The Time Heiress by Georgina Young- Ellis Read Free Book Online Page B

closet. It is actually pretty clean.” She turned a ceramic crank and a trickle of water ran into the pot and then down through the large hole at the bottom. “It flushes! Sort of.”
    “Better than nothing,” Cassandra echoed.
    A knock sounded at the outer door, and Cassandra and Evie went together to answer it. There stood a maid with a heavy-looking tray of food.
    “Please, come in,” Cassandra said to her.
    The middle-aged woman walked through the sitting room into the dining area and placed the tray on the oval wooden table. Around it were six, straight-backed chairs with dark-red, brocade seats. There was one large window in the room, with curtains of dark-red velvet, now closed. Upon the tray sat a teapot, a pitcher of milk, a sugar bowl, two delicate china cups on saucers, and a variety of dishes covered with linen cloths. The maid proceeded to uncover the dishes and set out the cups.
    “If you do not mind,” said Cassandra stepping forward. “We shall serve ourselves. Thank you very much.”
    “Of course,” the tired-looking woman responded, not meeting her eyes. “Just ring the bell if ya’ need anything.” She indicated a satin rope hanging on the wall.
    Cassandra slipped her a coin from her pocket and the women walked heavily out the door.
    Evie eyed the food. Arranged on the various plates were slices of cold roast beef and ham, triangles of cheese, a basket of rolls, bowls of relish, pickles, nuts, and dried fruit, and a dish of butter.
    “I am a little afraid of the meat,” said Evie. “Without refrigeration—”
    “Well, they probably have an icebox in the kitchen, literally a food storage cupboard with ice in it, and usually hotels and the better homes have cellars that stay cool even into the summer months.”
    “Nevertheless, I do not trust that roast beef. I think I will stick with the ham, because at least it is smoked.”
    She began to put together a sandwich.
    “Well, I am not worried about the meat. I never had bad luck with spoiled food on my last journey.” Cassandra speared a few slices of roast beef, along with some ham, and chose a selection of the other items on the table.
    Evie daintily bit into her ham and cheese placed between two halves of a roll with butter.
    Cassandra sampled each thing individually. “How is your sandwich?”
    “Good…the roll is a little hard.”
    “I am sure they are left over from this morning.”
    “How do you like it?”
    “It is pretty good, the ham’s better than the roast beef.” Cassandra had taken only one bite of the grisly meat. “And the cheese is delicious!”
    “Yes, it is different.”
    “You do not like it?”
    “No, I do, I am just not used to it.”
    “You are not used to food being so natural, so fresh,” remarked Cassandra.
    “Really? Is that it? Because it doesn’t exactly taste fresh.”
    “It is just not pasteurized, like the milk.” She poured tea for them both, then added a generous helping of the milk to her own cup. “Would you like some?”
    “No, thank you.”
    To Cassandra, the formal speech they used seemed strange now that it was just the two of them. And yet, she knew it was the way people of their class spoke at the time, even if they were the closest of friends. She sampled a pickle. “Mmm! Great flavor.”
    “I do not really care for pickles,” said Evie. She picked up a nut and nibbled it. “This tastes stale. I thought you said that the food was better in the past.”
    I am sure it is not the gourmet fare that you are use to, Cassandra wanted to say.
    “Well, it depends on when and where you are. On my trip to England, in the countryside of 1820, the food was exquisite.”
    “I am going to take an anti-bacterial just to be safe.”
    “I took them the first few weeks I was in 1820, but after that, I started to trust the food, and I never got sick.”
    Evie pushed her half-eaten sandwich away. “I think I have had enough. I am going to go change, if you do not mind. I am dying to get out