long been on her bucket list. ‘We’re ever so happy to have you here at Dimmett House. I hope you slept well and I see you had some of my jackfruit bake last night. Not a veggie myself, but Mrs D tells me it’s scrumptious.’
Enjoying the cosy-looking woman’s West Country burr, Joely said, ‘You’re lucky there’s any left it’s so good, but I thought I ought to share.’
Clearly appreciating her sense of humour, Brenda chuckled her way back to the Aga where she appeared to be concocting another culinary delight.
‘Do sit down,’ Freda urged, waving Joely to a place opposite her own at the table. ‘Would you like toast or crumpets? There’s plenty of both, or I’m sure Brenda can rustle up …’
‘Toast will be fine,’ Joely assured her, not wanting to put anyone to any trouble.
‘There’s wholemeal or white,’ Brenda piped up, passing over a small breadbasket full to the brim and covered by a checked napkin. ‘The jam’s homemade by yours truly – strawberry or crab apple jelly – and the butter’s fresh from Pete Miller’s farm. There’s not a lot of fruit in season, but help yourself to what’s there in the bowl. It’s all from round here, apples, pears and some lovely juicy oranges grown in Ann Granger’s magic greenhouse. That’s what we call it, because that woman can grow anything in there, probably even drugs. Coffee or tea?’
Laughing, Joely said, ‘Coffee, thank you,’ and feeling Freda Donahoe watching her as though curious to see how she was responding to Brenda’s touch of local colour, she smiled at the woman and helped herself to a half slice of wholemeal followed by a knob of butter and spoonful of crab apple jelly.
Freda said, ‘As you can see I’m back earlier than expected, and I’m sorry again that I wasn’t here to greet you. I’m glad the flowers arrived as ordered. Well done for finding a vase, and you managed to choose exactly the right one.’
Joely glanced at the daffs she’d more or less plonked in a white pitcher that she’d found in one of the cupboards. They were now on a low windowsill, beside the French doors, moved from the table where she’d left them, presumably to clear a space for breakfast.
‘Did you remember to trim the stems?’ Freda asked, eyes lowered as she spread butter over a crumpet.
Thankful that she had, Joely smiled. ‘My mother is always very strict about that. And I popped some sugar and cider vinegar into the water to make them last longer.’
Freda was clearly impressed. ‘Another little trick of your mother’s?’ she asked with a crispness that was somewhere between interest and irritation.
‘Well, I … Not hers, exactly. I—’
‘Oh, everyone knows about that,’ Brenda chirruped as she plonked a large jug of orange juice on the table. ‘Have you taken your pills yet this morning, Mrs D? Shall I fetch them for you?’
‘Thank you,’ Freda replied gratefully. To Joely she said, ‘Hypertension, I’m afraid. It runs in the family, although my husband suffered from it too, and from quite a young age. Do try the orange juice and tell me if it isn’t the best you’ve ever had.’
Obediently Joely filled a glass and after taking a generous sip she was more than ready to agree. It wasn’t only sweet and cool there was a hint of tartness to it that whipped up her taste buds with a longing for more. ‘The very best,’ she confirmed, after draining the glass.
Freda gestured for her to take a refill and said, ‘Now will you have some more toast? Half a slice doesn’t seem very much.’
‘Thank you,’ Joely replied, and helping herself to another half from the basket she set it down on her plate and bit into the first one to experience yet another heavenly assault on her taste buds. ‘This jelly is delicious,’ she told Brenda, dabbing crumbs from the corner of her mouth. ‘Is it your own recipe?’
Brenda beamed as she passed Freda a large pill organizer with a different colour for each day of the week. ‘My grandmother’s,’ she confided. ‘We’ve got a secret ingredient that stays in the family, but it makes all the difference.’
‘We’re very lucky to have some,’ Freda declared. ‘Brenda’s jelly sells out before she’s even made it, so I feel very fortunate that she keeps a jar or two back for me.’
‘Course I do,’ Brenda smiled fondly. ‘Can’t have you going without, can we? Now make sure you get it right, taking these pills can be