Summer at Rachel's Pudding Pantry Read online

  ‘Right, well I do believe that this calls for a fresh bottle of prosecco to be opened. We can toast the wedding dress,’ pronounced Jill.

  ‘Hear, hear!’ Eve gave a happy and relieved wink.

  They wandered through to the living area. Rachel gave a little twirl, and then stood by the hearth in the middle of the lodge, staring down at her dress as if she was in a dream. She didn’t quite want to take it off yet.

  Jill popped the cork and Eve was soon passing her a glass of bubbly. ‘Cheers, hun, you look absolutely stunning in it. Tom is going to be one lucky fella … but then, we knew that anyhow, with or without the dress.’

  ‘Oh, your dad would be so proud if he could see you now, love.’

  For a second or two Rachel stalled. ‘Oh Mum … how are we going to get through a whole wedding day without Dad there?’ Rachel bit down on her lip to stop it quivering. ‘And, who on earth is going to walk me down the aisle?’

  Jill had to swallow a tight lump in her throat before she could manage to answer. ‘We’ll be there for you, love, and all your friends. There are so many people to support you.’

  ‘Ah, but it won’t quite be the same though, will it? And, you can’t all walk me down the aisle, can you?’ Rachel tried her best to raise a small smile, picturing all her friends and family crammed in by the pews. Aw, this wedding was lovely to be planning, but boy did it keep throwing up new curveballs. Grief and loss didn’t just disappear at the happier times, you somehow had to find a way for them to be a part of it.

  ‘We’ll always be there for you, Rach. And, on the day, I’ll be right behind you, literally,’ added Eve, who was so glad to be maid of honour.

  ‘Okay, okay … now stop it you two, or you’ll have me blubbing, and we don’t want this dress messed up with tears and getting all soggy now.’ She took a slow breath, before adding, ‘Cheers.’ Rachel raised her glass with a gentle smile to toast her fabulous friend and her very special mum. ‘Thank you. Thank you, both.’

  ‘Here come the gi-irls!’ Hannah burst in through the front doors of the lodge, followed closely by Kirsty, sporting a huge grin and waggling a bottle of champagne at them. ‘Let’s get this party started, ladies.’

  The dress was back in its clothes carrier and was now safely stored in Rachel and Eve’s bedroom wardrobe, hidden from sight.

  ‘Come in, come on in,’ Rachel said, leaping up with a broad smile to greet her friends. ‘Welcome to our humble abode.’

  ‘And not so bloody humble,’ commented Kirsty, looking around her.

  ‘Oh my, this place is amazing!’ Hannah took in the cosy yet spacious log-beamed living room. ‘And what is that delicious smell, hey?’

  ‘Homemade lasagne, care of Eve here,’ answered Jill.

  Eve took a little bow. ‘It’s warming in the oven, nearly ready.’

  ‘Fantastic. Wow, what a gorgeous place … and we get three whole child-free days to enjoy it. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for so long.’

  ‘Me too,’ added Hannah. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I love our little Rosie to bits, but eighteen months down the line of motherhood, you start forgetting what it’s like to be you.’

  ‘And then there’s the husband who needs looking after too,’ chipped in Kirsty. ‘“Where’s my work socks/last pair of boxers/my favourite white shirt with the grey stripe?”, that kind of stuff. And … my all-time favourite question: “What’s for tea?” As though it’s my sole domain to be chef as well as housework fairy and baby minder.’

  ‘Hah, don’t mind Kirsty. She’s just getting it off her chest. I think it was a bit tense on the home front when she was trying to get everything packed and ready to go,’ explained Hannah.

  ‘Well, he’ll know what it’s like while I’m away …’ Kirsty continued her little rant. ‘Callum’s into everything just now. You never stop.’

  ‘Well then, absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that,’ added Jill. ‘I’m sure he’ll appreciate you all the more when you get back.’

  ‘Oops, sorry hun,’ Kirsty suddenly stopped. ‘Shouldn’t be moaning on about the other half when it’s your hen do, chick. You’ll be entering the zone of married bliss very soon, honey. Don’t want to put you off or anything … Ah, don’t worry, I do love him really, but bloody hell he can get on my nerves at times.’

  ‘Well, in all honesty, I can’t wait to get married,’ Rachel said proudly.

  ‘No wonder, with your gorgeous Tom all lined up.’ Eve grinned.

  ‘Hey, a couple of years down the line and he’ll be just like the rest of ’em.’ Kirsty winked and then broke into a smile. ‘Wouldn’t be without ’em, mind.’

  They all laughed.

  ‘Right then, I think it’s time I poured you two out some bubbly. Sounds like you need it!’ Rachel grabbed the open bottle from the side. ‘And no more worrying about what’s going on back home. It’s time to enjoy the here and now.’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘And … what happens at the lodge, stays at the lodge,’ Eve said with a wink, raising her glass.

  A few minutes later, with the room alive with chatter, Rachel’s mobile phone buzzed.

  ‘Hey, Tom.’ She took a few steps towards the French doors and went out to the deck area.

  ‘Hi, you got there okay … good journey?’ Her lovely fiancé’s voice was warm.

  ‘Yeah, great thanks, and we managed to find it all right, despite it being out in the sticks.’

  ‘That’s good.’

  Rachel took in the stunning lake view, with the early evening sun glinting gold on the blue-grey of the water. ‘It’s beautiful here. You’d love it … hey, maybe we can do something like this sometime. Just the two of us.’ How wonderful would that be. Romantic walks by the lake, the pair of them snuggled up back at the lodge, the Jacuzzi to themselves …

  ‘Count me in, it sounds heaven.’

  ‘So … how’s the farm faring without me and Mum?’

  ‘Everything’s fine. I’ve just checked on the sheep and cattle – no issues there, so I thought I’d call to let you know so you can relax.’ Tom knew all about farming life; he had one of his own right next door to Primrose Farm, after all. Rachel had known him pretty much her entire life, looking up to the boy-next-door who was ten years older, whizzing around on his quad bike and building dens out of hay bales. She had probably been a bit of a nuisance, she mused, trailing round after him as a kid. And now look at them – engaged. Somehow, a steady friendship had wonderfully morphed into love over the past year. A beautiful, whirlwind journey. Rachel still had to pinch herself at times.

  ‘Aw, thank you.’ It was great of him to help out; he had enough to do on his own patch. But it was a big relief to know her farm was in safe hands.

  ‘Anyhow, it was just a quick check-in to see that you got there fine. Now go and have fun with your girlfriends. Have a brilliant time, all of you.’

  ‘Thank you, we will. And oh, you won’t believe …’ She had almost spilled the beans about the dress – she was so excited about it and overwhelmed with gratitude that Eve had made it for her – but she stopped herself in time. ‘No, it’s okay,’ she told him instead. ‘Just something special the girls have planned for me, but I’ll keep it as a surprise for our big day.’

  ‘Hmm, sounds intriguing. Can’t wait.’

  ‘Me neither.’

  Their wedding was booked at Kirkton Church for Saturday 4 July, with a big party planned back at the farm afterwards. Less than two months away.

  ‘Missing you.’ Rachel felt a pang at being away from him.

  ‘You too. Love you, Rach.’

  ‘Come on, you two lovebirds, get off the phone,’ interrupted Hannah from the door. ‘Supper’s ready and we’re starving.’

  ‘Okay, okay,’ Rachel had to smile at her friend’s mock impatience. ‘Gotta go, Tom. Oh, and Tom … I love you too.’

  Kirsty gave a wolf-whistle through the open doorway and Eve popped her head out, giving a big thumbs-up. After the tough few year
s their close friend had gone through, all this hen-do tribe wanted was to see Rachel smiling and happy and looking forward to her big day.

  ‘Oh my, I can hardly move I’m so full.’ Eve was sitting back in her chair, rubbing her tummy. The group was still gathered around the dinner table.

  ‘Well, you shouldn’t have had seconds of that tiramisu,’ Rachel grinned.

  ‘But it was just so delicious. I can’t believe that’s the first time you’ve ever made it, Jill.’

  ‘Ooh, you must give us the recipe,’ added Hannah. ‘My lot would adore it.’

  ‘I think we’d better add that one to the Baking Bible, Mum. A new Italian twist to our good old favourites.’ The Baking Bible was the handwritten book of family recipes, started by Grandma Alice, Jill’s own grandmother. It had been gradually added to by friends and family over the generations, with new cakes and puddings still finding their way into that hall of baking fame. It had pride of place on the kitchen shelf at Primrose Farm.

  ‘Hmm, I think I might just do that when I get back,’ replied Jill with a beam, delighted with its success.

  After a quick clear-up of the dishes, Rachel and Eve made a WhatsApp video call to Ben to speak with the girls before their bedtime. Maisy was chattering on, excited to be staying over with Amelia, saying she had loved her cheese and tomato pizza and strawberries with ice cream. They were now watching a movie; Rachel could see them all snuggled together on the sofa.

  ‘Have a lovely time, Mummy. Miss you.’ Her little girl’s voice and smile were cheerful, reassuring Rachel that all was well.

  ‘Miss you too, sweetheart, and you have a wonderful time too. And make sure you’re being good for Amelia’s daddy.’

  ‘Of course, we are …’ She saw Maisy cross her arms and toss her blonde curls indignantly. ‘Right, we need to watch the film now, Mummy.’ Hmm, sometimes that girl was six going on sixteen.

  ‘Okay … Love you, petal.’

  ‘Love you, Mummy. Oh, say hello to Grandma too.’

  ‘Don’t you just love ’em,’ said Eve with a small sigh, adding, ‘Mind you, it is nice to be away from all the demands just for a day or two.’

  A very relaxed evening ensued, with the ladies sitting out on the deck, chatting away in the fading evening sunshine. Everyone was enjoying the gorgeous lakeside view, with a glass of Kirsty’s bubbly to hand, cardis and fleeces on to keep the slight Scottish chill at bay.

  It had been the perfect start to the hen weekend, Rachel mused, as she tipped herself into the double bed later on, her fabulous friends all there with her, the man of her dreams back home … and the dress of her dreams hanging in the cupboard just metres away. She let out a happy sigh, and whispered a ‘Thanks for everything, Eve’ in the dark, before sleep swiftly caught up with her.

  4

  ‘I thought we were meant to be chilling out with cocktails to hand …’ A slightly frazzled-looking Hannah, hard hat firmly planted on her head, was squeaking down to her fellow hens from the top of the rock face. The climbing harness was wedged up her bum and she was clinging on to the rope for dear life.

  ‘No worries, there’ll be plenty of time for that later,’ called Eve from below, who’d already managed the descent and was loving the excitement of the adrenalin-buzzing activity.

  Jill gave it a go next, pulling a wry smile and a courageous, ‘Here goes’, as she stepped out over the ledge, managing a fifteen-metre drop under the guidance of the abseiling instructor.

  Then it was Rachel’s turn. The male instructor rigged her up, with a very snug harness, showed her how to hold the rope and work the belay plate to make her way down safely. Now all she needed to do was to step off what was basically a rocky cliff edge. She took a deep breath. Life had presented her with enough metaphorical cliffhangers lately, without her choosing to tackle a literal one, but hey ho, she couldn’t wriggle out of this challenge … ‘Woo-hoo!’ she called out as she felt herself dangle precariously, whilst she was actually thinking, Shite, oooh, shite. But step-by-wide-angled-step, and inch-by-inch, she made her way down, with a quick, heart-stopping downwards lurch when she let through too much rope, then into a calmer final descent. As Rachel reached the bottom, a big cheer went up from the girls, and with her heart still thumping she realised she had actually enjoyed it.

  Once they’d all had a turn, they tried the same descent again. Rachel got the hang of it, one foot at a time, and once she’d mastered controlling the belay and prusik rope, she decided it was brilliant fun, and went back for another challenge on a slightly higher face, along with daredevil Kirsty. The others in the group were happy to watch from solid ground and cheer them on at this point.

  All this activity was followed by a much-needed chill-out back at base in the lodge’s Jacuzzi. Limbs were aching and muscles they hadn’t used in years sore, but they all felt proud of themselves for having given it a go and getting themselves down successfully.

  ‘Was a bit worried I wouldn’t make it down that ravine. I felt my stomach churn as I took my first step over the side, I must say,’ admitted Jill.

  ‘But you still did it – well done you, Mum.’

  ‘Face the fear and do it anyway! That’s the way.’ Hannah grinned.

  ‘Well, I suppose it was better than a bungee jump or something. Thank heavens you hadn’t organised that for us, Eve. Hah, at least this was one foot at a time. At one point I was so worried I’d let too much rope slip through. But once you got the hang of it …’ Rachel was beaming.

  ‘It wasn’t half as bad as I’d feared,’ added Hannah.

  ‘It never is …’ smiled Kirsty.

  ‘Especially when you’ve got a safety harness on and your friends by your side,’ chuckled Eve.

  And that’s exactly how it had felt this past couple of years, mused Rachel, looking across at her group of fabulous friends and her brave mum. It had been friends and family providing the safety net just when she needed it. ‘You all did great,’ Eve added, so pleased her idea had gone down well with everyone. She knew that Rachel wouldn’t have wanted to prance about in a bride-to-be sash and sit drinking all weekend. But well, maybe just for a few hours …

  ‘Well, I bloody loved it,’ enthused Kirsty. ‘I might even look for more classes back home. Can’t wait to tell Josh and little Callum all about what Mummy’s been up to. Beats changing nappies and mashing up baby food, any day.’

  It was time to get themselves out of the warm bubbles and put their glad rags on, ready for their evening out in Oban. Well, there needed to be at least part of the hen weekend spent sitting in a lurid pink sash with a drink to hand!

  First, they had to head to the train station to collect Charlotte, who was hopping with excitement on the platform, with her overnight bag and a relieved grin. ‘Thank heavens, I’ve made it. I’ve been thinking of you lot all here these past twenty-four hours. And those photos on Facebook of the lodge, a-maz-ing! But, I’m here now and I’m so ready for this.’

  Rachel took her friend’s bag from her and pulled her in for a hug. ‘I’m so glad you’re here, and thank you for taking on the train trek today. Now I’ve got all my besties here together, as well as my wonderful mum, of course. I’m so happy.’

  There were hugs and hellos all round, and the group started strolling along the platform for the exit.

  ‘Right then, off to the first pub,’ announced Kirsty. ‘I do believe Charlotte here has a bit of catching up to do.’

  ‘I spotted one just along the road as we passed that looked all right,’ said Rachel. ‘It’s not far from the harbour. Shall we walk from here and give it a try?’

  ‘Sounds good to me,’ replied Charlotte, with the others all in agreement.

  A round of gin and tonics and a juice for Jill, who’d offered to drive them back, went down rather well in the old-fashioned, black-beamed Scottish pub, accompanied by lots of chatter and laughter. It was soon time to head on to the bistro, which they discovered in a cute spot on the seafront. The owner had reserved them the large fr
ont table with a great harbour view.

  A supper of local scallops, chilli prawns, steak burgers and freshly made fish and chips followed. The desserts were a triumph – it had to be done, of course – with raspberry cranachan coming out the firm favourite, followed closely by a velvety chocolate mousse made with whisky and orange.

  Proseccos were poured, and the chatter continued, as they finished their gorgeous meal. After thanking the staff and owners, and leaving a generous tip, they headed out into the cooling evening air. It had been a real treat, one which admittedly Rachel and Jill couldn’t afford to do often, but this was a special weekend, after all.

  ‘Okay ladies, one last pub stop, and then we’ll head back to the lodge, yes?’ suggested Kirsty.

  ‘Are you okay with that, Mum?’ Rachel checked, aware that Jill was driving.

  ‘Of course, love. It’s great seeing you all enjoying yourselves.’

  And so it was that they ended up in The Lobster Pot, further along the seafront. They all crammed around a small table in a corner near the bustling bar, large glasses of wine in hand, and Eve dug something out of her handbag – six sparkly pink sashes that read, ‘Team Bride’, and one that said ‘Bride-to-Be’, along with a twinkly plastic tiara. And, as a grand finale, a pair of silver deely boppers.

  Rachel looked aghast. ‘You’re kidding … I said no fuss, and absolutely no deely boppers!’

  ‘Argh, come on Rach, you only get married once … well, hopefully,’ Kirsty gave a cheeky grin.

  ‘Let’s do this thing; look, we’re all in it together.’ Eve started passing around the sashes and Jill, who was totally sober, bless her, put hers straight on.

  ‘It is your hen do, after all,’ Charlotte cajoled.

  ‘Ah, okay, this pub only, all right. And I’m only doing it to please you lot …’

  Of course, nearing the bottom of her glass and realising she needed the bathroom, Rachel had totally forgotten she was wearing her sash, tiara and deely boppers as she tootled off to the toilet. She wondered why she was getting several stares and a wolf-whistle as she passed the blokes at the bar. On the way back, an old guy started singing, ‘I’m getting married in the morning’, at which there was a flash of a camera from Kirsty – oh damn, there’d be photographic evidence – and the hen do party collapsed into fits of giggles.