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A second of silence. Then Ellie gave a wry smile, Derek slipped her a grin, and the penny dropped with Malcolm on his final comment, as the group collapsed into laughter.
‘Well, it’ll be one thing less for me to think about, so thank you, Malcolm.’ Ellie gave a wry smile. ‘I’ve got a teashop to run and apparently a seven-layer rainbow cake to design and create. Hmm, it’ll be interesting to see what you two come up with.’
‘Hah, I can’t wait.’ Deana’s eyebrows were raised. ‘Cuppa, gents?’
‘No, but thanks, we need to go round and check all the visitor rooms are empty, before we shut up for the day. Don’t want any stragglers stranded in the drawing room, or such like.’ That had actually happened in the past.
‘Another time, Deana. Thank you,’ added Derek.
‘Right, that’s me off too,’ said Ellie, a yawn creeping over her lips. It had been a long day. ‘Better see how the tearooms are getting on, and then get ready to close up for the night.’
4 (#u1b319481-55ae-553e-9c12-fcb00b411bb7)
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.
5 (#u1b319481-55ae-553e-9c12-fcb00b411bb7)
Five days to go until Bridezilla’s big day.
At the Monday Meeting, where the castle employees got together to discuss the week and tasks ahead, there was a tension in the room that was palpable. This week’s list was particularly long!
‘Have you sorted that bloody unicorn yet, gents?’ Deana asked Malcolm and Derek.
‘Well, we’ve had a brilliant idea, haven’t we, Derek … we just need to test it out.’
‘That sounds ominous,’ Lord Henry quipped with a wry smile. He knew his tour guides only too well. They certainly seemed to get themselves into all sorts of capers.
Ellie really didn’t want to ask what they were up to, but she did need to know that whatever it was, was right, and wouldn’t spoil the start of the big day for the bride. ‘Well, try it out today, and let me know, as soon as. If it doesn’t work, then we’ll need to come up with an alternative, and fast.’
‘Time’s running out,’ added Deana, ‘So it’d better be good.’
‘Anyhow,’ Ellie took up. ‘The orders are all in for the wedding buffet. We’ve got oysters coming across fresh on the day from Lindisfarne, and prawns and dressed crab. The bread’s going to be delivered on the wedding morning from the local bakery. Irene’s helping me make the two hundred mini quiches to go with that, and I’ve got three whole salmons to cook, two gammon joints to boil, which are roughly the size of Usain Bolt’s thighs, as well as a pile of salads and coleslaws to prepare. Most of the catering can’t be done until last minute, so the teashop team are going to have a hectic end of week. We’ve got mini scones to bake for the cream tea for the mid-afternoon, and with the wedding cake being changed last minute to sponge, that will have to be made fresh just two days before, and then iced.’ Ellie felt tired just talking about it all. So much to do, so little time.
‘Wow, you’ll be busy. It all sounds well organized though, so that’s great.’ Joe tried to keep his tone fairly formal at the Monday meeting, addressing Ellie the same as the other staff, rather than as his wife. Ellie preferred it that way.
Joe took a sip from his coffee mug. It had a Batman motif on one side and ‘Kapow!’ the other. He had a bit of a Batman thing, loved all the films, old and new. And if you needed passwords to get into his laptop, a variety of Holy Smoke, Boom or Kapow might just do the trick.
‘Oh,’ Ellie continued, ‘and I’ve got five extra staff recruited for the day before and on the day, to help with food prep and the waiting on. As well as Alan and his team from The Swan who’ll be setting up the bar as per usual in the Drawing Room, and then later in the marquee, plus serving the champagne cocktails on arrival, and for the toasts.’
Wendy, the florist from their neighbouring market town of Kirkton, was at the meeting too. ‘The flowers are all ordered for the bridal and bridesmaid’s bouquets, the chapel, the Great Hall, for the balustrades at the castle entrance, and I have sourced the however-many-hundred white roses I’ll need for the latest petal-scattering demand. And there’s now a rainbow theme going on, after the bride’s sudden switch-about, so it’s been rather interesting changing the bouquets to multi-coloured flowers.’
There was a general eyebrow raise and groan around the room. They were all praying that Bridezilla didn’t have yet another change of plan in the final few days.
‘Let’s just hope a new copy of Hello doesn’t come out in the next couple of days, and give her a load of new ideas.’ Deana voiced their concerns.
‘Hah – well, the castle will be closed to visitors on the day of the wedding, so it’ll be an exclusive here.’ Derek commented drily, ‘Maybe, the Hello team will arrive here to cover the wedding of the decade.’ His tone was ironic.
‘Or more likely the Kirkton Gazette,’ Malcolm quipped.
‘You never know what might happen with Bridezilla, but some press coverage might be likely, actually.’ Joe’s mood was serious, ‘So, we need to make sure everything goes by the book and is absolutely tip-top.’
Lord Henry was obviously still mulling over the initial conversation. ‘A unicorn … I hope you two haven’t come up with a bloody pantomime horse.’
The pair of them looked slightly shady.
Oh, bloody hell, thought Ellie. ‘It’s not, is it, Malcolm?’
‘No, no, it’s a real live animal, that’s all I’m saying ‘til we test it out.’
‘Why does that fill me with a sense of dread?’ added Deana.
The others just laughed, except for Joe and Ellie who were feeling decidedly nervous about the whole event. This could really make or break things at the castle, and their relatively fledgling wedding event venture. They had been up and running for four years now as a wedding venue, but it took a good while to establish a sound reputation. It had been building nicely so far, and they’d had some lovely events and feedback, but a few mistakes, and a disgruntled wedding party, especially one as verbal as this lot, could really spoil all the hard work they’d put in to build themselves a positive profile.
‘Well, the last thing we need is bad-mouthing in the press, or the wedding party holding back on the final balance, so everything has to go smoothly and be spot-on, okay.’ Joe looked deadly serious, cutting the laughter short.
‘Of course, boss,’ replied Derek earnestly. Malcolm was nodding.
‘We’ll pull out all the stops and do our best, Joe,’ Deana added.
There was a real respect for Joe and Lord Henry amongst the staff. And, though they joked about sometimes, they did all take pride in their castle work. They were a good team. And they had become to feel like family to Ellie.
‘Right, well then, there’s still the day-to-day work to get on with; the teashop, the castle tours, the shop, and keeping our regular visitors happy. I need to get across to the farm, to see how that’s all going too, so thanks everyone. Just call my mobile if you need me, and if any further support or advice is required throughout this week, just shout.’ Joe stated. ‘Right, well if there’s no more questions or comments, then it looks like we’ve all got a busy week ahead. So let’s crack on with it, then.’
As the room emptied a small sigh escaped Ellie’s lips. Yes, she’d been doing this for five years now, and the tearooms were becoming second nature, but a big, demanding wedding was still rather daunting.
Irene had stayed in the teashop kitchens baking her daily scone selection, whilst the meeting was on. There was a delicious smell as Ellie and Doris walked back in; sweet, warm and doughy, and a tray of cherry and almond scones stood cooling on a rack.
‘Cup of tea, ladies?’ she asked.
Was that woman a mind reader? ‘Oh yes, that’s just what I need. Thanks, Irene.’ And I might just have to split one of those scones, with a generous dollop of butter. Anyone fancy sharing a half?’
‘Yes, please.’ Doris had no fear of expanding waistlines. No point baking all these lovely goodies if you’re too afraid to eat them, she’d often mutter.
Five minutes later, Ellie was sipping her tea whilst preparing the ingredients for a batch of salted caramel cookies – a new addition to her range. Ellie liked to shake things up every now and again, and they’d been going down a treat with the customers; all chewy toffee with a crunchy, crumbly edge.
Irene had already baked a tea loaf and a chocolate cake to go on the counter display. Ellie would do a couple of lemon drizzles next too. They were expecting a minibus trip from the old people’s home in Kirkton for morning coffee at 11 a.m., so it was going to be a fairly busy day.
The supplies delivery was due in shortly too; her fruit juices, fresh salad stuff, vegetables, sliced bread for toasties, milk and more. The teashop days just seemed to flow. There was always something to keep them active.
Ellie also wanted to make a couple of batches of vanilla cupcakes ready to ice. It was still summery out there, early September and the sun was shining today, so she’d decorate one half with a swirl of butter icing, a chocolate flake and some hundreds and thousands, so they looked like the top of a 99 ice-cream cone. For the rest she’d add some soft-pink colouring to the frosting and scatter the tops with pretty sugar icing flowers. She liked to make seasonal changes to the food on offer so her regulars didn’t get bored with the same old selection, and it kept it fun for her cooking too. She felt so much more experienced now, but she still loved her baking. And, seeing the customers’ faces light up as they tucked in to one of her creations, still gave her a buzz and made it all worthwhile. She hoped to goodness she’d see a look of delight on Bridezilla’s face at some point (hopefully several!) over the weekend.
But, there were so many things that might go wrong … Ellie felt a bit shaky. Normally, she was pretty calm about her up-and-coming wedding events. Over the past four years the castle had hosted over forty weddings, and she had grown into the role of wedding coordinator. She had really begun to enjoy it, trying her utmost to make the wedding couples and their families’ days as special and unique as they wanted. They’d hosted a medieval banquet where all the guests dressed up, and they’d hired in a huge hog roast, they’d had a funfair wedding with clowns, stalls and fair rides, they’d even had a Strictly Come Dancing themed event with plenty of sequins, scooping necklines, and a ballroom-inspired reception. Yes, sometimes there were minor hiccups, but nothing Ellie wasn’t able to overcome with the help of the castle staff and Joe.
But there had been so many twists and turns on the lead up to this particular wedding, not to mention the tears and tantrums already! Ellie was catering for over 200 people with a ‘buffet to die for’ – Bridezilla’s words. Often they contracted out the catering, especially on the bigger events such as this, as it was such a lot to take on, but this time the bride had insisted, so Ellie was doing all that as well as coordinating the wedding day throughout, making sure every last request was met, and, she was certain some new requests would appear on the day too.
They really needed the income from this event. They were being paid far more than any previous wedding they had ever booked, basically as they were providing far more, with all the demands that had kept rolling in. But, if it all paid out, then Ellie and Joe might finally draw some good wages, and have enough to do up their apartment rooms, and finally get the central heating system in there working properly. There was one room in particular that Ellie wanted repainted and decorated, fingers crossed that they might be needing it soon, to make it into a nursery. She could dream still, couldn’t she? And plan a little for now, at least.
Boy, she couldn’t wait for Sunday night to come around – when the whole event would be over, the bridal party and guests all away, and she could curl up on the sofa next to Joe, with a large glass of chilled white wine.
Right Ellie, cool, calm, and collected, she reminded herself of her mantra of old. She had the castle team on her side, and several years’ experience now. She could only do her best for the wedding weekend ahead, and that would hopefully be enough to pull them all through! Go girl!
After a flurry of lunch orders, Ellie popped in to see how Irene and Doris were getting on out front in the teashop. There were still several tables occupied. Ellie waved across at a lovely old couple, who came in most weeks to share a toasted teacake and a pot of tea. She walked over to them.
‘Hello, Jim, Mavis. Are you both keeping all right?’
‘Oh yes, pet. We’re doing grand, thank you. Mavis has finally shifted that cold she had, so we’re back out and about again.’
‘That’s good. I missed seeing you last week.’
‘Lovely cup of tea, pet.’ Mavis raised her china cup with a smile.
‘I’m glad you’re enjoying it.’
‘Our Sarah is coming home for the weekend, bringing the two grandchildren.’
‘Oh, that’ll be nice for you all. When did you last see them?’
‘Over a month now, back at the start of the school holidays. They live down in Lincolnshire, so it’s quite some drive.’
‘Oh well, it’ll be lovely to all catch up.’ That reminded Ellie, she’d have to go and visit her own family soon. The Bridezilla wedding and summer season in the teashop had taken over a bit. Time seemed to rush on, and weeks went by before you knew it. Her parents had popped up one Sunday a few weeks ago, but Ellie had been so busy in the teashop that she hadn’t had long to stop and chat with them. And they’d had to get back sharp, as Ellie’s dad had an early start on a big plumbing job for a housing company in Gateshead the next morning. But they did speak on the phone every few days, and yes, after the wedding of the century was over, then she’d arrange a couple of days off with Joe and go down to Newcastle and see them.
‘Well, we’d better not keep you, pet.’ Jim brought her back to the present.
‘Lovely to see you both. Have a super time with your family. Take care.’
Doris was bustling about refilling the sugar bowls, Irene taking through a new Victoria sponge, and topping up the cupcakes on display.
‘Everything been okay here, ladies?’
‘Fine, thank you,’ Irene answered happily.
‘No problems,’ Doris added from behind the counter, ‘other than a couple of screaming kids … Now we’ve just got rid of all the big ones back to school, we’re invaded with toddlers and babies.’ She gave a grimace.
Irene just raised her eyebrows at Doris’s moaning; there was always some complaint or other.
Ellie shook her head, used to it by now. ‘Well, I hope you were nice to them, Doris. They’re all our customers, small or large.’
With that Doris’s gaze shot pointedly across the room to a rather plump lady sat on her own in the corner, and gave a nod of her head. Ellie wished she hadn’t used that turn of phrase now.
‘Two slices of Victoria sponge and a cookie,’ the waitress mouthed, looking very like the comedian Les Dawson in his heyday.
Oh dear, Ellie tried her best to ignore her. ‘Right, well I need to nip out to the village shop and get some more milk to tide us over ‘til the morning’s order comes in. We seem to have had a run of milkshakes and lattes today. Anybody need anything?’
‘No, thanks.’
‘All fine.’
Ellie had her car keys in her pocket, so headed on out. ‘I’ll not be long.’
She went out of the side delivery entrance, got into her trusty old Corsa car, started it up, and turned out through an old stone archway onto the main driveway. She slowed, as she spotted something up ahead that seemed to be blocking the road. A few tourists had stopped to take a look at whatever it was, and were gathering on the grass verge. Ellie approached cautiously, then had to divert off the driveway, pulling over on to the verge. A white pony seemed to be the cause of all the bother, doing a bit of a jig, its ears back and its rider hanging on for dear life. And, oh dear God, there was Malcolm tugging the poor thing along by a lead rein, like it was some kind of bellpull, with Derek trying to keep up alongside.
Ellie got out of her car. ‘What on earth …?’
