Kimberly Nee - The McKenzie Brothers by The Pursuit Read Free Book Online Page B

movement sent arrows of pain slicing through her. Both her side and left ankle throbbed mercilessly as she dressed in the heavy black dress and apron. It had not abated by the time she emerged in the kitchen. If anything, it was worse, and moving about made it almost unbearable.
    “Are you all right, Katherine?” Mrs. Riley moved to the stove in the far corner where bacon sizzled in a cast iron skillet.
    “I am fine. What do you need me to do?”
    Mrs. Riley glared at her. “You don’t look fine, Katherine. You look gray this morning.”
    She waved away the housekeeper’s worries. “I did not sleep well last night, I am afraid. That’s all. Now, do you need me to help prepare breakfast?”
    “No. Madam McKenzie sent down a basketful of eggs this morning. Breakfast is almost ready.” Mrs. Riley gave her a scalding glare. “Besides, Mister Garrett told me you are to be kept out of the kitchen. Apparently he feels you are as much of a danger in here as I do. No, you will start up on the third floor today. Gather the linens from Mister Garrett’s chambers and all the laundry and bring them down. I will show you where we wash everything and where it is hung to dry. By then, breakfast should be ready.”
    Katherine didn’t know who Madam McKenzie was; obviously some relative of Garrett’s. Then again, she didn’t much care at the moment. Instead, she wanted to cry at the thought of having to carry heavy baskets piled high with laundry. Her side hurt furiously, making even lifting her right arm difficult, and every step took the greatest effort to keep from limping. She was not in the frame of mind to argue with Mrs. Riley, or even voice her concerns. She wanted to finish her chores and find a way to get into Brunswick. She needed to know if anyone had been asking about her as soon as possible.
    Mrs. Riley dismissed her, her attention back on the bacon. Katherine paused in the doorway long enough to ask, “Is Mr. McKenzie awake?”
    “Of course. You’ll not be seeing much of him today. He left shortly after sunrise to go to the docks. I expect he’ll be there until supper.”
    “The docks? Why on earth would he be there?”
    “Because his family owns Eagleton Imports and he is in the process of assuming control of it now that Mister James has decided to cut back his time.”
    “Mister James?” Katherine knew she sounded like a brainless twit, parroting back everything Mrs. Riley said, but she had no idea who the housekeeper was talking about.
    Mrs. Riley sighed. “Mister Garrett’s father, James. He and Miss Rebecca live over at Stonebridge. Mister Garrett did as well until just recently.”
    “And where is this Stonebridge?”
    “Down the road a bit, closer to town. The woods on the eastern border separate the two estates. You’ll see for yourself soon enough. I’m certain we will be pulled into service up there eventually as well. When Miss Rebecca hosts a ball, she needs as many bodies as she can find.”
    That cleared up the mystery of Madam McKenzie’s identity. “Does she host many?”
    “No. Not at all. But when she does, people throughout the whole of Brunswick anxiously await their invitation. Quite coveted, an invitation to Stonebridge. Now, enough chitchat. It’s time to get to work for both of us. Run along.”
    Mrs. Riley lifted a long-handled fork and prodded the bacon. Katherine turned on her heel and, managing not to limp, went up to strip the beds.
    It wasn’t too difficult a chore. Her first trip was only linens. The basket hardly weighed anything as she brought it into Garrett’s bedchambers. She paused, gazing down at the unmade bed where Garrett slept. The bed was rumpled on only one side. She smiled. If she slept in a bed this large, she wouldn’t contain herself to one side.
    She grasped the top sheet, and tugged. Smooth linen whisked from the tick. These sheets were newly-woven, as they had yet to be worn to the cozy softness that came with many launderings. Everything was