Chapter 3: Heated Grinding
Copenhagen, The Mermaid and Tiger
October 1636
After the staff dinner, all hands cleaned up the kitchen and serving areas. Reva showed Diego how to clean the equipment in the chocolate room. “This may not have been the way your father did things, Diego, but I want my kitchens and workrooms very clean every night. Just think of it as a whim of your employer.”
Diego finished wiping down the counter and put his rag with the others in the laundry sack. “Not my father, but at home, my mother was very demanding. And as the youngest, I helped her in the kitchens.”
Reva took off her apron and hung it on the customary hook. “Is your mother still living?”
Diego shook his head. “Sadly, no. She was a very kind woman. She died of the fever several years ago.”
Reva put her hand over her mouth. “Oh, I am sorry. I remember now that your cousin, Captain Gonzalez mentioned it.”
Diego looked at her strangely. “I have not met any others from Grantville. But I have never heard a great lady apologize to servants. Are all Americans like you?”
That made Reva smile. “Well, I don’t know. Maybe. Where I come from, we try to treat people like people. Some are better at it than others. I do my best. Now, to change the subject, do you have a place to sleep tonight?”
Diego started to puff out his chest and answer arrogantly, but he deflated and looked at his shoes. “No, I have not. Yesterday, I slept at the jail.”
Reva patted the young man’s arm. “Don’t you worry, now. You can come home with me tonight. We have a cot you can sleep in.”
Diego looked around the chocolate room. “Can’t I stay in here?”
Reva looked around as well. It was a good work room, but as living quarters, it lacked a cot to say the least. “Perhaps tomorrow, we can bring a cot here and make you a sleeping area. For tonight, you’re coming with me.”
Marlon and Reva walked in the cool evening light, hand in hand as if they were young lovers. Diego trailed after, not sure he wanted people to think he was with these odd people. After a couple of blocks, Marlon turned and called back, “Diego, come on. You’re holding up the train.”
Diego bit back the arrogant words that came so easily. These people had been nothing but kind to him and it wasn’t right to kick back at them. So he obediently quickened his steps. The three of them turned a corner and Marlon was greeting a servant at the open doorway of a townhouse. As Diego arrived, Reva said, “Gregers, this is our new chocolatero. Tonight, have him sleep in that spare room in the servant’s quarters.”
The young man, Gregers, smiled and bowed to Reva, then turned his attention on Diego. He felt a little uncomfortable in the way Gregers examined him. As Marlon and Reva went up the stairs to their rooms above, Gregers led Diego back towards the kitchen and said, “Are you really a trained chocolatero? That must be wonderful, working with Frau Pridmore every day.”
Diego nodded, but said nothing. Gregers opened a door and pointed in. “Here is your room. It’s not much, but at least it is clean. Frau Pridmore will not stand vermin such as fleas or roaches. If you are going to work for her, you will need to keep things unmistakably clean. The bathing room is in the back behind the kitchen and Herr Marlon said everyone must bathe at least once a week, no exceptions.”
Diego said, “Thank you. Good night.” He stepped into the room and closed the door on Gregers’ face. The servant seemed very talkative and Diego didn’t feel like chatting. It had been a long and difficult day and all he wanted was sleep. The room was not large, but contained a cot, a chair, and a small table. Diego stripped off his doublet and fell onto the cot.
✽✽✽
Before dawn, Gregers was tapping on the door. “Diego, are you awake? Frau Pridmore wants you to come to breakfast before work.”
Diego said, “I’ll be there soon.” He got up and opened his door, but Gregers had already gone. So Diego got dressed and followed his nose towards the kitchens.
It was so odd for Diego to find both Marlon and Reva at the kitchen table. Both were dressed, enjoying breakfast. There was also Gregers and a woman Diego hadn’t met. Marlon saw the chocolatero and called, “There he is. Come in and sit down. Do you like eggs for breakfast?”
Diego sat in the chair pointed to by Señor Pridmore. Nobody was paying much attention to him. Reva handed him an empty mug. “Do you like coffee? Or would you rather have some of Marlon’s small beer?”
He didn’t know what to think. These Americans didn’t seem to understand the natural divide between rich and poor. Why were they even in the kitchen? But he got his mouth moving. “Beer, please. And where can I wash my face?”
Reva’s eyebrows went up. “Gregers, show Diego the washroom.”
When Diego returned, damp but clean, the other woman stood up, picked up a stoneware pitcher, filled his mug with beer. Diego enjoyed the yeasty smell that rolled out at him. He sat and drank a long swallow.
Reva pointed at the woman as she sat down. “This is Margrete Larsen, our cook and housekeeper. She is a widow with children, so she doesn’t sleep here. But she makes a very enjoyable breakfast.”
The woman nodded at him and continued to eat out of a wooden bowl. Marlon set down his coffee mug and stretched. “So, Diego, tell us about yourself. What do you usually have for breakfast?”
Diego frowned. He knew he hadn’t been drinking yesterday. But today his head felt large for his fragile neck and he couldn’t concentrate on answering in English for this man. He rubbed his temple. “I don’t know, usually bread and cheese?”
Gregers handed him a tray with bread and cheese. Marlon said, “Where were you born?”
Diego took a bite of bread, chewed for a moment, and swallowed. “I was born in New Spain, the capital city. My father was a servant to the Viceroy. We came back to Spain when I was four.”
Marlon finished his cup and stood up. “Well, I’m expected at the engine shop. The rest of you have a glorious day.”
Diego noticed that the others were almost finished, so he hurried to finish as well and stood when Gregers stood. Reva looked up from her tea cup. “Are you ready for the day?”
Diego nodded. “Yes, Señora.”
Reva stood up as well. “Before we go, there is something I want to show you. Gregers, could you send Diego’s cot down to the café today? I think Diego can be not only our chocolatero, but also our night watchman.”
Gregers said, “Yes, Frau Pridmore.”
Diego stared at the American woman. “You want me to be night watchman as well as chocolatero? You trust me?”
Reva stopped and looked at Diego. “Of course I do, Diego. I talked it over with Marlon last night and he agrees. You are formidable enough to discourage casual pilferage and Marlon likes you.”
Diego blinked and barely got, “Oh.” out of his mouth. For some reason, his throat was closing and he was fighting a sob. It was an unusual reaction, but the truth was, he hadn’t had anyone trust him for a long time.
Reva turned and put on her coat. “Do you have a cloak, or something warm? It gets much colder here than in Spain.”
Diego held out his hands side to side. “All you see is all I own.”
Reva nodded and opened a closet. There were several things hung on odd wire devices with hooks that went over a wooden bar. She pulled out a black something and turned to Diego. “Here, you can have this one. The black is not as rich as others Marlon has and I know he won’t miss it. He doesn’t particularly like cloaks as they seem to trip him while he’s doing something intricate. This will keep you warm. I will be sure to send bedding with Gregers when he brings your cot to the café.
Diego was completely speechless when he had a fine black cloak shoved into his arms. Reva turned and picked up her basket and headed for the front door. She paused before opening it, though, and looked back at Diego. “Go ahead, try it on. It is frosty out there this morning.”
Diego swung the cloak around him and appreciated the fine-spun wool. The cloak was one layer, but had a good tight weave that would keep out the cold. There was even a hood that lay on his back. “I am ready, Señora. Thank you.”
✽✽✽
They were first to arrive at the café, but it was still very early. The cold fog near the docks shrouded everything in grey and if one had a vivid imagination, as Diego did, one could picture any number of frightening things just out of sight.
Reva unlocked the back door. She said, “This will be your job. Unlock the door at seven o’clock. There is a clock in the kitchen. And then make sure the tables, chairs, and benches are ready for customers. I usually arrive between seven and eight, and Inge, Anna, and Eric shortly after that. Claus and Else arrive before eight. And by then, we already have patrons asking for breakfast and chocolate. So after you check the dining room and someone else arrives, you go straight back to the chocolate room and get to work. We sell a lot of chocolate in the cold mornings.”
Diego removed his cloak and draped it over his arm. “I understand, Señora. I will go back there now.”
Reva smiled. “Good. I’ve got to get some biscuits in the oven and start the gravy, so I will be busy. If you have any questions, come and get me.”
✽✽✽
The morning rush was like nothing Diego had ever experienced. It was like a riot, or a street fight, except nobody was attacking. But as soon as he got one thing done, someone was demanding he do something else. Nothing was finished to his complete satisfaction because there just wasn’t time.
Finally, about ten o’clock, the flood of hungry customers reduced to a trickle and the crew was able to relax a little. Diego made a pitcher of hot chocolate and they all sat down at the kitchen table to eat together.
Reva sipped her chocolate and smiled. “Well, Diego, how do you feel? Did you survive?”
The rest of the crew laughed and looked his way. Diego leaned back and scrubbed his face with his hands. “Well, I think so. But my feet feel like they’ve been smashed with rocks.”
Claus leaned back next to Diego. “I feel the same, every day.”
Diego looked around and laughed. “I guess it’s not just me. Does it get any better?”
Reva stood up and stretched. “I don’t know about better, but you get used to it. Come on, everyone. Let’s get cleaned up for lunch. They’ll be here soon.
✽✽✽
Later, in the chocolate room, Reva watched Diego at the metate. When he had the chocolate paste to the right consistency, he took it to the molds and filled them. These were wooden, shaped like wheels, with eight sections in each circle. After the chocolate was set, the molds were turned out and the wheels were stored in a box. Each wheel was about three inches across and an inch and a half thick.
Reva went to her coat, and pulled something from the pocket. “Diego, I am so glad you came to work here. You will be a great asset to this company. And I think you are ready to learn more. I brought this book for you to read. Be careful with it because it’s the only one in this world. I want you to keep it here in the chocolate room and read it. If you have problems with the English, ask me and I will help.”
Diego wiped his hands on a towel and looked at the book in Reva’s hands. “If it is so rare, why do you entrust it to me, Señora?”
Reva frowned and handed the book to her chocolatero. “Because I want you to help me invent the rest of the machinery. Don’t worry, I already have a factor looking into getting it printed again. But until then, you need to study this information.”
Diego gently took the book in his hands. He had not often held a book. He could read because his father insisted. But that was usually in a patron’s library, with the book laying on a table. This book was different. Instead of a leather cover, it felt like shiny paper, with colorful drawings. He took a moment to admire the cover, front and back, then delicately opened the pages.
“Diego, this may not be the best time to read, I can hear customers coming for lunch. Read it tonight after everyone else goes home. There is a lamp over here, full of oil. Use it as much as you like. Just remember that you need to be awake and unlock the door in the morning at seven. So don’t stay up too late reading.” Reva was smoothing her apron and settling her cap, preparing to go out and greet guests.
Diego set the book on a shelf near the lamp. “I will start tonight, Señora. And I will guard this book with my life.”
Reva smiled, then felt her apron pocket. “Oh, I almost forgot. This is important. I don’t have many of these left. I want you to try this and tell me what you think.” She held a small silver object out to him. It was shiny and beautiful.
Diego said, “What is it?”
Reva put the small thing in his hand. “We call it a chocolate kiss. It is covered with a thin foil. Open it.”
Diego examined it closely. He could see a thin strip of paper at the top, so he pulled it and was surprised to see the silvery foil open. Inside, Diego could smell chocolate before he saw it. And yet, there was something different about this chocolate. He admired the glossy surface of the small triangular chocolate. “It looks so different. Is this American chocolate?”
Reva nodded. “It is from my storeroom. It isn’t as fresh as I would like, as it’s been almost five years since I got it. Taste it.”
Diego frowned. “You want me to put it in a cup? Do you use milk or water?”
Reva laughed. “Neither. Bite it.”
Still frowning, he nibbled the small top of the piece. His eyes opened wide. It was neither as hard, or as grainy as he had expected. When he was a child, he had stolen one of the wheel chunks of chocolate from his father’s workroom and hidden in a closet to eat it. But that chocolate was a great disappointment because it was hard as a rock and felt like sand in his mouth. He never took a piece again.
This was very different. When he got it in his mouth, he could feel it melt on his tongue and become a velvety smooth sauce in his mouth. He almost didn’t want to swallow.
Reva said, “Go ahead, eat it. I want you to know what we are working toward. I want to build the equipment that will get me that quality of chocolate.”
Diego put the rest of it in his mouth. When he chewed, he could feel a gentle resistance, but it was pleasant and then the fragments started to melt. He closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy the sensation.
When it was gone, he opened his eyes and grinned. “Señora, I will do whatever it takes to get this again. That was wonderful.”
✽✽✽
The lunch rush was, if anything, harder than breakfast. People seemed to be in a hurry and much more willing to complain. Diego realized that running this kind of establishment was more difficult than he had ever realized and he felt guilty for all the furniture he ever broke, wine he ever spilled, or food he ever stole from a tavern keeper. Only now did he empathize with the slow server.
It was after two o’clock when the crowd thinned. Diego went out to help clean the dining area. He was sweeping in a corner when a voice interrupted him. “You must be new here.”
Diego straightened up. “Yes, I am the chocolatero.”
The man speaking was sitting at a table alone. He was dressed in rough clothes, like a common workman and he was sipping chocolate. “So it is you I thank for this?”
Diego leaned his broom on the wall and bowed. “Humbly, yes. I ground the beans for your cup today.”
The man stood up as well. “My name is Bertel Kierulf. I come to this shop every week to remind myself where my life changed. I owe a lot to this shop. Sit with me a while and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Diego looked guiltily towards the kitchens, but nobody there seemed concerned with his dereliction, so he sat.