The Cosy Christmas Teashop: Cakes, castles and wedding bells – the perfect feel good romance. Caroline Roberts
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day, it had just gone five-twenty, well past their normal closing time, and one remaining middle-aged couple were still lingering over a pot of tea they’d been sharing for the best part of an hour.
Ellie was behind the counter restacking the crockery and cutlery from the dishwasher tray, ready for the next day. She felt that telling nag of period pain, along with a dull ache of disappointment.
Oh no, not this. Not again.
It was early days, she knew that. She and Joe had been trying for a baby for five months now, but she couldn’t help but get excited this time; she’d been four days late, and her hopes had soared. She’d already planned to get a pregnancy test on her next day off, and had pictured herself telling Joe the wonderful news.
Bloody hell.
Doris was clearing up around the couple who still remained seated, chattering away, oblivious to the time. The waitress made herself busy wiping down all the other tables, encircling theirs, but to no avail. Then, she started with the broom, sweeping loudly in their direction. Tact was not her thing. Ellie couldn’t help but give a wry smile.
‘Doris, I just need to nip out a minute. Are you okay to stay on a little while?’
‘No problem,’ she announced noisily. ‘We’ll not be long now, anyhow.’ Doris smiled across at the couple, stirring them from their comfortable reverie. ‘Everything all right?’ she asked them, the message as clear as if she had come straight out and told them to leave. How did she do it? Ellie had tried her best with training Doris in customer service over the years, but there were some elements of her waitress’s nature that just couldn’t be curbed. And in a strange way, Ellie had grown fond of them.
Ellie traipsed off to the ladies. Sure enough, the telltale not-pregnant-at-all bloodstain was there. Bloody hell.
It was okay, she reminded herself, as she washed her hands at the sink, all early days stuff. Her face looked pale in the mirror, tired. No wonder, after the hectic day she’d had. Her thick blonde hair was tied back in its work-style ponytail. She sighed at her reflection. It was just one of those things. After all, she’d read only recently that most couples took up to six months to conceive. She’d just hoped, hadn’t she? She’d been so excited at the thought of telling Joe. They both felt so ready for a family, to move on to this next exciting phase of their lives together, they had talked about it so much of late.
She had extra help at the teashop now with her fabulous assistant Irene, who made the most wonderful cakes and quiches. Deana was also getting on well, helping her with all the wedding bookings they had been taking. It seemed like a good time for her and Joe to plan for their family. She’d keep up her work, of course, the teashop and the castle were so much more than a job, they had a huge place in her heart and life, but she’d take a step back, and allow the team to help some more.
Ellie loved doing the wedding coordinating – making a couple’s wedding day as special and unique as she could for them. The weddings were a fairly new venture for the castle that Ellie and Joe had developed in the last few years. The castle was now growing a good reputation as an up-and-coming wedding venue, being one of the most beautiful locations in the area. A stunning old stone castle, surrounded by formal gardens, small lakes, and the most beautiful rolling countryside.
If anything did happen baby-wise, Ellie planned to stay on and carry on working, doing less hours naturally, and with some childcare help she’d still keep her hand in with everything. It wasn’t as though she lived far away – just one floor up in the West Wing in Joe’s original suite of rooms!
Anyhow, she stopped her daydreaming, it wasn’t to be, not this time. Despite the sinking feeling of disappointment, she knew she’d have to just keep her chin up and keep going. They could wait, she told herself. They’d have to wait.
She dried her hands on a paper towel, and headed back to the teashop.
Sure enough, the middle-aged couple had disappeared and Doris was mopping the tearoom floor.
‘Thanks Doris, I’ll take over here.’
‘You sure, pet?’
‘Yes, get yourself away. You’re running a bit over time as it is.’
‘Okay, thanks then, Ellie. See you in the morning.’
‘See you, Doris.’
All was quiet. She looked around the teashop, Ellie’s Teashop in the Castle, and felt a sense of pride. She’d really made a go of it. It was looking lovely, with a little late-afternoon glow of sunshine coming in through the leaded windows. She’d kept the vintage-flowered oilcloths, though she was on her second set now. And the tables were set with the posy jars she’d originally bought from Wendy’s flower shop, in the nearby town of Kirkton. Today, they were full of pretty lilac and pink sweet peas, that Colin had let her snip from the walled gardens as they were in abundance. They smelt absolutely gorgeous.
She had kept some of the handmade bunting from her own wedding day and swooped it around the old stone walls. The log fire was burning; come summer or winter it was always lit, keeping the chill off. It really was such a cosy, pretty spot. Just the place to while away an hour with a cup of tea and a slice of Victoria Sponge or chocolate cake, or whatever might take your fancy.
The door swung open. ‘Nearly done?’ Joe’s dark hair and smiling face appeared. That smile that still melted her heart.
‘Yes, just give me five minutes.’
‘Do you fancy a walk out? It’s such a lovely evening?’ he asked.
‘Yeah, okay. Sounds good.’ That might be just what she needed. A nice stroll and some fresh air. It had been a tricky day to say the least.
‘We could take an evening picnic? It’s still warm out there.’
Even better. ‘I’ll pack up a few of the leftovers. There’re some slices of Irene’s quiche left – a bacon, leek and mushroom today. It looks scrummy.’
‘Any lemon drizzle going spare?’
‘Yes, just a couple of slices, I think. You’re as bad as Derek and Malcolm. I think you’ve all got a lemon drizzle fetish.’
‘Absolutely.’ He gave Ellie his cheeky look that always made her smile. ‘You know I’ll do anything for a slice of your lemon drizzle.’ With that, he left the tearooms, turning at the last to give her a cute wink. ‘See you upstairs shortly, then.’
Despite the challenges of the day, she felt a little better.
The valley stretched out below them, in late-summer shades of green and gold; rectangular crop fields patterning the landscape, a tractor trundling in the distance, sheep and cattle grazing. The purple-tinged Cheviot Hills of Northumberland rose majestically on the horizon. And looking down below them, they could just make out the stone turrets and crenulations of the rooftops of Claverham Castle, there at the base of the hill they had just climbed, nestled in the valley and sheltered by a host of centuries-old trees.
‘You seem a bit quiet, Ellie. All okay?’
‘Yeah.’
She nestled in beside him, the pair of them sat with their backs against a limestone rock. Ellie remembered when they had first looked out at that stunning view together, sharing apples, and their first kiss.
‘Joe … it still hasn’t happened.’ Her voice was small.
He looked at her quizzically.
‘Not this month, anyhow.’ Ellie couldn’t hide the disappointment in her tone.
‘Oh.’
‘Sorry,’ she whispered.
‘Hey.’ He tightened his arm, which was already around her. ‘No need to be sorry. It’s just one of those things … It’ll happen soon enough, you’ll see.’
‘Hope so.’
‘And