01 - Murder at Ashgrove House Read Online Free Page B

Palmer. But I’m sure you’ll cope
magnificently, you always do,’ replied the butler soothingly as he and the
cook-housekeeper made their way to her sitting room. ‘I think her ladyship
feels a little overwhelmed too. She was expecting to be entertaining just a
small house party this weekend, her old school friend and Lady Lavinia and her
friend and instead she is being bombarded by the gentry! Still, I’m sure we’ll
get through it, Mrs Palmer, as we always do.’
    ‘And of course, Mr Stafford, what with me being housekeeper as well as
cook, I’ve all the bedrooms to sort out, decide who’s having what. I suppose
we’d better make sure that we give the best room to the countess otherwise
she’s sure to complain, and then there will have to be doubling up between the
housemaids and footmen to act as ladies’ maids and valets as I’m sure they
won’t be bringing down any with them.’
    Edna and Bessie, the kitchen maid, stole towards the sitting room and
listened at the closed door with bated breath. They could just about make out
what Mrs Palmer was saying.
    ‘I was thinking, Mr Stafford, clear beef consommé to start with, can’t go
wrong with that, followed by cheese soufflés, and then the fish, of course. A
whole dressed salmon followed by a meat course of chicken in aspic with
duchesse potatoes? Then, for pudding, peaches and raspberry mousse. And then
just in case any of them is still hungry, you know what an appetite Master
Cedric’s got, I’m sure they don’t feed him properly at that university, I’ll
send up savouries – eggs stuffed with prawns, angels on horseback, chicken
liver on toast, curried shrimps and sweetbreads and suchlike. What do you
think, Mr Stafford, will that be posh enough for the countess? I don’t want to
show up her ladyship.’
    ‘Indeed it will be, Mrs Palmer, indeed it will. I don’t think the earl
and countess could expect a better meal if they’d been invited to dine with the
King himself at Buckingham Palace!’
    ‘Oh, Lor,’ said Bessie snatching Edna’s hand and dragging her back to the
kitchen before the butler and cook-housekeeper came out of the sitting room and
caught them eavesdropping. ‘This weekend’s going to be something dreadful for
us. You’ve not been here when we’ve had a proper house party before, have you?
You won’t believe the amount of additional work that’s involved, we’ll hardly
have time to catch our breath or go to the lavatory even, and Mrs Palmer will
be that flustered and bad tempered, she’ll be about to blow a gasket any minute
and she’ll probably cancel our half day off on Sunday as well!’
    Edna’s face crumpled and there was clearly the threat of tears spilling down
her young face.
    ‘Don’t worry, Edna,’ Bessie said, kindly, holding her hand and pushing a
black curl, that had come loose, back under Edna’s mop cap. She was only a few
years older than the scullery maid, but Edna suddenly looked so young and frail
that instinctively Bessie felt pity for her. ‘No need to give on so, Edna.
Happen I did speak rather hasty like.  All I meant was that it’s going to
be a lot of hard work for the likes of you and me, but it’ll be exciting
too.  There’ll be a real buzz around the place, loads of comings and
goings. They’ll be delivering the fish and meat and Mrs Palmer will be
examining them, super critical like, she’ll be very exacting in what she’ll
accept and she’ll give them an earful I can tell you if it’s not of the very best
quality. And Ernie will probably be delivering stuff as well.’
    At the mention of the delivery boy, Edna blushed and started to brighten.
    ‘And Mrs Palmer will be creating the most wonderful dishes, Edna, they’ll
be a sight to behold. If you watch and listen you’ll learn such a lot. That’s
what I’m going to do. And I’ll offer to give her a hand with some of the
trickier dishes, because it’s the only way to learn, Edna. You know I’ve set my
heart on