Page 59 of A Recipe for Love
‘It’s going marvellously isn’t it?’
Another wordless nod.
‘And we all know what a chatty Cathy she can be, so it’s not easy. Anyway, started at noon yesterday so we’re twenty-two hours in. The target is seventy-two, and we’ve got over sixty-two pounds already pledged.’
‘Well done, Netty,’ Flinty added. ‘Sixty-two pounds is great.’
Everyone nodded politely, but it was only polite. Sixty-two pounds wasn’t going to get the community hall a new roof. It would barely get their new bridge a functioning hand rail.
Anna leaned across towards Darcy. ‘How are you doing, pet? It’s hard after the funeral, isn’t it?’
‘I’m OK, honey. Well, as OK as can be expected. You always think there’s more time.’
The other women nodded sagely.
‘How’s your fella doing?’ Anna asked Bella.
‘He’s all right. We went up to the McKenzie estate yesterday. Trying to get some ideas for Lowbridge.’
‘So long as the idea isn’t to charge four quid for a cup of tea,’ Anna muttered.
‘No chance. But I could use your help.’
Flinty and Darcy exchanged a look but the rest of the group looked keen. ‘What can we help with, love?’ Nina asked.
Bella took a deep breath. This was why she was here. Adam was Lowbridge. She understood that now. That meant that he would stay. It was who he was. And that meant she would stay.
And Lowbridge needed to make money. That would be Bella’s project. That would be how she made herself useful. Supporting Adam didn’t have to mean being a lady of leisure who turned up to cut ribbons. It meant making Lowbridge work.
‘Well ideas really. The McKenzie estate is great for what it is, but it doesn’t feel real, you know? There’s no community there. It’s all…’
‘Razzmatazz,’ Nina supplied.
‘Exactly. But Adam reckons we do need to find ways of bringing more money into the estate, and if we can find a way of doing that that works for the whole community then that would be amazing. So any ideas?’
‘Well, we could reopen to visitors,’ Darcy said straight away. ‘I used to show people round. It was so much fun, and the Americans love that one of their own is the lady of the manor.’ She paused. ‘Obviously you’ll be the lady. I don’t want to tread on toes.’
‘You wouldn’t be.’ Bella pulled out her phone and started making a list.
Number 1: Open the castle to tourists
‘We’ll have to do a good tidy round,’ Flinty muttered.
Bella thought the castle was pretty damn tidy already, but she guessed Flinty had higher standards. If people were paying to visit she probably did need to at least put her knickers in a drawer. ‘What else?’
‘Well we used to do teas at the community hall when the castle was open,’ Anna said. ‘People would come to you and then come into the village. Can’t do that now, though.’
‘We could do teas and coffees on the courtyard when it’s nice weather?’ Darcy suggested.
‘Get some big umbrellas and do it all year round,’ Flinty added.
Bella updated her list.Number 2: Cafe in the Courtyard
‘Have you ever looked at getting licensed for weddings?’ she asked.
Darcy shook her head. ‘I don’t think so.’
Flinty laughed. ‘You got married at the castle, love.’
