Page 78 of A Recipe for Love
‘It is.’
‘Well I don’t want that.’
‘Neither do I,’ insisted Veronica, either through genuine feeling or a reluctance to give up the moral high ground to her rival. The older dowager sighed slightly, before picking up a triangle of shortbread and taking a small bite. She closed her eyes. Bella recognised that look. It was the look she remembered seeing on her grandmother’s face at the first taste of something new and delicious. It was the simple bliss of putting something delicious into your mouth and feeling it dissolve on your tongue. Whoever would have thought Veronica was capable of such a feeling?
Bella grabbed the moment of pause to move the conversation to calmer waters. She’d made it clear that they needed to sort out their dispute about bedrooms, but she’d let them take a moment to reflect before she pushed again. And it gave her a chance to ask about something else that was niggling at her.
‘You both know about Poppy, right?’
Both women nodded as though discussion of the household ghost was utterly mundane.
‘Flinty said she wasn’t the only ghost.’ Bella was still very clear that she did not believe, but at the same time, she definitely wanted to be forewarned if she was likely to meet a Roman legion marching across the courtyard in the middle of the night.
‘Oh well of course not,’ Veronica confirmed. ‘There’s the old cook, although I don’t think anyone’s seen her for years.’
Darcy pulled a face. ‘It’s just the smell of onions that you can’t get out of anything.’
‘Quite.’
‘And the Grey Lady,’ Darcy continued.
‘Everyone has one of them,’ replied Veronica. ‘Grey Ladies are the sparrow of the spirit world. Nice enough but ten a penny.’
‘And the headless man!’ Darcy’s eyes widened.
‘There’s no headless man.’
‘I saw him.’
‘You had too much champagne when Adam turned twenty-one and knocked the head off the upstairs suit of armour,’ Veronica countered.
‘It was a headless man,’ Darcy muttered.
Bella bit back laughter. The two women were still bickering, but they weren’t shouting. It was progress of sorts.
Veronica took another bite of her shortbread. A moment later Darcy finally succumbed to temptation. ‘Oh that really is delicious,’ she murmured after her first bite. ‘I’m a terrible cook.’
‘I used to cook,’ murmured Veronica. ‘As you saw, I’m out of the habit.’
‘We should come to one of your cookery lessons!’ Darcy exclaimed.
Oh no. No way. Bella was nervous enough about the idea of teaching a tame group. She wasn’t having Veronica there peering over her spectacles at everything.
‘What cookery lessons?’
‘Bella’s going to start a cookery school in the castle kitchen, aren’t you?’
‘Well…’ Bella stopped when she caught sight of Veronica’s expression. Where she’d been expecting anger or disapproval or simply pure horror, there was something else. Pleasure possibly. Pride? Maybe even respect.
‘What a good idea. I’m sure there’s lots of need. People don’t learn those basic skills any more, do they?’
‘I guess not.’
‘So when?’
There was no way she could lie. Veronica would definitely notice cars full of students turning up. ‘Well I’m starting with a practice day with some locals, just to see how it goes. On Saturday.’
‘Awesome.’ Darcy grinned. ‘I will be there.’
