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Ruby relays a message to Denegal of the One Boot
Ruby looked high and low, but Aman was nowhere to be found. As a last resort she hunted up Cook to as if she’d seen Aman. Ruby peeked in the kitchen, but Cook was not there, nor was she in her quarters. The back door to the Kitchen was slightly ajar, though, and she could hear muted voices through the slight gap. Approaching closer, Ruby could tell that one of them was indeed Cook. She opened the door wide, hoping Miz Aman was there with her. But it was only the Gil and Tomlin, whom Cook had drafted into taking the little party lanterns from the trees and was now directing them down the outside steps to the cellar. ‘You’ll find several little wooden crates, at the far east end, lads. The lanterns go in there. And make sure you set the crate tops on firmly.’
Gil winked at Ruby, seeing her face poke out from the kitchen. He wiped the smile from his face and nodded seriously at Cook’s directions. ‘Indeed we will, Miz Bunce!’ he said, urging Tomlin down the stairs ahead of him.
‘Cook?’ called Ruby from the doorway. ‘Have you seen Miz Aman anywhere? There’s a gentleman asking to speak with her.’
‘Probably got up early and put on those riding breeches of hers,’ Cook said, with a decidedly negative emphasis on the word ‘breeches’. ‘And if so, I don’t know when we’ll see hide or hair of the woman!’ Cook came back into the kitchen, straightening her apron as she did so. The big kettle of bean soup that would be for lunch was bubbling merrily away and she gave it a stir and a taste. ‘Needs a pinch or two of thyme,’ she said, ‘and maybe a little more salt.’ Once it was satisfactory to her taste, Cook turned back to Ruby. ‘Now what about this gentleman” Something we can do til Miz Aman gets back?’ The story unfolded of the man with one boot and the flat coin pouch and how nice a man he seemed.
‘Does he look to be an able worker,’ Cook asked, knowing that Ruby was quite good at sizing up people and sifting through stories. Ruby said ‘yes’, he did look honest and he seemed fit enough, if a bit skinny, she offered, as Big Folk tend to be.
‘He’s in luck then,’ said Cook. ‘It’s going to rain to day. I can feel it in my bones. Those long tables and benches we hauled out to the yard for the party need to be brought back into the Common Room before they get all wet and muddy.’ Cook gave the soup another stir. ‘And that reminds me . . . the lad that splits wood for us is home sick. His Ma sent his little sister to let me know. See if that fellow can handle a splitting mall and a saw. There’re two downed beech trees on the far side of the stable need to be bucked and split.’ Cook stood for a few moments, hands on hips considering what she might offer. ‘If he’ll do the work he can have three meals a day and a bed in the stable loft for now. Nothing fancy, but it’ll keep his belly full and the rain off his head.’ She shook her head. ‘Don’t know what we’ll do about boots if he needs them . . .’
Ruby’s face lit up as she remembered the wardrobe closet in the attic. ‘Maybe he can just look through the baskets of abandoned shoes upstairs. Something might fit him.’
Cook shooed her out of the kitchen, saying she had bread to bake. And the evening meal to plan. Ruby bustled back out to the Common Room, making for Denegal’s table.
‘Sorry, sir,’ she began, ‘but I can’t seem to find Miz Aman for you.’ She saw his face fall at her message. ‘But,’ she hurried on, ‘Cook has some work she needs done and wants to know if you’re up to it.’
And with that, Ruby explained Cook’s offer . . .
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