Page 41 of Bound to His Oath

"Was I not supposed to?" I asked.

"Most people don't."

"Oh." I shrugged as I took another bite. "My parents' cook taught me how to cook when I was younger. She always said that I needed to know every spice and how it could enhance or ruin a recipe."

"Smart woman."

I'd also thought so.

Out of everyone, I missed Mrs. Beckerman the most. She'd been the one to kiss my booboos and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Her husband, who was the family butler, had taught me all I needed to know to be a man.

I missed them both.

"Did she teach you how to make bread?"

I nodded.

"Would you like to make bread with me?"

"Huh..." I glanced down at the fancy suit Luca had purchased for me.

"Take your jacket off and roll up your sleeve. I have an apron you can use."

I tucked in my lips, my face flushing.

The old woman narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"My shirt is...um...it's kind of see-through."

The woman snorted and pointed. "There's a slip-over apron in the pantry."

I walked into the pantry and found the apron. I took off my fancy blazer and slipped the apron on and then hurried back to help the woman make bread.

"My name is Nico." It was polite to introduce myself even if she already seemed to know my name.

"I am Elena."

I smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you, Elena."

She nodded at me before gesturing to the dough in the bowl I'd pulled down for her. "That needs to be kneaded and these old hands don't work like they used to."

I'd already stuck my hands in the bowl and grabbed the dough. I set it on the cutting board and started kneading it. "I have a recipe for some ointment that can help. I used to make it for the cook all the time. I can easily make it for you. It helps with the swelling caused by arthritis and takes away some of the pain."

I leaned closer to her as if I had a secret to tell her. "It also smells good, not like that chemical stuff they sell you across the counter."

She eyed me with hawk like eyes that reminded me of Luca and asked, "How do you make it?"

I listed off the ingredients, their amounts, and what to do with the ointment. "I know it works. Mrs. Beckerman used it all the time and it decreased the swelling and gave her better range of motion."

"Maybe you can make me some."

"Sure." I nodded toward the dough. "Just let me finish with this and I'll make you up a batch. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Do you know if you have all the ingredients?"

"I believe so," she replied. "I'll get the ingredients out for you while you finish with that dough."

By the time I put the dough back into the bowl and covered it with a dishtowel, Elena had gathered all the ingredients I'd need to make the ointment.

I quickly cleaned off the cutting board and then washed my hands before grabbing another bowl and beginning to add the ingredients. I had made it enough times that I knew the amounts I'd need of each by heart.

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