Her wedding was a week away. Palmer Blackwell’s ball in her honor was to be on Thursday. There were a dozen things to do in any given minute. Aside from what was becoming the usual stream of ladies paying calls, calls to be returned, and shopping on market day, Leticia had daily meetings with Cook, planning the wedding breakfast—which would be held at Bluestone Manor directly after the service next Sunday, and the entirety of Helmsley would be in attendance. Sir Barty was allowing her to expand the menu beyond pork, and had promised not to goggle should a bowl of oranges be produced. Add to that Rebecca, who had been hired to do the cake, coming around almost every day with samples, trying to find the most perfect one for the new Lady Babcock, whom she dearly wished to impress. Cook mentioned more than once that it should be her being impressed, since she had a say in all cooking staff hires. But it was notable that she took to those cake samples with a gluttonous glee. She even mentioned the idea of having Rebecca do some tarts for the breakfast as well.
