WILLOW MANOR

Chapter Three

The rest of the night passed without incident and Katie woke and dressed by 7:30. She came downstairs and realized she had no clue where she should be. No one was around, so she followed the hall beyond the sitting room, past the dining room, to the kitchen.

The room was enormous, and fancier than any home kitchen Katie had ever seen. Beautiful wood cabinetry lined the walls, with built in fixtures. One wall boasted a wide paned window. Katie was struck by the sheer elegance of the room. She ran her hand over the granite counter on the island in the center of the room and gazed up at the copper-bottomed cookware hanging above it.

"Hello?" A man's voice startled her from behind. "Can I help you?"

He was standing in the doorway of a pantry, with a jar of honey in one hand and a box of tea in the other. He was dressed in a white button-down shirt, jeans, and a bibbed apron. He was positively ancient.

"You startled me." Katie smiled and offered her hand. "I'm Katie Gallagher. I'm the new nanny."

The old man looked at her hand, then gestured with his own two full hands. He looked at her suspiciously. "Nobody said nothing about a new nanny."

"I know. There was some confusion." She said. "I arrived last night."

"Last night?" He seemed to try and ascertain her sincerity just by staring at her. Then, he either decided she was telling the truth or he decided it didn't matter. He shrugged. "Well, fine. You don't have any food allergies, do you?"

She was surprised at the quick change of subject. "Uh, no."

"Not some kind of vegetarian?" He narrowed his eyes. Katie shook her head. "Gluten free? Lactose intolerant?"

"No." She said. "Nothing like that."

"Alright then." The man crossed to her, put the tea and honey down on the island and offered his own hand. "My name is Archie Morris. I'm the head cook here."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Morris." She shook his hand, surprisingly firm and warm despite the man's frail appearance, and gave the large room another admiring look. "How many cooks does Mr. Barrington employ?"

"It's just Archie, Miss." He winked and grabbed the kettle off the cook island and took it to the sink. "And there's just me. But I like to say head cook. Makes me feel important."

Katie laughed. "Of course. Then I am the head governess. And it's Katie."

"Don't go getting airs, Katie. You have to put in some time here before you become head of anything." Archie put the full kettle on the burner and turned it on. "You can't just come in last night and start out at the top this morning."

"I apologize." Katie stepped back out of the way while Archie moved to the oven and removed two tins of muffins. She could smell the warm cinnamon and apple from her place at the island. "Those smell delicious."

"They are delicious." He stripped off the oven mitts and dropped them onto the counter. "I've made these at least twice a week since Walter was a boy. They're his favorite."

She watched him move around the kitchen with a smooth grace that came from years of familiarity. "So you've been here a long time, then?"

"Oh yes." He opened a cabinet and pulled a large bowl out. Then he went to the refrigerator. "I worked for Mr. Brandon Barrington since I was a young man. Now, I work for Mr. Walter Barrington."

"That's awesome." She smiled. The old man was not just loyal to his employer. He had a real affection for Walter Barrington. "You're just like one of the family."