A Recipe for Love

Chapter One

Even inside the terminal building, the air at Edinburgh airport had an evening chill that reminded Bella they weren’t in Spain any more. She didn’t care. Her heart was warm and her hand was wrapped tightly in Adam’s. The flight had passed in a haze of plans for their future. He was working as a garden designer, running his own business with a friend from college, and he had a flat just south of the city, which would be easily commutable to a whole host of restaurants where Bella could set about looking for work. Or start something brand new in this new place. She could write recipe books, or get a food van. Maybe she’d look for a job in an upmarket cafe – something daytime, and a bit more nine to five than a full-on restaurant kitchen.

‘I think we should get married soon.’ There wasn’t a single reason to delay. And why stand still and wait when you could forever keep moving forward?

They were waiting for Adam’s luggage to arrive on the carousel. Bella only had her carry-on rucksack, but even for a four-day stag trip, she’d discovered, her new fiancé wasn’t fond of travelling light. ‘You can get married super fast in Scotland, can’t you? Like at Gretna Green?’

‘I think you still have to give notice.’

‘Well that’s fine. Let’s do that today. Then we can get married as soon as we’re allowed.’

He pulled her towards him. ‘You don’t want a big reception and a massive dress?’

She shook her head. ‘I want to be married to you.’

‘OK.’

‘OK?’

He nodded. ‘OK. Well, it’s ten o’clock at night, and so I think the office will be closed, and honestly I don’t even know where we’d have to go or whether you can do it all online. But tomorrow. Tomorrow we will find out what we have to do and do it.’ He kissed the top of her head. ‘And you’re sure? I mean you don’t know anything about me.’

Bella refused to entertain the idea that she might have doubts. ‘Aren’t you sure?’

‘I’m sure. I just… I don’t want you to feel like I pressured you.’

Bella leaned back slightly to look him in the eye. ‘I’m sure. I want to be Mrs Adam Lowbridge. Well, I’ll be Ms Bella Smith, but you know what I mean?’

He laughed. ‘About that…’

A frankly massive black shiny suitcase caught Bella’s eye on the carousel. She grabbed the bag and hauled it towards them. ‘It’s just this one isn’t it?’

He gestured at the matching wheeled carry-on case. ‘Well, these two.’

She pulled her rucksack onto her shoulder and took the handle of the smaller case so he’d have a hand free to hold hers as they walked through to arrivals and their brand new life together. ‘Is there a bus to your place?’

‘Yeah. Cab’s easier though.’

Bella had no idea how much half a taxi would be. She did know that she had less than three hundred euros in her bank account, which was what? A couple of hundred quid at most, and whatever Adam said about having enough to cover the flat and the bills, Bella was going to pay her way. Straight after they’d sorted out the wedding date, she would be out looking for something to bring some money in.

Arrivals at an airport never gave Bella those warm and fuzzy Love Actually feelings. The mass of people around her greeting and hugging were just obstacles she had to get around to find the bus stop or the cheapest, which usually meant dodgiest, taxi option. Not today though. Today she wasn’t travelling solo for the first time in a lot of years.

‘Oh! Flinty.’ Adam stopped suddenly and leaned over the barrier to envelop a woman in a hug. Bella stepped back. She didn’t know what this was, but it didn’t seem like she was part of it. A sign hung from the stranger’s hand: Lowbridge . ‘What are you doing here?’

The stranger pulled back. She was an older woman, at least seventy, Bella guessed. Not Adam’s mum, because he’d greeted her by name. Too old to be an ex or a sibling.

‘Sorry. Bella, this is Flinty. Flinty, this is Bella, my—’

‘Sorry Adam. I’ve got some bad news. Your grandmother asked me to come. Goodness knows how she knew what flight you were on.’

He shrugged. ‘Grandmother has her ways.’

The woman smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. ‘Come around. We should sit down.’

Adam froze. ‘What’s happened?’

‘Oh darling, I’m so sorry. Your father died this morning.’