Boysenberry Crumble
Summary: Baileywick shares with Violet his mother's recipe for a favorite seasonal dessert.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show…or boysenberry crumble. Haha
A/N: Here's my Baileywick and Violet friendship story! 😉 Or "Vileywick," as trueGeek calls them. Lol. Enjoy!
Note: Since so little is known of Violet, nothing is necessarily canon. This is more like head canon for me! Haha
*Story*
"Mr. Baileywick?"
Baileywick turned around upon hearing his name and smiled fondly as he saw Violet walking toward him. "Good evening, Violet," he greeted kindly. "I wanted to thank you again for your help preparing the Wassailia decorations earlier today. You're a lifesaver."
The brunette nodded with a shy smile before clasping her hands in front of her and glancing downward. "Um, I was just curious…" She looked up as she heard him shift a bit. "Well, you see, my mum and I always bake something special for Wassailia, but she's not been feeling well for a month or so now. And I wanted to make her something special to cheer her up instead." She fidgeted with her dress when she felt his gaze soften. "Do you…happen to know anything I could make for her?"
The steward was slightly surprised by the question, yet he could see the hint of desperation in her eyes. She obviously cared about her mother a great deal and wanted to do something nice for her, so he felt inclined to help. Not that he wouldn't either way… "I…think I might have something for you. Follow me." He turned and beckoned her forward.
Violet blinked and followed her friend into the now-empty kitchen. As it was quite late, everyone else had vacated most of the rooms and retired for the evening. Naturally, she tended to be a late owl during this season for a variety of reasons, so she was glad to have the silence and space. "What sort of idea did you have exactly?"
Baileywick began pulling out random ingredients, including flour, sugar, berries, and some freshly-churned butter. He also pulled out a small pan and a mixing bowl. "Have you heard of boysenberry crumble?"
"Heard of it? My Gram used to make it all the time!" She beamed in excitement. "Granted, she didn't exactly leave a recipe behind, so it's been about ten years since I've had a proper crumble."
"I have my mother's recipe, and I like to try to make it at least once a year." He smiled gently toward her. "I think it's time I've met my quota, as the year is nearing its end; we'll share my recipe."
Violet laughed softly. "You'd do that for me?"
"Are you kidding? Anyone who appreciates boysenberry crumble deserves to know the secret recipe."
"Well, thank you, Mr. Baileywick. I greatly appreciate it, and Mum will too."
Together the friends began creating their treat. Baileywick lit the fire to the oven as Violet followed the instructions on a very worn piece of parchment.
Soften butter with a bit of fire, then add ¾ cup of flour and ½ cup of sugar to it. Wash your hands and mix the batter together to develop a crumble.
Clean boysenberries and put in the bottom of a pan. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the berries. Bake for 35 minutes in the fire. Serve warm with cream sauce.
"Sounds like your mum knew what she was talking about when she made these," Violet commented as she followed the instructions to craft her treat.
"Oh, naturally." He grabbed the wooden peel and set it aside before stepping over to the maid. "Here, let me show you a secret." He grabbed the sugar bowl and used a small spoon, sprinkling a little bit on top of the crumble. "There we go. According to my mom, 'the more generous the sugar, the more delightful the taste.'"
"Won't that make it too sweet?"
Baileywick smirked. "Violet, there's no such thing as 'too sweet.' We're just enhancing its sugary goodness."
She laughed. "Sounds like Prince James has rubbed off on you a bit, sir."
"I can't imagine why." He chuckled and took her creation before using the peel to slide it into the fire. Then he shut the door and stepped back. "Now we need to wait until it's done. So…what does one do for thirty-five minutes?"
"We could talk," she suggested simply with a shrug.
"Excellent idea. In fact, I'm curious to know a bit more about what you told me." He placed one hand on her back and guided her over to a chair, allowing her to sit before he grabbed another one and sat with her. Glancing at his pocket watch, he noted it was 9:35 PM. "The crumble will be ready at 10:10. That's more than enough time for a discussion, I believe."
She giggled and nodded. "So, what would you like to know exactly?"
A serious look crossed the man's features. "What is wrong with your mother?"
Violet smiled tiredly. "She's just getting older, Mr. Baileywick… I was the last of ten children she and my papa had, and he's been gone a few years now."
He frowned thoughtfully. "I never thought to ask you…where exactly are your siblings?"
"Well, you know my twin sister, Suzette… We're pretty close, but even though we work in the same castle, we rarely see each other." She gestured vaguely. "I had two brothers and a sister who actually passed away several years ago for various reasons. My remaining three brothers and other two sisters have all moved off to other kingdoms or countries in general for work. So right now, it's just me and Suzette…and Mum."
"I see…" He smiled in slight amusement. "It's funny hearing about your large family. I thought Nigel and I were quite the handful. I can't imagine eight more siblings."
"It was certainly never boring!" she admitted with a laugh. "Ah, those were the good times. Of course, working here in the castle has its benefits as well."
"Oh?"
She smiled gently as she patted his hand. "Sometimes, you make rather good friends…"
Baileywick gave his friend a fond smile before picking up her hand and placing a kiss on it, causing her to giggle and blush lightly. "And it's been an honor working with you all these years, Violet." He gently clasped her hand in his. "You make this job so much more enjoyable with your random quirky outbursts and offkey singing while heading to tend to Princess Sofia in the mornings." He grinned as she gasped.
"Mr. Baileywick! I do not sing offkey!" She cringed as she remembered one particular incident last week where she'd been…well, yodeling…for fun. She'd heard a traveling musician singing in that method once, and she thought it would be entertaining to emulate. Never again! Apparently, Baileywick heard everything. "Okay, one time. Don't hold it against me."
"Oh, certainly not. At least you know how to make things fun—something I'm told I desperately need." He shrugged as she snickered.
"Well, you could do with some more off days, of course. It does the soul good to step back from the job a bit—no matter how much you love it. Too much of one thing may spoil you for others, after all."
"Hmm."
They continued talking and just enjoying each other's company for a good while. Eventually, they began smelling the wonderful aroma wafting from the oven.
"Mm, it smells delightful!" Violet cooed as she stood and walked over to the oven. "Is it ready, Mr. Baileywick?"
He glanced at his pocket watch and noted it was 10:09. "One more minute and it will be." He stared at the second hand for a good while and then smiled. "Okay, now it's done." He replaced the pocket watch before grabbing the wooden peel. "Stand back, please, Violet. I'll get it for you."
She grinned. "My hero!"
Baileywick rolled his eyes before pushing the peel in, causing the pan to slide onto it, before he withdrew it and set it aside onto the cabinet. He then added a cream sauce to finish it. "There we go. Now I know my mother's recipe said it's best if served hot, but by the time your mom gets this, it will still taste fine the way it is. Plus, you can always reheat it over a fire."
"Thank you, sir." She smiled gratefully before observing her fingers uncertainly. "My mum gets so little enjoyment these days, so something like this is sure to cheer her up."
He raised his eyebrows at her sudden mood change before smiling knowingly. "I think we need to cheer you up, Violet." He grabbed a spoon from the drawer and scooped a small section of the boysenberry crumble before passing her the spoon. "Here, have a taste. Tell me I'm right about the extra sugar."
She blinked before accepting the sample and tasted it, her dark green eyes widening in surprise. "This is delicious!" she exclaimed, her free hand covering her mouth in embarrassment over just speaking with her mouth full. She smiled bashfully as her mentor laughed. "Apologies, Mr. Baileywick. I got excited."
"Never apologize for that. Happiness is something to celebrate, not shy away from."
She dropped her empty spoon in the wash basin before lunging forward and hugging him, catching him off guard. "You are simply the best, Mr. Baileywick."
Baileywick was not used to hugs. Even Cedric got more hugs than he did, and that was saying something. Yet, since it was Violet and no one was around to question protocol at this hour, he decided to break his rigid personal rules and return her hug, surprising both of them. Hugging was foreign in its own way, yet it was pretty nice as well. "Whenever you need to talk, you can come to me," he told her gently as he released her and offered her a kind smile.
Violet returned the sentiment and nodded, squeezing his hands. "Thank you, Mr. Baileywick."
The end