Chapter 34
Jennifer was quick to step forward, slipping an arm around Pandora to gently guide her out. She led the group toward a private room, one that almost never saw the light of day.
These rooms were reserved for only the most important guests. Regulars and newcomers alike rarely even glimpsed them.
“It’s been years since I’ve set foot in Hearth & Kettle,” Pandora said with a soft laugh. “Guess I was trying to avoid old memories p>
Old memories. That hung in the air for a moment.
Jennifer, always smooth, shifted topics right away. “And these two? They must be your grandkids p>
Pandora smiled, introducing them. “The girl on the left is my granddaughter, Claire. And on the right, that’s Dane, the grandson of an old friend p>
Jennifer greeted both warmly. “I know what Pandora likes, but Claire, Dane, what about you two p>
Claire answered easily, naming a couple of her favorite dishes. Dane just mentioned a few foods he couldn’t eat, leaving the rest up to the kitchen.
“Pandora, just wait here a minute. I’ll take care of things myself,” Jennifer said.
That made the manager do a double take. The owner herself, cooking for guests? That almost never happened.
Once everyone was settled, the manager slipped out to find Jennifer in the kitchen. She had her hair tied up and was already moving with practiced ease, sleeves rolled and hands busy.
“Boss, who exactly is Pandora? You’re never the one who cooks for guests p>
Everyone knew that of Daniel’s three daughters, the youngest was the most talented, inheriting his culinary skills. But she was also known for avoiding the kitchen whenever she could.
Usually, Hearth & Kettle ran on the skills of her senior apprentice and a student she’d trained. Jennifer liked to joke she was a professional slacker. She’d taught someone else to handle things so she could take it easy.
“Hearth & Kettle actually belongs to the James family,” Jennifer explained. “We just run our business here, borrowing the place p>
The manager was stunned. He’d always thought the estate belonged to the White family. The place was huge, almost like an old palace.
Jennifer went on, “It’s true, the whole property is massive. We only use the front courtyard for the restaurant.
The rest, the docked
areas outback,
are even biggers
She could guess what he was thinking. “Those parts are off-limits because Pandora only rented us the front courtyard p>
Otherwise, why else would she be so strict about not letting customers wander? The truth was, she couldn’t go in those areas herself.
Except, of course, during the
monthly cleaning. That was done by a special crew, people who used to serve the James family. They weren’t regular staff anymore, but still had some kind of contract fo maintain the place.
Jennifer had always suspected their job was more than just cleaning. Maybe they were there to keep an eye on things too. If the White family ever messed up, the James family could take the whole place back in a heartbeat.
Meanwhile, Claire was peppering Pandora with questions about her connection to the restaurant’s owner.
Pandora grinned. “This was part of my dowry. Your great-grandfather arranged it for me p>
Claire’s eyes went wide. She could hardly believe it.
Pandora was seriously rich.
Word was, this place had been built to royal standards. If Cindy knew just how wealthy Pandora was, would she regret rushing to reconnect with her birth family?
“Please don’t tell me you have even more dowry properties,” Claire said, only half- joking.
Dane, who knew more than he let on, just smiled. His dad had told him Pandora’s father had put most of her wedding gifts in banks all over the place.
Before Pandora could answer, Claire waved her off, laughing. “Forget it. I think I’d rather be surprised now and then p>