice of all. I like the sugar ribbons—and marmeladas, of course.”
“I am making some more ribbons,” put in Lady Seymour. “See, there's the gumdragon soaking, ready to bind the sugar together. Here, have onefrom yesterday.” She handed me a long ribbon in the shape of a bow, from one of the drying shelves. It was coloured yellow and blue to look like marble, and it was quite beautiful. When they make sugar goblets and plates for banquets, I can never decide whether to eat them or keep them to look at.
I crunched up some of the ribbon.
“Have the broken ones,” said Lady Horsley, giving Mary and me two big handfuls. “I dropped a whole tray this morning.”
I put them in my petticoat pocket to give to Ellie later.
“Would you fetch me some nibbed almonds, my dear?” Lady Horsley asked. She was talking to Mary Shelton, but I pretended I thought it was me, so I could have an excuse to open all the cupboards and look for charcoal.
I found big sugar loaves waiting to be broken up and pounded, jars of almonds and gumdragon and eggs, and even more jars of orange flower water and rose water, but no charcoal! I pretended I hadn't seen the almonds and kept opening cupboards.
I spotted a little oven in one corner, with a separate cupboard next to it. I hastened over and opened the door. Yes! There was the charcoal in a big sack.
“Lady Grace, what are you doing?” asked LadyHorsley, sounding puzzled. By this time, I noticed that Mary Shelton was being helpful and had found the nibbed almonds in the first cupboard I opened.
“I, er … Oooh!” I gasped. “I thought I saw a mouse run in here!” Well, it was the best excuse I could think of at such short notice. “Look! There it is!” I cried, pulling on the sack of charcoal so that it fell over and scattered a few little pieces across the floor.
Lady Horsley sighed and smiled. “Lord save us, Grace, you are as clumsy as Mrs. Champernowne says you are—which I didn't think possible! We'll put Grimalkin in here tonight to catch the mouse.”
I swept up the charcoal and managed to grab a few pieces, lift my kirtle, and slip them into my petticoat pocket. I had to be
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