Snowy Nights at Castle Court

by Holly Hepburn

  Sadie let out her breath in a whoosh. Her cheeks grew warm with pleasure at the praise. ‘Not today.’

  ‘Well, you are,’ Cat said. ‘This is exactly how I imagined them – high quality, unusual and really desirable. I love them and so will everyone else – well done.’

  ‘It’s a team effort,’ Sadie said. ‘If you hadn’t made such a great base, I’d never have been able to make them look like that.’

  ‘I can’t wait to see how they photograph,’ Cat said, lifting up a pink and silver butterfly laced onto a dark chocolate base. She tilted it so that the delicate wings caught in the light. ‘The website is going to look awesome.’

  Sadie took a long sip of the espresso Cat had given her and almost sighed at the rich bitterness that flowed down her throat. ‘Is that what you’re going to do today – photograph the biscuits?’

  ‘That’s my plan,’ Cat replied, nodding. ‘I’ve got a photographer friend who says I can use his studio, as long as I’m quick. I’m hoping he might even give me some tips, since what I know about food photography can be written on the back of a Post-it note.’

  ‘I could come along, if you like?’ Sadie offered. ‘I know a little bit about photographic composition.’

  ‘Great,’ Cat said. Then her eyes clouded over with doubt. ‘Weren’t you going to paint the window, though? It would be a great way of sparking curiosity in passers-by.’

  ‘You’re right. Once that’s done, I might take a walk around, check out some of the other shops before I go and collect Lissy.’

  And maybe see if I can bump into any more good-looking strangers, Sadie thought dreamily, before giving herself a mental shake. Hadn’t she told Cat the day before that she didn’t have time to spend day-dreaming about men?

  Her best friend reached into a pocket and pulled out a business card. ‘That reminds me – what are you doing on Saturday night?’

  ‘Uh – nothing,’ Sadie replied, forcing the memory of the blue-eyed man out of her head. ‘Why, have you got another urgent load of biscuits for me to ice?’

  ‘No,’ Cat said, sliding the card towards her. ‘The other shopkeepers are having after-hours drinks and we’re invited. Want to go?’

  Sadie thought fast. It was Daniel’s weekend to have Lissy but there had been times when he’d been less than reliable over the course of the past year and she’d grown wary of making plans. ‘In theory, yes. Do you?’

  She needn’t have asked; of course her best friend would want to go – she loved socialising. ‘I think it would be a good idea to show our faces, get to know people,’ Cat said slowly. ‘Jaren thought it might be a nice way to break the ice too.’

  ‘So that’s where the invitation came from,’ Sadie said, raising her eyebrows. ‘I wondered how you’d found out about it.’

  ‘I saw him last night, as I was heading home,’ Cat replied, her tone casual. ‘He mentioned it then.’

  Sadie resisted the temptation to wink. ‘Then it feels like it would be rude not to go, especially since we’ve been personally invited.’

  ‘That’s what I thought,’ Cat said quickly. ‘And it will be good to meet the rest of the Castle Court crew.’

  ‘Check out the competition, you mean?’ Sadie observed.

  Cat offered her a disarming smile. ‘Of course. But mostly, I’d love to know whether the cocktail list at Seb’s tastes as good as it looks. Besides, we haven’t had a night out in forever – it will do us good.’

  ‘Mmmm,’ Sadie said, making a mental note to stick to water all night. The last thing they needed was to over-indulge and be the subject of Castle Court gossip in their very first week. She decided to change the subject before Cat tested her resolve with the names of the cocktails on offer. ‘So, what shall I paint on our windows?’

  Chapter Three

  Once Cat had left for the photographer’s studio, Sadie paid a quick visit to the Court stationery shop, praying they’d have glass paint. It was clear from the moment she stepped inside that they had everything she needed and plenty more besides. She lingered by the beautiful embroidered notebooks and ran her fingers over the rainbow colours of the pen section before dragging herself to the art supplies at the back of the shop, promising herself a return visit very soon.

  Back inside Smart Cookies, Sadie got to work on the window display. She and Cat had agreed that it needed to showcase the biscuits they were planning to sell without giving too much detail about the designs of the product. In the end, they settled on a gingerbread theme: children chasing butterflies, families enjoying a picnic, complete with a baby in a pram, while dogs sniffed the grass nearby and birds soared through the sky. Sadie suggested a hint of Christmas with some snow-covered rooftops and candy cane trees dotted here and there.

  Several hours later, she was satisfied. Leaving her handiwork to dry, she took a stroll around Castle Court. The weather forecast predicted snow, much to Lissy’s excitement, although it had yet to materialise. Sadie wouldn’t be surprised to see a flurry or two; there was a definite icy stillness to the air and the temperature hadn’t risen much above freezing all morning. Her breath billowed out in steaming clouds as she walked along the top floor, peering into shop windows and admiring the festive displays already on view. She was in foodie heaven, she decided as she passed a trendy wholefood store and the kind of old-fashioned sweet shop Lissy would adore; Sadie made a mental note to pop in there for some stocking fillers nearer to Christmas. Not every business sold foodstuffs; there was a lingerie shop tucked away in a corner that Sadie couldn’t imagine ever needing to visit and a designer handbag store that she was certain would empty her purse with its unnecessary but oh-so-desirable stock. And of course there was Seb’s, dominating the furthest end of the level and affording a bird’s eye view of the whole of Castle Court. Sadie lingered at the window, checking out the cocktail list Cat had so admired. She had to admit it sounded good; even the virgin cocktails were a fusion of mouth-watering flavours that begged passers-by to try them. The window seats would be a great place for people-watching, Sadie thought, as she resisted the temptation to go inside. Another time, she decided; there’d be plenty of time to linger in the months ahead.

  The second level boasted a jeweller’s, a bespoke men’s tailors that Daniel would love, a delicatessen and a fromagerie that smelled like cheesy heaven. And then she was back on the ground floor, admiring the glistening, fragrant delights of Elin’s, the chocolaterie, and Patisserie Cherie. Each business had an elegant, understated class, Sadie thought as she waited in line to buy raspberry and white chocolate eclairs, and now more than ever, she understood why Cat had been adamant that Castle Court was the right place for Smart Cookies to open its doors, in spite of the eye-watering rent; iced biscuits were a luxury item and they would fit right in here. But at the same time, Sadie was determined that they wouldn’t just sell biscuits to people with more money than sense. She glanced across at the cheap and cheerful frontage of Let’s Go Dutch and decided to talk to Cat about designing a pocket money range of affordable treats. Not everyone could spare thirty pounds for a tin of animal-shaped biscuits, after all. And they would have samples by the till, to give to any children who came in. Maybe they could even do a tie-in with Chester Zoo and create some individual animal biscuits to sell in their gift shop. There was plenty of scope to spread the joy of a perfectly iced treat all over the city, Sadie thought, and she hurried back to the shop to write down her ideas.

  Cat was waiting for her when she returned, leaning over her laptop on the counter at the back of the empty shop, frowning thoughtfully at the screen.

  ‘Problem?’ Sadie asked.

  ‘Just admiring the website,’ Cat replied, turning the computer around for Sadie to see. ‘Looks good, doesn’t it?’

  The site used the blue and gold branding Sadie herself had designed and she felt a buzz of pleasure when she saw the photographs of all the biscuits she’d made on display. She hadn’t realised how much she’d missed her creative side until she’d begun working u
p ideas for Smart Cookies. ‘That was fast.’

  Cat shrugged. ‘The photographer sent the pictures over to the web designer, who downloaded them and slotted them into place on the site. It isn’t live yet so if there’s anything you don’t like then it can easily be changed.’

  Sadie reached for the mouse and started to navigate her way around the web pages. It was a well-designed site – nothing was more than a couple of clicks away from the main page and the layout managed to be both intuitive and logical. And it looked tempting; hopefully it would lead to lots of online orders.

  ‘Looks good to me,’ she said, relinquishing control of the laptop.

  ‘Great,’ Cat said. ‘All our web designer needs to do now is add a shopping cart and payment options and we’re good to go.’ She glanced up at Sadie. ‘What have you been up to? The window looks great.’

  ‘I’m rusty,’ Sadie said, feeling a hot rush of embarrassment. ‘It’s the best I can do for now.’

  Cat gave her a fierce look. ‘If that’s your “rusty” then I can’t wait to see you at the top of your game.’ She shook her head. ‘You’ve got to start trusting yourself.’

  Sadie stared at her feet, hoping her friend wouldn’t notice the tears brimming behind her eyes. It was all very well for Cat to tell her to trust her abilities; she’d never had a crisis of confidence in her life. In fact, she seemed to have lived a charmed life since graduating catering college at the top of her class and landing a job as a commis chef in one of London’s most up-and-coming restaurants. And it might have all unravelled in the last year but confidence still wasn’t something Cat was short of, Sadie decided. She wouldn’t understand how inferior Daniel’s affair had made Sadie feel; the fear that she’d become too dull and boring for even her husband to give her a second glance. But the truth was that her self-confidence had begun to seep away long before she’d discovered his affair; being with Daniel had made her smaller, somehow, less sure of herself and a shadow of the girl Cat had known so well. It was only after Sadie had left her marriage that she’d realised how much she’d changed and the journey back to who she had been before Daniel was slower than expected. Even so, she knew Cat was right; her artistic instincts were good and the window looked gloriously appealing. She really did need to give herself more credit.

  ‘Okay,’ she said, glancing up with a small smile. ‘I’ll try.’

  ‘Good,’ Cat said, with a nod of satisfaction. She reached under the counter and pulled out a pale pink box tied with ribbon. ‘I stopped by the patisserie on my way back. How can we check out the competition if we don’t know what they sell?’

  Sadie grinned as she held up her own matching box filled with eclairs. ‘Great minds think alike. I’ll put the kettle on.’

  *

  Daniel was due to collect Lissy at ten o’clock on Saturday morning and the little girl was bouncing with excitement as she waited for him to arrive. Normally, Sadie made a point of dropping her off at their old home, preferring to keep her ex as separate as she could from the new life she’d made, but she’d stayed up late again decorating stock for the shop and it made sense to give in to his offer to come round. Just this once, she told herself, as she feverishly cleaned the kitchen surfaces of their visible drifts of icing sugar.

  ‘Trying out some new make-up?’ Daniel asked when she opened the front door to let him into the cramped hallway of the cottage.

  She stared at him in confusion. It was very unlike him to notice her appearance these days, much less comment on it. ‘No – why?’

  He reached out a finger and brushed the end of her nose. ‘You’ve got powder all over your face.’

  Heat flooded Sadie’s cheeks and she glanced in the hallway mirror. Sure enough, her nose and forehead were dusted with icing sugar. She’d even managed to get some in her coppery curls. Mortified, she rubbed her sleeve over her face. ‘Sorry. I’ve been working this morning.’

  Daniel gave her a sideways look, causing Sadie to review what she’d said. ‘Just while Lissy was watching television. I was keeping an eye on her, obviously.’

  ‘Relax, Sadie, it’s fine,’ Daniel said. ‘I know Cat must be cracking the whip. I’m amazed she’s not round here supervising, in fact.’

  There was no malice behind the words but Sadie wasn’t fooled. Daniel and Cat had never got on; they hadn’t even pretended to like each other. Cat had resented Daniel for tying Sadie down to a life of drudgery and motherhood and he hadn’t appreciated Cat’s efforts to lure his wife away from their comfortable and happy home. To Cat’s credit, she’d never once said ‘I told you so’ once news of his affair had broken, although Sadie knew she must have thought it.

  ‘Cat’s in charge of biscuit production, not decoration,’ Sadie said coolly. ‘And, for the record, she’s very happy with my work so far.’

  Daniel held his hands up. ‘I’m sure she is. But I know you’ve got a lot to do – I’m more than happy to have Lissy a bit more, to give you extra time to work. All you have to do is ask.’

  Sadie couldn’t help it; she bristled. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d hinted that she wasn’t coping with life as a single parent. ‘That won’t be necessary. I’m quite capable—’

  ‘Daddy!’

  Lissy came barrelling into the hallway and wrapped her arms around Daniel’s knees. ‘Hello, princess,’ he said, sweeping her up into his arms.

  Her nose wrinkled in disgust. ‘I’m not a princess, I’m a dinosaur trainer in charge of saving the world from the evil carnivores.’

  Her father laughed. ‘Sorry, my mistake. Are you ready to bring your fearsome warriors over to my house? There’s a ravenous raptor causing trouble in the rose bushes.’

  Lissy’s delighted laughter echoed through the hall as she wriggled to get down. ‘What are we waiting for? Let’s go!’

  She vanished into the living room and a series of thuds and clatters filled the air.

  ‘I hope you know what you’ve done,’ Sadie said, her tone wry. ‘She’ll be packing every dinosaur she has.’

  ‘As long as she’s happy,’ Daniel said, staring after Lissy.

  Sadie gazed at his profile; he was still as good-looking as ever. His dark hair was short and neat, his skin lightly tanned from weekends spent playing golf in sunnier climates. He had the beginnings of laughter lines around his blue eyes – had they always been there? Laughter wasn’t something she associated with Daniel; he’d always been so serious and work-obsessed. An arrow of sadness cut through her; maybe she’d been the reason he hadn’t laughed. He was obviously much happier now.

  He glanced across at her, catching her out. She cleared her throat, embarrassed. ‘I’ll get her overnight bag.’

  It took three attempts to get Lissy out of the front door – she kept remembering one more vital piece of dinosaur battle equipment. But at last she seemed to concede that she had everything she needed and allowed Sadie to bundle her into her coat. As she skipped down the gravel path towards Daniel’s sleek Mercedes, he turned back to Sadie.

  ‘Look, I know you think I’m poking my nose in but I meant what I said before – I’m happy to help out more with Lissy if you need me to. Getting a new business off the ground is tough and I’d hate for you to run yourself into the ground trying to do it all when you don’t need to.’

  Sadie shook her head. ‘Daniel—’

  ‘I don’t have an agenda, I’m not trying to score points or anything like that.’ He softened his voice. ‘Just think about it, okay?’

  He sounded so reasonable that there was nothing she could do except nod. But that was Daniel all over: reasonable and measured and charm personified while he manoeuvred you into a corner. ‘Okay,’ she said reluctantly. ‘I’ll think about it.’

  Daniel reached out to squeeze her hand. ‘Good. I’ll see you tomorrow evening – don’t work too hard.’

  Sadie pushed away a stab of guilt as she thought about the party that night. It was business, not pleasure; a way of getting to know their neighbours in Castle Cour
t, of building relationships that would stand Smart Cookies in good stead for the future. And besides, Daniel had no idea she wouldn’t be slaving over row after row of perfectly cooled cookies all night. ‘I’ll try not to,’ she called as she gave Lissy one final wave.

  Now, she thought as she closed the door and wandered into the toy-strewn living room. What the hell am I going to wear?

  Chapter Four

  The problem with working practically every hour of the day, and wearing chef whites to do it, was that Cat had very little to show in terms of clothing, despite having spent three years working in the fashion capital of the world. She stood in her bedroom for a few minutes, gazing thoughtfully into her wardrobe, before grabbing her bag and deciding to hit the shops.

  She’d say this for Chester: when it came to retail therapy, there was no shortage of choice. The Rows were packed with shops of all shapes and sizes, from chain stores to quirky little boutiques. The trouble was that Cat couldn’t quite get a handle on what she should wear to the welcome party at Seb’s; should she go dressy or casual? The shops were all gearing up for Christmas; their rails were filled with sequins and sparkle, reds and greens and golds – Christmas party clothes that Cat was sure would be too much for informal drinks at Castle Court.

  After more than an hour spent battling the early festive shopping crowds, she gave up and rang Sadie. ‘I need advice. What are you wearing tonight?’

  ‘Dressy jeans and a rose-gold top,’ Sadie replied promptly, giving Cat the impression that she’d had her outfit planned from the moment she’d heard about the party. ‘Where are you?’

  ‘In a coffee shop on Northgate Street,’ Cat admitted. ‘I’m hiding from my woeful fashion ignorance.’

  Sadie laughed. ‘Cat Garcia, you know you look good no matter what you wear. Do you have any idea what you’re looking for?’

  ‘None,’ Cat admitted with a sigh. ‘It doesn’t help that it’s wall-to-wall Christmas out here.’