Page 94 of Christmas at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

‘I might be old, pet, but I’m not daft. Not yet, anyhow.’ She chuckled.

After making a pot of tea, Rachel said, ‘Is there anything I can do, do you think? Check on the turkey in the Aga or anything?’ Mum seemed to be taking a while fetching the eggs.

‘Ach well, I think your mother has it all under control. So I wouldn’t open that oven door if I were you. She’ll have it all timed to a tee and the temperature just right.’

‘Hah, I suppose so. She always was queen of the Christmas dinner. I’d better not interfere. I don’t want to be responsible for any turkey disasters – I’d never hear the last of it.’

Jill and Maisy soon arrived back, stamping their feet in the porch, and just two eggs in the basket. They seemed a little flustered, somehow, as though they’d been dashing about.

‘Oh, hello love, you’re back. Look, just enough eggs to make my Yorkshire puddings with,’ said Jill. The Swinton household had a tradition of serving crispy Yorkshire puddings with their turkey dinner, along with lashings of Grandma Jill’s rich and tasty gravy.

‘Is there anything I can help with, Mum?’ Rachel offered, feeling that she hadn’t been pulling her weight in the kitchen today.

‘No, it’s all in hand. The bird will be ready by two and then it needs to stand a while so that’s when I cook the veg and bake my Yorkshires.’

‘Well, let me lay the table for you then.’ Usually, soon after breakfast on Christmas day, Jill would have it all set up, ready for their dinner, with cutlery, festive napkins, the works, but as yet none of that had been done. Oh well, Rachel mused, it had been a busy morning for them all.

‘No need,’ Jill tried extra hard to sound nonchalant about it.

Maisy started fidgeting and Ruth gave Jill a knowing glance.

‘Okay, what’s going on here?’

‘Can we tell her Grandma, please?’ Maisy was now bouncing in the spot.

‘Let’s go one better and show her, shall we,’ replied Jill.

‘What are you lot up to, now?’ Rachel’s interest was piqued.

‘It’s a surprise!’

‘Come on then, shoes back on, Maisy.’

They gathered coats and footwear and headed out the door and across the yard where Jill unlocked the doors to the Pudding Pantry. Hmm … Rachel had closed it up last night, thinking they’d not be back in there for a couple of days.

Now what were they up to?

‘Go on in,’ said Jill with a smile on her face.

Maisy took Rachel’s hand and led her through. ‘We did it all this morning – and Eve came too.’

‘Oh my! Oh, it’s wonderful!’

While she’d been out checking her livestock, the Pudding Pantry had been transformed. Two of the tables had been pulled together, and covered with a large white cloth that looked suspiciously like a bedsheet. There was a beautiful floral candle decoration with twists of ivy, pine and holly through it.

‘Auntie Eve made the flowers,’ Maisy announced. ‘And the hanging flags.’

Oh yes, there was festive bunting strung along the back wall with flags of holly print, red and green tartan, and white with a green polka dot – so pretty!

The table was set out for the nine of them with cut glasses and beautifully polished silver knives, forks and spoons.

‘The cutlery and glasses were in my cottage, gathering dust. It’s about time they got used.’ Granny Ruth caught up with them. ‘I used to get them out when we had folk around, back when we were still here at the house, but I haven’t entertained like that since I moved into the cottage and I think they need to be back at the farm where they belong.’

The fairy lights on the tree were glowing and the chandeliers glinted warmly above the festive table. The log burner had also been lit to take the chill off. How hadn’t she seen the smoke from the chimney as she came back to the farmyard? It was cosy and magical – and just right.

‘It looks amazing,’ Rachel’s voice came out slightly choked. ‘I can’t believe you did all this.’

‘So, as you might have guessed by now, we are having our Christmas lunch over here at the Pudding Pantry!’ confirmed Jill.