Yes Chef, No Chef - By Susan Willis Page 0,131

had caused hysteria from the locals and other gardeners. Plus, she could, with Katie’s guidance at first, cook three meals from start to finish on her own - a feat she was extraordinarily proud of. Sam was more than proud of her he; was absolutely devoted to her and although one of these speciality meals was only cheesy beans on toast he declared that he could eat this every night of his life as long as it was Lisa who was making it for him.

Tim carried the last box to the car while she picked up Lisa’s set of house keys that she’d returned at the weekend when she’d finally moved in with Sam. She tagged them with her own set onto a large key ring to hand into the estate agent for viewings next week.

“Oh, nearly forgot," Tim said handing her a padded envelope, "This came this morning after you'd left."

She recognised the photographer’s logo. "It’ll be the photographs from Sarah’s wedding."

She opened the envelope to reveal an enlarged print of her and Lisa in bridesmaid’s dresses with Simon and Sarah glowing with happiness on their big day. The ivory, silk dress Sarah wore actually hid her four month pregnancy very well but because they were both thrilled parents-to-be it wouldn't have mattered to either of them if it had showed.

"You looked beautiful in that dress," Tim said while punctuating each word with a little kiss while he moved down the side of her neck.

She squirmed and giggled. "And what are you after, as if I didn't know," she asked narrowing her eyes questioningly. "I don't often get compliments like this on a Monday morning?"

“Ah! I’m mortally wounded," he said teasing her gently. "I think it’s time you had your own fabulous dress to wear." He picked up a business card up from the Island and carried on, "And, if you are having a reprint of these cards with our new address on you might as well change your name to Davies at the same time."

Her heart began to thud. "Are you saying what I think you’re saying?"

This was obviously going to be a defining moment between them and she took a deep breath to steady herself when suddenly with one hand holding the edge of the island he dropped down onto one knee.

"I love you, Kate. There’ll never be anyone else for me. Will you marry me?" he asked looking up at her.

Her heart soared with happiness because she was filled with such love for this man. Her eyes brimmed with tears. "Yes, Chef," she said. "Oh yes, indeed, Chef."

If you enjoyed Yes Chef, No Chef you might also enjoy School Ties by Emma Lee-Potter, also published by Endeavour Press.

School Ties by Emma Lee-Potter

ONE

Will Hughes slammed his pen down. It was ten fifteen on a rainy September night and he’d been marking Hamlet essays for more than an hour. And what a bloody shambles they were too. Admittedly he was teaching the bottom set, but he was stunned by the quality of the teenagers’ work. Some could barely string a sentence together, let alone use an apostrophe properly. Only one had produced work that showed any understanding of Shakespeare’s most famous play.

Trying hard to stay awake, he took a gulp of cold instant coffee. He was less than halfway through the pile of scripts and at this rate he’d be hard-pressed to finish them by midnight. Worse still, he’d promised to take the first fifteen rugby squad on a training run at dawn.

For the umpteenth time, Will wondered why he had returned to teaching. He’d left his last school a year ago to join an up-and-coming Shoreditch advertising agency. Yet now he’d had another change of heart and given up his skinny lattes and generous expense account to return to the chalkface.

Not that Downthorpe Hall was a tough place to work. It wasn’t. Compared to the early years of Will’s career, when he’d been a young English teacher at a tough inner-city comprehensive, Downthorpe was the cushiest number imaginable. A private school dating back two hundred years, it was housed in an elegant Cotswold mansion, complete with castellated turrets, a winding two-mile drive and acres of playing fields. It had once been an all-boys school, but had gone co-ed twenty years ago. The decision was deplored by the old guard but had succeeded in giving the school’s academic results a much-needed shot in the arm.

Will stretched his arms out wide to keep himself awake, then stopped. He could