Page 37 of Eden's Comfort Kitchen
If only it was that easy.
A couple of hours later, as people started to arrive at the hut, Eden realised she needn’t have worried. There was suchenthusiasm, groups of friends and entire families arriving in good spirits. Eden had expected perhaps a dozen at most, but once she’d greeted everyone and had time to take stock, she noted a full house and was then hit by a sense of panic that they’d underestimated how much food they’d need. But she trusted that the friends she had around her had steered her right and that somehow they’d make what they had stretch. In the end, she needn’t have worried about that either – there was plenty to go around, and there would probably be leftovers for people to take home.
Eden hadn’t planned to sit and eat with her guests. There were still things to do behind the scenes, and someone had to keep it all ticking over. Besides, she was too wired to be hungry. She flitted here and there, fussing about things that didn’t need to be fussed over, which wasn’t like her at all but perhaps an indicator – if she’d ever needed one – of just what this project was beginning to mean to her. From time to time, she’d stand at the doorway that led from the kitchen to the main hall and watch the room. Everyone had taken a seat at the table, including her little band of volunteers, and were laughing and tucking in with everyone else. Eden was happy with that. When she’d imagined this night, the scene before her was all she’d wanted to see.
Livia glanced up from her meal and beckoned her. ‘What are you doing there? Come and eat!’
Eden shook her head. ‘I’ll eat later. I have things to?—’
‘No you don’t! Julia cut in, noticing the exchange. ‘There’s nothing to be done in there that can’t wait. Come and sit with us!’
‘Honestly,’ Eden began, but then Bilbo looked up from his dinner and said the same thing, and eventually Eden gave in and joined them – if only for a quiet life. She helped herself to some of the pasta bake and was almost shocked to find that a dish she’d had a lot of input in was really quite good.
Not for the first time that evening, the strangely melancholy mood washed over her. While she was happy to see others happy and increasingly confident that her first night had been a success, she wished her mum could be here to see it. She could only imagine the look that would have crossed her mum’s face – bemusement and surprise and perhaps some pride. She had to wonder what her sister might have made of it. Would she take it at face value, or would she see some ulterior motive? Eden liked to think Caitlin would be pleased for her, but she couldn’t be sure of that.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Eden was tired but happy. As she locked the doors of the scout hut, having seen the last of her volunteers off, in a novel turn of events, she didn’t worry about who may or may not be proud of her but allowed some pride in herself. With the recollections of happy faces fresh in her mind, she knew her first night had been a bigger success than she could have hoped for. They hadn’t taken a huge amount of money, but she was confident that people had also paid what they could and that everyone had been fair and honest. The money didn’t matter – she’d foreseen all along that she might have to find ways to make up the inevitable shortfall, and she was fully prepared for that. She had ideas about how she might do it too, and as time passed, she’d get those plans into action. After cleaning down, she’d gone back with Livia and Julia for tea and long discussions about what had worked and what hadn’t, and before she’d realised it, the skies had darkened.
The moon was rising as she made her way up the cliffs to Four Winds, a dove-grey disc scattering its light onto the brisk waves in the bay. It lit the path to some extent, but to be certain, Eden switched on the torch function on her phone so she wouldn’t trip on any uneven ground.
Back at the hut, Nancy had fallen asleep, and Livia had carried her home. It was likely that Levi was exhausted too – both children had been up way past their bedtimes, but Livia and Julia hadn’t seemed too worried, acknowledging that this was a one-off in exceptional circumstances. Eden’s mind went back to the sight of the little girl, her head resting on Livia’s shoulder, and the tender look on Livia’s face as she’d scooped her up. She marvelled at how her friend could be so utterly good in the face of the hardships and responsibilities that had been the gift of her life so far.
Four Winds was silent and shadowed as Eden approached the gate. She reminded herself that she ought to contact the owners and ask about getting some more lanterns in the garden, because whenever she went back after sunset, it always seemed too dark to be safe. The torch on her phone was some help but didn’t give off nearly enough light. Perhaps she ought to pick up something a bit more heavy duty in that regard. There was no danger from people – Eden felt secure there – but she did envisage a tipsy night out ending in a turned ankle at some point during her stay.
Mission accomplished and safely inside, she was about to get herself a drink when her phone rang. Since she’d left London, casual calls from old acquaintances had all but stopped. The only ones she got now were from Livia or Ralph or Caitlin. The calls from her sister she hadn’t yet dared to pick up. But this was a number she didn’t recognise.
Wondering if it might be one of her new suppliers with something urgent to discuss, she went to the kitchen and took the call.
‘Finally!’
Eden was suddenly hyperalert, any traces of her good mood instantly gone. ‘Caitlin, what’s this?—’
‘Number? I borrowed my friend’s phone, as you clearly weren’t picking up whenever you saw my number. What the hell is going on? Where are you? We’ve been worried sick here! I’ve called every one of your friends I could get hold of and nobody knows anything.’
‘Caitlin…’ Eden let out a sigh. ‘I didn’t mean to make anyone worry; I’m fine. I’m…’ She stopped short of saying where she was. She didn’t even want to continue this conversation, let alone get a visit from anyone right now. She’d left because she’d found it so hard to face her family, because every moment in their presence reminded her of what she’d done. She could see their disappointment and the blame in their faces whenever she looked at them, and she couldn’t deal with that. In the weeks that had passed since she’d left, nothing had changed. Her dad’s sadness was still vivid in her memory, and she knew she was the cause. The same was true of Caitlin’s anger; that was because of her too. ‘I’m fine.’
‘When are you coming home?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean? I phoned your office – they said you’d quit your job weeks ago. And you gave up your flat.
‘Is this all because of what happened? You’re moping, is that it? You’re turning it all into a scenario where you’re the victim? Is that what’s going on here?’
‘Of course not!’
‘Because you need to snap out of it. Mum died, and Dad needs you.’
‘Don’t you think I know that?’
‘Then I don’t see what this charade is in aid of. Come home and help him grieve like a daughter should.’
‘How can I? After what happened, how can I come home? How can I even look Dad in the eye, let alone comfort him when I’m the reason she’s gone?’
‘Ever the drama queen. It’s always about you, isn’t it? You’re never going to grow up, are you?’
‘Yep,’ Eden fired back. ‘That’s me – the petty, spoiled little drama queen. There, I admitted it – is that what you wanted? Will you leave me alone now that I said it?’
