Read Online Too Scandalous to Wed by Alexandra Benedict - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alexandra Benedict
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Sebastian strolled past dish racks and dry sinks, a wine cellar and the cook’s bedroom before he happened upon a warm, roasting fire…and Henrietta.
She was at a long wood table, her auburn hair twisted in a tight chignon. She was wearing an apron to protect her day dress—and rolling dough.
Sebastian sniffed the air.
Ginger.
She was making gingerbread.
Henrietta picked up a small sack of flour, tipped it, and dumped most of the powder on the breadboard.
She gasped and quickly scooped the extra flour back into the sack, stirring up a white cloud.
“ Achooo! ”
He shouldn’t be alone with the chit; it wasn’t right…but he was hungry.
“Bless you, Miss Ashby.”
She bristled. “Oh, good morning, Ravenswood.” She stuffed the rest of the flour into the sack, wiped her powdery fingers across her apron—and smiled.
The warm glow of the fire brightened her cheeks,the soft dusting of a rosy blush making her all the more winsome.
“What are you doing here, Ravenswood?”
Sebastian stooped to pass under the short door frame. “I’m hungry, Miss Ashby.”
There was a look in her eyes, a smoky look. The kind of look a wanton mistress would offer when she was gripped by a carnal hunger.
Sebastian blinked. It must be the shadows in the room, fooling his eyes.
“I’m afraid I missed breakfast this morning, Miss Ashby.”
There was a wooden bowl on the table, covered with linen. She flipped back the cloth. “Cookies, my lord?”
Sebastian approached the table and peeked into the bowl. “Did you bake the cookies?”
“Just now.”
A bit dubious, Sebastian picked up a piece of gingerbread. “Why are you baking cookies, Miss Ashby?”
“Oh, I bake them every year at Christmas.”
“Do you?”
She nodded. “For the children in the village.”
Sebastian eyed her, then the cookie again. Well, it looked edible.
He popped the spicy treat into his mouth and found it to be…“Delicious.”
She beamed. “Thank you, my lord. Have another.”
“I think I will, Miss Ashby.”
One. Two. Three. Four treats later—maybe more—Sebastian’s belly was thoroughly filled and satisfied. The chit really was a splendid cook.
“That was very good, Miss Ashby.”
There was something shifty about her smile. “I’m glad you think so, Ravenswood.” She plunked another breadboard on the table. “Here. You’ll need this.”
He eyed the culinary accouterment with curiosity. “For what?”
“Well, since you ate all the children’s cookies, you’ll have to make some more dough.”
He blinked. “Miss Ashby, you’re not—”
A large bowl landed on the breadboard. “Put in three cups of flour.”
Sebastian just stared at her. She wanted him to bake? Cookies?
“Miss Ashby, I don’t know the first thing about making cookies.”
“That’s why I’m here, Ravenswood.” She passed him a cup. “Three cups, remember.”
Sebastian took the cup and stifled a growl. He had to work for his food. How ignoble. If he’d known the price of those blasted cookies, he’d have starved instead.
He divested his coat and rolled up his sleeves.
“You tricked me, Miss Ashby.” He dumped the flour into the bowl. “That wasn’t very good of you.”
“Perhaps I did, my lord…a cup of brown sugar next…but it’s lonely down here; I need the company of a friend.”
He humphed and mixed in the brown sugar.
She handed him two small vials. “Now for a pinch of cinnamon and a dash of ginger.”
He tossed in the spices. “What happened to your sisters?”
Henrietta worked at her end of the table, rolling a ready batch of dough. “My sisters took the children in the sleighs for a winter trip.”
“What about the servants?”
“Tomorrow’s Christmas, Ravenswood. The servants get a holiday. Besides, I volunteered to bake the cookies.”
“And yet here I am, helping you.”
She grinned. “I really appreciate the assistance, my lord.” She took a round tin cookie cutter and sliced up the
She was at a long wood table, her auburn hair twisted in a tight chignon. She was wearing an apron to protect her day dress—and rolling dough.
Sebastian sniffed the air.
Ginger.
She was making gingerbread.
Henrietta picked up a small sack of flour, tipped it, and dumped most of the powder on the breadboard.
She gasped and quickly scooped the extra flour back into the sack, stirring up a white cloud.
“ Achooo! ”
He shouldn’t be alone with the chit; it wasn’t right…but he was hungry.
“Bless you, Miss Ashby.”
She bristled. “Oh, good morning, Ravenswood.” She stuffed the rest of the flour into the sack, wiped her powdery fingers across her apron—and smiled.
The warm glow of the fire brightened her cheeks,the soft dusting of a rosy blush making her all the more winsome.
“What are you doing here, Ravenswood?”
Sebastian stooped to pass under the short door frame. “I’m hungry, Miss Ashby.”
There was a look in her eyes, a smoky look. The kind of look a wanton mistress would offer when she was gripped by a carnal hunger.
Sebastian blinked. It must be the shadows in the room, fooling his eyes.
“I’m afraid I missed breakfast this morning, Miss Ashby.”
There was a wooden bowl on the table, covered with linen. She flipped back the cloth. “Cookies, my lord?”
Sebastian approached the table and peeked into the bowl. “Did you bake the cookies?”
“Just now.”
A bit dubious, Sebastian picked up a piece of gingerbread. “Why are you baking cookies, Miss Ashby?”
“Oh, I bake them every year at Christmas.”
“Do you?”
She nodded. “For the children in the village.”
Sebastian eyed her, then the cookie again. Well, it looked edible.
He popped the spicy treat into his mouth and found it to be…“Delicious.”
She beamed. “Thank you, my lord. Have another.”
“I think I will, Miss Ashby.”
One. Two. Three. Four treats later—maybe more—Sebastian’s belly was thoroughly filled and satisfied. The chit really was a splendid cook.
“That was very good, Miss Ashby.”
There was something shifty about her smile. “I’m glad you think so, Ravenswood.” She plunked another breadboard on the table. “Here. You’ll need this.”
He eyed the culinary accouterment with curiosity. “For what?”
“Well, since you ate all the children’s cookies, you’ll have to make some more dough.”
He blinked. “Miss Ashby, you’re not—”
A large bowl landed on the breadboard. “Put in three cups of flour.”
Sebastian just stared at her. She wanted him to bake? Cookies?
“Miss Ashby, I don’t know the first thing about making cookies.”
“That’s why I’m here, Ravenswood.” She passed him a cup. “Three cups, remember.”
Sebastian took the cup and stifled a growl. He had to work for his food. How ignoble. If he’d known the price of those blasted cookies, he’d have starved instead.
He divested his coat and rolled up his sleeves.
“You tricked me, Miss Ashby.” He dumped the flour into the bowl. “That wasn’t very good of you.”
“Perhaps I did, my lord…a cup of brown sugar next…but it’s lonely down here; I need the company of a friend.”
He humphed and mixed in the brown sugar.
She handed him two small vials. “Now for a pinch of cinnamon and a dash of ginger.”
He tossed in the spices. “What happened to your sisters?”
Henrietta worked at her end of the table, rolling a ready batch of dough. “My sisters took the children in the sleighs for a winter trip.”
“What about the servants?”
“Tomorrow’s Christmas, Ravenswood. The servants get a holiday. Besides, I volunteered to bake the cookies.”
“And yet here I am, helping you.”
She grinned. “I really appreciate the assistance, my lord.” She took a round tin cookie cutter and sliced up the
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