Recipe for Romance Read online

  "Keep calm." She mentally berated herself. "Don't let him get you annoyed."

  "Have you no work to do, Miss Lawrence?" Once again the grey eyes stared at her, but Kirsty thought he looked hopeful rather than censorious.

  "It's break time, Mr. Stuart." Her heart thumped loudly, but she refused to let him see her nervousness.

  "Surely all meal preparations must be completed before any breaks are taken."

  "You are correct, Mr. Stuart." Kirsty felt smug, positive this time there he could not fault her. "The main course meat and vegetables are ready or cooking, and the dessert trolley is in the cold room. Preparations for the stacks won't be done until nearer the lunch hour."

  "Really, Miss Lawrence? Then may I ask why the stock for the soup is not prepared? Surely a good soup relies on the quality of its stock. Correct me if I'm wrong. It should be ready for the remainder of the ingredients at least two hours before the restaurant opens for lunch."

  Kirsty could have kicked herself. She'd relied on the experience of the regular kitchen maids who had returned, and her tiredness meant she hadn't watched their every move. Why hadn't she checked to see if all the work had been completed? Now the damage had been done and, as the person in charge, the responsibility for any errors was hers.

  "I beg your pardon, Mr. Stuart." Kirsty tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice. It didn't matter what she did, something always went wrong. Her efforts to be efficient to show both him and Antoine disintegrated, and to Reeve it must appear she wasn't capable of running a kitchen. "I'm afraid the item has been overlooked. I'll see to it immediately."

  "One more thing, Miss Lawrence." His curt voice stopped Kirsty before she could turn and instruct the staff. "Chef Antoine tells me you have very little experience being in charge, but we decided to give you the chance to prove yourself. Chef quite rightly stated you would not gain experience with someone looking over your shoulder at all times. I now reluctantly agree you are not ready for the responsibility. I fail to understand why Chef Antoine employed you in the position of sous-chef—kitchen helper would have been much more appropriate. In future you will take your orders from me when Chef is not here. I shall speak to Antoine about this when he comes in tomorrow."

  "One moment, Mr. Stuart!" Kirsty reached out and grabbed his arm, determined not to let him leave until she'd had her say in the matter. Her breathing quickened, and she attributed this to her agitation. "I strongly object to your accusations. I am experienced in kitchen management, and Chef Antoine knows this. I can't understand why he feels he should need to 'give me a chance' as you've said."

  "Miss Lawrence!" His eyes flashed, but his voice remained calm. "You're within your rights to state your objections. This doesn't alter the fact I don't consider you capable of running this kitchen."

  "You're entitled to your opinion, Mr. Stuart. However, you have no right to ridicule me in front of the kitchen staff." Kirsty glared at him, her face flushed and her eyes smoldering with anger. "I demand an apology from you."

  "Very well, Miss Lawrence. I apologize for holding this conversation within the hearing of other staff members. I would ask you to remember you were the one who started this heated exchange of words. Now, please carry on with your work. I will discuss this matter further with Chef Antoine."

  ONCE MORE THE RESTAURANT doors swung wildly as Reeve left the kitchen. He'd wanted to be fair to Kirsty by not interfering. For this reason he hadn't said anything the first time he'd entered the kitchen, but his instincts had told him something wasn't quite right. He decided Kirsty Lawrence hadn't the required experience to run the kitchen, reluctantly. Her leadership and organization skills were weak but her cooking was excellent. The woman had a quick temper, apart from anything else. He knew he'd been a bit insensitive when he'd made the comment about a kitchen helper, but somehow this woman brought out the worst in him. He'd regretted his words when he saw the tiredness and drawn look on her face. Nevertheless, he felt Kirsty needed more experience for the position of sous-chef, and Antoine would surely agree with him.

  He returned to his office and tried again to make sense of the restaurant ledgers. Something was definitely wrong. The number of covers had drastically reduced, and the event bookings were virtually non-existent, since Kirsty had been employed. Surely this couldn't be Kirsty's fault? He felt she was basically an honest person, in spite of their heated exchanges, whereas Antoine left him with a nagging feeling of something not quite right. He decided to reserve judgment, for the time being. The actions of both Chef Antoine and his assistant would be under scrutiny at all times.

  IT TOOK ALL OF KIRSTY's reserves not to snap at her helpers when telling them to check the rest of the soup ingredients. In the walk-in freezer she collected some frozen stock and returned to the kitchen.

  "Who does he think he is calling me inexperienced?" Her angry muttering disappeared as she banged and crashed her way through the recipe. "I could run this kitchen with one hand tied behind my back if he'd stop interfering. He treats me like an idiot who can't be trusted to do anything on her own. I shall have something to say to Chef if he agrees with Reeve Stuart's little scheme."

  The thought of the head chef made her frown. Why had he thrown doubt on her experience? He knew she was quite capable of running the kitchen. In the past he'd complimented her on her ability to keep her head in a crisis, although she ruefully admitted she hadn't shown much of her ability to Reeve. Kirsty knew she must keep her emotions under control when speaking to the new manager. The shortness of breath and feelings of inadequacy experienced when he was around would have to be suppressed. Kirsty thought back over the past week and wondered if Chef Antoine had been toadying up to Reeve Stuart, but instantly dismissed the idea.

  "Chef's got no need to do toady up. He's the real boss in this kitchen, not the arrogant new manager."

  Chapter Three

  Chef Antoine carefully placed his tall white hat on his head the next morning and paused when the phone on his desk shrilled.

  "Good morning, Mr. Stuart." Kirsty heard him say. "Yes, of course. I'll be with you in about fifteen minutes. I must set my staff to work first."

  Antoine replaced the receiver and called Kirsty over to report. He detailed her orders for the morning and left the kitchen, once she'd given him a brief account of the previous day.

  Kirsty hadn't mentioned her error or Reeve's outrageous suggestion and the argument which had followed. He could tell Chef himself if he wasn't satisfied with her work. No doubt, the intended changes were why Reeve had asked Antoine to come to his office. However, when he returned, Antoine didn't mention any changes. He did speak to her about her mistake.

  "Lawrence, please come here." He beckoned her toward his desk. "Mr. Stuart informs me you were behind with your work yesterday. Why did you not mention this to me?"

  "I didn't think it to be important, Chef." Confusion flooded through Kirsty. Why had Reeve complained about her small error, but not mentioned her alleged insubordination? It didn't sound like he'd spoken to Chef Antoine about him being in charge on Monday either. "I forgot to start the soup early enough, but when Mr. Stuart pointed it out to me, I rectified the matter immediately. No harm was done."

  "I'll be the judge of any harm done, Lawrence. How do you think I felt when Mr. Stuart complained about a member of my staff, and I couldn't respond because I had no idea what he was talking about?" Chef Antoine glared at her. "In future you'll tell me everything that happens when I'm not here. No matter how trivial you think it might be. Do you understand?"

  "Yes, Chef."

  He turned away to carry on with his own duties, and an embarrassed Kirsty returned to her work. Everything had gone wrong for her, and Chef and Reeve were making her life a misery. Her intention had been to ask Antoine why he'd insisted she had no experience in kitchen management. Kirsty thought it best to leave things for the time being, after the last few minutes. She would have to seriously start looking for a new job if things didn't get any better. An atmosphere dev
oid of trust would be impossible to work in long-term. Antoine hadn't mentioned Reeve would be in charge on Mondays, nor had he referred to her day off, so Kirsty broached the latter subject herself.

  "Chef, did you want me to work tomorrow, or shall I take my day off as usual?"

  "Really, Lawrence, your memory is atrocious. I've already told you I want you to work. You can see we're extremely busy."

  Kirsty knew he hadn't told her anything of the sort, but she felt too tired to argue. Lack of time for herself had dragged her energy levels way down.

  "Chef." Her voice stopped Antoine as he started to move away. "When am I likely to get all this time off in lieu? I'm not in any great hurry, but I am getting a bit run down. I'd like some idea when I can expect to be off work so I can make plans."

  "Time off in lieu." Spittle erupted from Chef's mouth as he spluttered. "You're dreaming, Lawrence. Nobody said anything to me about time off in lieu. You'll be paid for working your rest days as you have been in the past."

  "Mr. Stuart said I should take the time off instead, Chef. Remember I mentioned it to you the day after he started?"

  "Well, I wouldn't hold your breath, Lawrence. There's no question of you taking time off, as far as I'm concerned. I'll speak to Mr. Stuart about paying your overtime money as soon as possible."

  Kirsty smiled as she wearily crossed the car park to her car. Maybe things weren't as bad as they appeared. Kirsty had always thought Chef Antoine a fair boss. His one failing was he had to be in charge of every aspect of his kitchen. Perhaps she wasn't the only one unhappy with things. Could Antoine have vented his frustration on her because he couldn't get angry with the real cause, Reeve Stuart! Of course, this didn't explain why he'd played down her capabilities to the new manager. Kirsty shook her head. Tiredness reduced her ability to sort out anything at the moment.

  Until now Reeve had managed to work with the temperamental head chef, but Kirsty didn't think they could go on for much longer. Chef Antoine would take only so much interference before his famous temper blew, and once this happened, things might improve. They could hardly get any worse.

  The next morning Kirsty threw back the curtains in her bedroom and groaned. The rain poured down, and her spirits plummeted with the mood of the weather. Chef Antoine always managed to be in a foul mood in bad weather.

  Kirsty splashed her way across the car park to the kitchen entrance sheltering under a huge golf umbrella and wearing a bright red raincoat with matching gumboots. Antoine's bellowing voice reached her before she even got in the door. Apparently one of the kitchen maids had dropped a tray of bread rolls, then made matters worse by picking them up and replacing them on the tray. Kirsty entered the kitchen to see Chef reading the riot act to the woman about the level of hygiene required in a hotel kitchen, Chef Antoine's kitchen in particular.

  Kirsty could have taken her day off. The rain meant the restaurant stayed half empty at lunchtime, and only a few people braved the elements for dinner. The bad weather continued all week, and the restaurant had almost no customers. Chef Antoine kept his staff busy, taking the opportunity to check the dry goods and freezer, and replenish any stores below normal levels. Temptation nudged Kirsty to ask for a few days off to make up for the extra days worked. It would have been entertaining to see Antoine's reaction, but it might be best not to upset things when she didn't feel able to deal with further controversy.

  Wet day followed wet day, and Antoine's temper got worse. His anger erupted over the slightest thing, and any mistake made in the kitchen, regardless of where the fault lay, he blamed on Kirsty. Most of her time during the week she spent staying out of his way. Very little preparation needed to be done for the evening meal after the Sunday lunch dishes had been cleared away. Chef Antoine conveniently ignored the fact Kirsty hadn't had an afternoon off in weeks and disappeared immediately after the restaurant closed. At first irritated by his thoughtlessness, Kirsty then sagged with reaction. The kitchen maids had gone home, and nothing much needed to be done during the next few hours. What a relief to sit down and relax without Antoine accusing her of laziness and ordering her to find something to do.

  The percolator bubbled, and she poured a cup of coffee when her friend cautiously stuck her head round the door.

  "Got time for a coffee, Gina?"

  "I thought you'd never ask." Gina smiled back. "Where's the slave driver?"

  "Chef Antoine? He's taken a few hours off, thank goodness." Kirsty's brow wrinkled with a frown as she placed a fresh cup of coffee in front of her friend. "Gina, do you think Chef's acting a bit strange in recent weeks? Since Mr. Stuart arrived he's showing signs of being worried about something, and it's affecting his temper and his memory."

  "Nope, I haven't noticed a thing," Gina said, taking a sip from the cup and shrugging. "Doesn't mean anything though. I don't have much to do with Chef Antoine, thank goodness. Perhaps he's worried about the new boss's opinion of him."

  "No, I don't think so. Chef can stand up to Reeve Stuart any day." A small smile touched Kirsty's lips as she imagined the two men having a good argument, then her face changed to a thoughtful look. "No, whatever is upsetting him makes him more temperamental than usual. I suppose it could be something to do with his personal life. Hopefully he'll be back to normal soon."

  "You mean what's normal for Chef Antoine." Gina smiled, then putting down her empty cup, she stood. "How are things with you and the boss man? Any better?"

  "Not really. He thinks I'm not experienced enough to be sous-chef and treats me as unworthy of his attention. Chef Antoine agrees with him according to Mr. Stuart, although he hasn't said anything to me. Reeve told me all this last Monday, and I blew my top and demanded he apologize for the slur on my character."

  "You didn't!" Gina stared at her friend in wonder. "What did he do?"

  "He deliberately misunderstood me and apologized for having a heated discussion in front of the kitchen staff. He's such a cold man. No, sometimes he appears quite human and he certainly has a temper, even though he keeps it firmly under control. My problem is he never treats me like a real person with feelings like everyone else. I'm just the annoying sous-chef who keeps upsetting his well-planned day." Kirsty sighed. "It's all getting too much for me, Gina. I'm not sure whether Chef is really dissatisfied with my work, but his forgetfulness is making things worse. Do you think I'm making too much out of it? It wouldn't surprise me if I am—I feel so tired. I haven't had any time off for weeks."

  "Well, it can't go on. They've got to give you a day off soon, or they'll be in trouble with the health authorities or the unions." Gina glanced at the kitchen clock. "Help! I'd better get back to the desk, or I'll be in trouble with Mr. Stuart as well. See you later."

  Gina left with a wave of her hand. Kirsty lingered over her coffee for a while longer. She wished Antoine would get over whatever bugged him. His apparent loss of memory along with the way he laid the blame for every little fault on her, tired her even more. Reeve's poor opinion of her didn't help.

  The next day was Monday, Chef Antoine's day off. Neither of the two men had mentioned Reeve being in charge of the kitchen, and Kirsty assumed the matter had not been discussed between them, or Antoine had disagreed with Reeve's suggestion. Could he have forgotten to tell her about such a decision? Kirsty shook her head in denial. He would remember something so important, things must be as normal.

  Kirsty arrived at the hotel earlier than usual on days when Chef was absent. She walked briskly into the kitchen wearing clean trousers and a crisp white jacket and headed for Chef Antoine's desk. Halfway across the room her steps faltered and she stared with disbelief. Reeve Stuart sat in Chef's chair!

  "Ah, Miss Lawrence. Here are your orders for the day." He passed her a sheet of paper, and acting automatically she reached out and took it from him. "If you have any problems, please call my office."

  He rose from the chair and had nearly reached the restaurant doors when Kirsty found her voice.

  "Excuse me." The paper in her
hand flapped as she stared indignantly at him. "Would you mind telling me what this is?"

  REEVE LOOKED DIRECTLY at Kirsty for the first time in days, his eyes dark with disappointment. He'd hoped if he kept away from her the feelings which disturbed his thoughts would disappear. Maybe they could start afresh if things calmed down between them. He wondered if this would this be an unfulfilled dream.

  "Really, Miss Lawrence." His disappointment made his voice sound harsher than he had intended. "Why must you continually question everything I say to you? I'll repeat what I said so even you can understand me. The piece of paper in your hand has details of your orders for this morning's work. Have I been clear enough?"

  "It most certainly is not!" Kirsty eyes sparkling with anger, making his heart skip a beat. "I've had no instructions from Chef Antoine saying you are to be in charge of this kitchen in his absence. I get my orders from him and only him!"

  Reeve couldn't believe it. What did she hope to gain by lying to him? He'd talked to Chef about his decision last Tuesday and offered to inform her of the change himself, but Antoine had insisted the ruling would come better from him. Chef had told him in the afternoon Kirsty had been disappointed but accepted the situation.

  "Miss Lawrence, this is ridiculous. I told you last week what my intentions were. I spoke to Chef Antoine the next day, and he agreed you were not ready for sole responsibility of the kitchen. He said he would speak to you about the matter, in view of the heated exchange between the two of us. Chef Antoine assured me he had done so. Now either you improve your attitude and your memory, or I shall have to insist Antoine find a new sous-chef. This is your last warning. Please obey the instructions I've given you."

  Reeve turned abruptly and left the room, aware he left an extremely angry young woman in his wake. His own heart thumped wildly, and he knew the reason could not be laid solely with his temper. When Kirsty got angry, her eyes sparked and her whole face and body came alive. Not even the drab kitchen uniform could hide the vibrancy emanating from her. Her very nearness set his heart thumping and his body throbbing with reaction.