Making mental notes of the area, Vela started creating a profile of the family in her mind.  At least a mental image of the man she was about to visit with.  Traditional, not to be confused with dated, which could be due to various reasons.  In her mind, there were those that let a house go downhill due to lack of attention which she would classify as either they did not manage their staff well or had purchased/maintained an older home to make to appear they are "old" money or were not as financially placed as they let people think they were. 

Her own paternal grandparents had purchased an older property but had updated it with the more modern (of her grandparent's time) styles.  Her parents had updated a few personal areas but had maintained the rest for the most as they had gotten it.  Everything had been painted regularly and the staff was efficient, well trained, and prompt with the maintaining of the property.  So, her family was more of a mixture of modern and traditional.  The Rosewine family was still considered the among "new" rich group, even though she was the third generation of her family in the London Society.

No, this property had it well kept and with the cleanliness she observed, she felt the staff was quite well trained as well.  Traditional was more of a family that maintained the property well, had generations in the home thus a personal value in the way it looked, and it was kept in the design of how the family prefers.  The paint was not flaking as some might be.  This seemed to be kept up quite carefully.  She appreciated that concern for one's home.

The items along the top of the desk she observed made her believe that the man before her if it was his desk, that is, meant that he kept personally kept a hand in the business of the property, not just leaving it to a hired manager and going on to live his life.  Again, something that gave her a positive first impression.  She was hired by various people in London that were more about spending their money frivolously to keep up impressions and demanding things of their staff that were unreasonable.  She had grown up knowing such people, and so had known how to work with them, but within, she had found them foolish. 

She had focused on the meal and learned which clients to avoid as they could not always pay the bill.  There had been some that had been honest with her and wanted a wonderful dinner but had asked her to be modest in the materials she used to create it.  She respected that person more than those that spent more than they could afford just to make a good "picture" for their friends and she always made a bit more of an effort to make sure that modesty in supplies didn't show in the meal she put before them.

She had not gotten that impression with this man thus far.  Someone that took care of the property in such a manner was not going to have a problem paying for a fine dinner.  So, while she respected those that required less quality in their meals, getting to work with a family that could let her really let her have fun with her creations was a joy. 

She gracefully sat down when he invited her to do so, smoothing her skirts with her free hand and setting her notebook and gloves on her lap.  "If you will excuse my bluntness, it is a changing world, Your Lordship.   Some of the families that have been hit in the last decades are struggling to maintain the life they had always known.  I enable a family to still enjoy the pleasure of the society with grand events while maintaining a more modest budget to focus more on the necessary issues on hand.  A properly trained chef can be quite a hefty portion in a home budget.  A mere cook and keeping a modest kitchen staff helps those that are finding being responsible for the care of their homes in this new generation difficult."

"While I, like many of my fellow chefs, have started expecting more value for our skills, I predict that there will be a time when the grand families will one day not hire a trained chef for each property.  Either by choice or due to not being able to afford the number of staff members any longer, the households will change.  However, I also believe the urge to have fine events and dinners will always be with us.  Thus, the need for a transition to a new way of how to accomplish it."

She had felt it to be a logical transition.  A risk, yes, but she had a great start in London.  This next step, moving to Whitby, would be the big test for her theory.  Granted, she had her parent's money to support her if she didn't get enough work, but still a risk.  Being a female chef was in itself had been a rarity, but her skill in the kitchen had helped make her thought that trial, for the most part.  It was still unusual enough to bring the curious invited guests to the homes she has prepared fine dinners for.  That had led to those same guests hiring her for their own events.   Enough that apparently she had even been heard of here in Whitby.

At his question about a drink, she nodded.  "Perhaps a Madeira?"  She asked.  She had become fond of it.  It was dry but refreshing as well.

"Before we talk about the event you are planning, I should ask about the kitchen staff.  In some previous events, the staff is not approval of my being hired.  It can bring some conflict.   If you have a proper chef already here, bringing me in often can be taken as an insult.  In that case, I would suggest that I meet with the chef and propose a partnership for a grand event.  Making it assured that I am not to take over his or her kitchen, merely to add something unusual and different for a special event.  That I might be brought back for others would be possible, but not to take his or her place."

"If you have a cook, again insult can be taken even when not intended.  In that case, again, my visiting with the cook to reassure that his or her position is not at risk would be recommended.  Me working with the staff is important to a successful and smooth event."

She would speak of the cost and details of the meal once she determined what kind of climate she would be working with.  Arguing and watching for sabotage from the kitchen staff made for a more expensive kind of situation.