THE COOK'S SWORD

Chapter 15

Everybody was busy at their assigned work. Some running up and down wanting to finish what they were doing on time. The cleaners were doing the final touches in decorating the manor. 

Yes.

This evening the Christmas ball would start and it will run for a whole week just as the Lord of the manor, Lord Wright, had said and prepared for. The house was a sight to behold. Ribbons hanging from the roof. Paper balloons could also be seen hanging from the doorways.

The kitchen was also a similar spectacle. Cutlery cluttered, pans banged, utensils clanked and all looked like a mess to a visitor, but to them that were in the kitchen, that was custom prior to the festivities.

"Laura are you okay over there. And Jennifer, stop gaping out the window." Mrs. Roberts asked Laura at the same time reprimanding one of the servants who was under her supervision to stop peeping out the window. The servant immediately busied herself.

"Yes Ma'am. I am alright." Laura answered.

Mrs. Roberts oversaw all the activities in the kitchen. It was like an unspoken agreement between the two ladies, Mrs. Roberts and Laura. Mrs. Roberts as the overall supervisor and Laura as the stove's personnel, as she never took any interest in what the rest of the kitchen staff did except for those who were cooking together with her. These she guided and supervised with such precision that no one has ever seen. A hawk's eye to ensure that no one did wrong by the food, in an atempt to bring the best dishes to the table as she usually did.

Today they were to cook a chicken casserole and roast potatoes for dinner. Some of the kitchen staff were busy peeling bag after bag of potatoes, others were plucking feathers from the chicken while others were busy by the pots on the stoves cooking.

Laura stood at the kitchen counter away from everybody, preparing spices to marinate the cooked chicken. This was her favorite part in cooking. No one knew of her plans and she wanted to surprise Mrs. Roberts with the marinated chicken. She hoped that she would love it. Normally they did not cook chicken at the manor and this was her one chance that she had to showcase her passion in the kitchen cooking chicken.

"Hey Mrs. Roberts! Please pass me one chicken breast." She asked Mrs. Roberts, who was high on her heels wanting to know what Laura was doing. She passed the asked chicken part, but little did she know what Laura had in store for her.

"Do you mind going to the flower garden and bring me a dozen lilies, a dozen roses and a dozen sunflowers?" Laura asked Mrs. Roberts flashing her, a charming smile that she was sure she could not be able to resist.

Mrs. Roberts was flabbergasted for a moment. Mouth hanging open, eyes wide, the questions were evident on her face. 'What the heck has gotten into you? Do you want to poison the chicken? What's with the flowers?'

These very same questions could be seen reflected in the more than three dozen faces looking at her with astonishment. It was not common for Laura to ask anyone lest of all their head supervisor to run a task.

"What do you want to do with the flowers? Are you insane?" The questions were out of Mrs. Roberts' mouth before it could even register in her mind what to say.

Laura burst into a fit of laughter that no one expected. By this she confirmed the suspicion that most of they, who were in the kitchen had. She had gone bonkers. Either from too much pressure of the festivities or maybe she was hanging on a loose thread of sanity and it had snapped letting her fall. She rarely smiled let alone laugh, which was so unlike her.

The Laura she had portrayed at the manor was an ice cold lady who everyone thought she did not have a facial expression except for the hardened look that was always present on her face or on the rare if not none existent instances a small smile that appeared at the corners of her mouth. The laugh was so melodious. It carried the hidden happiness that she had and more to it, it also seemed to have a wisdom that could not be denied.

"Just bring them and you will know" She said after getting her laugh under control.

Mrs. Roberts hesitated for a moment before a voice had her scurrying away, the hem of her skirts following behind her. A voice of command and authority.

"Do as she says." The voice of Lord Wright was heard from the kitchen doorway. No one had seen him nor even felt his presence. And from the look on his face it was evident he had witnessed the moment in the kitchen. His face held a confused look but if you looked closely he had a smile hidden in the contours of his face.

No one noticed but Laura did.

"Here is my chicken breast and also I have gone to get the flowers. I think I wouldn't want to miss whatever you are planning." Lord Wright said handing Laura a piece of chicken before he also left.

"What was that all about?" Helen one of the kitchen staff, was the one to ask after she could no longer hold her question

"Miss Laura Kenwinsky here was trying to get rid of Mrs. Roberts. The old lady was breathing down her neck and she wants to do something that she does not want anybody to know. Let us give her, her space so that she does her thing" Jennifer reasoned.

All this time Laura was busy dipping the chicken in the curry that she had made. She turned to Jennifer and smiled at her in acknowledgement. "Everybody let's get busy. Whatever that comes out of this kitchen should be delicious and more than that has ever been made. Let us make our boss proud before his guest." She told the staff before continuing with what she was doing.

Mrs. Roberts and Lord Wright came back before the chicken was ready. She sent them to the dining table to arrange the flowers. They went and arranged the flowers and sat at the table. Laura selected two kitchen staff and they went and served Mrs. Roberts and Lord Wright.

This was the first time that the kitchen staff had served Lord Wright and they were afraid, that something would go wrong. They lay the chicken on the table and the potatoes. Laura stepped forward and placed a plate in front of Lord Wright and Mrs. Roberts. She went ahead and served each a piece of chicken and three pieces of potatoes.

"Welcome." She said

She waited with held breath as they each took a piece of chicken in their mouths. No one spoke.

Eyes closed, they bathed in the taste of the chicken. Their taste glands coming alive with sweetness never felt before. Not wanting to let go off the taste. They savored it and some more. Producing sounds frrom the back of their throats that they did not notice, the duo shared this moment. Trying to embed it to their memoriees as well as the taste glands.

"This is excellent. I am speechless. What is your secret? This is why you sent me away?" Mrs. Roberts fumbled with words. One incomplete thought coming before the other. Not able to hold onto the questions or even the complements.

"Mrs. Roberts, cooking is an art. Just like knitting, which I hate most and you love, you learn and try out new things to bring about something worth a smile not only to you but also to other people.

Lord Wright was speechless, all that could be heard from him was moaning as he enjoyed the delicacy set before him. He was flabbergasted. How could one so young have all these skills and talent? Not only her being young puzzled him, but also having such skills all rounded and more to it being of the female species.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

It is yet another chapter brought forth by the author. 

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