The Kitchen Front: A Novel

Gwendoline dines with Sir Strickland, who has read about her failure in the newspaper. He demands to know how the others beat her, especially Audrey. Gwendoline remembers her painful childhood as the second daughter, and Sir Strickland tells Gwendoline to ask Mrs. Quince for help. After they eat, Gwendoline calls for Mrs. Quince and asks her to help with the contest. However, Mrs. Quince declines due to her failing health. When Gwendoline suggests Nell helps her instead, Mrs. Quince accuses Gwendoline of cheating. When Gwendoline attempts to extort Mrs. Quince with her job, Mrs. Quince gently retaliates by admitting she’s had an offer from another house. Seeing Gwendoline at an impasse, Mrs. Quince suggests seeking help from another house chef. Gwendoline makes Mrs. Quince promise not to mention their conversation to anyone.

Audrey gathers eggs from her henhouse though there are fewer than normal. As she considers her second dish, a package arrives with Matthew’s things, including his wallet and an old hair ribbon of her own. She cries as her hen Gertrude comforts her. Audrey hallucinates Matthew’s arrival; Zelda finds her hours later and takes her into the house. Christopher and Ben come home, and Zelda takes over the household by sending them to the garden and preparing dinner. Audrey encourages her to keep her baby, and Zelda tells her about Jim and about her own difficult upbringing. She insists that winning the contest will give her the opportunity for a new life in London.

Audrey leaves the house in Zelda’s care and walks to the church. The walk helps her feel refreshed. Once she arrives, she prays and gives thanks for her husband, her family, her home, and for Zelda coming into her life.

Nell and Mrs. Quince prepare a cake for a local wedding: Mrs. Quince’s Special Occasion Cake. Once the cake is finished, Nell tells Mrs. Quince about her upcoming cooking session with Paolo. Mrs. Quince is cautious, but she confesses love might be good for Nell. She tells Nell about her own first love with a footman in her younger years though nothing ever came of it. Mrs. Quince suddenly takes ill and collapses. Nell cries for help, and Brackett, the butler, calls for an ambulance. Help arrives, and they take Mrs. Quince away.

Sir Strickland berates Gwendoline for her inability to secure Mrs. Quince’s help. Gwendoline informs him she’s done even better by outsourcing a London chef—Jim Denton. He agrees and tells her to appear at a dinner that evening. Gwendoline reflects on the loneliness of her marriage.

When Jim arrives, Gwendoline is instantly enamored with him. They look through recipe books and discuss the next dish; Jim suggests using whale meat, which the Ministry of Food is heavily promoting. Gwendoline hopes Jim might bring change to her life.

Nell goes to visit Mrs. Quince at the hospital. She is shocked at Mrs. Quince’s sickly appearance, but Mrs. Quince assures her that she’ll be all right. She encourages Nell to remain in the contest, stand up to Gwendoline, and strive for a better life.

Zelda and another factory worker, Doris, prepare to try Spam for the first time as Zelda plans to use ratio-approved ingredients for her second round. While they eat the processed meat, Doris notes the signs of Zelda’s pregnancy. Zelda considers how to disguise the texture of the Spam and decides to turn it into an ornate meat pie.

Jim returns to Fenley Hall to help Gwendoline with her entry. He flirts with her as he shows his plans for the whale meat pie. She confides in him about the loneliness of her marriage, and Jim discovers bruises Sir Strickland left on Gwendoline. As they grow closer, they’re interrupted by Brackett with a phone call; Gwendoline is needed at a last-minute food demonstration. Jim leaves, and Gwendoline plans to have an affair with Jim.

When Gwendoline returns from the demonstration, Sir Strickland summons her and tells her she was supposed to be at a business lunch. Gwendoline becomes afraid and tries to placate her husband, but he demands she quit her job for the Food Ministry. Gwendoline mentions that Matthew’s body has been found and that there will be a memorial; Sir Strickland’s cruelty makes her reconsider her grudge against Audrey. He dismisses her, and she determines that she can no longer remain under his control.

Audrey prepares for Matthew’s memorial service and remembers the day they met, at a garden party when she was 16. They later went on a chaperoned picnic and fell in love. Audrey’s parents tried to dissuade her because Matthew was a poor artist, but they persevered and were married. They lived a happy life together until the war.

At the memorial, Zelda keeps Audrey’s sons company in the near-empty church, and Audrey begins to feel angry at Matthew for leaving her. Then, Gwendoline arrives to support her, attending to the other mourners and holding her together. She alludes to her troubles with Sir Strickland, and together they go back to Willow Lodge, where Gwendoline promises to make them a cake.

Nell returns to the forest to meet Paolo. The woods make her nervous, and she decides to turn back; a figure begins to chase her, but she’s relieved to find it’s only Paolo. He leads her to a clearing beside a shed, where he’s lit a fire in preparation for their meal. He brings out ingredients and tools, including an illegal-market chicken from the farm, and teaches her how to make chicken cacciatore. As they cook, Paolo tells her about Barlow’s illegal-market orders. Barlow has a secret accounting record he hides beneath his floorboards. Paolo and Nell sing to each other; Nell sings “Scarborough Fair.” They taste the cacciatore, and Nell confesses about her upbringing in an orphanage. Paolo invites her into his family and confesses his love for her.

As they eat their dinner, shots are fired, and Nell and Paolo quickly hide in the shed. Barlow and an assistant come across the fire and discover the two of them. Barlow takes Paolo away, and the assistant tries to attack Nell. She flees and gets lost in the woods.

Awaiting Jim, Gwendoline begins to panic and thinks he’s forgotten her, but he arrives late and apologizes. She considers her decision to have an affair, and Jim kisses her. He brings out his ingredients, and they discuss the way whale meat is shipped and cooked. Their attraction grows, and Jim confronts her about her bruises. Jim encourages Gwendoline to escape and comforts her, using the same words he used on Zelda. Gwendoline struggles with feelings of infidelity.

Preparing for her second dish, Audrey decides to kill Gertrude, the hen. She admits to Zelda she’s never killed anything before but remains determined. She says a prayer of thanks for Gertrude and asks God for forgiveness. As she fights with herself over her decision, Zelda encourages her to find another solution. Audrey hugs Gertrude in relief, and the women go inside. Zelda suggests creating a mock chicken dish out of vegetables. Audrey warms to the idea and thanks Zelda for being her friend.

Nell reels from her loss and considers her next entry; Gwendoline has commandeered the kitchen, forcing Nell to leave. She goes to the farm and meets three other Italian POWs; one of them tells her Paolo has been taken away to another farm. At the clearing where she shared her meal with him, Nell recreates the recipe with rabbit in place of chicken and thinks about her experience with Paolo as she cooks. After she’s finished, she brings the food back to Fenley Hall and discovers Gwendoline and Jim kissing. Gwendoline threatens Nell, and Nell promises not to tell anyone. After Gwendoline and Jim leave, Nell discovers Brackett hiding in the darkness.

Zelda considers her growing pregnancy and how best to hide it during the contest. She brings her dish to the contest; a large crowd has gathered to watch. Audrey begins by introducing her mock roast chicken, which is realistic enough to momentarily fool Zelda. Next, Nell arrives without Mrs. Quince and presents her cacciatore. Ambrose is awed by the meal and questions Nell about the recipe. Then, Gwendoline presents her whale meat dish. Ambrose is impressed until he questions her and realizes she didn’t make it by herself. Zelda discovers Jim sitting in the audience and understands what must have happened. Finally, Zelda presents her Spam pie though she lacks her usual confidence. She internally admits she still has feelings for Jim. Ambrose awards Nell nine points, Zelda eight points, Audrey seven, and Gwendoline six.

As the crowd disperses, Jim catches up with Zelda and invites her to drink with him. They go to a tavern, and Jim asks her to come to his room. Although she is tempted, she declines and begins to leave. Jim sees the shape of her body and demands to know about her pregnancy. They argue, and Jim tells her he wants nothing to do with the child. He leaves, and Zelda begins to cry.