Frosty Mornings at Castle Court

by Holly Hepburn

  ‘It’s a date,’ he said. ‘Now – hadn’t you better go and get baking?’

  Cat downed the last of her tea. ‘No rest for the wicked.’

  Seb flashed her an approving look. ‘Promises, promises.’

  *

  Cat looked pale and drawn when Sadie arrived at Smart Cookies. She was filling the drawers beneath the shelves with boxes of heart-shaped Valentine’s Day biscuits but glanced up as Sadie walked in.

  ‘Morning,’ she said.

  Sadie dumped her bag and coat behind the counter and gazed straight into Cat’s eyes. ‘Right – how bad is it?’

  ‘It depends who you ask,’ Cat replied with a barely audible sigh. ‘Simone isn’t worried.’

  ‘But you are?’

  Cat nodded. ‘François is powerful and rich and he wants to prove a point. If he can make an example out of me then it will send a message out to anyone else who might be thinking of standing up to him.’

  Sadie squeezed her hand. ‘All the more reason to fight him. And if Simone isn’t worried . . .’

  ‘She tells me she isn’t,’ Cat said, ‘but I wonder if she’s just trying to make me feel better.’

  Sadie raised her eyebrows. ‘She’s not a counsellor. I’m sure she’s basing her opinion on a legal point of view.’

  Cat shook her head. ‘You should have seen him, Sadie. He was laughing at me, like I was a fly he could squash any time he liked.’

  ‘Then it will be even more satisfying when he loses,’ Sadie said stoutly. ‘Come on, this isn’t like you. You’re fierce.’

  ‘I am not.’

  ‘You are,’ Sadie insisted, detecting the ghost of a smile on her best friend’s face. ‘Remember that time Archie Lemmon tried to steal my bag in Year Eight? You gave him a black eye.’

  Cat smiled. ‘I got into so much trouble for that. My mum nearly had a heart attack when the school rang her.’

  ‘But no one ever tried to mess with me again,’ Sadie said. ‘You’d blazed a trail and made school a better place for me.’

  ‘Maybe,’ Cat said doubtfully.

  ‘And you did the same thing at La Perle – you showed all the women who work there that they don’t have to put up with the behaviour of men like François. I bet he thinks twice before he tries anything on with any of the female staff now.’

  She sighed. ‘I don’t know . . . hopefully. That’s what this is all about. But I’m scared the courts will take his side.’

  ‘They won’t,’ Sadie said. ‘And I’m going to be beside you every step of the way. So is Seb and everyone here. You’re not doing this alone.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Cat said, blinking hard. ‘Now, how did things go while I was away? Please tell me we met the Charlotte Dennis order.’

  ‘We did,’ Sadie said cautiously. ‘Her wedding planner was over the moon – said they were exactly what Charlotte wanted and she’d make sure they featured in the magazine spread.’

  ‘That’s great,’ Cat said. ‘Well done. Anything else I need to know about?’

  Sadie paused, wondering whether to mention her reunion with Daniel. Adam had been considerably quieter than usual and had elected to take the bus home after work last night. But she didn’t need to trouble Cat with any of that now – not when she had plenty of worries of her own. It would keep, Sadie decided, and she gave her best friend a reassuring smile. ‘No, nothing at all.’

  *

  Most of the morning whizzed by in a whirl of excited, loved-up customers. Jaren stopped by to collect his bespoke Valentine’s Day order and to ask Cat how the meeting had gone. His expression was grave as she relayed the details.

  ‘Let me know if there is anything I can do,’ he said, once she’d finished. ‘And thanks again for my Valentine’s gift. I hope the recipient appreciates the time and effort it took.’

  ‘Has Seb given you anything yet?’ Sadie asked Cat in an undertone, after Jaren had gone.

  ‘No, but I caught him checking out the chocolates at Elin’s last week, so I know what I’m getting!’ Cat replied. She glanced over at Adam, who was wrapping a heart for a hopeful-looking teenage boy. ‘How about you – received any mysterious cards or gifts?’

  Sadie tried not to think about the card Daniel had slipped into her handbag that morning. ‘No, and I’m not expecting anything. Stop stirring.’

  ‘Just asking,’ her friend said, raising her hands.

  Cat clearly hadn’t noticed that Adam could hardly bring himself to look Sadie’s way, she thought with an inward sigh. But between Cat and Adam, there was a subdued air in the shop and by eleven-fifteen, Sadie had decided enough was enough.

  ‘Come on, I’m taking you out for lunch,’ she said, handing Cat her coat. ‘You need the kind of cheering up that only smashed avocado and chilli sauce can achieve.’

  *

  On the way back, they saw Elin on Watergate Street. Sadie raised her hand to wave, but the chocolatier lowered her blonde head and dodged down a side street. The two friends stared after her.

  ‘I suppose she didn’t see us,’ Cat said.

  Sadie pursed her lips. ‘I suppose not.’

  ‘Maybe she was out buying a Valentine’s Day card for Jaren,’ Cat said, winking. ‘That would explain a lot and make me very happy.’

  Sadie gave her a quizzical look. ‘Ever thought of becoming a matchmaker, Cat? Come on, we’d better get back. It’s time for Clare and Adam to take their lunch.’

  Clare must have been watching out for Sadie and Cat’s return because she met them at the door of Smart Cookies. ‘Two things,’ she said in a low voice. ‘Adam’s gone home sick and there’s a strange man waiting to see Cat.’

  ‘Sick?’ Sadie repeated. ‘Is he okay?’

  ‘Headache, he said,’ Clare replied. ‘Nothing serious.’

  ‘Good,’ Cat said. ‘But what do you mean by “strange”?’

  Clare puffed out her cheeks. ‘As in I have no idea who he is. French, I think, and looks rich.’

  Cat and Sadie exchanged alarmed looks.

  ‘I put him downstairs with a cup of coffee,’ Clare said nervously. ‘I hope that’s okay?’

  ‘It’s fine,’ Sadie said firmly. ‘We’ll go and see what he wants now. Together,’ she added, before Cat could argue.

  ‘Thanks,’ Cat said, flashing her a wobbly smile. ‘I don’t think I can face him on my own.’

  ‘I’ll go first,’ Sadie said, squaring her shoulders.

  She led the way, plastering on a cool unfriendly smile as she made her way down the stairs. Her first thought was that François de Beauvoir was older than she’d expected; his shock of silvery white hair was swept back from his tanned, well-lined forehead in a style that reminded her of an old film star and she saw an expensive-looking walking stick leaning against the table. He glanced up as she approached and got to his feet.

  ‘Madame Smart.’

  Sadie frowned. ‘Sorry, do I know you?’

  Behind her, Cat stopped three-quarters of the way down the stairs. ‘Monsieur de Beauvoir.’

  The man looked up and his eyes widened in recognition. ‘Bonjour, Mademoiselle Garcia. My apologies for intruding on you like this, Madame Smart – as your friend rightly says, I am Robert de Beauvoir. I’ve come to discuss my son, François.’

  Sadie’s gaze flew to Cat’s face, which had lost all of its colour. ‘If you’ve come here to try and bully her even more—’

  Robert de Beauvoir held up his hands. ‘That is not my intention at all. On the contrary, I am here to apologise to Mademoiselle Garcia. My son’s behaviour has only recently been brought to my attention and it is simply unforgivable. I want you to know that I have taken steps to ensure he will not trouble you again.’

  ‘Brought to your attention?’ Cat repeated. ‘You mean you didn’t know?’

  A flush of embarrassment coloured the old man’s cheeks. ‘I knew that he was a ladies’ man, yes. But I had no idea that he was forcing his attentions onto the women he worked with. And I certainly did not know tha
t the real reason you left was because you had stood up to him; I was most upset when he told me you had left La Perle, which he claimed was for personal reasons of your own.’

  Cat gaped at him. ‘You didn’t know? But the settlement . . . it was all handled by your lawyers.’

  Robert shook his head. ‘Jacques Martin is my lawyer. All François’ affairs are handled by Pierre Moreau. I promise you I was entirely in ignorance of the settlement he made to you. And I still would be, were it not for the actions of a mutual friend of ours.’

  Now it was Sadie’s turn to stare. ‘A mutual friend? Who on earth do you mean?’

  ‘The widow of a dear friend of mine. She runs a patisserie here in Castle Court – her name is Cherie Louboutin.’

  Cat leaned against the bannister. ‘I think I need to sit down.’

  ‘So, let me get this straight,’ Sadie said, once all three of them were seated at the basement table. ‘Cherie told you what François had been up to?’

  Robert inclined his silver-grey head. ‘She telephoned me to say he had threatened you with legal action, which led me to discover the whole sorry tale. She also admitted her own part in the matter; having known my family for many years, I think she found it hard to believe François was capable of any wrongdoing and I’m afraid she assumed you were lying, mademoiselle.’

  ‘I suppose that explains a few things,’ Sadie said weakly.

  Cat nodded. ‘What did you mean when you said you’d taken steps about François? Because he summoned me to Paris yesterday and both he and Pierre Moreau seemed deadly serious about taking me to court.’

  Robert’s expression was a mixture of sadness and disgust. ‘It grieves me to learn that my son is a bully on top of his other failings. I can only apologise once again and assure you that there will be no further action. François has been removed from his role at La Perle and you will receive a letter from Martin et Moreau confirming his complaint against you has been dropped.’

  Sadie could hardly believe her ears and she thought Cat might burst into tears. ‘Thank you,’ she said, and her voice wobbled for a moment before she pulled herself together.

  ‘Don’t thank me,’ Robert said. ‘Thank Cherie for making me aware of what was happening.’

  ‘Believe me, we will,’ Sadie said fervently.

  He lifted his cup and drained the last of his coffee. ‘I will take up no more of your time. And should you ever find yourself in Paris and in need of a job, Mademoiselle Garcia, I do hope you will remember La Perle.’ He smiled. ‘We would be very happy to welcome you back.’

  ‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ Cat said.

  At the top of the stairs, Robert paused to study the City of Love display on one of the tables. ‘Très jolie,’ he said. ‘I will take two boxes for my grandchildren.’

  Sadie packed them into a Smart Cookies bag and waved away his payment. ‘Consider them a gift.’

  He shook his head firmly. ‘I am afraid I must insist on paying. I remember what it is like to be just starting out, when every single sale matters to you.’

  ‘Then thank you, again,’ Sadie said, realising he would not be persuaded.

  He tucked the receipt into his wallet. ‘And now I must visit the excellent Patisserie Cherie – as I recall, she makes the finest macarons this side of the Channel. Au revoir, Mademoiselle Garcia, Madame Smart.’ Tilting his head in farewell, he left them standing there.

  ‘Did . . . did that really just happen?’ Cat ventured after a few seconds. ‘Did he really just make all my worries disappear?’

  ‘It looks that way,’ Sadie said. ‘And if what he says is true, then we owe Cherie a very large drink.’

  ‘Maybe even two,’ Cat conceded. She caught sight of Clare watching them in confusion. ‘We’ll explain later. Why don’t you take your lunch now?’

  A steady stream of customers kept Cat and Sadie busy for the next hour and it wasn’t until Clare came back that they had the chance to talk again.

  ‘I wonder what’s wrong with Adam,’ Cat said. ‘Did he seem ill this morning?’

  ‘No,’ Sadie said cautiously. ‘But—’

  ‘You don’t think he knew I was going to talk to him about the wedding favours debacle, do you?’ Cat interrupted.

  Sadie almost groaned; the last thing Adam needed was an unnecessary lecture from Cat. ‘Actually, I’ve realised that was me,’ she said, repeating the lie she’d told Adam the day before. ‘I was tired. I lost concentration. I’m sorry.’

  Her friend looked askance. ‘That doesn’t seem like you.’

  ‘Like I said, I was tired,’ Sadie replied, trying her utmost to sound convincing. ‘But there was no harm done in the end.’

  ‘Hmm,’ Cat said, with a sideways glance. ‘Okay. Maybe you could send him a message to check up on him. Find out when he thinks he’ll be back.’

  Sadie shifted uneasily. ‘All right, I’ll see what I can do.’

  But a moment later, Cat held up a hand. She was staring down at her phone, an expression of bewilderment on her face. ‘Wait. I’ve got an email from Adam right here.’

  ‘Oh?’ Sadie said, swallowing hard. ‘What does it say?’

  ‘He’s handed in his resignation,’ Cat said. ‘With immediate effect.’

  Sadie felt as though she’d been dealt a physical blow. ‘Does he say why?’

  ‘No, just that he’s sorry to put us in a difficult situation.’ Her eyes narrowed as she studied the screen. ‘Something weird is going on here. What is it?’

  Sadie hesitated. Surely Adam hadn’t left because of her and Daniel? But what else could it be?

  ‘I’m calling him,’ Cat announced, tapping at her screen. ‘There’s more to this than meets the eye.’

  ‘No, wait,’ Sadie said. Slowly, Cat lowered her phone and stared at her. ‘Come downstairs and I’ll explain.’

  Cat listened as she poured out the whole story.

  ‘I don’t know whether to kill you or congratulate you,’ Cat said, shaking her head in mock fury. ‘I mean, obviously I’m disappointed that Adam has left, but you can’t live your life treading on eggshells.’ She gave Sadie a keen look. ‘Are you happy? About Daniel?’

  ‘I think so,’ Sadie said. ‘He’s changed, Cat.’

  Cat said nothing for a moment, then smiled. ‘In that case, I’m happy for you.’

  Sadie felt herself sag with relief; she hadn’t realised how much she’d been dreading telling Cat the truth. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘And don’t worry about Adam – he’ll get over it.’

  He would, Sadie knew. His pride had been hurt and maybe even his heart, but he’d be fine. And maybe in time they might even be friends again. ‘Sorry.’

  Cat sighed. ‘Don’t be. We’ll just have to recruit two new members of staff instead of one. And maybe this time we’ll check they can spell before we let them loose with the icing.’

  Chapter Ten

  ‘Close your eyes,’ Cat instructed Cherie as she led her towards Seb’s after closing time on Thursday evening. ‘No peeping.’

  Sadie pushed open the door. The bar was apparently empty. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘You can open them now.’

  The older woman did as she was told, just as the shopkeepers of Castle Court burst out from their hiding places. ‘Surprise!’

  Andrew and Earl let off giant confetti canons and Seb unfurled a banner on the front of the bar that read THANK YOU, CHERIE! Jaren snipped the cord on a net of balloons that hung overhead, causing them to tumble down around Cherie. She stood as though rooted to the spot, shock and delight chasing each other across her face.

  ‘Just a little thank you from us to you,’ Cat said, presenting her with a biscuit version of Patisserie Cherie.

  Seb placed a silver cocktail on the bar. ‘There’s a new permanent addition to the menu here – can I offer you the very first Cherie-tini?’

  ‘And there’s a new sundae over at the Bus Stop,’ Andrew said, holding up a photo of a mountain of ice cream. ‘The Cherry Cherie can’t wait t
o meet you.’

  Elin stepped forwards, a small square chocolate box in her hands. ‘Here are my new Cherie chocolates – white chocolate and cherry kirsch – in your honour.’

  Jaren grinned. ‘And, of course, I’m not going to be outdone by these guys, so there’s a Cherie Amour pancake on the menu at Let’s Go Dutch.’

  Cat watched Cherie’s face as one fat teardrop fell, followed by a second and a third. ‘Here,’ Cat said softly, handing her a tissue. ‘I know it’s a lot to take in but, as you can see, everyone really appreciates what you did for me.’

  ‘I only did what was right,’ Cherie said, her voice muffled by the tissue. ‘He was such a charming little boy when he was young, but once I knew the truth, I couldn’t let him destroy you.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Cat said. She glanced over at the bar and grinned. ‘Now, I think Seb will explode if I don’t take you over there to try his new cocktail.’

  She left Cherie at the bar and came to sit beside Sadie on one of the sofas.

  ‘Seb’s going to be finding this stuff for weeks,’ Sadie observed, picking several glittery strands out of Cat’s dark curls.

  ‘Worth it for the look on Cherie’s face, though,’ Cat said.

  Sadie glanced across the room to where Elin sat talking to Jaren. ‘Speaking of looks, what’s going on with Elin?’

  Cat stared at her. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘She gave us the weirdest look when we came in. Didn’t you see?’

  ‘No,’ Cat said, frowning. She tapped her chin as though deep in thought. ‘You did spell her name right on the Valentine’s heart we made for Jaren, didn’t you?’

  ‘Ha ha,’ Sadie said, thumping her playfully on the arm.

  Seb appeared with a tray of cocktails. ‘You can’t drink a toast if you don’t have a glass,’ he announced.

  ‘No sign of Greg, I see,’ Cat said once Seb had moved on.

  ‘I don’t think anyone has seen him since Monday,’ Sadie replied. ‘No one seems to be missing him – not even his staff.’

  Cat paused. ‘And no Adam, either. Did he reply to your invitation?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Don’t beat yourself up. Like I said, he’ll get over it.’