Page 80 of A Year at Appleyard Farm
‘There’s some literature in there as well, giving details of the available flavours, ingredients, as well as how they’re made. I’ve tasted so many cordials and eaten so much ice cream this week I’ll be the size of a house soon, but fortunately for my waistline, this is the final list, well for the time being anyway. We’ve settled on eight flavours of ice cream to start with and six different cordials, together with nine types of preserves and curds.’
It had taken Willow quite some time to decide which of her favourite recipes to concentrate on, but she knew that if they were to have any chance of success she had to keep things simple. The number of flavours was sensible, and as they were seasonal, it would give them the opportunity to concentrate on each, one at a time, until they were really up and running. They were a mixture of the traditional and the more exotic, a little risky potentially, but Willow wanted to provide not just the familiar, but the enticing too. Her lemon and rose geranium cordial might sound unusual, but she’d buy a bottle just for the colour alone.
‘These sound amazing.’ Freya grinned, looking at the stylish literature. ‘I can’t wait to try them.’
‘Well, some of the flavours I can get to you straight away, but the rosehips for example won’t be available until the autumn. You’ll just have to take my word for how gorgeous it is.’
‘The main thing is that I get an idea of what you’re going to produce. There will be plenty of time for us to experiment with our fruit juice blends later in the year. We won’t be harvesting for months yet, but that’s the beauty of it. It will give you time to start producing, and we’ll be busy juicing other people’s fruit until our own are ready to harvest.’
‘I’m going to see Merry later to take her some more literature too, so she can help promote Willowberries through the shop. I’d like her opinion on a few other things as well; she knows so much about merchandising.’
Freya sucked in a quick breath. ‘Did she tell you she’s got someone coming to see her fromCountry Living?How amazing is that?’
Willow stared at her. ‘What,theCountry Living? As in the magazine? How on earth did she manage that?’
‘Sheer fluke I think. A reporter did a piece on the shop for the local paper, talking about the artist who owned it before and how Merry has breathed new life into it by paying homage to him. Someone from the magazine spotted the article whilst they were staying with some relative or another for a wedding down here. I haven’t got the whole story. They only called yesterday, and Merry was a tad excited when she told me.’ She grinned at Willow. ‘I could hardly understand a word she was saying…’
‘I bet.’ She laughed. ‘What wonderful publicity for her, though, and such a stroke of luck.’
‘Merry seemed to think that Christopher himself might have had something to do with it.’ Freya winked. ‘I did point out that he’d been dead for a couple of years, but that didn’t seem to deter her.’
‘Maybe she’s found her guardian angel,’ replied Willow. ‘Stranger things have happened.’ She thought back to the bleak time in Freya’s life just after her father died and the transformation that had been brought about by her dark, curly-haired stranger.
Freya nodded, clearly understanding her meaning. ‘Stranger things indeed,’ she said. ‘So who’s your guardian angel then, Willow?’
A worried frown crossed Willow’s face. ‘I’d like to say maybe my grandma Gilly, but I’m not sure there’s anyone watching over me right now,’ she said seriously. ‘I’m running out of time, so if they’re out there, it would be nice if they could make their presence felt a bit sharpish.’
‘Are you still having those dreams?’ asked Freya, a concerned note to her voice.
Willow nodded. ‘More and more. Always the same. And Jude is definitely up to something, he’s like the proverbial cat on a hot tin roof, and he’s working harder than ever. I’ve barely seen him.’
‘Maybe you should talk to him, Willow. Then at least you’d know where you are, and what you’re up against.’
Willow shook her head violently this time. ‘No. Not until I’m certain. Not until I’m ready with all of this. I have to prove to him that this could work for us.’
Willow closed her eyes momentarily. She was getting scared now. The dreams were getting stronger and stronger, still most often at night, but now during the day as well, with an intensity that made her feel quite sick. She had been washing up a couple of nights ago when Jude had come into the kitchen and slid his arms around her waist. The sudden shock of the images which had forced their way into her mind had nearly taken her legs from under her, and had Jude not been there to catch her, she would have fallen. It had taken all her powers of persuasion to convince him not to call a doctor, so how could she confide in him now? He’d think her ill, or worse, mad, and she would never be able to convince him that her fledgling business was worth pursuing.
She gave Freya a bright smile, knowing that she disproved of her silence as far as Jude was concerned. ‘I’ll have a chat to him soon; I’d like to get a few more things underway first, that’s all, and then I’ll hit him with my amazing ideas and business prowess. He won’t be able to believe it.’
The look on Freya’s face was far from convinced, but she returned Willow’s smile anyway.
‘Give my love to Merry, won’t you,’ she said, changing the subject. ‘I can’t wait to hear all the gossip about the magazine.’
‘Merry will be going nuts, making sure every little detail is perfect, but she’s been such a star helping me out, she deserves to have a massive success on her hands.’
‘So do we all,’ remarked Freya. ‘Don’t you think? It’s been quite a year one way or another, and it’s not over yet, not by a long chalk.’
42
‘These are literally walking out of the door,’ said Merry, standing back proudly to admire her display. ‘I’d say a good part of the village is having strawberries with their tea tonight, and I can’t say I blame them. Don’t they look gorgeous…and the smell…’ She breathed in deeply.
Willow fanned her face. It was warm in the shop now that the afternoon sun was streaming through the door, but Merry was right, it brought out the smell of the ripe fruit beautifully.
‘I’ve been telling everybody who comes in that we’re going to be selling more of your produce soon, and so far, the reaction has been very positive. I think it might be the weather, but people’s eyes light up when I mention ice cream or your cordials. You’re definitely onto a winner there.’
She motioned for Willow to follow her through into the back room.
‘I thought I could put the freezer here, and by moving this stand around, I can fit in some shelving next to it where I can display your full range in time. What do you think?’ she asked. ‘Of course they’ll marry beautifully with Freya and Sam’s juices come the autumn.’
