Page 76 of The School Mistress (Emerson Pass Historicals 1)

“This is a rather large favor.” I laid out the situation with the Wus. By the end, Lizzie’s eyes were practically bugging out of their sockets.

“Am I hearing you correctly? You invited them to live with us?”

“Yes. Or, rather, work for us. For you, that is,” I said.

“But I don’t need any help. And what about the baby? I already have little Fiona. Who will look after them?”

I scratched my head. I hadn’t actually thought that part through.

“Just like a man, Lord Barnes. Not looking at all the angles.” She punched her dough one last time, then put the mass in a buttered bowl. “I don’t want some old lady in my kitchen. What we should do is have her look after the little ones while the rest of them are at school. We’re short a nanny, after all.”

“Lizzie, you’re so smart.”

“I have my moments.”

“Will you mind if they’re in the spare room down here?” I asked.

“It’ll be tight, but I can manage.” She spread a cloth over her bread bowl and placed it nearer the stove. “Speaking of which, I have a favor to ask you.”

“Ask away.”

“I’d like to have my own cottage on the property.”

“You would?” I was amazed by this request. When I’d offered before, she always said she would be too scared to live alone. She liked the main house and her cozy kitchen and bedroom.

“Yes. I’d like to get married and have a few children of my own,” she said. “I’d like to do so in my own home. Nothing fancy. A cottage will do, like the one Harley and Poppy have.”

“Do you have your eye on a fellow?”

“I did. For too long I’ve had my eye on the wrong one. I’m off that now. Do you have any suggestions?”

“The Higgins brothers are single. Nice-looking, too.” My suggestion was evil, but this was a dire circumstance. Jasper was going to lose his chance.

“A cook marrying a butcher. How perfect,” she said, laughing.

“Well, you work on finding the right husband and the moment the winter’s over, we’ll start building.”

“With my luck, the cottage will be quicker than the husband.”

I sat on a stool and rested my elbows on the wood-block island. “Lizzie, what do you think of Miss Quinn?”

“It doesn’t matter too much what I think, given the way you two were kissing earlier.”

I covered my eyes with my hand and looked at her through my fingers. “You saw us?”

“I’d come up to bring tea but decided you two were otherwise occupied.” Lizzie disappeared in the pantry for a moment and came back with a bowl of raw potatoes.

“I hope the children didn’t see us,” I said, worried.

“No, they were all downstairs in the kitchen at the time.” She wagged a finger at me. “You two should be more discreet unless you want them to think you’re getting married. They adore her.”

“Do you know what they said when I told them Quinn was going to be their nanny?”

“That she couldn’t be the nanny because she was supposed to be your wife?” Lizzie sliced a potato into perfect rounds.

“How did you know?” I asked.

“Lord Barnes, the person who spends the most time in the kitchen of any house knows more about the people in it than anyone else. Everything’s discussed in a kitchen.”