Читать книгу The Cosy Christmas Teashop: Cakes, castles and wedding bells – the perfect feel good romance - Caroline Roberts, Caroline Roberts - Страница 10

Evening settled over the castle, the long, lazy shadows of summer dusk finding their way through the leaded windows. Ellie liked the shift from the bustle of the daytime visitors, the steady stream of orders, the splutters of the coffee machine – she’d invested in a second-hand Gaggia coffee machine and loved it; it filled the teashop with a gorgeous fresh ground aroma. Doris, believe it or not, had turned into her barista! After a little encouragement and a few lessons, she became the queen of the coffee machine, no less. Though of course, no one could make a cup of coffee quite like her now. Irene was relegated to baking and tea duties, which she was quite happy with, to be fair. But now, with only the soothing noise of her radio, when the order row was empty, and she had a chance to take a slow breath, there was a sense of peace. Time to plan for tomorrow, and to look forward to getting back to their apartment and to Joe.

Ellie turned off all the appliance switches in the kitchen, bar the fridges and freezers. A routine she’d kept to since the dramatic and devastating fire that had ravaged her lovely teashop and kitchen at the end of her first year there. It had happened just when she had managed to turn the business around, and it all seemed like her dreams were finally coming true. The memories of that night still haunted her; how scared she had been when she realized Joe was still in there. How very different life might have been … If Joe hadn’t made it through … it still made her feel sick just thinking about it.

She could really feel for Lucy and Dan, and all that they were going through right now, having been so close to disaster herself.

Right then, everything seemed in order at the tearooms. She’d be down to make a batch of chocolate brownies first thing tomorrow. And, as she and Deana had nearly polished off the Choffee Cake, she’d better get the coffee and chocolate sponge layers for that made early on too. Irene would make the scones for her, and they’d need another four quiches made for lunches too. Then, she mustn’t forget there was the ordering to do. The list in her mind just seemed to build. But for now, she needed to turn off the lights, check the real fire in the teashop was settled to a gentle smoulder – it never quite went out being big enough to fit a couple of tree trunks in, and could happily sit a dozen people around its hearth.

She made her way across the courtyard and up the circular stone stairwell to the living quarters she shared with Joe. The only other person who lived in the castle was Joe’s father, Lord Henry, who preferred a pretty isolated existence, so all was quiet of an evening.

Every now and again, the reality of her surroundings took her breath away. The doves cooing in the battlements above her. The evening sun washing the cream sandstone walls with a blush of colour. A glimpse of the walled gardens neatly laid out with short box hedges, colourful blooms and herbaceous borders from a portcullis window. She wasn’t used to any of this, having been brought up in a red brick terraced house in a suburb of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. But more than this amazing castle with its centuries-old walls and gardens, it was going back to Joe every night that warmed her heart.

Three years of marriage hadn’t dimmed the love she felt, it had just cemented it. Like the stone walls of this castle, she felt they were built to weather the storms, to hold firm over time. At least, she hoped so.

He was already there in the apartment, when she opened the heavy wooden door from the stairwell landing.

‘Hi, gorgeous. Everything okay?’

‘Yes, not bad.’ Today had been a busy one, and she still felt a little vulnerable and emotional, what with Lucy and Dan’s terrible news yesterday, and of course her period coming on like that. She still felt the dull ache of it in her back, a reminder of her non-pregnancy. Oh well, onwards and upwards. She tried to smile, but wasn’t a good enough liar, obviously. Joe knew just what to do. He held his arms open to her with an understanding smile on his face.

But that just made her feel even more emotional. She didn’t know quite what was up with her, to be honest. A silent tear slipped from her eye as she went to him and pressed herself against his shirt, relaxing into his warm embrace, breathing in his aftershave smell that she knew so well. She stayed there in his arms. This was definitely one of the best parts of being married; having that other person to share things with, the bad times as well as the good. Things weren’t that bad, she knew that really, people were going through far worse in the world. It had just prodded an emotional raw-spot, that was all. But to get this comfort from Joe was just beautiful.

‘Love you, Mrs Ward,’ his warm, mellow voice spoke into her hair.

She pulled away very slightly to be able to look at him. ‘Love you, too, Mr Ward.’

‘Come on, I’ll get us some dinner started if you want? You look shattered.’

‘Aw, th-anks … I’m just tired.’

‘Well, after a day of working in the kitchens again, I’m sure you’ll want a break from the oven. But … you know the score, if it’s over to me then the repertoire is either pasta, frozen pizza or chili con carne.’

‘Pasta it is then.’ Something warm and comforting would be just fine, especially if it wasn’t cooked by her.

‘I’ll do my creamy chicken sauce one then. I popped out to the Co-op earlier, so I have all the ingredients to hand.’

He had a proud glint in his eye.

How sweet, he must have thought of that after their heart-to-heart on their walk up in the hills yesterday. She didn’t know quite what she had done to deserve him, but she was going to make the most of it.

‘So, put your feet up, madam. And I shall pour you a glass of vino.’ Joe slipped into an over-the-top Italian accent. ‘Rosso or Blanco.’

She had a feeling he was making up his own words, but it made her smile. ‘White would be lovely. Thanks.’

It was nearly time for Coronation Street, her favourite soap opera. So she did as she was told, sat down on the very cosy if worn sofa, slipped her shoes off, and curled up her legs. She was feeling a bit brighter already.

After a supper, eaten casually on their knees on the sofa, she leant in against him. She couldn’t wait for an early night and a bucket-load of sleep. But cuddling up for a little while longer here with Joe would be lovely too. She felt a glow inside, realising how much she loved this gorgeous man beside her. His long lean legs stretched out, his arm angled casually, yet protectively, around her. Heaven knows how Lucy must have felt when she had heard the awful news about her fiancé’s accident; Ellie remembered that sickening lurch in her own stomach like it was yesterday, when Joe had got trapped in that fire in the castle. How easily the things you loved could be taken away.