She nodded primly.  Sacked and rightly so.  She couldn't believe the idea of it.  She glanced around the kitchen but did not lay a finger on any surface.  It was of a good size and once completely cleaned with the strongest soap they could find, she hoped, it would serve her needs.  But he was correct.

"No, not in the state it could be ... anywhere..."  she indicated the room with a vague motion of her slender free hand.  The other hands still had her notebook and gloves.  She shuddered.

Apparently, he was not as organized and in control of his business as she had thought.  With how he had spoken earlier, she had gotten the idea that he was quite in charge of how his business was done.  The man was delusional if he thought he was maintaining an appropriate staff.  This had not been a sneak around kind of behavior.  This had been right out in a public room. 

Where were the others that should be monitoring what was cooking and where were the people that needed to prep for the rest of the next meal?  It was unacceptable for any quality chef and kitchen staff in her mind.  Come to think of it, if it was here what about other parts of the house when he was not keeping an eye on the staff? 

While her parents went to the city often, her mother kept a heavy thumb on checking that the job each house staff member did.  Surprise checks of cleanliness in each room and the housekeeper, who could have been in the military the way she ran the house, was, even more, stricter with the maids than her mother.  The staff was always working on some task, never idle, be it dusting (a never-ending task in the library) or shining the silver.

Perhaps that was the issue.  It was the wife of the house that normally saw to that type of thing.  The Baron's current wife did not seem to be of good health.  The man of the house tended to be focused on the management of the property.  She wondered at the housekeeper if the wife was not able to tend to the running of the house the housekeeper should have taken over that. 

She was baffled at how this house was organized now.  Well, it was not her business.  As long as he would make sure the kitchen was clean and the staff there more well behaved, she would be able to do her job.  Well, if he got the list of meals to her on time.  If not, then getting the groceries and the previous prepping would be a challenge, and if the meal was not at par to his wishes, that would be on his head, not her own.

"I will expect the kitchen staff to be on duty and of appropriately focused on the task when I am here, my lord.  I may be a lady, but I am not one to let things slip.  I am quite strict when it comes to how things are done in the kitchen."  She got up with the idea of heading back out of the scene of the crime.