Masquerade ✔

Chapter 11

As it turns out, the moment Clara got to Araminta's chambers, she was sent straight away to go help the Norrington family's staff help prepare for a brunch Araminta would have with Harrison – their first unchaperoned. Well, unchaperoned as in no parents. Clara and Lucretia would be there, although that was Araminta's request, not the Norringtons.

Clara traveled the now familiar path down to the dining room, trying not to think about the previous night. The staff member who had given Clara the jug of wine the night before greeted her, looking much less overwhelmed.

"Oh, good. Mrs. Norrington said Lady Araminta would send someone," she said. "I'm Cadence, by the way, the head of the house here. Clara, right?"

Clara nodded. "What can I do?"

Cadence gave her a sympathetic look. "Well, what we both would like for you to do is make sure that everything is up to her standards. But I'm guessing that won't be as simple as it sounds?"

Clara couldn't help but laugh. She knew nothing about Cadence, but it was clear the woman had worked in air manors for a long time. "Yes, it may prove challenging," she agreed. "But I think I can provide a high enough level of satisfaction so that we both can keep our jobs."

"That's what I was hoping you would say," Cadence said. "Follow me down to the kitchens. I'll show you what they're making."

Cadence took Clara down yet another corridor, branching off from the dining room, this time going down to a lower level.

"I apologize for not properly introducing myself last night," Cadence said as they moved along the hallways. "It was all a bit chaotic. If something could go wrong last night, it did."

"I didn't realize," Clara said. "I hope our arrival didn't do too much to throw things off."

"Well, yes and no," Cadence said wryly. "Why else did we have that great big dinner? But what went wrong last night could have happened at any big event."

"What did go wrong?"

Cadence sighed. "Actually, it mostly revolves around Thaddeus London."

"The developer?"

"Yes. He arrived about an hour before the meal began to have an initial meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Norrington, and gave them a great long list of items he hoped would be on the menu for dinner. Except his requests—"

"Are actually demands," Clara finished for her. "I imagine the Norrington's wanted to make a good impression. For their deals and everything."

"Precisely. So, our chefs and cooks were scrambling, trying to get everything ready in time. When I handed you and Lucretia the wine, some items had barely just begun to cook. Everything was down to the wire. And, not to mention we were short staffed in the dining room, which is why I put the two of you to work."

"If you need us, we're happy to help," Clara assured her. "I've had those types of days. I got fired once for things going wrong at a dinner that required a ridiculous number of last-minute changes."

"Haven't we all been fired for that at some point?" Cadence seemed unbothered. "We're just lucky these families don't want to admit whenever something goes wrong. None of us would be able to get jobs, then."

"True, but then who would they hire?" Clara pointed out. "Maybe they're lucky they don't talk to each other, too."

Cadence laughed. "I like the way you think. Alright, here we are."