She sat back and allowed them to pour her a cup of overly steeped tea and add in rather too many lumps of sugar before she took it gratefully and smiled after her first sip. "Mmm."

The two of them sat down and devoured the rest of the pudding and gravy with the single-mindedness of ravenous beasts. Then Mr. Worthington diligently washed up while Mr. Bing gave Gemma an adventure-filled account of the morning's events. Gemma supposed that when one cooked so rarely, one found novelty in the cracking of every egg.

Then Mr. Bing rose from the table and fetched a basket. He turned to Gemma with a glint in his eye. "Young Farmer Hamme sent word that he would like for you to stop in today."

Gemma frowned. "Farmer Hamme? Is someone ill?" Hamme's smallholding was a long ride away. She would be gone most of the day there and back.

Mr. Bing shrugged and glanced away. "All I was told was that he wants you to come. Best you get on if you want to make it there and back before supper. Worthington has got Bad Pony under his spell good and proper so it orta be a peaceful ride. Why don’t you take t' young fella up to the Nine Standards? It'll be a pretty prospect from the top of that fell on a fine day like today."

Gemma looked down at her tea and slid a glance down the table at Mr. Worthington. "It is a very fine view, Mr. Worthington, if one is fond of high vistas."

Mr. Worthington gazed at the tablecloth and gave a short nod. Did that mean he liked views of the landscape or that he was agreeing to the drive? Perversely, Gemma decided she didn't care which one it was. If the fellow had a strong opinion either way, it was up to him to express it.

Suddenly eager to be out of doors on a gorgeous morning, Gemma rose from the table. Mr. Worthington stood at once and Mr. Bing stood a few beats later.

They were terribly sweet. She hoped to never eat their cooking again. She smiled at them and slipped off to her stillroom to make sure her case was well stocked for any eventuality. There was no telling what might be going on at the Hamme farmstead. There were three generations under one roof and rather a large number of young children. She should pack a few hard candies as well. Children were ever so much easier to convince when one had an arsenal of sweets.