Page 17 of Cooking Up a Christmas Storm
‘Dowager lady.’ Darcy shuddered. ‘Sounds ancient though, doesn’t it?’
Bella explained that she wasn’t the lady because she wasn’t married to Adam.
‘Yet,’ Adam insisted forcefully. ‘Soon though.’
Bella nodded. ‘We should have done the registry-office thing the first time we talked about it.’
‘But then you got all excited about a big, romantic castle wedding,’ he replied.
Bella rolled her eyes. ‘Who got all excited?’
Adam laughed. ‘And you humour me about it beautifully.’
‘In the spring is the plan at the moment,’ Bella continued. ‘We’d like to start doing weddings generally and so why not? I’m thinking we can use the large dining room for…’
Adam shook his head again. ‘Is this wedding planning or work?’
‘Can’t it be both?’ she shot back.
‘So romantic,’ he muttered.
‘Anyway,’ Darcy swept in to change the subject and head off the argument, ‘tell us about you, Gemma.’
For a fraction of a second Jodie almost looked behind her to see who Darcy was talking to before she caught herself. She was Gemma. ‘Well, you already know about my work life,’ she ventured. They’d have discussed that, presumably? And Gemma must have filled in an application or sent a CV.
Darcy waved a hand dismissively. ‘Oh, no more work. What about you? Seriously, what did make you want to come all the way up here? I’m sure there are less corporate jobs nearer home.’
‘Er…’ The best lies were always grounded in truth. ‘Honestly, I just broke up with someone. This is kind of a fresh start.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Darcy squeezed her hand. ‘Were you with him long?’
‘Er, her.’ Jodie got the correction out of the way fast and braced herself for the second part of the coming-out chore. ‘I’m bi. So yeah. It was a her.’
‘I’m sorry. Shouldn’t have assumed. That’s fine. Great. Wonderful,’ Darcy floundered beautifully. ‘Isn’t it?’
Adam nodded. ‘Of course.’
Bella looked up. ‘Do you think we should do a room somewhere as a proper bridal suite?’
Adam jabbed her in the ribs. ‘Gemma was telling us about breaking up with her girlfriend.’
‘Sure. Maybe in the main house rather than the coach house? So they’re not right next to their guests if they want to… y’know.’
Darcy pursed her lips. ‘Ignore her. You were telling us about you.’
Jodie would rather have turned the conversation back to bridal suites and accommodation plans.
Darcy was not having it. ‘Go on.’
‘She…’ She what? ‘I don’t know. I think things had run their course.’
She hoped her vagueness would come across as understandable reluctance to talk about a painful episode. She was spared further questions by the sound of a door opening and closing and voices coming down the corridor to the kitchen.
‘I’m just going to drop these bits off.’ The voice was a woman. Local from the sound of her accent and very definite about her intentions.
‘I’m quite sure that isn’t necessary.’ Equally definite but more refined, with a hint of resignation.
Adam jumped up to greet the newcomers. ‘Flinty! Grandmother!’
