Page 20 of The Sweetest Season
Ivy raised her chin.“I want to open a bakery.”
“Like Miss Holliday’s?”he asked.“Why should you not?This is an ideal apprenticeship.”
“I’m learning a lot,” she agreed.“But I don’t want to sell fancy sweets.I love them, but what I really want to do is bake and sellbread.Excellent, healthy bread that people will want every day, and can afford to eat every day.”
“You wish to give people their daily bread,” he summarized with a smile.“Straight from the scriptures, Miss Shepherd.”
Ivy laughed.“Well, my fatherisa preacher.”
“Do you think I can ask him about marrying you yet?”
“Let’s wait till the new year,” Ivy said quickly.“I know my parents will love you, but everything is so hectic now.They will be more open to discussing my future when they’re warm by the fire at home.But I hope that by this time next year we’ll be thinking about our wedding!”
“And your bakery,” he added.“Wherever we live, it must accommodate a kitchen you can bake in.”
“Excuse me while I float off into your kingdom of dreams!”Ivy said, laughing.“We must be practical about all this.”
“I am being practical,” he returned.“People without dreams never go anywhere.”
Bea stepped back at that point, unwilling to eavesdrop any more.She knew Ivy was very fond of Emmanuel, and naturally the girl would not be her assistant forever.But to lose her so soon!And to Noel’s secretary, of all people!
Ever since Noel Forrester came into her life, Bea couldn’t trust anything to stay the same.Noel wreaked havoc with her heart and her body, then waltzed off to visit an old flame the moment her food made him well enough to do so.And his assistant stole her own assistant within a matter of weeks, and now Bea would be forced to work and live alone again.
And people wondered why she was bitter.
On her own in the kitchen, she suddenly stifled a laugh as a wild notion occurred to her.That’s it, she thought.
She’d make his damned cake.She’d deliver it personally.And she’d watch when he found out exactly what he asked for.
When she finished on Saturday, she had a small three-layer lemon cake with a thick sunshine-yellow fondant all round.It was gorgeous to behold, and would taste absolutely horrible.
“He can just try to have his cake and eat it too,” she muttered, anticipating her vengeance.
Chapter 8
Beatrice dressed for the occasion.Not in her practical wear for the kitchen, but in one of her best gowns, a high-waisted dress of dark blue silk with little blue leaves embroidered at the edges.SomethingLadyBeatrice would wear.It would be the last time Noel Forrest ever saw her, so she might as well make the effort.She put her hair up in a loose knot, the curls barely contained.A wide blue satin ribbon made the style look more formal than it was.
As she rode toward Northwind, though, she contemplated the cake sitting on the opposite seat.Was she being foolish?Should she allow Noel to explain his absence?Then she pursed her lips.He had his chance to explain.If he didn’t like what he got, then he shouldn’t have requested it.
The carriage pulled up at the entrance to Northwind.Late afternoon sunlight touched everything with rosy light.But why was her carriage the only one there?
And why was Mr Forrest himself standing at the door to greet her?
He opened the door to the carriage and helped her out just as if she were a guest, not a tradesperson delivering a package.
“I’m glad you’ve come,” he said simply.
She stepped inside, but still saw no one else.“Where are your guests?”
“You are the only guest,” he said.
“You said it was an important occasion.”
“I said it was important, not big.”He smiled.“So you can see, I’m actuallyveryglad you came.”
She swallowed nervously, thinking of the cake.But a maid had already retrieved it from her and whisked it off to wherever.She hoped the staff wouldn’t try to sample it.That would be an unpleasant surprise.
“You look so lovely,” he said then.“I almost want to call off dinner so I can paint you just like this.But I won’t, because I’m ravenous, and because I can’t wait to taste what you made.”
