Judith Miller - In the Company of Secrets

Books by Judith Miller
FROM BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS
_________________________________

BELLS OF LOWELL
Daughter of the Loom
A Fragile Design
These Tangled Threads

LIGHTS OF LOWELL
A Tapestry of Hope
A Love Woven True
The Pattern of Her Heart

FREEDOMS PATH
First Dawn
Morning Sky
Daylight Comes

POSTCARDS FROM PULLMAN
In the Company of Secrets
Whispers Along the Rails

POSTCARDS from PULLMAN * 1

In the

COMPANY

of SECRETS

J UDITH M ILLER

In the Company of Secrets
Copyright 2007
Judith Miller

Cover design by Koechel Peterson & Associates

Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Printed in the United States of America

Paperback: ISBN-13: 978-0-7642-0276-6 ISBN-10: 0-7642-0276-6
Hardcover: ISBN-13: 978-0-7642-0352-7 ISBN-10: 0-7642-0352-5
Large Print: ISBN-13: 978-0-7642-0353-4 ISBN-10: 0-7642-0353-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McCoy-Miller, Judith.

In the company of secrets / Judith Miller.

p. cm. (Postcards from Pullman)
ISBN 978-0-7642-0352-7 (alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-7642-0276-6 (pbk.) ISBN 978-0-7642-0353-4 (lg. print : pbk.)

1. CooksFiction. 2. BritishUnited StatesFiction. 3. IllinoisFiction. I. Title.

PS3613.C3858I5 2007

813'.54dc22 2006038412

To
Roberta Stuke

With a thankful heart for your friendship!

JUDITH MILLER is an award-winning author whose avid research and love for history are reflected in her novels, many of which have appeared on the CBA bestseller lists. Judy and her husband make their home in Topeka, Kansas.

Visit Judys Web site at: www.judithmccoymiller.com.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his
neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Ephesians 4:25

Contents

London, England
April 1892

Run! Faster! Hurry! The warnings tolled in Olivias mind like a death knell. She raced toward the kitchen door, the rear stairway now in sight. Approaching the final obstacle, she rounded the kitchen worktable at breakneck speed. Her momentum abruptly slowed as the pocket of her starched white apron caught on the tables corner. The rasping tear of the cotton cloth echoed in her ears, and she quickly cast a downward glance at the frayed pocket. Still hoping for time enough to flee, she urgently yanked at the apron. Shed not been fast enough.

Chef Mallards long fingers surrounded her forearm in an iron grip. She winced as he tightened his hold, certain shed be bruised by the morrow. Shoving her against the table, he eased his grip only slightly and leaned his full weight against her. The edge of the heavy worktable cut into the small of her back, and she groaned.

A look of triumph shone in his small dark eyes. Do not toy with me, Miss Mott. I know you desire my affections.

Desire? You disgust me! Turn me loose or I shall report you to the countess.

Her angry rebuff served only to incense him further. Instead of releasing her, he pinched her chin between his thumb and index finger and pressed his thin, hard lips against her mouth in a bruising kiss. The legs of the massive worktable scraped across the stone floor as she struggled backward, trying to gain her freedom. He captured her waist with his arm and pulled her into a fearsome embrace. A lustful gleam lurked in his watery eyes and penetrated her very soul. He traced his tongue across the vindictive smile curving his lips. She shuddered.

Beneath the collar of the chef s white tunic, his Adams apple bobbed uncontrollably. Quit fighting me!

Never! Ill not yield to you. She spat the words into his face.

With a wicked laugh, he grabbed at the hem of her skirt. How dare he! Without hesitation, Olivia stomped the heel of her shoe atop his foot. The despicable chef yelped and his grip loosened. Wresting free of him, she hastened to the opposite side of the table while straining to remain calm. Across the expanse of the wooden table, she stared at him. The man was a lecherous fiend.

He bent forward and rested his palms against the table. Youll find speaking to the countess will do you no good. He wagged his index finger at her. The Countess of Lanshire needs an excellent chef on her staff. Scullery maids can be found on any street corner. Be advised that others have tried that tack and none have succeeded. His stale breath wafted across the table and assaulted her. You will permit me the pleasure of your body whenever I so desire, or you will find yourself among the unemployed, Miss Mott . You have but two days to give me your decision.

Outwitted! Olivia should have known the calculating chef would have a trump card at the ready, and that he would use it whenever and wherever he saw fit. Each of his words hit like a blow to the midsection. Swallowing hard, Olivia forced down the lump in her throat. If she disgorged herself of the morning meal, the chef would offer yet another serving of his brutal humiliation.

He moved away from the table and gestured toward the stairway. Ill not detain you further. Consider your options carefully, Miss Mott. Either youll be my mistress or youll be unemployed.

Careful to maintain her distance, Olivia sidestepped toward the stairs on wobbly legs. She hoped to maintain some sense of decorum until she finally escaped the kitchen. He was watching her every move. Only when she reached the stairs did she turn her back toward him and race up the flight as though the devil himself were on her heels. She didnt stop running until she reached the third floor.

Leaning against the far wall, she gasped for air, her chest heaving. As her breathing slowed, she realized those few minutes in the kitchen had changed the course of her life. Shed seen her dream evaporate as quickly as ice melting on a summer day.

When shed arrived at Lanshire Hall fourteen months ago, she had hoped Chef Mallard would lead her on the path to a successful career. Like everyone else who had eaten his expertly prepared delicacies, Olivia had been in awe of his culinary abilities. Until today the desire to become a renowned chef had outweighed all other dreams. Unfortunately, the Mallard, as she privately referred to him, had drawn a line in the sanda line she would never cross, no matter how deep the desire to achieve her goal. Today he had proved himself to be the odious man about whom she had been forewarned.

With a quick swipe she brushed away the tears that stained her cheeks and dejectedly walked to the end of the hall. She sniffed loudly and pushed open the door to the room she shared with Ludenia, Lady Charlotte Spencers personal maid.

At the sound of the latch, Ludie glanced up from her stitching. Her eyes opened wide, and she dropped the embroidery on the side table as she rushed forward to enfold Olivia in a gentle embrace. Now whats this all about, dearie? Tell Ludie whats troubling you.