Snowy Nights at Castle Court

by Holly Hepburn

  He’d let out a bark of laughter. ‘You’re kidding me. Where do you live – in Waverton?’

  ‘No, in Rowton. On Rowton Lane, in fact. We’re practically neighbours.’

  From there, Sadie had discovered he was thirty-four and definitely single. The last time they’d talked she hadn’t revealed much about her home life, other than to mention that she had a young daughter, but now she saw no reason to be coy; she told Adam honestly about Daniel’s affair and the new life she was building with Lissy.

  ‘And now you’re starting a business with Cat,’ he said, throwing her an admiring glance. ‘It sounds as though you’re going from strength to strength.’

  ‘I hope so,’ Sadie replied. ‘Although opening Smart Cookies isn’t the least stressful thing I’ve ever done. I had no idea how much time it would take to get everything in place – we’re having to take on staff already and we’re not even open yet.’

  ‘I saw,’ Adam said, and hesitated. ‘Actually, I was going to ask you about that.’

  ‘Oh?’ Sadie said, noticing the tips of his ears had turned pink as he blushed.

  ‘Gardening is mostly seasonal work and winter is a quiet time of year for growing – I’ve pretty much only got sprouts and cabbages on the go at the moment. Beekeeping is the same – the hives need all the honey reserves they have to get them through the colder months.’ He paused and his cheeks grew even rosier. ‘So I’m sort of between jobs right now and I wondered whether you might. . .’

  ‘Whether we might take you on?’ Sadie finished as he trailed off. She bit her lip. ‘I don’t know – I think we were looking for someone with actual retail experience.’

  Adam nodded. ‘I understand.’

  Sadie eyed him thoughtfully, picturing him behind the counter upstairs. He’d certainly be popular with the hordes of female shoppers who were bound to be scouring Chester’s streets in search of the perfect Christmas gifts for their loved ones. And it would give Sadie an opportunity to get to know him better . . .

  She made up her mind. ‘You know, I’ve often thought that enthusiasm is sometimes as good as experience. I’ll need to speak to Cat first but, just hypothetically, when might you be able to start?’

  Adam smiled, bathing Sadie in a warm glow. ‘Does tomorrow sound too keen?’

  *

  Cat spent most of Wednesday evening propping up the bar at Seb’s, although she stuck to virgin cocktails. At the end of the night, he’d made them both a nightcap and they’d moved to one of the leather sofas at the back of the bar.

  ‘I hear you’ve given Adam a job,’ Seb said, as Cat snuggled against him.

  ‘Not me,’ Cat said mildly. ‘It was all Sadie’s idea.’

  ‘How do you feel about it?’

  Cat shrugged. ‘We’d already agreed we needed help so I don’t mind, as long as he learns fast and pulls his weight.’ She thought for a moment longer. ‘And gives me discounted honey, of course.’

  Seb laughed. ‘Hey, don’t overwork the supply – the rest of us need honey from those bees too. You won’t be popular if he runs out.’ He paused. ‘And speaking of being popular, there’s something you need to know. Greg and Cherie have been trying to stir things up amongst the other businesses around the Court.’

  ‘In what way?’ Cat asked, frowning.

  He eased away from her and looked her in the eye. ‘They’re saying that you haven’t been honest with us – that you’re not who you say you are. Is that true?’

  Cat almost dropped her drink. ‘What?’

  Now it was Seb’s turn to shrug. ‘It’s all talk at the moment – no one is taking them seriously.’

  She stared at him, outrage and confusion battling for supremacy. ‘I don’t understand what they even mean – of course I am who I say. Why would I lie?’

  ‘I have no idea,’ he said, spreading his hands helplessly. ‘I’m only telling you what Andrew and Earl told me. Obviously, Greg and Cherie aren’t stupid enough to approach me directly with any of their suspicions.’

  Cat stiffened. ‘Suspicions? What does that mean?’

  Seb took a long sip of his drink and sighed. ‘I think they’re casting doubt on your professional qualifications. But I don’t have any more detail than that. Maybe you should stop by the diner, speak to the guys there.’

  Cat narrowed her eyes in fury. ‘Or maybe I’ll call into the bistro or the patisserie and get the dirt straight from the horses’ mouths.’ She shook her head in disbelief. ‘I’ve barely even spoken to either of them. What exactly is their problem?’

  ‘I don’t know but whatever it is, it only seems to be with you,’ Seb said. ‘I haven’t heard Sadie’s name mentioned.’

  ‘Great,’ Cat said, slumping back against the sofa. ‘Just great.’

  Seb slipped an arm around her shoulders. ‘Like I said, no one is paying them much attention. I just thought you ought to know, that’s all.’

  She did her best to smile at him but she knew it was a poor effort. ‘I know. Thank you.’

  ‘Maybe you’re right. Maybe you should confront them and find out what it’s all about.’

  ‘Believe me, I intend to,’ Cat said, with a grim little smile. ‘First thing tomorrow morning.’

  *

  Cherie didn’t look surprised to see Cat when she walked into the patisserie shop early on Thursday morning. ‘What do you want?’ she asked, without so much as a ghost of a smile.

  ‘I think you know,’ Cat said, equally cold.

  Cherie gave a single short nod and glanced at the young assistant behind the counter. ‘Keris, go and grab yourself a coffee.’

  The girl looked up, startled, but didn’t argue. ‘Yes, Cherie.’

  The older woman waited until she had gone before glaring at Cat once more. ‘Well? Say what you’ve come to say.’

  ‘I heard you’ve been saying some pretty slanderous things about me,’ Cat said, her tone blunt.

  Cherie folded her arms. ‘It’s only slander if it isn’t true.’

  ‘Really?’ Cat demanded. ‘So you telling everyone that I’m not who I say I am – that’s true, is it?’

  Cherie said nothing.

  ‘And you saying that I’ve lied about my qualifications – that’s true as well?’ Cat went on furiously. ‘Because I can assure you, I haven’t. I’ve got the framed certificates to prove it and I’m more than happy to let you see them.’

  The other woman’s gaze flickered with uncertainty. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she snapped.

  ‘I’m not the one being ridiculous here,’ Cat exploded. ‘You are. What is your problem, Cherie? You wanted our premises, is that it?’

  Cherie’s eyes tightened. ‘My problem is that people deserve to know the truth about the people who sell them food, especially when those people claim to be some hoity-toity chef from Paris. My problem is that you’re not fit to call yourself a chef in the first place!’

  Cat stared at her in complete bewilderment. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you ill? Because I promise you, I was a hoity-toity chef in Paris, as you call it. Want to see my references?’

  And now Cherie did allow herself a thin-lipped smile. ‘No need. Greg’s got all that in hand. Now, get out of my shop before I call the police and have you arrested for harassment.’

  *

  Sadie stared, open-mouthed, as Cat recounted the exchange.

  ‘She said what?’

  ‘I know,’ Cat said, managing a shaky laugh as she leaned against the kitchen table. ‘Another particular highlight was when she followed me along the Court, telling me she was going to ruin me. I honestly think she might be a bit unhinged.’

  ‘That certainly explains the look she gave me yesterday morning,’ Sadie said, thinking back to the ferocious scowl Cherie had sent her way when she’d passed her in the Court and said good morning. ‘How – it’s just so weird.’

  Cat ran a hand through her curls and glanced at the stairs that led to the shop, where Adam was painstakingly hanging biscuit b
aubles onto the Christmas tree. She lowered her voice. ‘The thing is, even if Cherie thinks she knows something about what happened at La Perle, she’s almost certainly got the wrong end of the stick. No one who knows why I left could be under any illusion that it was in some way my fault.’

  Sadie shook her head. ‘You had a breakdown brought on by overwork and stress,’ she said gently. ‘It definitely wasn’t your fault.’

  Cat hesitated. There was more to the story of why she’d left La Perle. But she wasn’t sure she was ready to share that with Sadie – she wasn’t sure she was ready to share it with anyone. ‘I know,’ she said, sighing. ‘I suppose I’m going to have to confront Greg next.’

  ‘Don’t do it alone,’ Sadie said, her eyes widening in alarm. ‘Take Seb or Adam with you.’

  ‘I don’t need back-up,’ Cat said dismissively. ‘Greg’s hardly likely to get violent.’

  ‘Even so,’ Sadie insisted. ‘Promise me you won’t confront him on your own. Apart from anything else, I need you in one piece to interview the woman who came in about the job.’

  Cat sighed. ‘Fine. I promise. I’ll see if Seb can take a break and come with me this afternoon.’

  *

  They waited until the lunchtime rush was well and truly over to visit Greg’s bistro. La Clé d’Argent still had plenty of customers lingering over chocolates and coffee after their meals. Greg was standing by a desk near the door, consulting a diary, when Cat and Seb walked in.

  ‘Good afternoon, Greg,’ Cat said as he looked up, her tone cool but designed to carry across the half-empty restaurant. ‘I imagine you’ve been expecting me.’

  His plump jowls quivered with disdain as he glared at her. ‘Not out here, please,’ he snapped. ‘Or do you lack even the most basic business sense? But what am I saying – you were strictly a behind-the-scenes employee at La Perle, weren’t you?’

  It was such a flatly ironic statement that Cat wanted to laugh. Beside her, Seb bristled. ‘Watch it, Greg. There’s no need to be rude.’

  ‘I think you’ll find there’s every need,’ Greg responded. He snapped his fingers at them. ‘Come this way.’

  Cat exchanged a hard look with Seb as they followed the bistro owner to an office. Once inside, he turned to scowl at them. ‘Well?’

  ‘Have I done something to offend you?’ Cat asked Greg, nonplussed. He hadn’t acted this way the first time they’d met, at the after-hours drinks party.

  Greg smirked. ‘What makes you say that?’

  ‘Stop playing games,’ Seb said, not bothering to disguise the irritation in his voice. ‘I’ve lost count of the number of people who’ve mentioned your little smear campaign about Cat. What’s going on, Greg?’

  ‘She’s really sucked you in, hasn’t she?’ the other man sneered, tipping his head to one side. ‘That’s what she does – take it from one who knows.’

  Cat let out an incredulous laugh. ‘Knows what? I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. Until a few weeks ago we’d never even met.’

  ‘Word gets around in this industry,’ Greg replied. ‘We don’t need to have met for me to know all about you.’

  ‘You’re talking in riddles,’ Cat said, exasperated. ‘Cherie said she didn’t believe I had the right to call myself a chef – that I’d somehow faked my qualifications. Is that what you’re getting at?’

  Greg gave her an oily smile. ‘I’ve no doubt you’ve faked many things in recent years, although I am willing to concede you completed your course at catering school. But your claim that you were good enough to run the kitchens at La Perle – that is more . . . controversial, shall we say?’

  ‘Spit it out,’ Seb growled.

  ‘He can’t,’ Cat said in disgust. ‘Because it isn’t true. I worked my arse off to make it to the top of the catering industry and you don’t get to be head chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant unless you are the best. There isn’t a single thing you can say that will change that.’

  Greg’s eyes gleamed. ‘Interesting choice of phrase,’ he said. ‘I have no doubt you did “work your arse off”. In fact, I know many people who would totally agree.’

  Cat stared at him for a moment, then shrugged. ‘I don’t have time for this. Are you going to stop bad-mouthing me to the rest of the Castle Court shopkeepers?’

  ‘No,’ Greg said, his voice suddenly cracking like a whip. ‘I don’t like liars and I especially don’t like those whose lies damage my friends. So you may rest assured, Cat Garcia, that I will not rest until I have exposed your deceit. Goodbye.’

  White-lipped and furious, Cat turned on her heel and stalked out of the office. She waited until they were clear of the bistro and among the crowds in Castle Court before she spoke. ‘What did he mean, damage his friends?’ she asked Seb in bewilderment. ‘Does he think I’ve done something to hurt Cherie?’

  Seb raised his shoulders helplessly. ‘Don’t ask me. It’s no secret she wanted your shop but that doesn’t explain this level of vitriol. I’ve got no idea what’s going on.’

  ‘Me either,’ Cat said. She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the start of a headache looming. ‘None of this makes any sense.’

  ‘I suppose we’ll just have to hope they get bored of being so unpleasant,’ Seb replied. ‘And if they don’t—’

  He stopped and gave her a meaningful look.

  ‘And if they don’t, what?’ Cat asked.

  He pulled her close and dropped a kiss on her forehead. ‘If they don’t, they’ll have me to deal with, and a few of the other business owners around here. Elin in particular is a force of nature when she’s angry.’

  Cat tried to picture the chocolate-shop owner in a rage about anything and failed. She sighed. ‘Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, eh?’

  *

  Thursday rolled into Friday. Cat and Sadie became wrapped up in making sure everything was ready for the shop to open on Saturday. Seb consulted the other shopkeepers and reported that Cherie and Greg appeared to have calmed down, and once Cat had filled Sadie in on the showdown with Greg, the two friends agreed to let the bizarre behaviour slip to the back of their minds. They had more important things to worry about.

  ‘Left a bit,’ Cat instructed, late on Friday afternoon, as Adam balanced on a stepladder to pin bunting on the ceiling. ‘No, that’s too far. Right a bit. There – perfect!’

  Adam pressed the drawing pin into the plaster and climbed down to admire the effect. ‘Nice,’ he said, glancing around the fully stocked shop. ‘It looks great, actually.’

  Sadie smiled. ‘It does, doesn’t it? And I don’t think we’d have managed it without your help, Adam.’

  He blushed, causing Cat to glance at Sadie with undisguised amusement. ‘Rubbish,’ he said. ‘All I’ve done is stack things on shelves.’

  ‘Which has freed me up to finish icing the final batches of biscuits ready for the morning,’ Sadie pointed out.

  ‘And allowed me to start processing the website orders,’ Cat added. ‘So thank you from both of us. I think we might just about be ready.’

  Sadie checked her watch, grateful that Daniel had been able to step in and collect Lissy from school. He’d been keen to help out for weeks, wearing down her instinctive refusal until she’d finally given in. But she didn’t want to rely on him too much; she had no idea when, or if, the old Daniel would reappear and she didn’t want Lissy to grow too used to spending time with her father if he was only going to let her down again.

  ‘I should get going,’ she told Cat reluctantly. ‘Is there anything else you need me to do?’

  ‘No,’ Cat said. ‘Go home and get an early night. You too, Adam. With a bit of luck, tomorrow is going to be busy.’

  Sadie glanced across at Adam. ‘How are you getting home?’ she asked, aware that he usually relied on the infrequent bus in and out of the city. ‘Do you need a lift?’

  Instantly, he shook his head. ‘No, don’t worry. It’s out of your way.’

  She smiled. ‘Yes, it will pr
obably add a whole five minutes onto my journey. Don’t be silly – let me drop you off at the farm.’

  He hesitated, causing Cat to roll her eyes. ‘Just accept, Adam, and make everyone happy.’

  With one last glance at Sadie, he nodded. ‘Okay. Thank you.’

  Sadie felt a sudden squirm of pleasure at the thought of a whole thirty minutes alone in the car with him. ‘Great,’ she said, hoping her eagerness didn’t show on her face. ‘I’m parked at Cat’s, underneath Victory Street. Grab your coat and let’s go.’

  When they were both ready, Sadie let Adam wander out into the fairy-lit glow of Castle Court and took a moment to stand beside Cat, gazing around at the shop.

  ‘Well, we did it,’ she said, with a little laugh of disbelief.

  ‘We did,’ Cat replied. ‘And now the hard work really begins.’

  Sadie puffed out a long breath. ‘I suppose so. What time is the new assistant arriving tomorrow?’

  ‘Eight-thirty,’ Cat said. ‘There should be just enough time to show her the ropes and then it will be showtime.’

  ‘I hope people come,’ Sadie said, gnawing at her lip.

  ‘So do I,’ Cat answered, giving her shoulders an affectionate squeeze. ‘Otherwise we’re going to be eating these biscuits for the rest of our lives.’

  Chapter Eight

  The car journey whizzed by faster than Sadie could have thought possible. Typically, there was no traffic to slow them down, no rain that meant she could rationalise driving below the speed limit; all too soon, they were pulling up outside Adam’s cottage in Waverton.

  ‘Thanks for the lift,’ he said, as Sadie pulled on the handbrake. ‘You’ve saved me around an hour and a half of standing at a freezing cold bus stop.’

  She smiled. ‘Don’t mention it. And you should drop me a message if you’re ever heading into town first thing in the morning – it’s no trouble to pop down and pick you up.’

  Adam nodded. ‘Thanks, I might just take you up on that.’ He paused and threw her an embarrassed look. ‘I’d invite you in but I wasn’t really expecting company when I left this morning and it’s not really what you’d call guest-fresh in there.’