Page 64 of Christmas at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

‘Are you sure, Tom?’ asked Rachel.

‘Absolutely, and I’ll see if I can charm a few more sales for you.’ He gave a wink, as the two ladies gathered themselves swiftly, popped their coats on, and nipped away.

As they stepped out into the darkening grounds, with flame torches lit on each side of the courtyard, it looked so magical. The girls and boys were gathered ready, all excited. Maisy and Amelia stood side by side, looking so smart in their uniforms. Their hair had been brushed and tied back with a festive addition of silver-sparkly tinsel wrapped around their ponytails.

They found a good vantage point to watch from and Maisy caught Rachel’s eye and waved across with a big grin on her face, just as the chords of an old piano started up. As ‘Away in a Manger’ started, Rachel felt a proud surge of maternal love and a tear caught in her eye. The sweet young voices filled the frosty air. This was what Christmas Carol singing was all about, festive and magical. They followed that with ‘While Shepherds Watched’ and rounded off with a rousing ‘We Wish you A Merry Christmas’ to great applause. Mrs Brown and the children took a little bow at the finale, before the classmates were allowed to go back to their families.

‘That was wonderful, Maisy … and Amelia. Well done the pair of you.’ Rachel’s voice was warm with emotion.

‘The singing was beautiful,’ added Eve. Rachel wasn’t the only one feeling a little choked, she spotted the glint of a proud tear in Eve’s eye.

‘Shall we head up to see if there’s any cupcakes left on my stall, then girls? Or do you think Tom’s sold the lot, by now?’

Back in the hall the crowds were thinning as the customers started to drift away, and the stallholders began to pack up. The girls found a cupcake each from the dwindling supplies and sat behind the stall on plastic chairs, munching away, looking a little jaded now that the excitement of the day had passed. Rachel thanked Tom, wishing they had time to really chat, but there was still so much to do.

Emma caught Rachel’s eye and gave a big thumbs-up from across the way, so it must have been a successful day for her chocolate stall too. One or two more puddings were sold, but the hall soon began to empty out and Joe came by each stall to thank everyone for attending.

Soon the Land Rover was loaded with the table stand, plus Eve’s ‘Pudding Pantry’ sign that her friend had created for the Kirkton Show, and the almost-empty cool boxes with just a few puddings left, and not a single one of Granny Ruth’s; in fact, Rachel had taken orders for four more to be collected from the Pantry on Christmas Eve, as they’d quickly sold out.

Trying to stifle her yawns, Rachel drove the few miles home along the country lanes, following Tom’s truck with Maisy in. She was feeling tired but happy. She couldn’t wait to tell her mum about their successful day and all about the stunning castle at Claverham. And despite the tight knot of anxiety in her stomach, she also couldn’t wait to catch a few minutes alone with Tom. She needed to put a stop to all the questions running riot in her head – even if the answers were ones she couldn’t bear to hear.

28

‘Granny Ruth, Granny Ruth!’ The next morning, Rachel was straight round to her granny’s little cottage; she’d held her promise to keep a close eye on her. She couldn’t deny that she was worried. She stood for a few minutes, knocking repeatedly and calling out, but there was no answer.

Rachel started to feel very uneasy now.

The cottage was unlocked, so she went on in. The house seemed unusually quiet. There was often the hum of the radio on or the television, or perhaps the kettle boiling ready in the kitchen. But today all was eerily still.

‘Granny?’ Rachel called again, and she checked the downstairs rooms just in case. There was no sign of her grandmother in the living room or kitchen. Had she gone out and left the door open? It wasn’t unheard of. Rachel climbed the narrow stairs, her concern mounting with each step.

‘Granny Ruth?’

‘Here, lass,’ came a frail, gravelly voice from Ruth’s bedroom.

Finally, thank goodness. Rachel relaxed a little, though from the sound of her voice, Ruth didn’t sound that well. Rachel poked her head around the bedroom door and there was her grandmother all tucked up in her double bed, which was unheard of at ten o’clock in the morning. Ruth was always up with the lark, despite her age. Her favourite response to questions about that being, ‘What do I want to be lying around in bed for? Life’s short enough as it is when you get to my age so I’m not going to waste it.’

‘Are you all right, Granny?’

‘Aye, just a bit tired this morning, pet.’

She looked awfully pale and frail there lying under the duvet, with one arm resting on the top, the so-thin skin showing the blue veins beneath. Rachel was floored for a second; this strong feisty old lady, who always seemed so resilient, was today showing all of her eighty-one years. Had she been doing too much, trying to help them out yesterday at the Pantry? They should have realised, Rachel felt awful.

‘I did try and get up, made myself a cup of tea, but—’ Ruth was suddenly wracked with that nasty cough. She pulled a tissue away from her mouth and Rachel spotted some blood in the mucus.

‘Oh, Granny!’ She leaned over and gently tested the temperature of Ruth’s forehead with her palm. It was boiling hot and felt very clammy. Rachel was now definitely not prepared to take any risks; this had gone on too long already. The doctors’ surgery in Kirkton would be closed with it being a Sunday, so she decided to take her directly to A & E. ‘You’ve a temperature. There’s blood coming up too, so at the least it’s a chest infection. You’re not well at all, Granny. Enough’s enough. We’re getting you checked out in a hospital.’

‘I’m all right. There’s no need to fuss, pet.’

But with that, Ruth was taken by another coughing fit.

‘You are not all right at all. I’ll fetch you some paracetamol to get that temperature down a bit then we’re going to get you dressed, and I’m driving you to hospital right away – no ifs or buts.’

‘Oh, pet, no!’ But she knew the game was up, that her granddaughter was right.

‘Come on, let me help you, Granny.’

Rachel had her dressed and down in the Land Rover within fifteen minutes. She phoned Jill to briefly explain what was happening as they headed for the Borders General Hospital. On the fifty-minute journey, Rachel chatted away to keep Granny occupied – about Maisy and the farm and the Pantry, and of course Ruth’s award-winning Christmas Pudding stealing the show at the Christmas Fayre yesterday – which drew a smile from the old lady. Ruth dozed part of the way and seemed forgetful and not herself at all. She twice asked where they were going, bless her.