Read Online Stand and Deliver by Leda Swann - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Leda Swann
Tags: Romance
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heated up,” she offered ingratiatingly, the glimmer of an idea forming in her brain. “I could have it ready for you in a trice. It’s ful of sweet carrots and turnips and leeks too, and hunks of potato as big as your fist.”
“We’l have none of your warmed-over leavings,” the magistrate barked at her, a look of distaste of his face at the mention of al the vegetables. “You’l bring us out a decent dinner, or I’l know the reason why.”
“We do have a brace of fine fat eels in the larder,” she said slowly. “My mother was planning to serve them to the gentry in the private parlor, but they might not even like eels.
Not everyone appreciates a fat river eel. I could bake them into a fine pie for you.”
The magistrate’s stomach rumbled loudly at the mention of eels. “That’l do better than warmed-over rabbit stew at any rate. Bring us an eel pie, and be quick about it.”
She bobbed a curtsey. “Right away, sir.”
Once in the kitchen, she leaned against the wooden butcher’s block and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. If she did not manage to distract the soldiers, they would shoot Jack down like a dog, and Jack would go to his death thinking that she had betrayed him.
She could not let that happen. She would rather die herself.
Her mother was in the kitchen as always, busy with the endless round of cooking. A frown spread across her face when she looked up from her work and caught sight of Bess. “What do they want?” she asked, gesturing with her knife at the common parlor where the soldiers had ensconced themselves. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“They’ve come for Jack.”
Her mother’s knife didn’t falter even for a moment in its chopping rhythm. “I might have guessed he was on the run from the law. His breeches were finer than I’ve seen for many a moon. So what’s he wanted for? And before you take it into your head and ask, no, it wasn’t me who put the soldiers on to him. I might not like him sniffing around my daughter’s skirts, but I’d never turn in a man you fancy. Not unless he’d earned it.”
In her panic at seeing the soldiers, she’d not thought about it before, but now this new worry would not leave her alone. Just who had ratted on Jack? Few enough people knew he was here, and fewer stil knew that he was on the run. “He’s only a highwayman, but they’l hang him if they find him.”
Her mother shrugged. “Better an honest thief than a magistrate who’l rob you blind under the guise of the law.
What are you worried about Jack for? He’s ridden over into the next county by now.”
Bess pushed herself upright and headed toward the door that led to the kitchen garden. “Someone must have told them he was here. And that he promised to come back.” Just as soon as she had gotten rid of the magistrate and his ragtag bunch of soldiers, she would find out who the traitor was.
Walking purposeful y now, she strode down to the bottom of the garden. A rotten fishy smel led her to the exact place in the compost heap where her mother had discarded the eels the day before. Luckily, the rats hadn’t gotten at them yet. She poked at them gingerly with a stick.
They were probably too nasty even for the rats.
Gagging at the vile smel , she picked them up careful y by their tails and carried them in to the kitchen.
Her mother wrinkled her nose and flapped her apron at her as she returned. “Get those out of here, girl. Whatever are you thinking of to bring them back inside? You’l chase away our few remaining customers with the stench.”
“The magistrate has ordered an eel pie. These are the only eels we have.”
Her mother looked grim. “Do you know what you are doing, Bess?”
“I am making an eel pie,” she replied stoutly. “Nothing more. It wil not be my fault if the eels turn out to be bad.”
“The magistrate wil see it differently.” She
“We’l have none of your warmed-over leavings,” the magistrate barked at her, a look of distaste of his face at the mention of al the vegetables. “You’l bring us out a decent dinner, or I’l know the reason why.”
“We do have a brace of fine fat eels in the larder,” she said slowly. “My mother was planning to serve them to the gentry in the private parlor, but they might not even like eels.
Not everyone appreciates a fat river eel. I could bake them into a fine pie for you.”
The magistrate’s stomach rumbled loudly at the mention of eels. “That’l do better than warmed-over rabbit stew at any rate. Bring us an eel pie, and be quick about it.”
She bobbed a curtsey. “Right away, sir.”
Once in the kitchen, she leaned against the wooden butcher’s block and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. If she did not manage to distract the soldiers, they would shoot Jack down like a dog, and Jack would go to his death thinking that she had betrayed him.
She could not let that happen. She would rather die herself.
Her mother was in the kitchen as always, busy with the endless round of cooking. A frown spread across her face when she looked up from her work and caught sight of Bess. “What do they want?” she asked, gesturing with her knife at the common parlor where the soldiers had ensconced themselves. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“They’ve come for Jack.”
Her mother’s knife didn’t falter even for a moment in its chopping rhythm. “I might have guessed he was on the run from the law. His breeches were finer than I’ve seen for many a moon. So what’s he wanted for? And before you take it into your head and ask, no, it wasn’t me who put the soldiers on to him. I might not like him sniffing around my daughter’s skirts, but I’d never turn in a man you fancy. Not unless he’d earned it.”
In her panic at seeing the soldiers, she’d not thought about it before, but now this new worry would not leave her alone. Just who had ratted on Jack? Few enough people knew he was here, and fewer stil knew that he was on the run. “He’s only a highwayman, but they’l hang him if they find him.”
Her mother shrugged. “Better an honest thief than a magistrate who’l rob you blind under the guise of the law.
What are you worried about Jack for? He’s ridden over into the next county by now.”
Bess pushed herself upright and headed toward the door that led to the kitchen garden. “Someone must have told them he was here. And that he promised to come back.” Just as soon as she had gotten rid of the magistrate and his ragtag bunch of soldiers, she would find out who the traitor was.
Walking purposeful y now, she strode down to the bottom of the garden. A rotten fishy smel led her to the exact place in the compost heap where her mother had discarded the eels the day before. Luckily, the rats hadn’t gotten at them yet. She poked at them gingerly with a stick.
They were probably too nasty even for the rats.
Gagging at the vile smel , she picked them up careful y by their tails and carried them in to the kitchen.
Her mother wrinkled her nose and flapped her apron at her as she returned. “Get those out of here, girl. Whatever are you thinking of to bring them back inside? You’l chase away our few remaining customers with the stench.”
“The magistrate has ordered an eel pie. These are the only eels we have.”
Her mother looked grim. “Do you know what you are doing, Bess?”
“I am making an eel pie,” she replied stoutly. “Nothing more. It wil not be my fault if the eels turn out to be bad.”
“The magistrate wil see it differently.” She
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