He smiled at them; knowing that under their clean, starched and very uncomfortable uniforms and neatly pinned hair, there were hearts of pure gold. 'Thing is, see, the real Aristocracy were born to money, it's in their blood. Blue as your sparkling eyes,' he nodded at Katy. She was the oldest of the three kitchen girls, and the wisest. And now had the reddest faced. He treated the girls like family, seeing as his wife had passed away in childbirth, and the future years ahead looked bleak as old age and illness, and a broken heart, beckoned. 'And with blue blood there is respect, for they appreciate hard work and decency.' The girls stood in silence and listened to the old man's words. 'And, as we offer a service second to none, we get the respect and they get to wine and dine in one of this country's best hotels.' next »