NdA: Hello and Happy Easter! Around a month ago I received this prompt and decided to give it a try!
It's something humoristic (at least it was my intent) and without any pretenions, just something to read for some fun with Robert & Cora.
It's going to be a couple of chapters I think but who can tell.
I won't update regularly but only when I'll have some spare time to continue it.
Hope you enjoy it!
As always, English is NOT my first language, so forgive my mistakes!
{summary: Young lady Rose finds an innovative recipe involving lot of chocolate and a very special "herb". Unfortunately the first ones to try the peculiar dessert are not the right people.} Cobert + members of the Crawley family in no particular orded of importance.
BAKED & TASTED
"We have to do something, Edith. Mary is driving everyone crazy!" Rose was whispering, though her strong Scottish accent was prevailing on every words. Edith nodded.
"I know. But papa is highly convinced that the best thing for Mary is to leave her be. He's going to get mad at both of us if we don't pay attention." the younger girl glanced the other. She didn't want to be disrespectful of course, especially now that she was a guest in their very house, but it was clear she thought that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard.
Edith silently agreed.
"Well.." continued Rose "We can start with a tea party. Just the three of us."
"It would be certainly a start." Edith sighed loud. "It's a miracle if she gets her dinner with us."
"It's settled then!" the second-born of the Crawley watched stumped as the girl before her peeped in excitement; maybe too much just for a tea party for three.
"You've got something in mind." she stated. Rose's wide smile died in an instant while she was shrugging her shoulder absent-mindedly. "Spill it."
The girl crafty grinned.
"Just if you promise you won't tell." Edith nodded not too much confident but decided to play along, mostly for curiosity.
Rose grasped her wrist and dragged to her room, starting to search for something right away. She tousled her wardrobe, her smallest suitcase and after entire minutes of restless investigation, beneath the astonished look of Edith, Rose held in front of her a small paper bag. It smelled funny.
"What is it?" Edith carefully opened the package, revealing a strange green dust with a kind of moist texture.
"I want to make a very special chocolate dessert." she simply stated. Her wide smile was just not right.
In a flash, Edith remembered everything: her aunt Rosamund, her last trip to London, her funny stories about a special herb with weird qualities.. her aunt was the most modern person she knew and yet she told her to keep distance from that stuff, that it was very disliked within high society and that it was dangerous – even if she didn't specified for what reason.
"Oh no." Edith shook her head "You won't do a thing!" she folded up the bag in hurry and handed it back "Are you out of your mind, Rose? You'll get us into serious troubles!"
"Don't be boring!" Rose laughed back "Mary does needs some ease, you know it. It'll give her just some happy feelings for a couple of hours.. it can't be bad! We will be there with her. I promise we'll be careful.. you're the wise, Edith, you'll keep an eye on the whole thing." she begged with a serious look.
"That's for sure." Edith huffed. She was fighting between common sense and what was best for her sister.
Life was funny: tree years ago she would've paid for having Mary in compromising situation and she would have never thrown a party – even a tiny one – with the only purpose of cheering her older sister up and now.. she was worrying about her safety, thinking if that was the best solution to their problem, if that was something to do or to avoid.
"You'll help me?" the small voice of Rose woke her up from her thoughts.
Edith closed her eyes and sighed loudly.
"Fine. But you have to promise me that the effects last a couple of hours tops. Granny is coming over for dinner tonight." Rose deeply nodded, her face full of juvenile fervour for something absolutely new to try.
"Mr. Carson, can I have a word with Mrs. Patmore?" the butler was clearly surprised by the presence of lady Edith downstairs: the last time he saw her down there she was four and looking for cookies in tears.
"Of course milady." he bowed a little and preceded her toward the kitchen.
All the valets and maids at the table shot themselves up form their seats like springs.
"Mrs. Patmore." the deep voice of Carson called the red-haired cook and she turned to them with a bright smile.
"Yes, Mr. Carson?"
"Lady Edith wishes to have a word with you." Mrs. Patmore smiled once again a stepped closer to her mistress.
"How can I help you, milady?"
Edith curled her lips in a tiny smile. She remembered the speech she tried on the stairs with Rose and she was ready to play her part.
"Mrs Patmore. I need a big favour from you." the woman nodded and smiled. "You see, mama tried this dessert while we were in Scotland and I heard her the other night saying she would've loved to taste it again. Now, I know you're the most fantastic cook and I'd like to know if it is possible to make this surprise to my darling mama.. she deserved a little gift." she had Mrs Patmore when she mentioned her cooking skills.
"Of course, milady!" she peeped "How's this dessert called?"
Edit strived to remembered the name Rose said to her.
"Clootie Dumpling? It's a-a pudding." the woman brooding nodded.
"Yes.. yes. I heard of it, it shouldn't be difficult. But I need to buy something." Edith endeavoured not to show her relieved smile.
"Is it a problem, Mrs. Patmore?" I really don't want you to-"
"Of course not, milady!" the woman fussed and unfolded her apron "I can go right now. I have spare time.. I'll take Daisy with me." Edith once again bit her inner lips not to burst into tears of joy.
"Excellent." she almost sang that word "I knew I could count on you, Mrs. Patmore!"
"Now please be careful. I hope you do know what are you doing." Edith walked in front of Rose, carefully not to make noises while descending the stairs to the kitchen.
"We won't mess up!" she whispered back the younger blonde.
Edith groaned between her teeth.. oh she was beginning to regret her decision.
"How long it will take?" she gestured to proceed. Rose shrugged her shoulder while reading the little yellow paper she held.
"Twenty minutes top. That's what it says." Edith nodded: 20 minutes couldn't be that long.. perhaps with a little fortune they would have not be caught.
"How can I help milady?" both Rose and Edith gasped loudly. Ivy stared at them with wide open eyes.
"You gave us a fright!" Rose was laughing. Edith was dying.
"I beg you pardon milady.. I-I" the older blonde swallowed.
"Sorry to bother you, er-"
"Ivy, milady."
"Ivy. We were wondering if.. it could be possible.. to cook a dessert for.. Lady Mary." she mumbled. The maid nodded with a smile.
"Of course. I can bring all up with the tea as soon as-" Edith stepped closer to her.
"You see Ivy.. we would like to make the dessert. It's a surprise. We're trying to cheer her up." Rose's calm voice interrupted her.
"I see, milady." Ivy nodded with a sweet grin "But I- Mrs Patmore.. I think she won't be pleased." Ivy started to feel uncomfortable.
"You can blame me, Ivy." stated Edith with an unusual sweet voice. "You can stay here and oversee." Edith gasped when Rose's elbow hit her hip. "We aren't exactly the perfect chefs." she tried to giggle.
Rose bit her lips: well she couldn't deny that, in fact she didn't know where to start. Beside, that girl seemed quite young and innocent: she would have never question her mistress' intention and she would have not certainly betrayed her. She was perfect.
"I do not understand. What is this nonsense?" Mary's voice was flat and impatient. She was wearing all-black as usual and her hair was combed in a very sober and elegant way that added at least 20 years to her real age. In that house she seemed the Granny, not Cora. "It's just a waste of time."
"We would love to have you with us, Mary dear." Rose wide smile drove her attention toward the youngest among the group.
"You really surprise me." Mary's smile was cold as ice. She turned directly to Edith, sincerely astonished that her sister, the one who shared hate with, committed herself with Rose to organized something for her, even a simple tea.
"You're my sister, Mary." Edith tried to smile herself, but she ended up doing a cracked wince.
"I know." it was like talking to a ghost. Mary sighed gravely and rolled her brown eyes "Let's get over with this." she stepped between them, preceding the two in the library like the head of a mournful committee.
Cora stepped slowly into the library. She'd heard some voices, one Rose's, one Edith's and the last one, she could have swear it was Mary's.
Last thing she wanted was to interrupt their conversation while the blondes of the family succeeded in bringing her oldest daughter down for some thoughtless time.
She was going to meet Robert any minute for their usual walk outside and suddenly she remembered the book she left unattended in the library.. Cora couldn't let anyone find that, even if it was an innocent fashion magazine, she was shy about its contents: modern clothes both for night and day. She surely had to discuss with Robert about those, before buying anything, for she had some doubts regarding the -maybe too much- bare skin involved.
Cora peeked from behind a bookshelf. Mary was looking exactly in her direction.
"Mama." she sighed, closing her eyes; Cora couldn't tell if that face was of relief or annoyance. "Please join us." her voice was awfully unstressed.
"I'd love to, darlings." she stepped carefully toward them, her blue eyes rushing around searching for the book. "I have to meet Robert for a walk." she bent down a little, took the magazine from the orange armchair and held it close to her chest with an innocent smile. "You have fun."
"Fun." at the ironical exclamation of Mary, Cora realized that maybe she used the wrong word. "They had fun. They spend quite some time in the kitchen." Mary glanced the two with satisfaction: that was her idea of fun.
"You cooked?" Cora's eyes was glimmering and her lips parted.
"We did, cousin Cora." Rose tried to pour some tea for her, but she politely declined her offer.
"Rose did." Edith, panicking, tried to blame the youngest, thinking that maybe her dear mother would reserved a punishment only to her.
"Oh." Cora stepped closed to her, brushing her finger's apex on Rose's chin "Just like my darling Sybil." Rose smiled sweetly at Cora's wet eyes. "May I?" she was pointing at the brownies' plate.
Neither Rose nor Edith had now enough heart to say her 'no'.
"Mama I-I" Edith strived to show her other vanilla cookies, one of her favourites "Try this one." Cora shook her head.
"But I'd love to try one of Rose's creation." Rose mumbled broken words without really knowing what to say, Edith was promoting any kind of sweets without success, Mary was enjoying the whole scene sipping from her tea cup.
But none of those things prevented Cora from giving a bite at one of the top brownie.
Edith hid her face behind her palm and Rose sighed with closed eyes.
"You did good, Rose dear." she was smiling, completely unaware of the situation. Then she took napkin and filled it with a couple of more sweets. "I'll take these to Robert." she stated firmly with a joyous face, taking her exit.
Edith snapped Rose with a furious glance.
"Are you happy now?" Mary moved her catty eyes between the two.
"What have you done?" her voice was condescending "You can tell me now.. or I'll find out." Rose slid helplessly on the couch.
"You'll definitely find out.. as soon as they come home. You'll see with your own eyes."
"Oh my God." Mary jumped on her chair at the loud whine of Edith. She was looking at her sister with an amused glance without really covering it. The blonde curved her face in thousands of winces and desperate expressions before bursting into a pity whimpering. "We stoned our parents!"
Mary laughed so loud at them like she didn't in ages.
