Page 31 of The Chef and the Countess

Chapter 10

Monday arrived, and Celia rose early. Not that she’d gotten much sleep the night before as she was excited to start work. How disappointing to find no one was up yet, except the young apprentices chopping and peeling vegetables in the kitchen. Frustrated, she climbed the stairs and entered the hallway just in time to see Liam emerge from the bathing room.

Celia stopped short. He was shirtless, with a towel slung carelessly over his broad shoulder, and his trousers unbuttoned partway and riding low on his muscular hips. Her mouth went dry at the glorious sight of him. Liam stood as tall as a lovingly carved marble statue of the perfect man, at least in Celia’s eyes. He had just shaved. Running her fingers along his smooth, flawless skin would be tempting. Liam’s hair was disheveled enough to complete the handsome rogue look.

“Good morning,” she said with a smile, keeping her voice steady. She hadn’t seen him since he’d delivered her trunks early yesterday afternoon.

“I’ll meet you downstairs in fifteen minutes.” He turned on his heel and headed toward his rooms.

Watching him walk away was almost as exciting as seeing him from the front. Liam’s back muscles bunched as he gracefully strode away. His shapely rear end punctuated the perfection point.

Celia shook her head. Holy crow, what am I doing? Desiring a man with her husband barely dead a month? With a deep breath and an exhale, Celia headed toward the stairs and the kitchen below. There had been no love in her marriage, and the sex had merely to beget an heir.

But she imagined sex with Liam would be the exact opposite—passion incarnate. All she could do was imagine; he’d filled her nightly dreams since she met him. Celia smiled knowingly. Now, she had a new vision to fill her heated nocturnal thoughts.

When Celia strode into the kitchen, she put aside all thoughts of the strikingly handsome Liam. “Good morning, lads,” she smiled. “Did you have breakfast?”

“Aye, miss,” Teddy replied shyly. “There’s toast and jam and eggs and bacon on a hot plate in the eating room.”

“Thank you.” Celia entered the dining area and swiftly filled her plate of food. A pot of tea sat nearby, and she filled her mug with milk and some sugar. By the time she was halfway through her meal, Liam had entered, inclining his head in acknowledgment.

He sat across from her. “I’ll get you started on the fillings after we eat. Tommy wants you to show him how thick you want the bread sliced. The good news is that the shrimp is already cooked and deveined. My supplier does it for me. It saves me time.”

“How clever,” she replied as she sipped her tea.

“Teddy is boiling eggs, and he will assist you in slicing and mashing the pickle. You will have to work fast; if you run out of bread, you must slice it yourself. Have Tommy give you tips. Save the crusts and other bits. We make a bread pudding from it. The lads will assist you when they can in the next few days, but ultimately, you must do the bulk of the work yourself. We can’t afford to fall behind. I have the kitchen running like a well-oiled machine. You must learn to move with the flow.”

“If I wasn’t nervous before, now I am more so. Did you see the menus I crafted? I left them on your desk yesterday afternoon while you were gone.”

Liam sliced his ham into bite-sized pieces. “I did. Thank you. We will use them today.”

Celia took a piece of bacon and nibbled on it. “About my trunks—”

“You already thanked me.”

“Did you see Darrington or Shinwell?”

“Shinwell. He still owes that gaming debt. I went there to collect it. He told me to sod off.”

Celia sighed. “Shinwell is a repugnant creature. No wonder he’s not married yet. He was always getting into trouble, fights with other boys, stealing, tormenting the staff.”

“And you?” Liam asked as he sipped his tea.

“Yes. It started with spitting in my pudding, tripping me, hiding my books. Thank God he was away at Eton part of the time when he wasn’t sent home for one infraction of the rules or another. They always took him back, however. When I turned twelve, and he was fifteen, the torment took on a more nefarious angle.”

“How so?” Liam asked slowly. His tone of voice showed he had already guessed what.

“He tried to corner me in dark cupboards or pull me into unoccupied rooms. Once, he pinned me against the wall and touched me—all over. I was already developing, you see. He tried to sneak into my room at night on numerous occasions. That was when I was sent away to finishing school. I think Aunt Etta suspected.”

“That miserable miscreant. I should’ve pounded him senseless,” Liam growled. “He assaulted you.”

Celia nodded. “Yes, he did. I never thought of it in such stark terms, but it’s true. I don’t know why I told you that. I’ve never told a living soul before. Be careful when dealing with Shinwell and Darrington--there is something sinister about them. I do not want you harmed. My advice is to wait for my aunt to return. You can collect the debt through her. It would be safer.”

“I’ll think it over.” Liam frowned. “I despise that you were treated that way.”

“Women and girls from all walks of life encounter such, I’m sure,” Celia murmured.

“Unfortunately.” Liam stood. “That doesn’t make it right. I’m sorry you were subjected to that. Come, let’s get you started. Leave the dishes. The boys will collect them.”