"Okay, I'll open it up for you to ask Meryn any questions you need to, to better serve." Adelaide sat down.
Meryn squirmed in her seat as three sets of male eyes stared at her.
"What foods do you like to eat?" Ryuu asked, his voice was surprisingly deep.
"I like pizza, sandwiches and hot pockets." He nodded.
"What is your favorite tea?" Dennis asked.
"I like strong teas, sweetened, no milk. Earl Grey double strength, preferably."
"I bet you would love my Yorkshire tea with milk." Dennis made a note on his sheet. Meryn smiled politely.
"Why do you drink it so strong?" Ryuu asked.
"I have a strong coffee first thing in the morning to get me going, by the afternoon I'm crashing and I need something to pick me up. It's why I usually like a light lunch and something sweet for tea. If I eat too much I get tired." She explained. He nodded solemnly. They got quiet.
"Do you have any more questions for Meryn?" Adelaide asked standing.
"Just one. What do you do in the afternoons?" Ryuu's handsome face turned to her.
"I'm on my laptop a lot."
"Thank you. I have no more questions Lady McKenzie."
"Very well then, Marius will show you to the kitchen. We'll see you gentlemen at lunch." They stood and filed out behind Marius.
"Enjoy your laptop time, lunch will be ready soon enough." Adelaide picked up her knitting.
Two hours later Meryn had just finished writing a new program when Marius appeared at the door. His mouth was in a straight line. Uh oh.
"Lunch is ready."
"Oh dear, I wonder what happened." Adelaide murmured. They stood and followed Marius to the dining room. As they passed the kitchen she saw that one counter was littered with vegetable cuttings and food splatters. Meryn and Adelaide exchanged a look. Now they knew what was wrong with Marius. One of the men applying was a slob in the kitchen. Along three of the walls, each applicant had set up a lunch spread. Meryn noticed that only Ryuu bowed when they entered.
"Walk around Meryn and pick whatever you like. I would recommend trying something from each to see if you like their cooking." Adelaide suggested and picked up a plate for herself. Marius handed Meryn a plate and she began to walk around the room.
She went to Dennis's table first since it was the one on the left. He had made French Onion soup and a tossed pasta dish. She skipped the soup and spooned a small helping of pasta on her plate. She smiled at Dennis and moved on. Jungen was along the middle wall. He had made a bratwurst sub with sauerkraut. For a side dish he had prepared a cabbage and red potato dish. She scooped out a helping of potatoes and moved on. Finally, she came to Ryuu. He had prepared simple looking pastries shaped like fish.
"Taiyaki?" She asked. For the first time his expression changed to one of pleasant surprise.
"Yes."
"What did you use for a filling?"
"Pepperoni and cheese."
"Seriously?" Meryn asked, reaching for the tongs. She grabbed two and put them on her plate. She smiled at him in gratitude. He bowed. She walked over to the table and took a bite of the pasta. It was really good. She quickly finished what was on her plate. Second, she ate one of the potatoes, but couldn't eat more. It had been cooked in grease along with the cabbage. It was too heavy for her to eat. Eagerly she reached for the small fish. She took a bite and sighed. The crusty exterior gave way to melted cheese and slightly spicy pepperoni. After polishing off the second one she was full. They thanked them and retired back to the drawing room.
A couple hours later the men returned, each one pushing a service cart. Meryn rubbed her eyes. She had been staring at her laptop for hours, her vision was getting blurry. She needed a strong tea in the worst way.
"For this exercise Meryn will review what each of you has prepared and pick the one which appeals to her. While we take our tea Marius will serve you outside on the veranda while Meryn and I discuss your merits. Gentleman, the floor is yours. Please tell us what you prepared and why."
Dennis stepped forward quickly and removed the large dome lid, revealing his selections.
"I have prepared a double strength pot of Yorkshire tea with milk since Miss Meryn likes it strong and cucumber sandwiches, since she advised that sandwiches were a favorite of hers." Meryn sighed. She really wanted her Earl Grey. Jungen stepped forward and removed the lid on his cart.
"I have also prepared sandwiches." He glared at Dennis. Now Meryn realized why Dennis stepped forward so quickly. He knew they had prepared the same thing.
"Instead of cucumber, I chose instead to use higher quality ingredients. On the left, we have egg and cress and on the right smoked salmon. For tea I have prepared a Darjeeling brew, no milk. I chose sandwiches as Meryn indicated they were a favorite and have prepared the tea without milk as she clearly stated she does not prefer it." Jungen looked pleased with himself. Meryn's eyes went to Ryuu. He had done so well at lunch she couldn't wait to see what he had prepared for tea. Please let the man have made a pot of Earl Grey.
Gracefully he stepped forward and bowed. With measured movements that reminded her of the ancient Japanese tea ceremony, he lifted the dome and presented his selections. The other two men snickered. With no pomp or pageantry the plate held small, ordinary looking pastry balls stacked in the center of the plate.
"I have prepared dango, or dumplings coated in powdered sugar and green tea. I chose the dumplings since Lady Meryn advised she liked something sweet with her tea. They are small and easy to eat, allowing her to stay on her laptop. I chose green tea over her preferred Earl Grey since a single serving contains the same amount of caffeine as a doubly strong brewed pot of black tea, yet also contains L-theanine, which improves brain function, helping her to concentrate later in the afternoon." He bowed again and stepped back.