Arthur was surprised when the young lady turned on the spot, and disturbed by her reaction. "Miss Rosewine..." He pushed passed her to see what was going on, only to find the chef lifting his trousers hastily, and a maid running away through the backdoor. It required little imagination to understand what poor Miss Rosewine had just witnessed.

Arthur was mortified. He turned red. Purple.

"My Lord..." the chef began in a thick French accent. "It was the maid! She seduced me! La vérité!"

"OUT!" the baron thundered. "Out with you!"

He did not have to say it again. The chef ran out the back door as well, still holding his trousers up with his hands.

Arthur wasn't sure if he had ever felt this embarrassed. It was bad enough to find out that the servants were having intercourse in the same place as where his food was prepared three times a day (if he wouldn't have been so overwhelmed, he would have retched), but to lead a lady - an intended chef at that - straight into that scene; to have her witness such a scene under his roof; his own servants in his own kitchen... Arthur did not know how he could ever overcome that humiliation.

He turned back to the corridor to find Miss Rosewine leaning against the wall, clearly shaken. It was a good thing that she was made of tougher stuff than Evaine. His wife might have dropped dead on the spot from horror. "Miss Rosewine..." he said, his normally confident voice shaky for once. "I am so... terribly sorry... I never... You are shaken, Miss. Please let me help you to a chair." He took put his hand under her arm, and if she let him, led her into the kitchen to sit down on a chair by the wall.

Some servants had come to see what the commotion was about, but seeing the baron, they turned on their heels and sneaked away as quietly and swiftly as they could.