The Cosy Teashop in the Castle: The bestselling feel-good rom com of the year. Caroline Roberts

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СКАЧАТЬ check list of to dos was still running through her mind. She needed to plan her menu ASAP. She’d keep it simple for now – test the waters, see what sold, make homemade soups, jacket potatoes, paninis and sandwiches, a selection of her yummiest cakes, scones, yes, and maybe some cookies. Exactly when she was going to actually bake all these before Friday she wasn’t quite sure, but as her baking needed to be fresh she could envisage a very long day and night on Thursday.

      She scrubbed away, humming, taking a scourer to the particularly gungey bits. Her mind was back on the food order. What quantities would she need? Bloody hell, she didn’t have a clue. Twenty jacket potatoes, thirty, fifty? Paninis – twelve, thirty-six, seventy-two? She may as well put the numbers in a hat and do a lucky dip. She suddenly felt extremely naïve and unprepared, and had a little wobble on her ladder. Right, focus. She’d check how often the suppliers delivered – see if it was just the weekend she was catering for, and she could ring her friend Kirsty at the café. She’d surely have some idea.

      She could speak with Joe, but she didn’t warm to the latter idea, not wanting to appear inept before she even got started. She didn’t want him to regret his decision to back her.

      One wall scrubbed and finished, Ellie was on tiptoes by the window, trying to get a signal on her mobile phone.

      ‘Hi there, Kirsty.’

      ‘Ellie, is that you? Hi, how’s it all going out in the sticks? Are you up and running yet?’

      ‘Friday’s D-Day. Look, are you busy? I just need a bit of advice.’

      ‘No, I’m okay for a sec. My customers are all served. Fire away.’

      ‘It’s the ordering – likely numbers I’m catering for, what to buy in? I haven’t a flippin’ clue. I can’t believe I’m such a numpty.’ She could hear her mother’s warning tones, I told you so, running in her ears.

      ‘Ok-ay,’ even Kirsty sounded as though she wondered what the hell Ellie had taken on. ‘Right, well, look you’ve got to get an idea of numbers of customers to start. Decide on your menu, and then I can help with what to order. But yeah, numbers, bums on seats … Did you get any paperwork or accounts when you applied? Can you get figures now?’

      ‘Umn, well I have the accounts. The Easter figures looked pretty good, but how the hell do you convert pounds profit into how many bloody jacket potatoes and cakes sold?’

      ‘Hmn, right. Well, they must take a record of visitors to the castle, surely? If I were you, I’d ask if they have some idea how many people tend to call in at the tearooms. It’s worth a try, and should give you some indication at least.’

      ‘Yeah, I suppose so.’

      ‘And buy in stuff that won’t spoil too quickly or can freeze. You can even freeze some of the cakes if need be, as soon as you’ve baked them, so they’re nice and fresh. Take them out as you need.’

      ‘Okay, that sounds a good idea.’

      ‘Oh, hang on … Yes, sorry, a latte … and a cappuccino, no problems. If you just take a seat I’ll bring them over … Ellie, sorry, I’m going to have to go. Ring me back in a while, and try and get that info.’

      ‘Will do, thanks.’ Right, she needed to have a word with Joe, or maybe Deana. It looked like Deana took the admissions for the castle; her office was right on the main gate. Ellie was seeing Joe shortly anyhow, but how could she confess to not having a clue about the ordering? Oh well, she’d scrub the next kitchen wall, that’d be two out of the four done, and then make herself a cup of tea. She’d take five minutes time out to think carefully, and write down a list of everything she needed to ask Joe, to get herself organised. Ooh, and she’d have a look and see what kind of freezer and fridge storage they had. She’d noticed a couple of big chest freezers out in the corridor as well as the one in the kitchen; they must be to do with the tearooms.

      She went out to the hallway. Jeez! They hardly needed freezers out here, it was bitterly cold. She opened the lid of one of them. Jesus Christ! What the hell was that? She dropped the lid down in shock, pinching her finger in the seal. ‘Shit!’ Then raised it slowly again, just a few centimetres, peering in tentatively. Well, that certainly wasn’t loaves of bread or spare milk!

      Antlers – it was friggin’ antlers! Attached to fur and a head. Some poor deer, by the looks of it, its head sealed in a clear plastic bag. What the hell? It made her feel sick. Bambi’s bloody dad was stuck in her freezer. What was with this place and deer? Ice Age Bambi on steroids in the tearooms and now this. At least it wasn’t a human body, she mused. Well, that was certainly going on Joe’s list for the one o’clock meeting: freezer space, why the hell is there a beheaded deer in what I presume is one of the tearoom freezers, and please can it be removed to make way for my paninis and spare milk? Back to the task in hand. The disinfectant was beginning to smart her eyes by the end of the third wall. She was sure she’d reek of it. She was going to mop the lino floors with some bleach next, and then she’d have another cup of tea and add some more to that list.

      Deana popped her head around the door. ‘Hi, Ellie, how’s it all going?’

      ‘Not bad thanks. I’m on a major cleaning session.’ She clambered down off her ladder, happy to have a short break. Ellie mentioned the visitor records. It was a relief to find they did take that information, and Deana promised to get it ready for her in time for her meeting with Joe. One hurdle over at least. But she had a feeling there were going to be plenty more.

      ‘Have you got time for a quick cuppa?’ Ellie offered.

      ‘Only if you have, pet. Looks like you’ve got a lot on.’

      ‘Well, five minutes won’t hurt, and I was ready for a cup anyhow. I’m parched and my tongue tastes of disinfectant.’

      ‘Okay, then. Thank you.’

      Ellie popped the kettle on and set out a teapot for the brew.

      ‘Deana, do they have any strange habits here I should know about?’ She was still thinking about Bambi’s dad out in the corridor.

      ‘Oh, yes, for sure. Lord Henry’s often a little quirky, but are there any particular ones you’re interested in?’ Deana had a wry grin on her face.

      ‘The freezer, that’s all. There’s something unusual in there.’

      ‘Oh God! He’s not saving stuff for the bloody taxidermist again, is he? What’s he got in there this time?’

      Ellie wasn’t even sure what a taxidermist was – not someone who gave you a lift anyhow, but she had a feeling Deana knew exactly what was going on.

      ‘Animal?’

      ‘Yep.’

      ‘Which?’

      ‘Deer. A stag I think.’

      ‘Ah, it’ll be for stuffing and wall-mounting, not my kind of thing. But each to their own. It’s a country, hunting thing. But I’ve told him before not to use the bloody tearoom freezers. It probably didn’t fit in his own, that’s all.’

      Hunting trophies. Collecting animal heads. That was just weird. Country life was certainly odd!

      They had a quick cup of tea and a nice chat, СКАЧАТЬ