Page 31 of Eden's Comfort Kitchen
‘I might have done.’
‘Is it chocolate cake?’
‘It might be.’
‘With the bit in the middle…? And the custard?’
‘If you’re lucky and you’ve been a good girl.’
‘I have!’ Nancy beamed at Eden. ‘Haven’t I?’
‘Brilliant,’ Eden replied, that strange but not unwelcome warmth spreading through her again. For a fleeting moment, sitting here with this remarkable little family, she felt a part of something wonderful.
Julia put a bowl of mashed potatoes and another with mixed vegetables onto the table while Livia lined up two sausages onto each person’s plate.
‘So, Eden, Livia tells me you’re keeping Four Winds for the next six months,’ Julia said as she put a jug of gravy down. ‘It used to be in our family, you know.’
‘Yes, Livia did mention it,’ Eden said. ‘Your uncle?’
‘My husband’s uncle. It was meant to come to us when he passed, but…well, things changed, as they often do.’
‘Oh…’ Eden frowned. ‘You were supposed to inherit?’
‘Livia’s father was, and he would have passed it straight down. As I said, things changed. I’d hoped it would be somewhere for Livia to have as her own one day?—’
‘Mum,’ Livia cut in. ‘Don’t bring all that up. It’s gone, and that’s that.’ She shot a look of apology at Eden.
Despite it, Eden suddenly felt guilty that she was currently enjoying the house that was meant to be Livia’s. She knew it wasn’t her doing, but it didn’t make her feel any better. What was worse was that she didn’t even need the house – for now, of course, but not beyond that – whereas Livia clearly did.
‘I didn’t know that,’ she said, wanting to ask how things had changed in such a way but aware that Livia wanted to change the subject.
‘And you’re keeping it until the end of the year?’ Julia asked.
Eden nodded. ‘That was the original plan.’
‘Oh? So you might not?’
‘I don’t know. I think it depends…That’s what I’m doing at the moment, but I suppose it depends on how things go.’
‘Like your community café idea?’
Eden was thinking of that, but she was also thinking of what else might change. There were things back home, things in her recent past that she had still to face fully. Whether she had the strength was another story, but she was beginning to realise thatthose things weren’t going to go away simply because she was here ignoring them. Caitlin’s calls and messages hadn’t stopped, for one thing. If Eden knew one thing about her sister, it was that she’d always want the last word; being unable to contact Eden to have it would be driving her to distraction.
‘That’s all a bit unknown at this stage.’ Eden helped herself to vegetables. ‘I’m still trying to get my head around it.’
‘Hmm…’ Julia was silent for a moment, allowing Livia to jump in.
‘But it’s a brilliant idea, isn’t it, Mum? You were saying so earlier.’
‘Yes. I think it’s sad that someone local hasn’t done it, really – someone who knows the community and their needs. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be doing it, Eden,’ she added quickly.
‘You’re probably right, though,’ said Eden. ‘I wonder if people will think I’m interfering where I’m not wanted because I’m an outsider.’
‘We don’t have that daft village mentality round here,’ Livia said.
‘Younger ones don’t,’ Julia put in. ‘I wouldn’t say that about everyone.’
‘I suppose all we can do is get it up and running and see who comes,’ Eden said. ‘If people don’t want to, then that’s that. At least I’ll have tried.’
