Chapter 30
Cath had enough on her mind with the Tilldale Afternoon Tea event rolling in, and oh my, now only four days away.
Focusing on that would at least give her time to let the dust settle on their harsh words.
Her heart felt bashed and bruised. But perhaps she and Will did need a little space, just to breathe, and to get perspective back on everything once more.
She knew Sophie was there with Will should he need anything care-wise, and he was managing well getting about within his own home at least. A couple of brief text messages asking how he was – one a day, she rationed herself – were like a little rope between them.
It seemed churlish to cut off totally. Yet his responses were short and to the point.
Feeling torn up inside, she hoped to goodness he wasn’t trying to sever that tie.
Cath told herself to treat it as a cooling-off period, praying all the while it wasn’t to end up as a cutting-off period.
Don’t go there, she told herself, keep charging full steam ahead with the event planning.
That, and only that, needed to be her focus right now.
She wasn’t sure how she’d get through it all otherwise.
*
With only one day left to go, Cath headed off with Andreas for a supermarket sweep in Alnwick; filling the large trolley with multiple bags of flour, butter, eggs, sliced loaves in both white and wholemeal, cucumber and smoked salmon for the sandwiches, raspberries, blueberries, cooking chocolate, tea bags, coffee, and literally litres of milk, and much more from her very long list. Coming back to the village hall to unload the many items onto the pantry shelves and into the fridges there, as well as using their own personal ones as overflow, all up to the gills.
In the hall’s kitchen, it was like a game of fridge Jenga; dare to shift one item and the whole lot might come down.
She’d have to warn the rest of the team.
The afternoon brought a visit to the butchers in Kirkton for delicious thin-cut local ham, another finger-sandwich filler, this time, taking the trip along with Lily.
Followed by a visit – including an essential and reviving cuppa-and-cheesecake stop for them – to the marvellous Rachel’s Pudding Pantry in the hills beyond the town, to collect their order of twelve pots of homemade strawberry jam and lashings of local cream from the farm shop and tea rooms.
‘Oh, is this for the Tilldale Afternoon Tea, tomorrow? Best of luck with the event, ladies.’ Rachel, the owner, whose family also ran the farm, caught up with them at the counter.
‘Watch out, you’ve got my Granny Ruth coming along this time.
She put her name down for a ticket, when she was at the home for a spell of respite care.
She’s back in her cottage now, but is coming along on the minibus with the others.
Look out for her – she’s short, with a slight Scottish twang and a bit of a character.
She keeps saying how much she’s looking forward to it. ’
‘Ah, that’s wonderful,’ said Cath. And Ruth, yes, she had been chatting with a new lady at the home by that name a little while back.
A rather feisty and interesting lady, she remembered her talking about the family farm, and all sorts of puddings that they made there.
‘Actually, I think we may have already met,’ added Cath.
‘I visit there most weeks, and yes, I remember her. A lovely lady. I’ll look forward to seeing her again. ’
‘Sweet,’ added Lily. ‘We’ll be sure to seek her out. My Grandma Liz is going along, too. I’ll introduce them. And we may well get everyone up dancing, if they’re up for it.’
‘Oh, I’m sure Granny will be.’ Rachel smiled, amusement shining through her warm green eyes. ‘It’s sounding wonderful already.’
Cath hoped so much that it would be, feeling the weight of expectation on her already loaded shoulders. She had her purse to hand, with some of the event funds at the ready.
‘Oh, no need for that, the jam and cream will be on the house, of course. Oh, and why not take a couple of jars of Granny Ruth’s chutney. It’s her latest recipe made with spiced plums and apples.’
‘Are you sure?’ Cath felt a bit cheeky accepting all that.
‘I’m certain. I really don’t know how you’re managing to put it on all for free, like Granny said, but thank you. It’s such a lovely event to organise for everyone. Ruth will so enjoy her afternoon with you. It’s the least we can do.’
‘Well, in that case, thank you. That’s very much appreciated. But I will settle up for our delicious cheesecake and tea.’ That was so generous of Rachel, thought Cath. And she was more than happy to pay for their personal treats.
The pair left with a spring in their step, despite hefting the huge cardboard box filled with preserves and cream.
Simple acts of kindness, spreading sunshine along the way.
*
With no time to lose, that evening, Cath, Andreas and Dan were back at the village hall getting a head start with the prep for the big bash tomorrow.
The tea plates, cutlery, and cups and saucers they’d discovered in the kitchen’s storeroom prior to the Christmas lunch – originally from Women’s Institute in the village – had come in mightily handy.
They’d left them all neatly stacked back then.
Hopefully, they’d helped at other functions and group activities since.
Cath decided to freshen them all up by running them through the dishwasher.
It would be great to have everything sparkling clean for their tea.
They also rinsed the tea and coffee pots thoroughly, and placed them in position by the hot water urns, ready to fill and brew.
Cath had even found a reel of old Jubilee-style bunting in red, white and blue flags, tucked away in a cardboard box at the back of the storage area. ‘What do you think, lads? Shall we put this up?’
‘Oh yes, it’ll give it a celebratory feel,’ said Andreas.
‘Go for it!’ added Dan.
And opportunely enough, Nikki and husband Kev called by a few minutes later, to see how they were getting on, offering to help with anything.
‘As it happens …’ Cath grinned hopefully as she gestured towards the colourful flag-filled box.
‘A-ha,’ responded Kev. ‘Go on, then. Where do you want it putting, and where are the ladders?’
Nikki found the tall stepladders for him, tucked away in the boiler room, and then she began orchestrating the fixing of the bunting across the top-front of the stage and along a further two sides of the hall’s walls.
Being an electrician for many years, Kev’d got used to heights and was unfazed.
After he’d finished the job, Nikki let the others know, and Cath peeked in to the hall.
Fixed in gentle loops, the bunting gave a gorgeously colourful summer fete feel to the hall.
‘Aw, that’s so pretty. Love it!’ She gave a thumbs up to Kev. ‘Oh, and while you guys are here, shall we get the trestle tables out and set them up? Leaving room, of course, for the all-important dance floor area below the stage.’
The more they did now, Cath figured, the less stress for tomorrow. There’d be more than enough to do with all the food preparation in the morning; a zillion scones to freshly bake for starters.
After having dried and re-stacked all the crockery, plus setting out the tiered afternoon-tea stands that Nikki had collected earlier, ‘Why do we do this to ourselves?’ Dan asked, stifling a yawn.
‘Ah, we love it really. And we want to make it special for everyone. That’s why we put in so much effort. Think of all those happy faces tomorrow,’ came his partner’s response.
‘Yeah, I can’t wait to see them all when these stands come out, filled with delicious treats. I want it to feel like the Tilldale Ritz,’ added Cath.
‘No pressure here, then,’ replied Andreas with a chuckle.
A sense of anxious expectation thrummed through Cath.
And ten minutes later, after thanking the lads, Nikki and Kev, they made their farewells.
Being the last to go, she switched off the hall’s lights one by one, closed the heavy oak main door behind her, then turned the lock with the old metal key.
It was all going to be fine, she told herself, keeping her thoughts positive.
She was in fact heading home to weigh out all the ingredients ready for the morning’s scone-making session. There was no resting on her laurels this evening. At least that was the final job on her to-do list for today. Tick.
She just wished she had a tick list for her relationship with Will.
A swirl of anxiety hit her. Whilst the tea was a lot of work, she knew the steps she had to take to make it a success.
She wished so much that she had a plan like that for her relationship with Will.
Whilst not being able to put in a full day of graft for the event, Will had messaged the group on WhatsApp, saying that he intended coming along a little later, to help out where he could.
He hadn’t even told her personally, which again felt like another crack in their relationship.
And this would be the first time they’d come face to face since he’d so abruptly asked her to go.
She couldn’t help but wonder how that would feel, and how he’d be with her.
She really didn’t want to dwell on it, but a strange sense of gloom fell like a shadow over her.