With James
gone over the weekend, Eleanor made a rather bold move with her tutor. She
expressed keen desire to spend Saturday not in nature or in study as he
preferred, but rather in the kitchen.
“I’d like
to cook something today. Can you drive me to the store for ingredients?”
“I would
rather we focus our energy on completing the political outlooks for your next
assignment. Or, if you insist upon not doing academic work, that we hike or
perhaps attend the butterfly and insect room in town.”
Eleanor poured herself a cup of tea and sat down with the
fresh berry scone and buttered it while she spoke
“And, since
it is Saturday, I have a desire to do something fun and different from the
ordinary school day, which, if I may remind you, the majority of kids my age,
take this time off.”
“Your
attitude is not appreciated, Miss Eleanor.”
The idea of agreeing to a hike and then racing through it
came to mind. She could then ask the chauffer to drive her to the store to get
the ingredients she knew the cook didn’t have. But she felt the man was being
unreasonable.
“And your
disrespect is not appreciated. You may take the day off and study or go to the
insect place if you like.”
He rose to his feet, angrily
“Miss
Eleanor, you will report to the
school room in ten minutes unless you would like to spend the rest of the week
writing ‘I will not be disrespectful’ in French until I order you to stop.”
The tutor then left the room, leaving Eleanor with her half
eaten scone feeling confused and frustrated.
“Mr.
Flanders.” Eleanor looked up towards the butler who had heard every word of the
conversation “Honest opinion, am I being either disrespectful or out of line?”
“If one of
you were considered disrespectful, it would not be you, miss. Shall I call the
chauffer and have him bring a car around?”
It was his way of saying she should proceed with her weekend
plans. The girl shook her head
“Not at the
moment, Mr. Flanders, I need to think.”
The butler nodded and once behind her, glanced at his watch,
she had eight minutes to make up her mind before being punished. He knew that
the tutor had flared up as a result of the pressure Lord North put on him
to help the girl excel.
“I am so
tired of this.” She said “I’m going to be miserable during a punishment or
miserable during the stupid politics stuff he wants me to do today...” she made
her mind up there. “Please send for the car.”
“Good
choice, miss, right away.”
The
growing guilt inside her was pushed away. There were a million worse things she
could have wanted to do. She could have wanted to watch movies, chill with
friends or even sneak out of the house to do whatever she pleased. But cooking?
It seemed ridiculous, until she thought of her brother’s description of the
man. Everything became clear. Lord North had put a time pressure on seeing
improvement and that stressed the tutor out. Even though she disobeyed him, she
enjoyed herself. The cook stood back and watched her work and helped her
whenever she needed it. She attempted soufflés and successfully made risotto,
homemade pasta, which was then turned into ravioli, cherry pie and chocolate
cake. The girl cooked enough for the entire staff and it was at nearly six that
evening when everyone sat down in the formal dining room, excluding the tutor
who refused to join them. The butler even left his position behind her chair to
eat with them.
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