Persuasion in the Pantry [Maid for More #1]

Chapter 38 Part 3- The Royal Box

Verushka tied her satin dressing gown and snuck down the main staircase of the Bexley home making certain that she skipped the squeaky floorboard near its base. The Duchess of Bexley had consented to be her chaperone through London society seeing as Jay did not have a townhouse besides his bachelor's residence, and there was no way that the Duchess of Wyvernstone was going to help with her foray into high society. After Verushka's last heart wrenching meeting with Cain in the belly of his country manor she had thought her soul broken, but on returning to her brother's seat at Wyvernstone Hall she swiftly regained her purpose. As she stepped through the doors Catherine had summoned her to her chambers and informed her of Queen Victoria's pregnancy, citing the contents of a letter she watched burning in the hearth.

Apparently such a development placed the Queen in a rather precarious position and left her open to many attacks. The Duchess had swiftly outlined that where the Queen previously presented a single obstacle in another's path to the throne, now she represented two. It would only be logical that an assassin would strike soon, before she was confined to the birthing chamber in the few months prior to the child's arrival.

There was no time to think about Cain when she was frantically throwing her belongings into several trunks for transport.

There was no time to think of Cain when she was hastily dressing by candlelight and being pushed out of a place she was supposed to be learning to call home.

And, there was certainly no time to think about Cain when she was shoved into a carriage with the Duchess in order to apprise her of all that she had managed to glean from her brief interaction with the ton.

But, she thought of him anyway. The memory of his kisses lingered against her skin and the soft warmth of his words as he had read to her skirted at the periphery of her mind. Try as she might, Cain Bexley would not be ignored. He had crept into her heart like a spy in the night, and she being a spy master in training should have guarded herself better against the intrusion.

Following the well memorised corridors in the dark, Verushka knocked quietly at the familiar wooden door and waited for a response from within.

"Comf inmfp," a muffled voice called out.

Verushka smiled. At least some things never changed.

She pushed open the door of the kitchen to find Mina shovelling the remnants of another fabulous Bexley dinner party into her mouth.

"Hewwo," Mina grinned with rounded cheeks like a squirrel storing nuts for winter.

"Hello," Verushka chuckled and pulled up a stool across the table from her. "Sorry I'm late. Catherine has been dragging me to every single soiree and garden party since we returned in the hope that either of us will hear something useful."

"Catherine, is it?" Mina asked pointedly.

"You know what I mean," Verushka amended, "The Duchess of Bexley."

"Mmm, hmmph," Mina commented superciliously through mouthfuls of food.

Verushka rolled her eyes comically. "Nice to see you aren't stressed by all these changes in our lives, though."

"I eat when I'm stressed." Mina gulped her food down and reached for a tall glass of milk.

"Mina, you also eat when you are happy, sad, worried, content and even when you are already full," Verushka smirked.

"Like I always say, 'Just Keep Eating'," Mina winked, although she had never been able to really master the manoeuvre and it came out more like a blink.

"Well, I can't eat. I am so stressed, although I am glad to have gotten the note you pushed under my door this morning. Why did you send it though?"