Flora's Lot by Katie Fforde (best books under 200 pages TXT) 📗

Fortunately,before Flora succumbed to her desire to scream andgo running out into the woods, William and Annabelleemerged bearing between them a basket of bread rolls and a pile of soup plates.

‘It'sready,' said Annabelle. 'People should sit down. Have you a placement,Flora, or wouldyou like me to do one?'

‘No,I've worked out where everyone should sit,' said Flora, grateful for her mother insisting that this was an essential part of entertaining. 'Now, as Williamdid the cooking, he should sit atthe end, as host.' She sent him a smile she hoped conveyed her gratitude forthis. 'I'll go the other end, of course.Emma and Annabelle, you go next toWilliam, and Jeremy and Charles sit next to me.'

‘As long asI don't sit next to Charles, that's fine by me,' said Annabelle.

Jeremymanaged to hide any disappointment he felt in notsitting next to Emma and everyone sat down except William and Annabelle.

‘Shall I see to the wine?' askedCharles.

‘Yes, that would be lovely. I should goand help William bring stuff out, really.'

‘I think Annabelle's doing that,' saidCharles.

Florasubsided, deprived of her duties as a hostess. She fiddledwith her cutlery. 'The little garlands round the napkins look very pretty, Emma,' shesaid. 'It must have taken you hours,' said Jeremy.

‘Ireally enjoyed myself.' Emma looked across the table at Jeremy,obviously still enjoying herself.

‘I hope it won't get chilly later,' saidFlora, more anxious about the food than theweather, but unable to express that.'I've got a couple of pashminas upstairs if it does.'

‘Areyou cold now, Flora?' asked Charles, putting his hand on her upper arm,as if to check.

‘No, I'm fine! It's just later it may—’

Before shecould blunder on with more boring prognostications about the temperature ofthe glorious summer evening, Williamappeared with a tureen that Flora andEmma had bought that morning from a junk shop. Annabelle was holding abutter dish.

‘Right,'he said. 'We're having cold watercress soup to start with, and somerolls I made earlier.'

‘Wow,' said Emma. 'Home-made bread! Youare good!'

‘Then whatare we having?' asked Jeremy, still a little anxious. 'After the soup?’

Annabelleglowered at him, but William said, 'It's a sort of pudding made with—'

‘Ithought you weren't going to say until they'd tried it, William,' said Flora briskly, glad the mealwas actually going to start at last.'William, you serve the soup. How's everyone's wine?’

Charles gotup and refilled glasses, including Flora's. She knewperfectly well she should have put her hand over her glass, but she didn't.

‘Thisis fantastic!' said Jeremy, when everyone had been served and were taking their first tentative sips.

‘It is,William,' said Flora. 'Thank you so much for doing it all.’

Heranxieties about the meal subsided a little. A good bowl ofsoup, which was full of cream and therefore filling, with bread and butter,should keep people going until the chocolate mousse, if the main coursewas disgusting.

‘William wastelling me he's been hearing nightingales in the wood,' said Annabelle excitedly

‘Butnot recently. They've pretty much stopped singing now.'

‘ButI thought you said you heard one last week,' said Annabelle.

‘Howlong have you been down here?' asked Charles. 'I thought you came with Emma for the weekend.'

‘Oh I did,'said William smoothly, 'but I live quite near. I know this wood well.'

‘Noneed to stay the night then, really,' muttered Jeremy, looking at Emmapossessively

‘So, where do you live, exactly?' askedCharles.

Flora gotup. 'Excuse me, I've just forgotten somethingreally important.' She almost ran into the house.

Oncethere, she went upstairs to her bedroom. What on earthwould William say? If it was the wrong thing, it would beworse for him than for her, but she still didn't wantto witness his lies. She glanced out of the window. Everyone seemed to bechatting, and just as she peeked out further, laughter brokeout among her guests.A moment later, she rejoined them.

‘Sorry,'she said, as everyone regarded her questioningly 'I realised I hadn't put any lip-gloss on for hours. Moresoup, anyone? Jeremy, you'd like some. And another roll.’

As Floratook the soup plates into the kitchen and put them downon the floor, the only surface available to her, sheconsoled herself with the fact that everyone was almost fullalready. She met William coming in with the emptytureen followed by Annabelle with the empty bread basket.

‘Annabelle!You shouldn't be helping still. Go and sit down and enjoy yourself. William and I can manage fine, now.'

‘Ohno, I insist. I find this whole "food for free" thing fascinating.' Annabelle giggled, positivelygirlish. Flora went out to join her guests.

‘So,Jeremy, what do you do now you're not in the Army?' she asked.

‘Computer consultant,' he replied.

‘Oh!Emma's in computers, too. What a coincidence.’

Jeremyleant forward a little. 'What does William do again? I'msure someone's told me, but I seem to have forgotten.’

Floraswallowed. 'He's a poet and a portrait painter. Did he do art at university, Emma?’

Emma openedher mouth as if seeking extra oxygen. 'No.Something to do with the environment, I think,' she said eventually. 'You'llhave to ask him yourself, Jeremy'

‘I was justwondering what sort of a living you could make painting people's pictures.’

Both womenhoped passionately that Jeremy wouldn't ask Williamthis as he'd probably just tell the naked truth, which in his case could be verynaked.

‘Tada!' carolled Annabelle as William put a plate on the table. On the plate was something resemblinga cloche hat swathed in green material.

‘Now will you tell us what it is!'Jeremy was half pleading half impatient.

‘Dock pudding,' saidWilliam.

‘And salad, all pickedfrom the hedgerows,' announced Annabelle proudly.

‘I'll justgo and get the potatoes,' said Flora, who'd insisted ona nice substantial dish of them, cooked in the ovenwith cream and onions. It may have been mostly 'food forfree' in a financial sense, but certainly not in a calorificone. There was also a tomato salad, that Emma had made,which added a little colour to the table.

‘More wine, anyone?' saidCharles.

*

'Well,that was super!' said Annabelle, sitting back in her chairand looking extremely relaxed. 'Now I want to hear the nightingales.'

‘It'sreally very unlikely you'll hear any. They stop singing at the end ofMay.'

‘Butyou said there might be a rogue one. Oh, do take me, William. It's sucha heavenly evening.’

Annabelle,Flora thought sourly, had clearly decided William wasn't a criminal.

‘Whatabout you?' Jeremy asked Emma. 'Would you like a walk in the woods?’

Emmaobviously would like one, judging by the look