Page 28 of The Wedding Cake Wish
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Walking back to the others, I quickly phone Hudson.
When he picks up, I burst out, ‘Hudson, hi. Listen, I’ve gotsome really important news about Rachel, our missing best man’s mum.’
But it seems I’ve jumped the gun because it’s not Hudson onthe other end at all.
It’s a woman who answers his phone. And it’s a voice Ivaguely recognise. ‘Hello?’ she says. ‘Is that Rosie?’
‘Um...it’s Ruby, actually.’
Amelia? Myles’s girlfriend?
What’s she doing answering Hudson’s phone?
‘Ruby. What can we do for you?’ she asks pleasantly.
‘I...could I speak to Hudson, please?’
‘Well, he’s a bit busy at the moment, whipping up the mostgloriouslytemptingpasta dish. Oh, hang on. He wants me to open the wine.’There’s a crackle as she muffles the phone and calls, ‘Huddie? Phone for you.’
Huddie?
In the background, Hudson calls, ‘Can you tell them I’m busybut I’ll call back later?’
‘Okay.’ She’s back, murmuring, ‘He’ll call you later. ButI’m afraid it might be much,muchlater. After we’ve finished our...dessert.It’s a soufflé and you know how temperamental they can be!’
The breathy, suggestive way she said the word ‘dessert’makes me feel hollow inside. But I tell myself it’s probably my imaginationworking overtime. Amelia can’t have designs on her deceased boyfriend’sidentical twinbrother, can she? That would just be wrong on so manylevels...
‘Who is it?’ asks Hudson, sounding nearer.
‘Rosie?’
I grit my teeth.
‘You mean Ruby? Oh, I’ll speak to her now. Watch the pastain case it boils over, will you?’
I feel childishly triumphant at his eagerness to speak tome.Yah boo sucks, Amelia!
But as I relay to Hudson what Shirley revealed about theraid on the jewellery shop and Rachel being pushed under a car as a warningbefore the trial, I’m having to fight with myself not to ask what Amelia isdoing at his flat, and why they seem to be about to enjoy a cosy dinner fortwo.
One thing’s for sure. I definitely donotwant tohear what flavour soufflé Hudson has planned for...dessert.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
It’s Saturday, the morning after our picnic by theriver, and I’m over at the Little Duck Pond Café with Anita. We’re chatting toEllie in her office about lemon and lime drizzle cake.
We trialled the mouth-watering loaf cake with our onlinecustomers last month, and it’s been so popular it sells out almost as soon asit appears on our website list of bakery delights...so muchso that Anita thinks we ought to experiment with other variations on theclassic lemon drizzle theme, such as clementine and possibly passion fruit.
‘Is Ruby here?’
Madison’s voice drifts through from the café, and instantly,hearing my name, I’m feeling a little tense.
It’s not that I don’t like Madison. I do. She can be reallyfunny in a cutting, acutely observant way, and she’s fiercely loyal to the peopleshe cares about, and the only reason we got off on the wrong foot was becauseshe thought I was trying to sabotage Ellie’s business. Thankfully, thatterrible, stressful time has passed and I’m back working full-time in the bakery.But I still sometimes catch Madison looking at me suspiciously, as if she’sdecided to keep an eye on me for now – just to make sure I’m not tempted to doanything else to besmirch the good name of the café. I guess in twenty yearsshe might decide that I can be trusted!
She appears in the doorway, holding up a parcel. ‘Deliveryfor Ruby Watkiss.’
‘Oh. Thanks.’ I reach for it but she moves it teasingly outof my reach.
