Page 57 of Christmas Wishes at Pudding Hall
100g/3½oz butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus extra for greasing
Method
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6. Brush the madeleine tray with melted butter then dust with flour to coat, tapping out the excess.
Whisk together the eggs and the sugar in a bowl until frothy. Lightly whisk in the remaining ingredients. Leave to stand for 20 minutes before carefully pouring into the prepared madeleine tray.
Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the mixture has risen a little in the middle and is fully cooked through. Transfer the madeleines to a wire rack and leave for a few minutes to cool slightly. These are best eaten within an hour of cooking.
18
This time Marc was prepared for the cold with a warmer jacket, a wool cap and gloves, and even thermal underwear on under his clothes.
Still, the wind hit him like a slap when he opened the car door for Christa.
‘Thanks,’ she said, moving around to the back of the car as he opened the boot where they had stored the food containers.
Marc picked up the bags with Christa’s shepherd’s pie, inspired by Peggy, the extra madeleines she had made and some healthy chocolate muesli bar slices.
‘All set?’ he asked and Christa nodded, carrying some extra shopping bags of supplies that she had picked up at the supermarket on the way into town: sanitary items, shower items and packaged food that could be eaten without a stove or an oven.
Marc had paid for everything even though Christa had tried to go halves.
‘It’s the least I can do,’ he’d said, taking her purse from her hands and placing it back in her bag.
The van was setting up when they arrived and Zane met Marc with a firm shake of the hand, setting him to work serving stew and soup inside the van.
They worked for a few hours, occasionally chatting between waves of people coming to the van. Sometimes he saw her glance at him and he smiled at her and she seemed embarrassed to be looking but he knew he was doing the same. When she didn’t notice him, he could watch her talking so easily and kindly to everyone she met. Her laughter with some of the people was like a bell and when she rubbed people’s arms, in sympathy or empathy, he saw in her face her compassion was true.
He saw her hug an older man who kept patting her on the shoulder, and she took his arm in hers and guided him over to the van.
‘Marc, this is Petey, my friend who makes the fudge. Petey this is Marc, who owns Pudding Hall.’
Marc put out his hand to shake and then realised he had a disposable glove on.
‘Don’t worry about it, young fella,’ said Petey. ‘I have been poorly for a few days but started feeling better when Christa brought me soup and cake. She’s a keeper.’
‘She certainly does like to feed people up,’ he said. ‘I’ve put on two kilos since she started.’
Zane called out to Christa and she left Petey with Marc.
‘She’s the most generous girl, and really wants to help people,’ said Petey, smothering a cough.
‘She does,’ agreed Marc. ‘I only found out she was doing this last night.’
Marc served a man some stew while Petey stood to the side of the doorway of the van.
‘Did she show you the old pub I mentioned?’ Petey asked.
‘No, is she planning on going there or buying it?’ he joked.
‘It’s where she should run her dining hall. She has a whole thing planned in her head. I told her about the pub and how it might be the right place, but I don’t know if she’s seen it yet.’
Marc tried to remember if she had mentioned a pub to him when she’d been talking about her dream but he was sure she missed that part.
‘Where is the pub?’ he asked, handing out some soup with a smile to an older woman.
‘Down at the end of The Street, on the banks of the river.’ Petey pointed in the direction of the river. ‘Nowt been in it for a few years. Would be a fine place.’
