by Sunshine
‘Hey, Millie, where do you want this canvas hung?’
‘Shall I finish the gloss work in the porch?’
‘Where are the handles for the drawers?’
‘Who’s supposed to be washing the windows?’
The villa had taken on a buzz of frenetic activity. They drilled, hammered, sawed, polished, painted and cleaned, all under Millie’s subtle direction, although she was careful to defer to Fitz on all of the major decisions – but everyone knew who was really in charge. Fitz even managed to repair the crack in the worktop with some magic adhesive which when polished, looked like a natural flaw in the marble.
When dusk finally arrived, the gang congregated on the veranda, devouring Ella’s freshly baked chicken stuffed with figs and apricots, nervously sipping at their coffee and mango juice, as Millie and Ella toured the kitchen double-checking every detail against their lists.
Every surface was scrutinized. Stray finger marks were wiped from the tiles and the stainless-steel appliances. Sawdust was banished from the cornices and the copper pans. Millie tested the flow of the hot and cold water from every tap, ignited each of the gas burners one by one, and tried the sockets with a hand-held blender, before finally declaring herself satisfied and dispatching Vic to collect the furniture from storage.
There was a last push to stage the plump white sofas at a satisfactory angle and dress the lamp and coffee tables with the floral displays donated by Denise. Lottie cleaned off a speck of glue from the front of the refrigerator, Dylan fixed the spotlights so they were at precisely the right angle for each of the workstations and Anisha affixed a strand of Caribbean-themed bunting around the French doors.
The Paradise Cookery School was finished!
‘Thank you, everyone,’ said Millie, ignoring the tears streaming down her cheeks unchecked. ‘If it wasn’t for every single one of you offering your help today, the kitchen would never have been finished on time. You are an absolutely awesome team and to show my appreciation, and to say goodbye, I’m throwing a party here tomorrow afternoon for when Claudia arrives from the airport. The drinks will be mixed by our brand-new bar and restaurant manager, Miss Lottie Bedford, ably assisted by her sidekick, Travis Scott!’
Henri, Dylan and Ryan slapped Travis on the back and exchanged congratulatory fist bumps. The young artist lowered his lashes in a shy smile of acknowledgement. It had taken a great deal of persuasion by Lottie and Anisha to peel him away from his artwork, but he had agreed to help Lottie in the Purple Parrot until she found a replacement for Marc and Andrew was informed what his future held. It meant extra cash for Travis, which he could definitely do with, and Lottie still had her job and could meet her rent, not that she was going anywhere.
‘Claudia is going to be delighted with the way the villa is looking. I can feel it in my bones,’ declared Ella as they strolled out to the veranda. ‘I can’t wait to get started with the cookery-school tutorials. I don’t think I’ve been this excited since I was a teenager.’
‘Okay, okay, ladies, or should I say slave-drivers?’ said Ryan. ‘We’re all desperate for a shower and a beer and a rest from all this hard work. See you tomorrow!’
Everyone made their way to the courtyard, laughing and joking, teasing Lottie and Dylan as they exchanged a kiss before jumping into separate jeeps. A wave of intense happiness swept through Millie. She had not known a single person in St Lucia when she arrived two weeks ago, soaking wet, jet-lagged and alone. Now she could count on ten new friends, people who had come to the aid of a stranger in more ways than one, who had worked until their knuckles bled and their backs ached, all for the prize of friendship, a belly full of great food and the occasional bottle of Red Stripe.
Marc was wrong – it wasn’t money that talked; it was friendship.
Chapter Twenty-One
Everything was set for Claudia’s arrival. Lottie had helped to hang a necklace of fairy lights over the doors and windows and around the balustrade overlooking the terrace. The infinity pool’s underwater lights shone so brightly that the water glowed with azure-tinged splendour and was the focal point of that afternoon’s gathering. Cathedral candles of varying heights flickered inside storm lanterns dotted around the decking and the table groaned under an abundance of treats all provided by Ella and Denise who had worked all morning in the brand-new kitchen. It had been a huge relief to Millie that every appliance had worked the way it should. It was the best day she’d had in the Caribbean – freed from the stress of delivering the kitchen project on time.
Everyone had turned up for the celebration – and to wish Millie a safe journey home and good luck in her future ventures. Zach had been curiously taciturn all morning and whenever she caught his eye to offer him a smile, he turned away to speak to whoever was standing next to him. Binks snoozed happily at his feet, but with one eye peeled for discarded titbits.
Millie still hadn’t heard from Claudia. She had asked Ella to call her at her house in the Cotswolds that morning, but there was no reply. They had checked Claudia’s last email for the precise details of her flight, searched the internet to make sure that the plane had left on time, and dispatched Clavie to collect her from the airport. Despite the glorious success of the kitchen, a curl of trepidation still nestled in Millie’s stomach, along with a buzz of excitement at Claudia’s imminent arrival.
Whilst Dylan and Lottie happily exchanged kisses under the palm trees in the garden, Ryan, Connor and Travis pushed each other in the hammocks like toddlers in a playground. Henri and Alisha were chatting at the cocktail table, Henri animated in his explanation of how he was sure his investigative journalism for the Tribune would force those in authority to take a closer interest in the youth-unemployment problem that was gripping their community.
It was only a matter of minutes before Clavie was due to show up with Claudia in his clapped-out old taxi and she would get her first glimpse of her exciting new enterprise. A spasm of nerves shot down Millie’s spine, but then she relaxed. How could Claudia not adore the clean white lines of the walls and the floor tiles, the elegant sleekness of the Italian marble and the shining stainless steel of the appliances? Everything was perfect, including Travis’s artwork, which lent a colourful splash of the true spirit of the Caribbean amongst the minimalism.
The kitchen was ready to receive its first Paradise Cookery School students on Monday morning – less than eighteen hours away. Millie was proud of what had been achieved and felt a stab of disappointment that she would not be there to witness their enjoyment and to hear their exclamations of amazement at the beauty both inside the villa and in the surrounding tropical landscape. She knew the menus they had devised over the last two weeks showcased the very best that Caribbean culinary culture had to offer the discerning foodie. She was also confident that there would be no question whatsoever that the Chocolate & Confetti course would be the first in long line of tailor-made tutorials and that the hotly anticipated Claudia Croft Caribbean Cookery book would fly from the shelves when it was published next year.
Millie checked her grandmother’s silver Tiffany watch for what seemed like the hundredth time. Four-thirty. She leaned over the rail of the veranda, her toes leaving the decking, to glance down the driveway, but she couldn’t see any sign of Clavie’s taxi or hear the engine straining to mount the incline. Trust him to be late! She scrolled through the Arrivals schedule on her phone and saw that the British Airways flight had landed on time.
‘Hey, Millie, any news from Claudia? She should be here by now.’ Henri draped his arm over her shoulder and she was rewarded with a whiff of his spicy eau de cologne. ‘Did I tell you the Daily Telegraph in the UK have agreed to run my article on the increase in the use of the old drug routes through the Caribbean in their Sunday supplement?’ he asked, his expression modest, almost nonchalant.
‘Wow, that’s fabulous news!’ Millie hugged her friend. ‘Congratulations!’
‘They also want to commission a professional photographer and I need to tweak a f
ew paragraphs for them, but it’s a great honour. And I’ve been approached by Le Figaro too. If I’m stuck on the translation, I can always ask you to help out, eh?’
‘Of course! I’m so happy for you, Henri.’
Henri simply smiled and helped himself to a dish of his mother’s mango sorbet topped with freshly frozen mint leaves.
Millie glanced at her watch again. Four forty-five p.m.
She decided to seek out Zach and ask him why he was ignoring her. She would be leaving for the airport in less than an hour and she didn’t want to go without understanding the reason he was distancing himself from her. She had taken just two steps towards the courtyard where he was chatting to Dylan when Lottie intercepted her mission, glancing at Zach and then Millie.
‘I’ve told Zach he’s being ridiculous, but I think it’s a kind of protective mechanism.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘We’ve all noticed that Zach’s been avoiding you. Dylan challenged him and all he would say is that he wishes he was catching the plane back to the UK with you. He won’t admit it, but he’s going to miss you, Millie. You two have become firm friends, but maybe it’s a little more than that?”
Millie opened her mouth to answer, but her phone buzzed in the pocket of her glamorous black jumpsuit. She saw Claudia’s number flash onto the screen and her body flooded with relief.
‘Hi, Claudia. How was your flight?’
The line was faint and crackly and she could barely make out what Claudia was saying. She dashed from the veranda into the courtyard, her hand cupped over her ear, concentrating hard on deciphering the words.
‘I’m so sorry, Millie… Taken back into hospital yesterday… Complications… Doctors refuse to allow me to travel…’
‘Oh, Claudia, are you okay?’
‘So sorry… and I can’t present the Chocolate & Confetti course tomorrow…’
‘But… but you have to be here!’ Millie blurted, fireworks of panic going off in her head.
Millie thought of all the hard work and the sacrifices her friends had made to pull off the triumph of the year and it now looked as though the Paradise Cookery School would be cancelled despite it all. Her throat tightened around a lump the size of a golf ball but she swallowed down her disappointment. It was clear that Claudia felt far worse.
‘Tim has sent you an email… Can’t cancel… The guests have already arrived in St Lucia for the wedding… Taken the liberty…’
‘Claudia? I can’t hear you! Claudia!’
‘What’s going on?’ asked Zach, appearing at her side, his forehead creased in a mixture of concern and confusion. ‘Was that Claudia?’
‘Yes. She’s been taken back into hospital. That’s why I haven’t been able to get hold of her for the last couple of days. Obviously she can’t fly.’
‘So what’s happening about the cookery course tomorrow?’
‘I don’t know. Apparently Tim’s sent me an email.’
Millie scrolled through her inbox for the missive, her heart pounding painfully. She scanned the words swiftly, before raising her eyes to meet Zach’s, her mouth gaping.
‘What? What does it say?’
Mutely, Millie handed her phone over to Zach.
‘Yes! Fantastic!’ and before Millie knew what he was doing, Zach had grabbed her around the waist and swung her round and round until her feet lifted from the ground and she yelled at him to put her down. ‘It means you get to stay!’
‘But I don’t know the first thing about presenting a cookery course!’
‘You didn’t know anything about supervising kitchen renovations until last week, but you’ve done an awesome job – with a little help from your friends.’
‘Zach…’
‘Ella is a superb chef and a whirlwind of energy and creativity when it comes to culinary crises. She’ll support you. You have the professional expertise and the credentials. Perhaps you could play up your Michelin star?’
‘But what if the guests complain about not getting Claudia?’
‘Well, if her promise of a complete set of her cookery books, personalized and autographed for each of them, isn’t enough, then I think the fact that she’s offered to reimburse them every penny if they’re not happy will do the trick!’
Belatedly, Millie noticed the about-turn in Zach’s mood from the cold shoulder he had been giving her earlier. Could it really be because she was staying on in St Lucia? Did that mean that Lottie was right and…
‘But I can’t stay here. Étienne…’
‘Read the last paragraph again.’ Zach handed Millie’s phone back to her
‘Tim’s offered him an all-expenses-paid trip to the villa in return for giving me a week’s unpaid leave from the café?’
‘And promised to pay you an enhanced fee for co-presenting the course, as well as your normal salary. Can’t say fairer than that,’ said Zach, his dark eyes alight.
‘It’s not the money I’m bothered about. It’s the fact that I will be presenting a bespoke culinary experience to six strangers who are expecting the acclaimed Claudia Croft, cookery writer extraordinaire. I can’t do it, not by myself!’
‘You’ll be with Ella.’
‘Oh, Zach, I’m not sure…’
‘Haven’t we talked about this? Before you can fly off to new beginnings, you first have to jump! Jump, Millie! Show the world what you’re capable of. Don’t let yourself be defined by one unfortunate incident months ago. I know you can do this. I know you’ll be sensational, especially when you have a secret weapon up your sleeve.’
‘Secret weapon? What secret weapon?’
Millie saw Zach’s face soften as he took a step closer to her and reached for her hand, pulling her towards him so that his breath tickled her cheek. His proximity ignited flames of such intense desire in her stomach that her breath was whipped from her lungs. Seconds later, his lips were on hers and Millie experienced a rush of exhilaration, a feeling of deep joy that she was where she was supposed to be. Zach broke away far too soon and dragged her towards where the party was still in full flow.
‘Come on, Magnificent Millie. You’ve got to tell Ella the good news! Then I suggest we get rid of this lot and spend some time alone… planning your daily presentations?’
There was that mischievous smirk Millie had grown used to. She couldn’t wait to take him up on his offer, but she knew she had to speak to Ella first. She found her chatting away about a new recipe with Denise and Lottie.
‘Millie, where have you been? And I’m getting quite worried about Claudia.’
‘Claudia is fine… well, actually, can I have a quick word?’
Millie guided Ella into the villa’s living area where they fell onto one of the white sofas, sinking into its plush depths.
‘Claudia’s not coming.’
She watched Ella’s eyes widened in confusion. ‘Why ever not?’
Millie explained the situation in as few words as possible and was thrilled at Ella’s positive reaction. ‘You will be marvellous, my dear. It’ll be an honour to work beside you. We will do it together. Haven’t we just spent the last two weeks training for this? I will come every day to prepare the ingredients and we can share the role of presenter.’
‘Thank you, Ella, but we’ll need someone else to help us. Someone who knows the way around a kitchen, who can slot effortlessly…’
‘Me! I’ll help.’ Lottie stood at the door, having eavesdropped on everything Millie had said. ‘The Purple Parrot doesn’t open until the Chocolate & Confetti course is over. It’s perfect timing!’
The young girl’s pretty face lit with resplendent enthusiasm and Millie’s heart squeezed. She glanced at Ella who gave a nod of affirmation and the three women hugged each other, tears flowing freely, until a voice interrupted their celebrations.
‘Hello? Hello? Oh, I’m sorry to intrude. Is this the Paradise Cookery School? I’m looking for Claudia Croft? I’m Imogen Spencer. My friends and I are booked on the Chocolate & Confetti cook
ery course tomorrow. I’m just checking that everything is okay? Ooooh, I’m so excited. It’s going to be the perfect pre-wedding treat. Are they cocoa trees outside?’
Acknowledgements
I loved writing and researching the Paradise Cookery School series, spending every day in the glorious (virtual) Caribbean sunshine was amazing. However, the story would not have sparkled without the magic touch of my fabulous editor at Canelo, Louise Cullen, to whom I say a massive thank you.
The Paradise Cookery School
Pack your bags and jump right into the sun and secrets of The Paradise Cookery School!
When Michelin-starred chef Millie Harper leaves London for St Lucia, she has no idea what – or who – awaits her. In this little slice of paradise, with the help of handsome island-dweller Zach, she discovers a passion for life that she thought she had left behind.
Sunshine & Secrets
Confetti & Confusion
Mistletoe & Mystery
Find out more
First published in the United Kingdom in 2018 by Canelo
Canelo Digital Publishing Limited
57 Shepherds Lane
Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 2DU
United Kingdom
Copyright © Daisy James, 2018
The moral right of Daisy James to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781788630160
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.