The Kiss that Sparked it All

Ivy had been up since the dawn broke, busy in the kitchen preparing a hearty breakfast. After baking some scones and frying up a batch of eggs, she decided to finish off with a pot of oatmeal.

While the oatmeal simmered gently on the stove, Ivy’s stomach gave an unexpected lurch. She glanced over at Leila, her expression a mix of discomfort and urgency. “Leila, I gotta go to the bathroom. The oatmeal’s not ready yet. Could you keep an eye on it for me?”

“Sure thing, Miss,” Leila replied, watching Ivy rush off, and a cryptic smile crept over her face.

When Ivy returned, she noticed that Leila had already served the oatmeal. “It’s ready, huh?”

“Yes Miss, all set.” Leila was setting the table with three breakfast plates. “I’ll go fetch Mr. and Mrs. Howard for breakfast.”

Ivy nodded with a smile and took a seat in the dining room.

Something made her uneasy though – the way Leila looked at her seemed strange, almost as if she harbored some dislike. But Ivy shook off the thoughts, hoping she was just being paranoid.

Alyssa made their way into the dining

spread. Alyssa, with her grandmotherly warmth,

for you and Grandpa!” Ivy ladled some oatmeal into bowls for them. “Grandpa, Grandma, I made this oatmeal

took the bowl

also took a sip, giving Ivy a thumbs-up

Ivy’s spirits soared, and she even ate more than

the old couple before heading back to

and Dean Howard, with a panicked expression. “Miss, emergency! The master and mistress are both terribly sick. They’ve got the runs. The butler’s already arranged to have them taken to

was startled and quickly followed Talia out. “What

after breakfast, Mr. Howard started feeling ill, then Mrs. Howard too. After several trips to the bathroom,