by Nell Hampton
“Come in,” she said through the closed door. “Ah, Chef Cole,” she said once I entered. “Thank you for coming.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied and stood with my hands behind my back.
“Please sit,” she said and folded her hands on the desk in front of her. “I understand you’ve been through quite an ordeal.”
“Yes,” I said simply. I was tired of telling the story.
“I would have never thought Mrs. Perkins was capable of such a thing. I’ve known her for thirty years.”
“She thought she was protecting her daughter,” I said. “The inspector said that she may be put in the hospital for the criminally insane.”
“Well, it certainly has been a terrible two weeks.” She put her elbows on her desk, rested her chin in her hands, and studied me. “Are you all right?”
“I’m okay,” I said.
“I’m glad to hear that. The duchess has made it clear that she’s very happy with the meals you’ve prepared for her and the family. I’m also going to ask you personally to stay. I think you are a good influence on the staff. If you need a few days off, let me know. We can work it out.”
“I’m fine,” I said. I had a few bruises from my encounter with Mrs. Perkins, but for the most part, I was unharmed. “I’d rather keep working if that’s okay.”
“That’s certainly all right,” she said. “The duchess wants to see you. Do you have a moment?”
“Sure,” I said and stood. Who turns down an audience with the duchess of Cambridge?
Mrs. Worth stood as well. “Good. Come with me. She’s waiting.”
I followed Mrs. Worth back through the servants’ hallway to the office where I’d first seen the duchess. Mrs. Worth gave a short knock.
Penny opened the door. “Hello,” she said with a welcoming smile. Then she turned to the duchess, who sat at her desk perusing paperwork. The children played quietly in the sunlight from the large windows that lined one wall. This time there was only one nanny in attendance. I assumed that meant the duchess planned to play with her children as soon as her duties were done. “It’s Mrs. Worth and Chef Cole,” Penny announced.
The duchess looked up. Her smile filled the room. Even though she was clearly home for the day—her hair was in a messy bun, her makeup was minimal, and she wore a striped boat-neck T-shirt and dark jeans—she still looked radiant. “Hello, come in. I promise I won’t take but a moment of your time.”
Mrs. Worth stepped forward, and I caught myself before I curtsied. We walked up to the elegantly appointed desk. “I bought Chef Cole, as you requested,” Mrs. Worth said.
“Right,” the duchess said. “Please, Chef Cole, have a seat.”
I sat down.
“I realize that I haven’t had the time to get to know you and to really welcome you to the family,” the duchess said. “I try to keep things as normal as possible for the children, but sometimes duties overwhelm.”
“I understand.”
She placed her folded hands on the top of her desk. “First of all, your meals have been spot-on. I want to thank you for creating such wonderful dishes. As you know, we like to be as careful as possible with the budget. My husband’s father believed in using what is available to us, and we agree with and want to continue that tradition. So thank you for adhering to those standards.”
I nodded. “You’re welcome. I’m glad the food has been satisfactory.”
“I also understand that things in the kitchens have been a bit extraordinary lately. Security Chief Gordon has informed me that you have been holding your own through a terrible time. And Mrs. Worth tells me you have been flexible while the facility was cleaned and renovated. For that, I would also like to thank you. It can’t be easy being so far from home and thrown not only into the royal palace but into the scene of . . .” She glanced at her children. “Unusual affairs. I wanted to personally thank you and let you know that your dedication has not gone unnoticed. Mrs. Worth tells me that despite all that has happened, you are staying with us for the next year. With all the comings and goings on in our life, it is good for the children to have as much stability as possible.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said.
She flashed me a quick smile. “Now I want you to know that you can come to Mrs. Worth or myself with any questions or concerns. My husband and I like everyone to be one big happy family here. Let’s hope the last two weeks have been a once-in-a-lifetime event. I’ve tasked Security Chief Gordon with ensuring that is the case.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Do you have any questions for me?”
“No, ma’am,” I said.
“Wonderful. I’ve sent menus for the next two weeks while I’m off on tour. Are they agreeable to you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Great. Thank you, Chef Cole, for solving a difficult problem in the kitchen and for continuing to remain loyal to the family. You are appreciated.”
With that, I stood and left with Mrs. Worth.
“Well done, Chef Cole,” Mrs. Worth said once we were in the hallway. “I think you’ve proven yourself a fine addition to the family.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Now back to work.” She pointed toward the kitchen. I walked back by myself and thought about all that had happened in the last two weeks. A new home, an errant kiss, breaking up with John, and finally, a murder solved. It was enough to make my head spin.
The best part was that I still had a job. Chef Butterbottom might even have been showing signs of begrudging respect. My new life was filled with possibilities.
I entered the kitchen, put on a clean apron, and went to work on the tea cakes for tea. I might be a fish out of water, but I was quickly learning to swim with the current.
Queen of Puddings
Queen of Pudding is a classic bread pudding dish with the twist of jam and meringue. I was attracted to the dish because of the name. Traditionally you use strawberry jam and white bread. When I made it, I used triple-berry jam and pretzel bread crumbs. Pretzel bread gave it a nice chew, and it’s fun to chop into chunks. I don’t suggest using store-bought bread crumbs because you really want the cubes to soak up the egg mixture.
Ingredients
2⅓ cups milk 1 cup white bread crumbs
1 tbs butter—plus some extra for the dish
2 tbs light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs orange zest
2 eggs, large
4 tbs strawberry jam
¼ cup extra-fine sugar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter sides and bottom of a 4-cup ovenproof dish or roaster pan.
2. In a heavy saucepan, bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat and add bread crumbs, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Finely grate orange zest into the mixture and let stand for 30 minutes to allow the bread crumbs to swell.
3. Separate eggs. Add the yolks to the mixture above and pour into dish. Stand the dish in a cake pan half filled with water. Bake in the center of the oven for 35–40 minutes until set. Remove from water bath.
4. Spread jam on top.
5. Whisk egg whites until stiff, adding all but 1 tbs of the extra-fine sugar until you have a thick, glossy meringue.
6. Pipe or spread the meringue on top of the jam. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Place dish on a flat cookie sheet and bake for another 15–20 minutes until the meringue is crisp and golden. Serve immediately.
Spring Frittata
To me, there is nothing better than a frittata for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a picnic. This dish is the one Carrie Ann wants to make before she finds her assistant dead under the kale bed. The original used spinach, but I made it with kale for a nice texture. Chopped and slightly wilted, kale has a strong flavor and great antioxidants.
Ingredients
8 green onions 1½ cups cooked peas (fresh or frozen)
½ cup fresh spinach or kale
24 small new potatoes
2 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs chopped chives, basil, and parsley (fresh)
½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
10 eggs, large
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
3½ oz thinly sliced pancetta or bacon
Directions
1. Cut new potatoes into quarters and cook until tender. Wash green onions and chop. Wash spinach/kale, drain well, and wilt in a pan with a little olive oil.
2. Melt butter and olive oil in a large (8 inch) ovenproof frying pan. Cook the onions until soft. Remove the pan from heat and add the peas, wilted spinach/kale, and potatoes. Sprinkle with herbs and parmesan cheese.
3. Whisk together the eggs and cream. Add salt and pepper. (I use ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.) Pour into pan over vegetables. Crumble the feta over the top. Add pancetta in small twists.
4. Bake at 350 for 25–30 minutes until set and golden brown.
5. Serve immediately. Also makes great leftovers served cold.
Simple Scones with Vanilla and Lemon Zest
What is a good British book without a classic scone recipe? This simple recipe uses lemon zest to keep the scones light. That way you can serve with any fruit jam or even lemon curd. I like to place the jam in the center and then pipe whipped cream in a circle around the edges. Perfect for afternoon tea.
Ingredients
3¾ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup light brown sugar
½ tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
7 tbs butter
¾ cup buttermilk
¼ cup milk
1 egg, large
1 tsp vanilla
Zest of 1 lemon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into the dry ingredients until pea size.
3. Blend together buttermilk, milk, egg, and vanilla.
4. Make a hollow in the center of the pea-sized mixture. Finely grate lemon zest into it and pour most of the liquid. (Leave out 2–3 tbs to put back in if mixture seems dry.) Mix dough gently. You want a lightly bound dough that is neither sticky nor dry or crumbly. (It should just make a ball.)
5. Lift ball of dough out of bowl and kneed on flowered surface just enough to get rid of cracks—overworked dough makes tough scones. Pat dough into ¾-inch-thick slab. Cut out dough with round pastry cutter or biscuit cutter. Place scones on baking tray.
6. Bake 10–12 minutes until well risen and golden.
7. Once cooled, top with jam and piped whipped cream. Serve with tea.
Acknowledgments
It takes a team to bring a book to life. I’d like to thank Matt Martz for believing in me; Heather Boak and Sarah Poppe for all their hard work and support; the editors and copy editors at Crooked Lane for their insightful suggestions; and my agent, Paige Wheeler, for all she does for me. I’d like to thank my family for their love, support, and understanding. And last, but never least, I’d like to acknowledge the readers, without whom books would never be made.