Page 68 of Summer at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

‘Mum-my,’ Maisy dashed over. ‘We had fish fingers and peas and chips, and ice cream with strawberries. Yummy. I ate all mine up.’

‘Sounds great.’

‘And look, come see our house.’ She laced her fingers through Rachel’s, tugging at her to follow her. A den had been created from a tented sheet draped over the wooden picnic table. Eve had pinned some bunting up inside for them, adorning the underside of the table, and there were dolls, animal toys, a mini tractor and some flowers, now wilting, evidently picked from Eve’s garden borders. Rachel raised her eyebrows, hoping the girls hadn’t just taken it upon themselves to raid the flowerbeds.

‘It’s okay,’ Eve chuckled, spotting her concern, ‘I said they could pick a few flowers.’

‘It’s a wedding,’ announced Maisy with delight.

‘And this is the tent like you’re going to have,’ added Amelia animatedly.

‘Ah, yes, now I see … a tipi.’

‘Told you it was a ti-pi.’ Maisy crossed her arms huffily, as though the girls had had a difference of opinion earlier.

‘Well, it is a kind of tent too, Maisy.’ Rachel didn’t want any falling outs.

‘We can’t wait to be your bridesmaids, Auntie Rachel. We’ve been practising,’ said Amelia.

‘They’ve been traipsing up and down the garden with nighties on over their school uniforms,’ Eve grinned.

‘Aw, bless them.’ They were on real countdown now, with only ten days to go.

‘Do you want a coffee or anything, Rach?’ Despite asking, Eve looked slightly uneasy, as though fearful of having too much time to talk.

‘Yes, just a quick one, if that’s okay? That’d be great.’ Rachel had already had her fill of tea at Granny’s house, but she felt as if it might finally give them a chance to have a heart-to-heart.

‘Okay, cool. Umm, Ben’ll be home any time soon, too.’

Was that a warning not to get too personal? For Rachel not to probe?

‘Tea or coffee then, hun?’ Eve raised a smile.

‘A coffee would be great.’

‘Yeah, I’ll just make it, and then let’s go sit in the sunshine with the girls, shall we?’

‘Sounds good.’

Rachel followed Eve to her galley kitchen, hoping a moment in private might just be the spur Eve needed, but the conversation stuck closely with the wedding. Eve chattering on a little nervously: Did Rachel want another dress fitting at the weekend, for any final tweaks?, How was she feeling?, How were things now with Tom?

Rachel answered, telling her friend how relieved she was that she and Tom were so much more at ease with each other again; it was as though a black cloud had been lifted.

‘And you and Ben?’ Rachel asked, seeing her opening.

‘Ah, we’re fine. All good here.’ Eve didn’t meet Rachel’s eye, and carried on spooning coffee granules into the mugs. ‘Oh … I’ve made some shortbreads,’ she said, swiftly changing tack. ‘I’ve experimented with adding a little fresh lavender to them. It was a tip I remembered from my nanna. You can be my taste tester, if you like.’

‘Sure.’ Rachel could spot a diversionary tactic a mile off, but the biscuits did look delightful.

They were soon sitting out in the garden, listening to their daughters’ chatter, sipping coffee and eating the delicately fragrant lavender shortbreads, whilst taking in the glorious green-field view across the valley, clouds billowing like pillows above them.

‘These are delicious, Eve. Who’d have thought?’ Rachel was definitely going to borrow that recipe from Eve for the Pantry.

‘Thanks. Well, let’s hope you get a gorgeous sunny day like this, Rach. Not long to go now, hun …’

‘Yeah.’ Rachel felt a giddy swirl of excitement, swished with a twist of anxiety that all would go well, that there’d be no last-minute hitches with the catering, flowers, the weather, Jake being there, the list could go on … But all of that could be sorted, she reassured herself. The most important thing in all this was the love and commitment between her and Tom.

The conversation stayed safe thereafter. Rachel knew not to push, but just hoped her friend really was okay. Eve didn’t seem herself, and Rachel was sure she was holding something back.