Page 30 of Markets & Mooncakes

"I would never know you recently learned," I say. "You are much better at speaking than a lot of people I've met." I grimace even as I say it, realising how much of an insult that is to a lot of other people.

"Thank you, I appreciate your kindness in saying so. My father wanted me to know how to speak with those here before we arrived."

I give her what I hope is a reassuring smile. "I think you've done an excellent job of that."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I should retire. There are things you should make before you are ready to create the mooncakes." She taps the recipe.

"Like the salted egg yolks?"

She nods. "They are better if they have had days to salt."

"I will tell Chef Matthews," I assure her.

She puts her hands together, covering them with her robe before bowing to me and disappearing out of the kitchen.

I let out a sigh, not entirely sure what I'm supposed to do now, especially as Nate still hasn't appeared. My gaze drops to the moulds and the recipe. I suppose I can get started on the egg yolks. I know what I'm doing with them, and they could benefit from the time sitting in the salt anyway. At least that will be useful for when we try the recipe for the first time.

Chapter 13

I nestle the final of my twelve egg yolks in the salt at the bottom of my dish, then wash my hands so that I can move on to dousing each of them in a little of the Shaoxing wine. I'm glad I found it, because it was sitting at the back of the store cupboard gathering dust.

Footsteps sound just as I finish the last one, and I look up to find Nate entering the kitchen. Relief floods through me at the sight of him, and I abandon what I'm doing so that I can go over to him. He immediately opens his arms, and I wrap mine around his neck, loving the way it feels when he leans down and kisses me. It's only brief, but it makes me feel like I'm connected to him in a way I haven't been before.

"I'm sorry for using your ingredients," I say as I pull away, gesturing to the pot where the eggs are ready to be covered in salt and set aside in the ice house.

"Technically, they're more your ingredients than mine," he points out.

"But you have to make the inventory and keep track of everything..."

"It's fine," he assures me. He leans over to look at my dish. "Salted egg yolks?" he asks.

I nod. "For the mooncakes. Lady Sun Jinglan came to lend you the mooncake moulds. She said that the egg yolks are better with a few days, so I thought I would start them while I was waiting for you."

He nods. "I'm sorry, I meant to be here an hour or so ago."

"Where were you?" I ask curiously. He wouldn't have needed to clean up after dinner now that he's in charge of the department, but he probably has lots of other things he needs to do.

"I was with the etiquette tutor," he responds.

I frown. "You're having etiquette lessons already? But what about your riding lessons?"

"I'm having those too." He smiles down at me in a way that's reassuring, but doesn't take away the moment of realising just how intense the regime Mama wants him to go through is.

"That's a lot."

"Is it a surprise? The Queen said that this was going to happen."

"I know. I suppose I'm just surprised by how quickly it's happening. How are you going to find the time to do all of these lessons, and your job, and spend time with me?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Not bake with you?"

"I don't care about that."

Surprise crosses his face. "I think that's the first time I've ever heard you say that you don't care about baking."

"I do care about baking. But I can do that on my own. What I can't do is spend time with you alone. That's more important." I take a deep breath. "I love you more than I love baking." The words sit heavily in the air, even though I don't know how that's possible, it's just how they feel.

"Evie..." His voice cracks as he says my name.