The Cosy Christmas Teashop: Cakes, castles and wedding bells – the perfect feel good romance. Caroline Roberts
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But they had, and she continued to serve it with a frown.
They were also doing well with their ‘afternoon tea’ special. Irene’s mini-scone selection was a delight, and she’d cut dainty slices of all the teashop favourites for the three tier stands, including Ellie’s lemon drizzle and the now famous Choffee Cake (chocolate and coffee in layers), as well as crust-free perfect fingers of smoked salmon and cream cheese, cucumber, and ham and local honey-mustard sandwiches.
‘Morning, Irene. You’ve cracked on well already.’
‘No time like the present. And how are you today?’
‘Good, thank you. Ready for another busy day. We have a coach booked in for lunch at oneish, so I’ll pop some extra jacket potatoes in. Do you think you could make a couple of extra quiches too?’ Irene’s quiches were amazing – leek and bacon, salmon and asparagus, and her good old Quiche Lorraine with roasted ham and extra-strong cheddar, yum. Her pastry was even crispier than Ellie’s.
‘Of course, lovey. I take it you’ve ordered in all the ingredients I need.’
‘Yep, all in the store and the fridge. Thanks, Irene.’
Ellie popped through from the kitchen to the teashop itself, where Doris was giving the pretty rose-patterned oilcloth covers a wipe-over ready for the day ahead, and topping up the water in the posy vases. Ellie felt proud as she walked in there; of how the teashop had come on, and how she had grown herself, what she had managed to achieve by following her dream.
The teashop was set in an ancient sandstone-walled castle that dated back to the Thirteenth Century. The tearooms had the same rugged stone walls, and high ceilings, with a minstrel’s gallery that looked down over the twelve tables. There was a huge fireplace that was always lit whatever the weather or season, keeping the tearooms cosy. There were two sets of lead-patterned windows on the inner wall that, if you stood on tiptoes on the seating nooks, you could peep out from into the courtyard of the main castle. So much must have happened here over the centuries. So many lives lived out. Kings had stayed en route to and from Scotland – the castle being nestled in the border lands of Northumberland. Servants and masters will have loved and lost, had their children, grown old, died young, here. The dramas, the dreams, the happiness, the sorrows.
Ellie carried through two cakes she had baked that morning to set on the counter; a carrot cake and a rich chocolate sponge with dark cherries layered with whipped cream. Her chocolate-chip cookies were cooling on wire racks and would be ready shortly, and Irene’s scone selection would appear next. The counter display looked scrummy, she had to admit. It was nice to have a lovely selection of cakes and goodies on show for the castle visitors, and hopefully it would tempt them to spend out on a homemade treat. Ellie had had to develop a keener business mind as well as her baking skills – there were staff to pay and a living to make for herself. She’d started making up pretty cellophane-wrapped bags of mini brownies, shortbread and meringues that guests could buy to take home too – they were proving very popular.
Once everything was set up, Ellie nipped back to the kitchen. There was one phone call she really wanted to make.
‘Hi, Lucy. How’s Daniel getting on?’
‘Oh Ellie, how lovely of you to call. Well, he’s so, so … It’s going to be a long job. To be honest, he’s in a bit of a bad way.’
‘Oh no. What a shame. I’m so sorry to hear that.’
‘He’s just got so many broken bones, his whole body has got to recover. It’s tough on him.’
‘And you too, I bet. How are you? It must be so hard for all of you, Dan’s family too.’
‘I’m okay, surviving. I’m trying to stay strong for Dan’s sake. I’m at the hospital every day with him. Fitting it around work … my firm have been great actually. And, he’s chatting a bit now, which is brilliant, but he gets really tired. Even a conversation can whack him out. But hey, we’ll get through somehow.’
Bloody hell, there she was, her fiancé in hospital, her wedding day cancelled, trying to make the best of things. And bloody Bridezilla had it all, and couldn’t see it. Really, what did it matter if it was a unicorn, an Aston Martin or a push-bike taking her to her wedding, as long as she had one and a healthy groom to be with? Just to be able to take those vows, and to mean them, that was the special thing, the important thing. Yes, of course try and make it a wonderful day, but hey, count your blessings, and all that. Ellie felt very lucky to have had her lovely wedding with Joe there at the castle, with all their friends and family around them. But it was more than just that day – it was now, it was forever, a partnership.
‘Yeah, you will. The two of you will get through all this. You make a great couple.’
‘Thanks, Ellie. It’s just so hard seeing him like this, you know. And, he still hasn’t got any sensation back in his legs yet.’ Lucy’s voice broke a bit then, ‘What if he can’t walk, or ride his motorbike again? That’ll be so hard for him.’
‘I know, petal. But fingers crossed it’s just a short term thing. You’ll just have to hope, and trust in the doctors.’
‘Yeah, of course. Well hey, thanks so much for phoning.’
‘No worries, I just wanted to find out how you both were.’
‘Thank you. And sorry to be a bit down … it’s just hard keeping positive all the time. And I try not to show Daniel if I’m worried, I’m trying my best to cheer him up. But every now and then I wilt a little. It’s so frustrating for him at the moment, trapped in that hospital bed. Even though the staff there are lovely with him. Anyway, it’s nice to be able to be honest with someone, and I feel like I can be open with you.’
‘Thanks, I’m glad you feel that.’ Ellie felt a catch in her throat. It had become so much more than just a job, arranging the wedding for this couple. It had already grown into a friendship. ‘And Lucy, it’s totally understandable to feel upset. God knows how I’d be if Joe ever got hurt like that.’
‘Well, I’ve got to get off to work, and then I’m straight back to the hospital again. But thanks so much for ringing. It means a lot.’
‘You’re very welcome. Pass on our best wishes to Dan.’
‘Will do.’
‘Actually, I was a little worried it might upset you, me calling you, reminding you of the castle, and your wedding and everything.’
‘No, absolutely not. That’s what’s keeping me going for now. It’s my dream to get back up there, Ellie. Whatever it takes, whether Dan can walk or not, I can’t wait to have our wedding day. It might have to be a bit different to the one we’d planned, but I want it even more now. One day, I’ll be Mrs Daniel Clark.’
‘Well, whenever you are both ready let us know. We can soon get everything sorted out at this end for you. And if there’s anything at all we can do in the meanwhile to help, just shout, yeah?’
‘Will do. Thanks Ellie, I appreciate that.’
‘Take care, both of you.’
‘And you. Bye.’
‘Bye.’ As she clicked her mobile off, Ellie sighed. She so hoped it would work out for them, that Dan would make a full recovery. They were trying to be so positive, to make the best of such a horrible situation.
In Deana’s office, four o’clock. The teashop had been hectic, and this was Ellie’s first chance to get away.
Deana’s emergency kettle was coming to a boil; a strong brew was definitely in order.
‘Right then. I take it you’ve had another call. Where are we with Bridezilla now?’ They didn’t bother using the girl’s real name, Chelsea, any more. Everyone at the castle knew who Bridezilla was.
‘Well, two days ago I had a request to change the wedding cake. I’d already made all the fruit cakes for the three tiers, got them steeping