DuPont Manor
Laurel glided around the kitchen in her grey cotton dress marked up and down with blueberry stains and swipes of flour despite her aprons best effort. In her arms she held a bowl of cinnamon and sugar, mixing as she went to check her turnovers.
“Porridge is done, m’lady.” Etta said over her shoulder.
“Thank you, Etta.” She said as she eyed her browning breakfast pastries. “I think these are just about finished as well.” Laurel placed the bowl on the table and picked up the peel leaning against the wall next to the oven. She slid the peel inside and collected her delicacies the heat of the oven causing her brow to perspire. She slid the turnovers onto a ready plate before replacing her tool.
“Mommy can I have one?” squeaked a little voice from the other end of the long wood table. Laurel looked each over, noting their even golden-brown bake. Steam rose from them as she picked up her bowl of cinnamon and sugar. She took pinches of the mixture and sprinkled it over the top of her turnovers, their sweet blueberry scent stoking her own hunger.
“They’re too hot right now, Adalie but you can have one with your breakfast when everything is ready.” She promised to the antsy five year old.
“You really don’t have to help us set the table for breakfast, m’lady. Why don’t I make the vanilla tea and you can take some rest?” offered Etta in her own mothering voice, a gentle smile creasing her aged face. Laurel steadied her busy mind and nodded to her servant.
“Very well, Etta.” Lady DuPont said as she turned to her daughter. “Come Adalie; let’s go sit in the dining call.” Addie clambered down from her perch on the wooden bench and followed after her mother. As they left Lia entered through the back door, a basket of fresh picked fruit in hand with a long loaf of bread settled on top.
“Alright Etta, I’ve brought apples, oranges, strawberries, and some more blueberries from the market.” She set her acquisition on the long wood table. “Is the bread for now or later?” Etta motioned for Lia to come closer.
“Store the bread for lunch. M’lady made blueberry turnovers this morning for breakfast.” Lia made a surprised face.
“It’s been ages since she’s been in here to bake.” Lia said. Etta hushed her.
“Aye, it has. She’s been keeping herself busy and I’m worried she might run herself ragged.” Etta said as the whistle from the teapot sounded in the kitchen. “I’ll bring the tea. Please start setting the table and be on your best behavior.”
“Yes mum.” Lia was diligent in her tasks setting the table, quick to dole Adalie her porridge and a plate of fruit after the spread had been set.
She did her best not to look at her lady whose downcast eyes she could see in the corner of her vision. Even without a direct glance, Lia could feel her disquiet. She put on her best manners.
“Will there be anything else, my lady?” she asked with a bow. Lady DuPont hadn’t taken a sip of her tea, hands on either side of her glass as she mulled a thought in her head.
“Do take some breakfast to my husband, and tell our guests upstairs that they are welcome to join us.” she said at last.
“Yes, my lady.” Lia answered with another bow before she slipped back into the kitchen. The creak of the front door drifting open caught Laurel’s attention. It didn’t sound like her husband, the steps were too light. By that measure it wasn’t Khloe either. Laurel jumped to her feet, her soft manner forgotten in her haste.
She found Anaiah with a book in one arm and a surprised look on his face as she met him in the front room.
“Anaiah you’re back just in time; breakfast is ready.” She said as pleasant as she could muster. Her son hesitated, clutching the tome tight to his chest.
“I see. I’ll just put this away upstairs, I know how you feel about books at the table.” He uttered half under his breath. Lady DuPont reached out and took her son by the arm pulling him to follow.
“Never mind the book, come sit.” He followed along with caution, noting his mother’s apron and stained dress.
“I…suppose you’ve had a busy morning.” He said. Laurel looked down at herself with a chuckle.
“It seems I’ve forgotten to put the apron away.” She tried to be cheerful but she sensed that her son caught on to her uneasy mien. Once in the dining hall, a porridge stained Adalie waved at him.
“G’morning, Nainai!” she trilled with her mouth half full.
“Adalie we don’t talk with food in our mouth.” Her mother scolded. Addie donned a sheepish look and finished chewing her food.
Laurel seated her son at the table next to her and he set the book on the table by his bowl. He felt his stomach turn at the spread. He’d seen this on more than one occasion whenever he or his sisters were ill, his mother would have the servants make porridge and vanilla tea with milk.
“We have honey, sugar, and extra blueberries you can put in your porridge,” she said. In a basket settled at the center of it all, were triangle shaped blueberry turnovers. His eyes teared and he clenched his teeth as he fought the urge to cry. He looked over at his mother who met him with concern; she reached up and smoothed a hand over his hair.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure if you still liked them.” She said with a gentle tone. He leaned over to his mother and embraced her. Laurel wrapped her arms tight around her son. “It’s okay, everything is alright.” She murmured as he wept into her shoulder.
Khloe agreed to take the horses back to the stable, Anaiah quick to hide from his father’s gaze. We’re going to have to sort this out sooner rather than later. She thought as she led the impatient steeds back to their food and warm straw. The stables had been mucked out within an inch of their lives while she was away.
“Somebody does fast work.” She said to Fleta who nuzzled her hair. She led each of them into their stalls one at a time and set to removing their saddles when Lia came in with a tray in hand and lord DuPont walking in behind her.
“I’ll set this here, m’lord.” She left the tray on a stool beside his cot, taking the emptied cup from the night before and the dog-licked plate off the ground as she went back out again. Khloe continued her task, relieving Fleta of her reins when a familiar shadow darkened the stall.
“Where did you two go this morning?” asked her father’s rasped voice as he leaned on the stall divider.
“Oh you know a brothel at the far end of town where they hand out swords as parting favors provided you’re charming enough.” She said, eyeing her father. It was obvious he’d worked the stalls himself; his hair frayed out of its ponytail, his clothes smirched with muck and sweat like the rest of him, beard beginning to curl at the edges.
“Can you take nothing seriously?” he growled. She wrinkled her nose at him.
“I’ll take you seriously after you’ve cleaned up, mother said you couldn’t sleep in the house, she didn’t say you couldn’t bathe.” Khloe hefted the reins up onto their peg and gave Fleta a pat, stalking out of her stall. “How long will you be out here before you apologize to her or to Anaiah for that matter? You can’t possibly tell me to take anything seriously if you can’t do that much.” She said over her shoulder as she went to the barn entrance.
“Khloesynda don’t you walk away from me while I’m talking to you!” he barked. Khloe folded her arms and turned back to him.
“I’m going inside, I’m going to eat breakfast, have a last enjoyable bath and I’m going to pack. The emperor decided this morning that Anaiah and I have a wild goose chase to undertake and I’m not doing it on an empty stomach or without a bag of essentials. If you want to talk about this with mother, Anaiah, and I, you should get cleaned up and come to breakfast.” A rumble in her stomach sounded. “You’ll have to face mother sometime.” She said. Her father’s hardened face twitched at the mention but he said nothing. She turned her back on him again and left him alone in the barn.
Once inside she went straight to the dining hall, half by memory and half following her nose and growling stomach. She didn’t care what she got her hands on, porridge, fruit; she needed to stuff her face with it. It was odd having Cornelius and Martin there with them, her father’s seat taken up by their mother this morning. Khloe settled herself next to Adalie like always, her little sister already in need of a change of clothes.
“Food goes in your mouth, Addie, not on your dress.” She teased as she selected fruit to go with her porridge. Khloe glanced at her brother, his eyes red as he picked at his food. “Did you tell mother where we were this morning?” she asked. Anaiah shook his head without looking at her. Laurel met eyes with her daughter.
“We can discuss all that after breakfast, alright?” she said. Khloe nodded, snapping up a turnover for herself.
“I can live with that.” Khloe said, taking a large bite out of the delicate pastry.
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