Mistletoe & Mystery

by N/A

  Millie saw the excitement for the school’s expansion reflected in Claudia’s expression. But then a thought occurred to her. If Claudia had numerous new plans for the cookery school in the Cotswolds what did that mean for the Paradise Cookery School?

  Oh my God! she thought, as a painful thunk of alarm slammed into her chest. Claudia wasn’t thinking of closing it down and selling the villa, was she? That would be just too awful to contemplate. When she met Claudia’s gaze, craving an immediate answer, she saw she was staring at her with an indecipherable look in her eyes, then her friend squeezed Tim’s hand and stepped onto a higher step so that she could speak to her guests more easily.

  “I’m so pleased everyone is here tonight to share in our celebrations. I want you to know that Tim and I are no longer relocating to the Caribbean as we intended but staying here in Berryford.”

  A whoop of delight erupted, and a couple of Tim’s friends surged forward to offer him their palms. Kate and Blake hugged Claudia, with Blake wiping away an errant tear with the back of his pinky finger, laughing at Mitch’s eyeroll. However, Millie’s stomach lurched like an out-of-control rollercoaster and her spirits crashed.

  No!

  Tears sprang to her eyes. She turned to look up at Zach, but saw he was still watching Claudia and Tim, waiting for an explanation. Millie was happy for Zach, of course, because their decision meant that his job as estate manager was secure for the foreseeable future, which in turn meant that she could see him regularly and they could build on their fledgling relationship. She was ecstatic at the thought, but she couldn’t shift the nugget of sadness that was lodged in her gut about the demise of the Paradise Cookery School, a place she loved and somewhere that held a special place in her heart.

  She thought of Ella, who had been overjoyed at being able to at last achieve her dream of becoming a cookery presenter, revelling in the opportunity to showcase her Caribbean recipes to a whole new audience. She thought of Lottie and Dylan, of Henri and Travis and Anisha, and the fact that she would probably never see them again, and her heart shrivelled a little.

  It was a few seconds before she realised that Claudia was speaking again.

  “…So, Tim and I are overwhelmed with gratitude that eventually, after ten years of trying, we are to become parents!”

  The whole room exploded into shrieks of pleasure and well wishes. Zach released her grasp and strode towards Tim, shaking his hand before embracing Claudia. For the next few minutes, the couple were engulfed in congratulatory hugs and it was a while before Millie could reach Claudia.

  “Claudia, I’m so pleased for you. Congratulations, you must be so happy.”

  “More than happy, Millie. We’re over the moon. I confess that I never thought this day would come, but now it’s here I can’t stop myself from grinning like a five-year-old on Christmas morning. This is the best present I could ever have wished for.”

  Claudia led Millie into the kitchen where she fixed herself a glass of non-alcoholic punch, her cheeks glowing with merriment and gratitude, and no doubt a dollop of relief.

  “The doctor confirmed it this morning. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to do the canapé presentation, but I needed some time to myself to get my head around things, and I admit I did also indulged in a bit of a shopping frenzy. You look amazing in that dress, by the way.”

  “Thank you, Claudia. It’s a wonderful gift. So, do you think that could be why you’ve been feeling so tired these last few weeks?”

  “That’s exactly why. Believe me, I had no idea I was pregnant. Tim and I had given up hoping to be parents and decided to make the cookery school our baby… and we will continue to do so, but here in the Cotswolds as I prepare for our new arrival.”

  Millie steeled herself to ask the next question, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

  “What will happen to the Paradise Cookery School?”

  “Yes. Tim and I have discussed that, and there’s no way my doctor will allow me to fly backwards and forwards to present the courses, sadly. I intend to take his advice not to overburden myself… so…”

  Millie felt tears collect along her lashes as memories cascaded through her mind of all the wonderful, sunshine-filled adventures she had experienced there. How much she truly loved the villa, with its aquamarine infinity pool, its painted veranda, and tropical gardens overlooking the spectacular Caribbean Sea. She felt like she was having to say goodbye to a beloved friend and it hurt. She was surprised its loss was affecting her so much, but she forced a smile on her face, and hugged Claudia close so she couldn’t see her eyes.

  “Claudia, I’m so happy for you. You absolutely deserve this, and I know that you and Tim will make fabulous parents.”

  “Thanks, Millie.”

  Claudia pulled away from Millie, holding her at arm’s length to scour her face. Millie tried to look away, but wasn’t able to before her emotions overwhelmed her and tears spilled down her cheeks.

  “I’m sorry, Claudia. I’m happy for you and Tim, I really am. It’s just I’m so upset about the Paradise Cookery School. It’s an amazing place, and I think it’s the perfect setting to showcase the very best recipes and ingredients the Caribbean cuisine has to offer.”

  “Well, I was hoping you would say that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Millie gazed at Claudia, her lips parted but no words ensued as her heart bashed out a cacophony of hope.

  “I know Étienne will probably never forgive me for this, but I’d like you to run the Paradise Cookery School for me. We worked together, via the internet, amazingly when you were there in September and the Chocolate & Confetti course was a fabulous success. Did I tell you that Imogen and her mother have already rebooked for next September? And we have five more courses fully booked. You know what to do, you know my recipes as well as I do… and Ella has already said yes to being your co-presenter. What do you say?”

  “What do I say?”

  Millie gasped. It was her dream come true. Not only was she being offered a job as a cookery course presenter, but it would be for the fabulous Claudia Croft Cookery School, in her, albeit biased, opinion the most prestigious in the world. Coupled with that, it was situated in one of the most gorgeous settings where the sun shined every day, the people were friendly and welcoming, the beach and the Purple Parrot beckoned after a long shift in the kitchen, but most of all, the food was fantastic and she had only just scraped the surface. She adored Ella, and her best friend Denise, and she had so much to learn from them she couldn’t wait to get started.

  She would have leapt at the chance without hesitation, except for one thing.

  Zach.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Claudia was smiling at her, waiting for her enthusiastic acceptance of the offer of a lifetime.

  “I… I’m thrilled that you think I’m capable of representing you in St Lucia, not to mention relieved that the Paradise Cookery School will not be closing its doors. I adore the plantation house, its grounds, the town of Soufrière, the Purple Parrot. I love Ella, and it would be a dream come true to work alongside her again, it’s everything I could wish for.”

  “I’m sensing a but?”

  Millie fiddled with the stem of her glass, battling her emotions as she wondered how to put them into words for Claudia when she hadn’t even had chance to come to terms with them herself. So much had happened in a short space of time that her head was reeling from the turmoil and the decisions to be made.

  However, her overriding emotion was the strength of the connection she had formed with Zach, and the unshakeable knowledge that he was her soulmate and she didn’t want to lose him, no matter what prize she was offered. It was a huge opportunity to decline, but she knew with absolute certainty that she was doing the right thing. She only had to recall how she felt when she thought he was going to the Caribbean to know her feelings were real. She had fallen in love with him and that deserved a chance.

  “I’m sorry, Claudia, but yes, there is a ‘but’.”


  Tears trickled down her cheeks and her throat felt as though it had closed round a prickly pear. She swallowed, determined to formulate the right explanation as she owed Claudia so much.

  “Zach…”

  “Ah, before you go on, I think I should…”

  “Hey! You two, come on, we’re about to raise a toast to the best cookery school in the world!” cried Tim from the kitchen door. He paused, flicking his eyes from Claudia to Millie and back again. “Have you told her?”

  “Yes. Have you told Zach?”

  “Yes.”

  Millie raised her head from studying the contents of her glass where she’d hoped to find all the answers to her problems but had drawn a blank. Through a shimmering haze of tears, she saw Tim was beaming and cast a quick look at Claudia, and then noticed Zach standing behind Tim, also grinning.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, feeling like she was the only sane person in the room.

  Zach strode across the kitchen, dragged her from her seat and kissed her. She ignored the satisfied smiles of Claudia and Tim, and the rest of the guests for all she knew, and kissed him back, enjoying the swirl of excitement, pleasure, and something altogether more physical as she pressed her body against Zach’s muscular torso, desperate for more. After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few seconds, she heard Mitch perform his best wolf-whistle and she pulled away, laughing, her heart soaring, knowing with utmost conviction that she had made the right decision to stay in London, in her little attic above the patisserie so that she could spend every spare moment in Zach’s arms.

  “Did you say yes?” he asked.

  “Yes?”

  “To running the Paradise Cookery School for Claudia?”

  “No, I… Hang on. Why?”

  “Because Tim has just told me that he wants me to relocate to that gorgeous wooden lodge overlooking the Caribbean Sea and to manage the cocoa plantation whilst you scatter all manner of culinary debris around the villa’s kitchen. He has very sensibly decided that someone needs to be around to tidy up afterwards and I thought…”

  “Oh my God! Oh my God! You will be in St Lucia!”

  “Yes? I thought Claudia…”

  “Hadn’t quite got around to telling Millie that bit,” said Claudia, snuggling under Tim’s arm and gazing at Millie and Zach as if her heart would burst. “But I can assure you, Zach, if you need any assurance, that Millie was prepared to give up the opportunity of a lifetime to be with you.”

  Millie laughed as her heart burst with happiness.

  “I love you, Zach! You make my life zing with excitement and joy! But there’s one thing I want you to do before I agree to go to St Lucia with you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Order in a year’s supply of Marigolds!”

  Everyone laughed as Zach curled his arms round her shoulders and stared into her eyes with such intensity she gasped.

  “The feeling is mutual, marvellous, maddening Millie Harper!”

  Their audience drifted away to give them some privacy and the rest of the evening disappeared in a whirl of congratulations, of hugs, of tears – mainly from Blake – of carol singing, and of fond farewells.

  At midnight, Millie found herself strolling arm-in-arm with Zach down the driveway towards his lodge. It was cold, but she was snuggled into a warm padded jacket and had one of Tim’s old hats pulled down over her ears. She looked across at the expanse of smooth white snow that had been untouched for almost a week, save for the impression of snow angels she and Zach had created which were still evident, alongside the mound of snow where she had tried to recreate a likeness of Binks.

  “Come on, said Zach. “I’ve got something to show you. I had no idea the snow would last so long, but I’m glad it has because I want you to see this.”

  “See what?”

  “Always the questions! Trust me.”

  Millie felt his hand slot into hers as if it were the most natural gesture in the world. A wriggle of excitement meandered through her stomach. She couldn’t wait to fly out to St Lucia, to take her place alongside Ella behind the Paradise Cookery School’s demonstration bench, and the added sprinkles on her cupcake of dreams was that Zach would be with her!

  As they made their way towards the lodge, her thoughts meandered through the myriad possibilities for romantic moonlit walks along the beach at Soufrière, gossip-filled evenings with Ella and Denise, Henri and Dylan, indulging in one of Lottie’s potent cocktails, or simply sitting out on the veranda overlooking the Pitons starring up at the stars and thanking the director of her destiny for their benevolence.

  She dragged herself back to the present and followed Zach through the front gate of his home, but instead of going inside as she had expected, he led her around to the back garden where she stopped in her tracks.

  “Oh my God! Is that… is that…?”

  “Do you like it?”

  “I love it! Zach Barker, you are a man of many talents.”

  “Well, I have a few more up my sleeve…”

  Millie laughed, but pulled her hand from Zach’s to inspect his icy work of art more closely. She had wondered where he’d disappeared to when they were creating their snow sculptures. She remembered thinking it strange that he had chosen to build his snowman in his back garden, away from the viewing public, and now she knew why.

  In the middle of his patio stood two snowmen; one slightly taller with a woolly bobble hat perched on his head, a carrot for a nose and two black pebbles for eyes. As it sported a bottle of antibacterial spray in one hand and a dog’s lead in the other, it was obvious to any onlooker that it was supposed to be Zach. The second sculpture was smaller and wore a bright pink scarf, a pair of sparkly earrings and was festooned with tiny cocktail umbrellas - clearly a snow sculpture of Millie.

  Suspended from a branch directly overhead was a sprig of mistletoe and the frozen statues were leaning towards each other, their faces touching in a depiction of a kiss. It was an amazing piece of art, but it was more than that. It was confirmation that Zach had loved her even before she had arrived in Berryford and she couldn’t wait to explore his feelings further in the warmth of his lodge.

  But first, she had to accept the invitation. She grabbed the mistletoe and waved it over her head, laughing with delight as Zach brought his lips to hers and wished her a Merry Christmas in the best way possible.

  Acknowledgements

  My first thank you has to be to my parents Hilary & Keith for buying me a boatload of books and instilling in me an enduring love of reading them. Thanks also have to go to my husband and son for their unfailing support - especially when there's no dinner on the table or fresh shirts to wear, but there's a new chapter in the current manuscript. Then there's my wonderful editors, Louise Cullen and Laura McCallen - a huge thank you for loving Millie and Zach as much as I do and for sprinkling your expertise on the story so that it sparkles. A tropical Caribbean rum cocktail to you both!

  Daisy x

  First published in the United Kingdom in 2018 by Canelo

  Canelo Digital Publishing Limited

  57 Shepherds Lane

  Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 2DU

  United Kingdom

  Copyright © Mistletoe & Mystery, 2018

  The moral right of Mistletoe & Mystery 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 9781788630207

  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, liv
ing or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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