Page 16 of Blood and Roses

"A cheat's version of Pan Marino. I've no time to wait for thebiga, so it won't be as rich. I bake when I can't sleep. What's your excuse?"

"I always get hungry at midnight."

"Sounds like you are stress eating to me," she teased. "If you want to hang around a bit, Imightbe persuaded to share my bread with you. If you're really nice, I might even make you a sandwich."

"That's kind of you," Balthasar said, moving past her to switch the hot water kettle on.

"Wasn't the whole point of sending me off to culinary school so that the Vanes would have a chef on call for midnight snacks?"

"Actually, I believe Eli sent you because youwantedto go to culinary school. You seem to have quite a confused opinion of Eli's intentions. The Wylts don't have some kind of slave debt that needs to be worked off."

"Steady on, Mr. Vane. I was only joking," Rosa said defensively. "I also have had it drummed into me that my sole purpose is to take care of you. I mean the Vanes, not justyouspecifically." She looked quickly back at the floury board in front of her.Smooth, Rosa. Why don't you put your foot in it a wee bit more?

"It's not Eli's intention to make you feel that way."

"You weren't the one that was summoned."

"I've been summoned before, so I know what it's like," Balthasar replied as he fetched a mug from the cupboard. "I'm certain he only wants to see you, and he knows Cecily has missed you. Would you like some tea?"

"Ah...sure," Rosa said, the burn of a blush starting on the back of her neck. "Thanks."

"You see? I wouldn't make you tea if you werejusta servant as you like to point out." He smiled sideways at her as he placed the cups on the bench.

"You could have had all three of the J's over for your Earl Grey for all I know," she said, her defensive side disappearing once more.

"Wrong Vane. I'm too old and too busy to be seducing the help with Earl Grey."

"Yeah, I noticed you're the one running about after Eli," Rosa said as she put the last loaf into the oven. "That must get boring."

"It's taxing more than boring. Sugar?"

"One please," Rosa said as she sat down on one of the kitchen stools. She watched him pour the hot water, and she found herself wondering when the last time a man had made her tea. "Do you never get to have any fun at all?"

Balthasar passed her a mug before he sat down opposite her. "No fun until after the Solstice party."

"Sounds rather bleak."

"So why did you go to culinary school anyway? You already had an arts degree."

Rosa sipped her tea. "You'll laugh."

"I am a Vane. We don't know how."

"I'd believe it," Rosa replied.You are flirting, Rosa. Why are you flirting? Stop that!She cleared her throat awkwardly before she answered, "Medieval feasts."

"I did not expect that," Balthasar said without even a trace of a smile. "Explain."

"You know how you read the old Camelot sagas or Beowulf or even a half decent fantasy novel, and all of the extravagant feasts are being described? Think of the way King Arthur's Christmas Feast is described inSir Gawain and the Green Knight, the magnificent lushness of it all. I always wanted to know what they were eating and then I wanted to learn how to make it, didn'tI?" Rosa said. "Food is like music. It's a universal language. But unfortunately, there isn't much of a demand for frumenty these days unless you are doing food art for a film set."

"Would you like me to order up some venison so you can have a chance to get some frumenty practice in?" Balthasar asked.

Rosa blinked rapidly in surprise, "You know what frumenty is?"

"A type of wheat porridge," he replied. "Why so shocked? I know all sorts of things."

"I bet you do," Rosa replied, making it sound far too much like innuendo. She was saved by the oven timer going off. "Bread's ready!" Glad to have something to do, she pulled it out and turned it upside down on the cooling rack. "That can settle while I get the other ingredients ready."

"Other ingredients?"

---