Page 62 of Christmas at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

‘Stunning, isn’t it.’ A tall dark-haired man, who looked to be in his early thirties, appeared at her shoulder. ‘I’m Joe, by the way.’

‘Hi, sorry, I was in a little world of my own there, for a minute.’

‘Come on up. I imagine you’re here for the Craft Fayre, yes?’

‘Yes.’ She followed him up the main steps.

‘You’re doing a great job, as always, Wendy, thanks,’ Joe added, with a smile.

Rachel followed Joe inside the castle. ‘This is the Great Hall, where the main action is today. You’ll find all the stalls are in here. Now bear with me, I’m sure Ellie will be around here somewhere and she’ll be able to put you right.’ He glanced around him.

Rachel, in turn, looked around the hall they were in. It was a gorgeous and extremely large stone-walled room with two massive fireplaces, and a long mahogany table that ran down its middle, laid out with mediaeval-looking pewter candelabras and ivy-and-holly entwined festive table decorations. In one corner of the room was a huge pine tree, which made the Pantry’s one look miniscule.

Two gentlemen were orchestrating the tree decorating. ‘Malcolm, no … just a little more to my left. Left … that’s my right. Okay, stop, stop.’ The gentleman up high in a cherry picker managed to place a large silver star right at the top. ‘That’s perfect. Bellissima, darling, thank you.’

Around the edge of the hall, stalls were already taking shape, with everyone setting out their wares. There were jams and chutneys, woodworking, a cake stall from the Castle Tea Rooms, Christmas cards and wrap, scented candles. It was all go.

Rachel was feeling a little nervous. Would anyone want to come to her stall? Everything looked so impressive. As yet, there was no sign of Eve. They were to have adjoining stalls, as far as Rachel was aware. She could do with the familiar sight of her friend right now.

‘Oh, Ellie, over here,’ Joe called out. ‘I’ve found a waif and stray out in the courtyard. Sorry, I didn’t catch your name …?’

‘It’s Rachel – from the Pudding Pantry.’

‘Oh, hi Rachel.’ Ellie came striding over and extended her hand, giving a warm smile. She was tall with a mass of thick, dark-blonde hair, which was pulled back into a loose ponytail, the odd tendril escaping prettily. ‘Lovely to meet a fellow baker, and I’ve heard all about these award-winning Christmas puddings. I must get one to try. I run the Castle Tea Shop, so I love a bit of baking myself. It’s been all go, mind, this past week, getting enough made for the tea rooms and this Fayre.’

‘Tell me about it.’ Rachel grinned. ‘Our poor old Aga’s been groaning under the strain of constant pudding steaming and baking for the last two weeks.’ Rachel had also been quite concerned that the farmhouse’s cooker was going to give up on them altogether at one stage. Now, that would have been a disaster.

‘Hah, I bet. Well, I have your place ready over here, just near the window, so if you’d like to follow me …’

They walked across to a row of tables that were set alongside latticed-windows, overlooking the rear castle gardens.

‘So, this is you, next to Eve’s Cottage Crafts.’

‘That’s great, thanks. Eve’s a close friend, so that works well.’

‘Ah, lovely. Well, if there’s anything else you need just find me, or Joe – my husband – who you met as you came in. I have a million and one things still to do before we officially open at eleven, so I’ll have to dash. I hope you have a really good day.’

‘Thank you, and you too.’

Wow, what a setting for a Christmas Fayre. A real mediaeval castle hall with old tapestries, pewter cups, huge white candles entwined with ivy. Oh, and look, there was a Santa’s grotto being set up, all red tarpaulin and fuzzy-white fake snow, with a large wooden reindeer standing beside it. Joe was there, busy moving the wooden barrels of wrapped gifts into place, with a little toddler-sized helper now alongside him by the looks of it. ‘Hang on, Jack, you can’t open them yet, mate!’ His voice carried across the hall, as the toddler was obviously about to help himself. Aw, Maisy would love that when she got here later.

She and Amelia were both coming to sing ‘Carols in the Courtyard’ with the Kirkton School choir here at three and, after some initial apprehension, Rachel was starting to look forward to the day. It would be good to catch up with Tom for a while later, too. They’d been too distant of late.

Right, she’d better get out to the Land Rover and get her puddings in and her stall ready. As she headed towards the main entrance doors, catching gorgeous festive smells of pine and cinnamon on the way, she spotted Eve coming in, laden with various cardboard boxes and bags.

‘Over here,’ Rachel called across. ‘Hang on, I’ll come and help.’

She took a large box from Eve, before it toppled out of her friend’s hands.

‘Oops, think I’ve overloaded myself, thanks. Ooh, wow, it looks wonderful in here. Glad we booked up this one.’ Eve propped her various goods and boxes down on the tabletop, and looked around her. ‘I feel like I’ve been transported back in time.’

‘I know, isn’t it fabulous?’

‘Definitely. It was Emma from the Chocolate Shop – we met her at the Kirkton Show back in the summer – who told me to try here. She has a stall today too. She’s been doing this Fayre for a couple of years now, said it was a popular one.’

‘Oh fab, and yes, I remember her, she was lovely.’

They helped each other to unload and set up, and soon both stalls were ready. Eve’s crafts looked delightful with her wooden decorations resting on mini-tree stands that she’d made herself and sprayed with shimmering white paint. There was a terrific selection of her toys, festive knits, table decorations, picture frames, plaques, coasters and more. The midnight oil must have well and truly been burned again for Eve.