Page 70 of The Viscount and the Vicar's Daughter
“Would you mind sharing some of your recipes?” Laurel asked with a soft laugh. “My husband would speak of nothing else last night, not even a thought for our children.”
Viola had quite a serious look on her face, but it now eased into one of her beautiful smiles. “I would be delighted. I can write them down for you once the party is over. Just let me know which ones you would like. Lord Ardley, would you mind including the recipes in your posts to your cousin?”
He nodded. “With pleasure.”
He now turned to the others in his family. “I wanted you to meet Miss Ruskin because she may need our assistance in securing a respectable position for herself in the months to come.”
“Her father is the local vicar here and he is not doing well,” his father said, actually speaking with surprising gentleness. Of course, the old man did not know of the kisses he and Viola had shared.
That knowledge would have lit a fuse under him.
He would have swooped down like a bird of prey and shipped Viola out of Ardley as fast as possible, no matter that Vicar Ruskin was ailing and soon to pass on. Of course, Alexander would have brought her right back. Neither of them would have been happy, and Viola would have been in anguished tears, finding herself caught in the middle of their dispute.
Alexander sat back and listened as she responded to everyone’s questions, watching with pride as she charmed them all with her sweet nature and unaffected manner. “How did you learn to cook so divinely?” Laurel asked. “Did you have formal training?”
“No, none at all. But I enjoyed making meals for my father and cooking for the various functions we held at the vicarage. There were many when he was younger and more hale.”
“What got you started?” Daisy asked. “Your talents are beyond merely home cooking.”
“My mother died in childbirth, so it has been me and my father for as long as I can remember. As I grew older, I began to take on household chores usually left to the woman of the house. This included cooking.”
“Did you not employ a cook?” Alexander’s mother asked.
“Yes, but I quickly realized I enjoyed preparing the meals myself. I tested the recipes out on our guests. The vicarage was quite a gathering spot at the time. But it did not become a passion of mine until I was about fourteen years old. That year, my father took me to Oxford and we came upon a shop that sold spices from around the world. I was fascinated and have returned there at least twice a year ever since.”
“For which we are eternally grateful,” Gabriel quipped, rubbing his stomach.
She laughed lightly. “The proprietor gave me some recipes he’d brought over from his home in India. After that, I began to collect recipes wherever I could. I experimented with flavors, spices, some quite exotic. It was my way of traveling to the far off places I would never experience otherwise.”
“Your breadth of knowledge is astounding,” Daisy said. “You ought to put your recipes in a book. I think it would sell quite well. I’m sure among us we have connections to help you get it published.”
Viola smiled. “I cook for the love of it. I wouldn’t want people to have to pay for the knowledge.”
Alexander chuckled. “Do you not have a mercenary bone in your body?”
“Apparently, she doesn’t,” Graelem said, joining him in a chuckle. “That is quite refreshing, isn’t it?”
“If ever such a book were published, it would give you a nice income,” Alexander’s father interjected. “Wouldn’t that appeal to you, Miss Ruskin? An income to allow you to travel the world in comfort and seek new recipes. You might even be invited to cook for royalty. I have no doubt your culinary talents will earn you some renown. You must think of your future.”
“I will, my lord. But right now, I am only thinking of Lord Ardley’s house party and then getting back to my father. I will consider your suggestion seriously once things quiet down for me.”
“We shall talk it over whenever you are ready,” Alexander said, knowing he was not letting her go anywhere outside of Ardley unless it was with him. He wasn’t looking to stifle her dreams, but he wanted very much to be a part of them. While he loved his life in Ardley, it would be a much sadder place if Viola was not here to share it with him. If she wished to travel, he wanted to accompany her.
But they were getting too far ahead of themselves, so he brought the topic back to the present. “For now, I wanted my family to meet you and you to meet them. Do you have any questions for us?”
“No, my lord. It has been a pleasure getting acquainted with all of you. I had better return to the kitchen or luncheon will not be served on time. May I take your leave?”
Alexander grinned. “I dare not delay you or I shall face the wrath of my own family.”
She rose, bid them all a good morning, and then skittered away.
Lady Withnall thumped her cane on the floor. “That went well. She’s a lovely girl, isn’t she? I believe she will make someone not only an excellent cook but a perfect companion. She is intelligent, polite, and carries herself quite well.”
Gabriel and Graelem were grinning at him.
He sighed. “What?”
“She is a gem,” Gabriel said. “Don’t you dare let her slip away.”
