Page 46 of A Recipe for Love
The group fell silent. The fury streaming off Flinty was palpable. Nina glanced over at Bella. ‘No offence love. I’m sure your man has everyone’s best interests at heart.’
Anna nodded. ‘Of course. And have you been to the McKenzie place lately? Four quid for a cup of tea. And tartan everywhere. It’s like Disney Highlands.’
Netty mumbled a comment.
‘Well yes. It is jobs,’ Anna agreed. ‘But it’s not real is it? It’s not a community. We do need to get the hall sorted out though. So many groups have had to stop. The village is just…’ She shook her head. ‘It’s not the same without it.’
That seemed silly. Bella knew she hadn’t even looked around half of the castle yet but one thing she was sure about was that there was lots of space. ‘Why don’t groups meet at the castle?’
‘I’m not sure the dowager would approve of that,’ Anna replied.
Bella bristled. People kept saying that Adam was the laird and things were up to him. ‘Well I’m sure the laird wouldn’t mind at all.’
Nina shook her head. ‘Even so, without the footbridge being useable it’s a bit far for people.’
‘Most can drive round,’ Flinty pointed out. ‘And we could put some of the fundraising towards repairing the bridge?’
Bella glanced at her unexpected supporter.
‘It’d be nice for everyone at the moment to have a bit more life around the place.’
Back at the castle, Flinty didn’t take her customary route direct to the kitchen, but continued towards the dower house. ‘I’m going to give the lady’s room, the dowager’s…’ she sighed, ‘Veronica’s room a going over with the duster.’
That meant the kitchen would be free. Bella wondered if she could rustle up enough supplies from the pantry to make a cake, something to cheer Adam a little.
As she approached the kitchen she realised that it was in fact already in use. Veronica was standing at the counter next to the sink staring at a tin can with her lips pursed.
‘Are you OK there?’
The tin can – cream of mushroom soup – was standing on the worktop. In Veronica’s right hand was a large, plastic handled tin opener. ‘What on earth am I supposed to do with this?’
Bella took the tin opener, latched it onto the can, and then twisted the handle.
‘Hmm. Well I’m sure these things used to be a lot more straightforward.’
Bella suspected that the basics of can opener design hadn’t shifted for decades. ‘Maybe.’
Veronica laboured the tin open and peered at the contents. ‘It’s very thick.’
Bella checked back again. ‘It’s condensed. You need to add water.’
‘It doesn’t look like this when Flinty makes it.’
‘That’ll be because she adds water.’ Finally she took pity on her companion. ‘Do you want me to do it for you?’
She watched the rare moment of indecision on the dowager lady’s face. ‘Well if you don’t mind.’
The instructions told her to heat the soup with an equal part of water in the microwave. That seemed like it would fall within her cheffing capabilities. She could feel Veronica’s gaze boring into her.
‘I’m not completely useless in the kitchen, you know.’
The soup bowl in front of them told a different story.
‘At least I didn’t used to be.’
‘It’s fine. I like…’ Bella looked at the grey sludge in the bowl and hesitated over the word cooking.
Veronica stood back and allowed Bella to take over, for a moment at least, before a third voice interrupted. ‘I can do that!’
