Birds Of A Feather Episode 03
Paloma Brookes was tired. She hadn’t been sleeping well and felt more like it was her sixty-fourth birthday next month instead of her forty-fourth.
She’d hoped to close the Folly Farm tea rooms early today and her heart sank when the door opened.
She bit back a groan. Elsie Fraddon was wrapped up against the keen wind, her favourite lurid pink crocheted hat crammed low over her tight silver curls.
Even though Elsie hadn’t come in for tea, Paloma knew from past experience that the old lady could talk till the cows came home.
“Your cake tins are ready for you, Elsie,” she said, but Elsie ignored her.
Her attention was on the slender young woman with blonde hair who was wiping down the last of the tables.
“What are you doing here, Lisa Sharpham?” Elsie demanded.
Lisa’s cheeks burned.
“Just helping out, Mrs Fraddon,” she mumbled.
“I heard you were back,” Elsie said with a sniff. “Didn’t think you’d end up here, though.”
“Well, I’m thankful she did,” Paloma said. “I don’t know what I’d have done if she hadn’t stepped in to help out when Vanessa had to rush off.
“She didn’t say what the problem was, only that it was very urgent.”
Elsie snorted.
“Urgent as in she was in danger of actually having to do some real work for once in her life. I don’t know why Maggie puts up with her.”
“Vanessa’s her mother, that’s why.” Paloma stifled a sigh as Elsie pulled out a chair and settled down for a good gossip.
“You’d think now Maggie has a brand-new husband to fret over, she’d have given Vanessa her marching orders,” Elsie remarked.
“It’s no way to start married life, having the wife’s mother hanging around the place.”
Secretly, Paloma agreed with her, but wouldn’t dare say so. It would be all around the village that Paloma thought Maggie’s mother should have been given her marching orders.
“Is it a job you’re after then, Lisa?” Elsie went on. “The pub’s going to be turned into a housing development –”
“Not if I can help it,” Paloma said fiercely. “Have you signed my petition yet, Elsie?”
“No, but I will,” Elsie replied. “Not that it’ll do any good. Even without ex-councillor Hissing-Plucknose to push it through, there are enough corrupt officials in the planning department to pass it.”
“Ex-councillor?” Lisa stopped what she was doing. “Isn’t Geoffrey Heston-Plucknett a councillor any more?”
“Didn’t you know?” Elsie’s eyes gleamed. “He’s under investigation for his part in – how did they put it?”
“Planning irregularities,” Paloma supplied. “But the man’s innocent until proven guilty, you know.”
“Nonsense!” Elsie scoffed. “He jumped before he was pushed. Just like –” She broke off, her cheeks the same pink as her hat.
“Just like Edmund was, is what I think you were going to say,” Paloma said with quiet dignity.
Her brother Edmund, the previous vicar, had left the village in disgrace after it was discovered he’d been blackmailing several of his parishioners.
Keen to steer the conversation away, she turned back to Lisa.
“I’d appreciate it if you could help out tomorrow, Lisa. Unless you’ve plans.”
“I’d love to. I don’t suppose . . .” Lisa shook her head. “I shouldn’t ask.”
“You’re asking if there’s a permanent job going?” Paloma prompted. “That’s Maggie’s department. She’ll be back on Monday.”
Lisa’s face fell.
“There’s no way she’ll give me a job. Not after – you know.” Her voice trailed away as she concentrated on wiping the perfectly clean table.
“Not after you going off with her fiancé?” Elsie suggested.
“Elsie, that’s ancient history,” Paloma said gently. “As things turned out, Maggie got the better deal when Tom came along, didn’t she? I’ve never seen a couple more in love.”
Lisa straightened up.
“Actually, Mrs Fraddon, I didn’t know Steven was engaged to Maggie when I went to work for him.
“And that’s all I did. There was never anything going on between us.”
But Steven Taylor’s crimes went far deeper than making up stories. His wickedness cast a shadow over Little Billington, even though he was now in jail.
“I left because he frightened me,” Lisa went on. “I wasn’t surprised to hear he was the one who killed Jock.
“Steven was charming on the surface but he had a vicious temper.”
Paloma was sympathetic.
“Well, that’s in the past,” she said.
“It’s good you came back, Lisa. I’m sure your mum’s delighted.
“You can see how well things have turned out here and what a lovely place Maggie and Jess have made of the old farm, can’t you?”
Paloma glowed with pride when she thought how far Folly Farm had come in such a short time and how lucky she was to be part of it.
Trade in the farm shop and the tea room had built up steadily in the six months it had been open, and the first of the units for the craft centre was to be occupied next week, when Maggie and Tom were back from their honeymoon.
“If you’ll excuse me, Elsie, I need to close up here and milk the goats.”
“Can I help?” Lisa asked. “I’ve always loved goats.”
“Of course. I’ll be sure to tell Maggie what a great help you’ve been. She’s been saying that we should think about taking someone else on.
“Elsie, you’ll be pleased to hear your lemon drizzle cake outsold everything this morning.”
“Including your coffee and walnut?” Elsie asked, a twinkle in her sharp eyes.
“Including my coffee and walnut.” Paloma crossed her fingers behind her back.
It was only a white lie, after all, and if it made Elsie happy and kept her baking those wonderful cakes for them to sell, then it was worth it.
“I’ve had lots of people asking about chocolate and orange mousse cake. I can’t find a recipe for it. I don’t suppose . . .?”
“I don’t need a recipe.” Elsie sniffed and Paloma knew that chocolate and orange mousse cake would be tomorrow’s showstopper.
“Well, I can’t stay here gossiping,” Elsie declared. “Cakes don’t bake themselves.”
She paused at the door to adjust her hat.
“Are you still in Jane Marsh’s holiday cottage? I heard she’s expecting the first of the season’s visitors next week.”