Chapter 62 – Mental Breakdown
Mr. Trent came to the domus alone.
Jade was very surprised. She could not imagine her nosy fan passing up the chance to meet her face to face.
Well, if he’s not around, I can save the herbal tea sets and all. Jade shrugged. Mr. Trent doesn’t care about these pleasantries anyway.
They did not meet in the main hall as she had done during the landlord’s previous visit, but in Father Rochester’s study, where the chief clergy would hear the plans for the upcoming bazaar. Mr. Trent had brought good news.
“Lady Canareith has agreed to host the charity bazaar at the Silver Acorn. Every detail in the event proposal has been accepted and shall be implemented two weeks after the Queen’s Spring Ball,” Mr. Trent said, getting straight to the point. “The time, date, and criteria of the charity bazaar will be published in various newspapers shortly.”
He presented a pamphlet-sized map outlining the location of each booth and emergency exits – as Jade had suggested. Following their last meeting, Lord Ashborne had instructed the clubhouse to take fire hazards into consideration. Mr. Trent pointed to one of the marked squares. “Miss Jade, this is the space reserved for the school.”
“Oh, that’s a good location,” Jade said with a nod. “And the pieces for auction, they’ll be displayed on stage while the bazaar is going on?”
“Yes, so that guests may view them in advance and decide whether they wish to reserve a seat for the auction evening.” Mr. Trent flipped the pamphlet over. A program schedule was written on the reverse – some sections filled, others left blank. “The musicians performing on stage, the time and date of the auction evening, and other important details will be listed here. Is there anything you think should be added?”
“A very considerate arrangement. I don’t think anything else needs to be added,” Jade said, clearly impressed.
She had only a rough understanding of how to organise such an event because of her experiences in her previous life. Yet Mr. Trent – a man of this era who lacked those specific insights – had grasped her ideas, executed them well, and adapted them appropriately. That was a capability Jade knew she herself did not possess.
She was, indeed, very impressed.
“Apart from that, Miss Jade, I have received a rather special request,” Mr. Trent said, glancing at the young teacher. “A cake order, to be precise.”
“...What?” Jade stared at him, dumbfounded. “I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone I’m open for commissions… I mean, I would like to take one, but not when I’m still busy with teaching.”
“Perhaps it is because your name has been mentioned frequently during our discussion of the bazaar, or for some other reason unknown to us,” Mr. Trent replied calmly. “Miss Fairborne, the Dowager Countess’s ward, wishes to engage you as one of the pastry cooks for the auction evening.”
The auction evening was to be held on a Sunday – Jade’s day off. By most people’s reasoning, there should have been no issue with her accepting the order. However, to Mr. Trent and Father Rochester’s surprise, Jade seemed hesitant.
“Miss Jade, it is a Sunday. You will have the entire day to attend to your side work. I trust that you can balance it well,” Father Rochester said from behind the desk, where he had remained mostly silent. “You have been devoting a great deal of time to our school, and as you have mentioned, you intend to leave after the third semester. The charity bazaar would be an excellent opportunity to present yourself and secure a position in a reputable kitchen.”
“Miss Jade, you may also bring your apprentice, if that is your concern,” Mr. Trent added. “I presume the Silver Acorn would not object to granting your apprentice some exposure to a more refined kitchen. Furthermore, they possess a complete set of pastry tools. If anything is lacking, I would gladly request the steward to procure it.”
“No, that wasn’t the case… Well, that could be the case, but…” Jade’s thoughts spiralled as numbers and time estimations ran through her mind. “It’s estimated that 150 guests will attend the auction, right? For this kinda event, three types of cakes and biscuits are a must – and perhaps some fruit tarts or sandwiches? Everything needs to be delicate and bite-sized. Biscuits and tarts are fine, as long as there are moulds. Sandwiches can be handled by the other chefs. The problem is the cakes… I’ll need people to whisk a lot of eggs and butter! Well, that can be assigned to others too. If there’re mechanical whisks, that would be great – but I need decorators to do the frosting and pipe the flowers! And I am only one person, and Josh is just a beginner! Mr. Trent, 450 decorated cakes – all of them need to be done by me and my Josh! How much time do you think I’ll have before the frosting melts? Can I finish all the flowers within two hours? I don’t think so. So I’d better prepare sugar flowers a day in advance!”
Mr. Trent exchanged a glance with Father Rochester, who looked just as bewildered.
“Miss Jade, I am afraid you have misunderstood,” Mr. Trent said. “This is not a ball or a party. It is a charity evening. You need only prepare light refreshments for the guests, to keep them occupied and to provide a topic for polite conversation”
“Oh, right, charity evening…” Jade waved away Menu v1.0 in her mind and immediately began assembling v2.0. “So the budget will be limited. And I need to be creative. Make the cakes pretty, tasty, and still stay within the limited budget so people won’t think the organiser is extravagant or ignorant of the struggles of the poor… or assume the kind Lady is doing charity just for fame. April… What’s available during that time…”
Shopping in this era was far more inconvenient than in her previous life. Seasonal limitations made it impossible to obtain certain ingredients out of season unless one had access to a greenhouse, which was a luxury only the rich could afford. Jade, who had grown up near the equator, had no experience planning under such constraints.
And now, she had to prepare for a commission, baking for an event under conditions that did not favour her at all. Like a warrior going into battle without a weapon…
April. Is butter available by then? Eggs? How’s their oven? How much sugar can I use ? What kind of fruit is available? What–
“Miss Jade… Miss Jade! Calm down.” Unlike Mr. Trent, who did not quite understand what was happening, Father Rochester immediately sensed her rising anxiety. “Child, listen. You may decline the order. There is no need to pressure yourself.”
“But…” Jade lifted her head and met Father Rochester’s concerned gaze.
But this could greatly improve the domus’s reputation, and bring in more donations.
But this could be a great chance to showcase the ragged school children, to secure better resources for them… to give them a brighter future.
But this would give Josh a chance to see a proper bakehouse. And she, as his Sensei, hadn’t even shown him any real cake-making yet, aside from fobbing him off with piping out potato paste and biscuits…
Jade felt her throat tighten as she spoke. “But with properly made refreshments, I can guarantee our school and the domus will earn a place in the newspapers.”
Too many thoughts surged through her mind. This was the only sentence she managed to seize. And it was a perfectly reasonable one.
“I believe the five-fold screen your tuition class has been preparing could achieve the same result,” Father Rochester said, placing a warm hand on Jade’s shoulder.
“But…” Jade blinked, and muttered, “But I don’t, Father, I don’t. I’m not sure if the five-fold screen could really earn anything. I’m not even sure if anything I taught in the tuition class would do the students any good… I’m not skilled in those, Father. I just have a vague impression of how those things were made, you know, a very vague impression. I trust my baking skill, and not others, and… I haven’t baked for any event for a very long time…”
No refrigerator. No electromixer. Just her, two hands, baking for 150 people… Without technology to shorten whisking time or keep cakes and frosting chill, Jade genuinely doubted she could perform well. Moreover, this wasn’t her original body, the arm muscles hadn’t trained for hours of whisking… yet this was the only skill she had confidence in…
The conflicting thoughts consumed her.
Sometimes nerves snapped suddenly, because they had reached their limit when no one was looking.
“You’re too tired, child,” Father Rochester said, patting her shoulder. “Rest today and tomorrow.”
Jade pulled herself back to the present. “But I have to look after them, and I have class tomorrow!”
“Your syllabus is very detailed,” Father Rochester said, “I believe Mother Annie would be glad to help cover for you, and even manage the tuition class with Miss Whitcombe’s assistance.”
“Mother Annie?” Jade recalled the stern gaze of the old nun. The woman had never seemed fond of her, and would probably form an even worse impression if she had to take over Jade’s class on a day off for no visible illness. “Father, I…”
“No, no. You must rest, Miss Jade,” Father Rochester said with a small sigh. “It is my mistake for not noticing how overworked you’ve been.”
“I… overworked?” Jade stammered. “But, I don’t feel overworked…”
“It’s all right, child.” Father Rochester’s hands were rough and sturdy, hardly what one would expect from a clergyman who spent his days handling papers. Now, the palm of such a pair of hands was placed firmly on Jade’s head and rubbed gently. “It’s all right. You haven’t left the domus since winter, have you? Go out for a walk. Look at the mountains in the distance, watch the river and the boats… Have a walk, child, under the noon sun, and you’ll be all right.”
“But…”
“Everything will be fine after your rest, child,” Father Rochester said, sending her away gently. “Worry not, Father and Mother are here – you’ll be all right.”
Jade blinked, and nodded. “Alright, Father. I’ll go for a walk. Maybe I do have some problems.”
She wasn’t ignorant of mental breakdowns, depression, or other mental illnesses – the abundant information from her previous life via the internet, news, and social media had left her well-informed. The worried expression on the White Robe’s face had alerted her… and, he was right – a single day off wouldn’t lead to catastrophe.
Yea. She should take a day off.
Both men watched as Jade strolled away, a dreamy expression on her face.
Father Rochester sighed and said, before Mr. Trent could comment further, “My apologies for my teacher’s strange behavior. It is my negligence for not to notice how exhausted Miss Jade has become with all her additional tasks.”
Mr. Trent, recalling the moments he had met Miss Jade – mostly behind his employer – said, “Perhaps my Lord had placed too high an expectation on Miss Jade as well, assuming she was capable of achieving the impossible.”
The White Robe considered Mr. Trent’s words. He had to admit, he shared the same impression as their landlord. Many probably thought the same of Miss Jade and forgot that she was just a single woman who had arrived at the domus in a desperate moment.
“I will decline Miss Fairborne’s offer on Miss Jade’s behalf, for her mental well-being,” Mr. Trent said, turning to Father Rochester. “I shall then discuss the remaining details of organising the bazaar with you, Father.”
“It is my pleasure to provide my perspective, and I thank the Lady and my Lord for their generous aid,” Father Rochester said, taking a few cards from his drawer. “Additionally, I would like to suggest a few candidates to assist with the bazaar and auction evening…”