Page 66 of Summer at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

It was later that afternoon and Jill was in town. She backtracked along the pavement to catch up with her friend.

‘How’s it going, Brenda? Lovely day, isn’t it?’

‘Aye, it is. So, how’s everything going with the wedding planning then?’

‘Yes, all fine. Keeping us busy. Very busy, in fact!’ Jill smiled.

‘So, it’s all going to plan? That’s good. Well, I’ll be baking along with the Pudding Club, but if there’s anything else I can help with, let me know.’

‘Yes, I will. Oh, it’s so near now, I’m really looking forward to it. Rachel is going to look a real picture in that beautiful dress. Did you know that Eve made it? Her best friend?’

At the mention of Eve, Brenda looked distinctly uncomfortable. ‘Yes …’ Her voice trailed off and she went a bit pale.

‘Brenda, are you all right?’

‘Yes, yes,’ she squeaked, looking down at her shoes.

‘You don’t seem okay, what’s the matter?’

‘Ah, yes … well … oh crikey, I don’t know if I should say anything really … It’s just been eating me up a bit, you see.’

Jill was suddenly all ears; she hoped to goodness this wasn’t bad news. ‘Well, you can’t start saying things like that and not tell me what’s on your mind, Brenda. Come on, spill.’

‘Oh, I’m not sure I should really. It’ll all blow over. Ah, it’ll be something and nothing.’ Brenda was trying hard to backtrack. She might be a bit gossipy, but the last thing she wanted to do was stir up trouble.

‘Come on, Brenda, it can’t be that bad. I’m your friend, you can tell me. A problem shared is a problem halved and all that!’

‘Oh blimey – well, as long as it stays between us two.’ Brenda was still reluctant to spill. ‘It’s just, well, I saw Eve … with another man. They were … kissing.’

‘What? I can’t believe it, not Eve. Are … are you sure?’ Jill was incredulous.

‘Yes, I have to say I did a double take myself. Stopped a while to check if it really was Eve. I was over in Bamburgh with young Luke and I just happened to look in at that new gallery place. And there they were.’ Brenda paused, seeing Jim the taxi driver pull up across the way and then nip into the post office. ‘Oh, Jill, Ben’ll be devastated if he learns of this. I’m sure it must have just been a mistake. I wonder if Rachel could maybe have a word with Eve, with them being close … find out what’s going on. Make her see sense.’

‘Yes, perhaps.’ Jill was still struggling to get to grips with the news.

‘Or, heaven forbid, if there’s a bust-up around the time of the wedding, at least it won’t be quite such a shock if you and Rachel are in the know. I’m sorry to put this on you, Jill.’

‘I see.’ Jill was still processing it. It seemed so unlike family-minded Eve.

‘I’ve not spoken a word of it to anyone else,’ Brenda assured. ‘It’s their marriage at the end of the day, but well, it seems so out of character. She’s a good girl at heart, is Eve. Hopefully, I’ve read it all wrong. But it looked like much more than a friendly kiss on the cheek.’

‘Well, thanks for letting me know, Brenda. I’ll think about it and maybe have a word with Rachel.’ Jill really wasn’t sure whether it should be before the wedding, though. There was already so much on her daughter’s plate right now. After a further chat about the up-and-coming wedding, and family life in general, the two women said their goodbyes, and Jill bustled off up the quiet street to do her chores, her head swimming with the revelation.

What they hadn’t been aware of, however, was that in a car parked just two spaces from where they were standing talking, was a certain Vanessa Palmer-Pilkington – gossipmonger extraordinaire. Her window had been wound down, with it being such a warm day, and she had been waiting for her husband to come back from the newsagent’s. Juicy snippets of the conversation had drifted on the breeze to her raised and ready ear: ‘Have a word … with Rachel’; ‘a bust-up at the time of the wedding’ and ‘another man’. Two and two were put together to make a mighty one hundred and it wouldn’t be long before village tongues would begin to wag.

35

‘Hi, Granny, it’s Rachel.’

Rachel stepped through the cottage hallway, which was decorated with jugs of pastel-coloured sweet peas.

‘Ah, come on in, lass. I’m just here in the sitting room … catching up with Escape tothe Country.’

Rachel popped her head around the door.

‘Hello, pet.’ Granny was looking rather pale beneath her smile. Her illness last winter had really taken its toll. Despite her age, it was unusual to see her sitting down at this time of the afternoon. ‘Yes, they’re in the Cotswolds today, pretty enough place, but not a patch on what we have up here.’

Rachel went to stand beside her. ‘No, I don’t suppose it is.’