Page 43 of A Christmas Celebration
‘It’s all right,’ I said, to Archie. ‘You don’t need to play the host. Jack and I have already met.’
‘Have you?’ Archie asked, sounding surprised.
‘I jump started her engine,’ said Jack. ‘The Land Rover engine, I mean,’ he quickly corrected.
I couldn’t suppress a giggle which seemed to embarrass him further.
‘Sorry,’ I said. ‘It’s Molly’s sloe gin. It seems to bring out the worst in me.’
‘Or the best.’ Molly grinned.
‘Oh, yum,’ said Archie, spotting the ruby coloured gin. ‘Is that what we’re drinking?’
‘No, we’re not,’ said Molly, her smile vanishing as she firmly put the stopper back in the bottle. ‘It’s coffee for you, I think. I take it you had a good time at the Brambles tasting evening?’
‘I did.’ He nodded. ‘I tasted everything.’
‘Twice,’ Jack grinned.
‘It was kind of you to bring him home,’ Molly said.
‘It’s the least I could do, given that he’d gone overboard on my watch,’ Jack replied.
‘Come on, Archie,’ she said loudly, because he was starting to nod off. ‘You can help me in the kitchen.’
She pulled him to his feet and he staggered behind her out of the room. Suki got up, stretched and trotted after them, but Bran didn’t budge. He was pretending to be asleep again, but I knew he was shamming because of the way his bushy brows were twitching.
‘So, was it a public event at the distillery tonight?’ I asked Jack.
‘No,’ he said, with a smile. ‘It was just me and the lads. That is, Archie, Eli and Beamish. Have you met them?’
‘Not Eli and Beamish,’ I said.
‘Beamish is a mate from town and Eli lives further out but also helps his partner, Fliss, run a supper club in a barn on her family farm,’ he explained.
‘That sounds swish.’
‘It’s great,’ he said. ‘They host events showcasing seasonal and local produce. It’s not been going all that long, but it’s hugely popular. The tickets sell out in minutes.’
‘Do you supply the drinks to accompany the food?’
‘Sometimes.’ He nodded. ‘And I’m currently developing a new range which I wanted Fliss and Eli to try. Fliss couldn’t make it though, and neither could Beamish’s partner, Hattie, so it ended up being just me and the lads.’
I wondered if Eli and Beamish had sampled as much of Jack’s new range as Archie.
‘And what about Brodie?’ I asked, realizing that he hadn’t been included in the party.
‘He’s gone to London to meet up with some of his city mates,’ Jack carried on. ‘He told me he should be back in time for the weekend, though.’
‘Oh, yes,’ I said, thinking back over our previous conversation along with the casual arrangement we’d made to have a drink in the pub. ‘He did tell me he was going away.’
I was surprised about where he’d gone though. Brodie didn’t strike me as the type to have city friends, but then I supposed that was because I always associated London with suits. I daresay Brodie’s mates were part of an artier set. Perhaps I could ask him during our date slash non-date. Assuming it happened.
‘I hope you don’t mind me mentioning it,’ Jack then surprised me by saying, ‘but I get the feeling you rather like my brother. Am I right?’
‘What?’ I blushed. ‘Why on earth would you think that?’
‘Coffee!’ Archie then loudly announced, preceding Molly who was carrying the tray and before Jack could answer.
