by Confetti
‘My doctor informs me that my leg is mending nicely, and he has congratulated me on taking his advice to rest for once, but I would much rather be in my kitchen whipping up a soufflé. I’m bored, Millie!’
‘Claudia, erm… I’ve got a favour to ask you.’
‘Ask away, darling! I owe you several!’
Millie had already provided Claudia with regular email updates about the incident with Imogen’s wedding cake, and the subsequent amendments to the Chocolate & Confetti itinerary, so she’d given Claudia a quick summary of the events of Friday morning, culminating in a request, more a plea really, for her permission to use the Paradise Cookery School as a wedding reception venue. As Millie had expected, Claudia had been delighted to come to Imogen’s rescue and expressed her envy once again that she wouldn’t be there to join in all the fun.
‘Oh, the poor girl! Her mother must be frantic. I’m more than happy to put the villa at your disposal on one condition.’
‘Of course, anything.’
‘Please, please send me some photographs!’
‘That shouldn’t be a problem,’ Millie laughed. ‘Carla, one of Imogen’s bridesmaids, is a professional photographer. I know she will take the most amazing pictures.’
‘Oh, then maybe I could ask her if I can use a few of them on my website and Facebook page to advertise the villa when Tim and I eventually get around to offering overnight accommodation to the Paradise Cookery School guests next year?’
‘I’m sure Carla would be delighted.’
Before their conversation ended, Claudia had expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Millie, and Ella, for representing the Claudia Croft Cookery School in such a positive way and for being instrumental in turning a tragedy into a success. She promised to sing Millie’s praises to Étienne but did add a stern but well-meaning postscript that she wanted to see Millie make more of her talents now that she had shown what she was capable of.
Finally, to Millie’s delight, Claudia had gone on to suggest that she ask her boss for a week’s extended leave in the run-up to Christmas so she could join her in the Cotswolds to present a segment on the Festive Feast cookery course in the first week of December. Millie had thanked her profusely and promised to talk to Étienne. When she had said goodbye to Claudia, Millie didn’t think her euphoria could climb any higher.
So, the only blot on her happiness landscape that hectic Saturday morning was the current awkwardness between her and Zach. She had met with him the previous evening to thrash out the wedding arrangements but had orchestrated things so that both Ella and Henri had been present at all times to ensure there was no possibility of their conversation morphing into anything more personal than what colour the napkins were going to be.
To Millie’s surprise, there had been no sign of Chloe, either on the veranda last night during their briefing, nor was she there helping them set up that morning. Perhaps Chloe had seen their discussions as work-related, and it was still early so she was probably catching up on her beauty sleep. Millie certainly had no intention of asking Zach about the reasons for his girlfriend’s absence. She wasn’t sure whether she was relieved that Chloe had stayed away or disgruntled that she hadn’t turned up to offer her help when it was all-hands-on-deck. After all, the more the merrier when she looked down at the list of things that they still needed to do.
‘Where’s Clavie got to?’ groaned Ella, slotting her arms through the handles of her canvas bag and stamping her feet in frustration at the taxi driver’s shoddy timekeeping. ‘Denise is supposed to be meeting us at Castries market in thirty minutes – we’re going to be late!’
‘Don’t worry, Mum. I’ll take you,’ offered Henri, dangling his car keys from his index finger and ushering Ella and Millie towards his ancient little Fiat.
‘Thank you, Henri,’ smiled Millie.
The journey to Castries was uneventful. Millie took the opportunity to enjoy what would be her last glimpse of St Lucia’s spectacular western coastline, and the picturesque villages that scattered the hillside, before she left for the airport on Monday morning. She truly hoped that she would have the opportunity to return to the island that had made such an impression on her heart, maybe for a holiday, or perhaps to co-present another course for the Paradise Cookery School. Despite the numerous hiccups, it had been the most amazing experience, the best three weeks of her life, in fact.
She was proud of what she had achieved, not only in the kitchen but on a personal level. She had emerged from beneath a veil of despondency that had seemed to stalk her every move since the break-up with Luke. She had been reminded that not only was she an accomplished chef, but that she could also help and encourage others to discover their own affinity with food of all varieties – not just chocolate-inspired. She knew she was back to her Cordon Bleu-trained best and the increase in her confidence felt amazing.
As Henri’s little red Fiat navigated the numerous potholes, Millie continued to meander the corridors of her mind, counting her blessings and the reasons for them: Ella, Denise, Lottie, Henri, Dylan, but the person she had most to thank was there at centre stage. Zach, the most irritating, spiky, generous, handsome man she had ever had the good fortune to meet and, given a different set of circumstances, she knew she could easily have fallen in love with him.
Maybe she already had? Wasn’t that the reason she couldn’t stop thinking about the way his eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks when he closed his eyes, or how he had dragged her into his arms on the wooden platform high in the trees during their zip lining expedition? She couldn’t deny her body’s reaction when they had shared a goodnight kiss after a meal at his lodge before Imogen and her friends had arrived.
But was it simply physical desire? She doubted it. Whenever she was at Zach’s side she experienced an avalanche of emotions that she’d never encountered during the time she had spent with Luke. Every single sense sparkled with excitement, her heart filled with a surfeit of happiness, and her lips tinkled with the desperate hope that he would kiss her. Those weren’t feelings of mere sexual attraction and she wondered how their adventure would have ended if Chloe hadn’t called when she did.
‘Earth to Millie? Are you receiving?’ laughed Henri as he skirted around a coach filling up with recently disembarked cruise passengers to snatch a parking space a few yards away from the capital’s vibrant market. ‘Look, there’s Aunt Dennie!’
Sporting her usual attire of brightly coloured kaftan – today’s a medley of orange, yellow and scarlet – and matching bandana, Denise waved at them, hoisting her over-large straw bag onto her shoulder and trotting on her kitten heels to meet them, a wide smile lighting up her handsome features.
‘Thanks, Henri. See you back here in an hour?’ said Millie.
‘No problem. Make sure you get everything you need, though. We won’t have time to make a return trip.’
‘Okay.’ She gave Henri a quick peck on the cheek and climbed out of the rust bucket formerly known as a Fiat 500. ‘Hi, Denise. Thanks ever so much for coming.’
In response, Ella’s best friend collected Millie into her arms and gave her an affectionate squeeze. A tantalising whiff of gardenias floated to Millie’s nostrils causing her to smile and her gratitude to burgeon further.
‘Millie, my darling, what’s this I hear about you offering to put on a wedding feast with only twenty-four hours’ notice? Are you crazy, girl? Do you have sunstroke, or perhaps you’ve been partaking in a little too much of the local rum? Or could it be something else that’s causing you to lose your senses?’ A twinkle of mischief appeared in Denise’s eyes.
‘Millie isn’t crazy, Dennie,’ said Ella as she led them into Castries market to do battle with the stall holders. ‘She has a heart of gold. Now, were you able to source absolutely everything on the list I gave you over the phone last night?’
Millie and Ella had collaborated with Imogen and Alex to decide on the new menu that would, as far as possible, incorporate their favourite dishes and flavours. After c
hampagne and canapés on arrival, the wedding guests would be seated at their tables in the courtyard and served a starter of carrot and sweet potato soup, followed by poached red snapper marinated in a lime-and-chilli dressing – both Alex’s choice. Apparently, his gran had made the best carrot and coriander soup in the whole of Lancashire.
Imogen had chosen the main course and they would be preparing jerk chicken breast with sides of butternut squash mashed with mango, brown sugar and a squeeze of lime and either a medley of fresh Caribbean vegetables – peas, okra and a hint of mint – or an apple, pomegranate seed and coriander salad. Of course, the dessert had to be chocolate-inspired and Imogen had requested a dark chocolate torte with Caribbean rum-infused ice cream. There would also be a huge bowl of tropical fruit salad – guava, kiwi, passion fruit, pineapple.
‘You know me, Ella,’ chuckled Denise. ‘I’ve been here since seven a.m. tracking down the freshest produce St Lucia has to offer! All the fruit, vegetables and salad items have been packed into crates and Marlin has agreed to deliver everything to the villa this afternoon along with the chicken breasts and the red snapper. The home-made bread and cheeses are ready for us to collect, but I thought you and Millie would like to select your own herbs and spices so you get the best that’s on offer today. I just know that Imogen and Alex are going to have the most wonderful Caribbean wedding breakfast. Come on, let’s get shopping!’
A surprise coil of anxiety snaked into Millie’s chest. Denise had such confidence in her abilities, which was flattering but nerve-racking at the same time. She really didn’t want anything to go wrong, not because it would reflect on her culinary competency, but because of the effect any inadvertent ‘Millie Mishaps’ would have on Ella and Claudia. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin – she was determined not to let that happen.
‘Wow! I love these anthuriums. They’re a lovely heart-shape and a perfect red colour – ideal for a wedding! Why don’t we buy a few to display around the pool?’ said Ella.
Millie glanced at the plants Ella was fingering. To her, the flowers had always looked a bit indecent with the protruding fleshy spike and she wasn’t sure they would be the best choice for a wedding – or maybe they were. She felt her lips twitch as she met Denise’s eyes and couldn’t prevent a giggle from erupting. Denise joined her with a deep raucous belly laugh.
‘Oh, my God! Get a grip you two!’ chastised Ella, shaking her head at their playground antics.
‘Perhaps we should go with these Barbados lilies instead?’ compromised Millie. ‘The pink ones are gorgeous and they smell amazing – and look, they’re called True Romance. It’s a sign!’
Ella had already moved on to the next table, nodding a friendly greeting to the stallholder.
‘I think this lemon mint will make a delicious addition to a lemon and lime sorbet, just in case anyone doesn’t fancy the dark chocolate torte or fruit salad.’
Despite the early hour, the market was bustling with people – locals and tourists alike. The aromas were intoxicating and Millie raised her nose to inhale the sharp exotic fragrances, closing her eyes to savour the sensation and to store the memory away in the crevices of her mind so she could take it out and relive the experience when she got back home.
From that morning onwards, the smell of nutmeg would forever be associated with her stay on St Lucia. Every time she grated it into one of her patisserie recipes, she would be transported back to the sun-filled days she had spent at the Paradise Cookery School and at the Botanical Gardens where she had seen it growing in its indigenous environment. Of course, those memories would be inextricably linked with Zach, because he had been by her side on that day trip, but she was okay about that. His presence at Claudia’s villa had enhanced her all-too-brief sojourn in the tropical paradise and she was grateful for his friendship even if it had ended so abruptly with the arrival of Chloe.
‘Okay, have we got everything we need?’ asked Denise, her plump arms laden with brown paper carrier bags crammed to bursting with fresh produce.
‘Is that a coconut? Since when did we have coconuts on our shopping list?’ laughed Ella, teasing her oldest friend.
‘I couldn’t resist it. Hey, Angus, would you give us a hand to carry our purchases to the car, please?’ Denise called to one of the store holders who was relaxing behind his display of intricately carved masks, his feet resting on a wooden crate, a cigarette protruding from his lips. He didn’t look overjoyed to be asked to leave the comfort of his deckchair.
After a brief struggle to squeeze shut the boot of Henri’s Fiat, Millie, Ella and Denise jumped in for the return journey to Soufrière. The temperature had climbed steadily whilst they had been sauntering around the market stalls and the little car was like an oven.
‘It’ll be okay once we get out of Castries and onto the open road,’ promised Henri. ‘Did you get everything on your lists?’
‘We did. Now all we have to do is peel, slice, chop, whip and cook up a storm!’ Ella erupted into one of her signature belly laughs. ‘My favourite pastime.’
‘Mine too,’ added Millie.
‘Well, I do love the cooking,’ smiled Denise, her brown eyes sparkling with pleasure at being a part of the culinary gang that day. ‘But the tasting part has to be in the top spot of the hit parade for me.’
‘Are you looking forward to your trip to Martinique tomorrow, Henri?’ asked Millie, keen to divert attention from the wedding for a few moments.
‘I am. I’ve waited months to speak to Jacques Barnier about what the authorities are doing to prevent young people from becoming involved in the drugs trade. I’m planning a full feature article for The Soufrière Tribune, but I’m also going to send the piece to a contact of mine on Le Monde which will hopefully mean that whatever promises Monsieur Barnier makes can’t be simply brushed under the carpet once we’ve published.’
‘I hope you get what you need, Henri. I’d like to read your article when it’s finished.’
‘Thanks, Millie.’
Millie saw from Henri’s tightened jawline how much the subject matter of his interview meant to him and whilst she would have loved his calm, level-headed presence at Imogen and Alex’s wedding, she knew what he was doing was much more important in the wider scheme of things.
Chapter Nineteen
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the villa and Millie’s heart ballooned with joy at the sight that met her eyes. The whole place looked magical, like a wedding-themed grotto set amongst the palms tress and lush tropical vegetation. If she was ever lucky enough to have a wedding day, she wanted exactly the same kind of backdrop for exchanging her vows. She smiled to herself, recognising that even the aspiration was a huge step forward in her recovery process from the heartbreak Luke had caused. Only a few weeks ago she would never have been able to contemplate a future wedding day, let alone one that caused her to smile so widely.
‘Doesn’t it all look fantastic!’ exclaimed Ella, clapping her hands with excitement. She leapt from the back seat of the Fiat and, along with Denise, shot across to greet Zach and Dylan with exuberant hugs, chattering about the produce they had purchased at the market.
Millie followed more slowly in their wake, her stomach churning with a kaleidoscope of errant butterflies when Zach’s gaze met hers over the shoulder of an extraordinarily handsome man who was holding a coil of black cable as though it were a venomous snake.
‘Hi, Millie, allow me to introduce Brad Maxwell, an old friend of Julia’s who’s very kindly agreed to help with the sound equipment. Brad, this is Millie Harper, culinary maestro at the Paradise Cookery School. You should taste her chocolate-and-chilli soufflés – they are delicious! Sadly, she refuses to share the recipe with anyone!’
‘Great to meet you, Brad,’ said Millie offering him her palm, but instead getting pulled into a tight embrace. Imogen had been right – at close quarters Brad did look like George Clooney’s older brother. She was surprised to feel her cheeks flush with heat so she turned her back on the
four men to survey the courtyard. ‘It’s all absolutely gorgeous! What do Imogen and Alex think?’
‘Actually, Julia thought it would be better to keep it as a surprise,’ explained Brad, his voice deep and gravelly with the hint of an American accent. ‘They’ve been dispatched to the Diamond Falls for the afternoon with Carla and Greg, and Harriet and Owen. But you’re right, the whole place looks as though it was made for wedding ceremonies – intimate, relaxed, romantic.’
When Brad smiled his eyes crinkled attractively at the corners and Millie understood why Julia had spent so much time in his company over the last week. Not only that but he smelled like a Parisian perfumery, and he endeared himself to her even more when he asked, ‘Need any help in the kitchen? We’re just about finished out here.’
‘Oh, that’s really kind of you, but I think we’ve got everything under control – or we will have once the hotel chefs arrive. Is there any sign of them yet?’
‘Yes, they arrived half an hour ago. They’ve made a start setting up the catering equipment they brought with them.’
‘Although I’m sure Millie will probably need to take you up on your offer tomorrow morning, Brad. You should see the state of the villa’s kitchen after a day with Messy Millie at the helm,’ interjected Zach, giving her a mischievous wink.
Millie considered issuing a witty retort but chose to ignore his comment. However, what she couldn’t ignore was the effect his proximity was having on her. She experienced an overwhelming urge to reach out and touch his muscular forearms, to trail her fingertips along the scattering of hairs that had been bleached gold by the Caribbean sunshine. She felt as if her breath had been trapped in her chest and that her light-headedness was due to the lack of oxygen, but of course it wasn’t. The man standing before her, eyes dancing with amusement, had flicked a switch in a part of her body she had scarcely known existed. And if she had thought Brad’s cologne was potent, it was nothing compared to the divine fragrance emanating from Zach and she almost swooned.