‘I’m signing up as soon as it opens,’ says Katja. ‘I’vealways felt self-conscious trying to dance at weddings and stuff. I want tolose my inhibitions and learn how to reallymove.’ She does a funnylittle shake of her booty which makes us laugh.
Then she frowns. ‘Just thinking... I knowsomeone who will be furious she’s missing out on this patisserie week thing.’
‘You mean Maddy?’ Ellie shrugs. ‘So let’s get her involved.She might be lying on the sofa with her foot elevated just now but that doesn’tmean she can’t start spreading the news about our special cake celebration onsocial media. And maybe she could design a poster on her laptop to stick up allover the village and beyond?’
I listen to them talking, excitement growing inside. Ihaven’t been tasked with creating elaborate pastries for so long – not since Igraduated – but it’s a challenge I really relish. Even as I stack plates andknives in the dishwasher later and go out to clear tables, my mind is busilyturning over ideas for the most sumptuous celebration of French pastry ever...
‘You look miles away,’ says a voice, as I’m wiping crumbs fromone of the empty tables.
‘Oh, Dorothy. Hi! How are you?’
She looks at me sadly. ‘Not great. Still no sign of AuntieJosie and I’m getting really worried now. I mean,anythingcould havehappened to her.’ She shakes her head. ‘I just can’t stand the thought that shemight be in trouble and I’ve no way of getting to her. I’ve racked my brainstrying to think of other friends she might have gone to see but...’She shrugs uselessly.
I nod slowly. ‘You know, I was thinking about it last nightand it occurred to me that maybe you shouldn’t be focusing onwhoyourAuntie Josie might be with, butwhereshe might have gone.’
Dorothy looks bemused. ‘I’m not sure what you mean.’
‘Well, it sounds to me like your Auntie Josie is veryindependent and enjoys her own company.’
‘Oh, she does.’
‘And she loves going off exploring places on her own. Imean, obviously when Max was alive, he’d be with her, but really, she’s a bitof a lone adventurer?’
‘Absolutely. That’s Auntie Josie in a nutshell.’
‘So... is there a special place she alwaysreturned to? Somewhere close to her heart? A place where she might feelcomforted after losing her beloved Max?’
Dorothy frowns. ‘I’m not sure. I’ll have to think aboutthat. She loved getting lost in nature – that’s when she was happiest of all, Ithink.’ She shakes her head, tears springing to her eyes. ‘Oh, this is awful.I’m actually talking about her in the past tense now – as if she’s never comingback.’
‘She’ll be back,’ I murmur, pressing Dorothy’s shouldergently. ‘Grief over Max has floored her and she probably needs time to come toterms with losing him. Her head will be all over the place. I know mine wouldbe. She probably just forgot to phone and let you know where she was going.’
Dorothy blows her nose on a paper napkin and attempts asmile. ‘Thank you, Lottie. That makes a lot of sense. And I’ll think about whatyou said... about a special place she might have gone to.’She drains her cup and gets up to go. ‘Ellie said you’re working here while youget Sycamore House renovated? So I’ll no doubt see you again soon.’
‘Great. Take care of yourself. I bet you anything you likeyour Auntie Josie will turn up safe and sound, and wondering what on earth allthe fuss is about!’
Dorothy gives a wan smile. ‘Here’s hoping.’
*****
After the lunchtime rush is over, Ellie takes me over tothe True Loaf Baking School and introduces me to Anita, who’s in charge there.
Anita, who seems lovely, is enchanted by the Frenchpatisserie idea and we immediately start exchanging ideas about the sorts ofcakes and pastries we could conjure up. I’d been a little worried she’d think Iwas muscling in on her patch with my qualification in pastry – but not at all.She’s just keen to have my input and wants to know all about the course I wason.
As I chat to Anita, any nerves I might have had at thethought of putting my patisserie ideas into practice quickly fade away. I cantell already that we’re going to make a good team.
*****
Later, I’m on the high street, picking up some groceries,when I bump into Dorothy again.
‘Not you again,’ she laughs.
I grin at her. ‘Are you following me or am I following you?’
She looks much brighter now and her next words reveal why.
‘I think I might know where Auntie Josie went,’ she says, hereyes shining.
‘Really? Where?’
