“I wonder if you have Jenny’s number. Linn was thrilled about the baking book, but she has some issues with the measurements, and we figured that perhaps Jenny could help”, she said.
She got the number and had almost hung up when Andreas asked her what Linn was baking and Emelie had to admit that she didn’t know since she wasn’t allowed in the kitchen.
“But I will have to cook dinner at some point, so by then I hope she has cleaned up and perhaps we’ll get something freshly baked after dinner,” she said.
“Is that an invitation?”
“Invitation?”
“Yes, for dinner. I’d love to try out some new desserts,” Andreas answered cheerfully.
Of course he did, when it was Linn baking. But a dinner was rather harmless, she decided.
“If you can eat sausage and macaroni, you are welcome to join us,” she said shortly.
“I eat everything – it sounds delicious” he said, and they hung up.
Emelie gave Linn Jenny’s phone number, and she called her up and was soon wrapped up in a conversation about different measurements and ingredients. Was it possible to put potatoes in a cream cake, and what was a currant? When she was finished talking, she came into the living room where Emelie was sitting.
“Where are Liv and Linnea?”
“Liv is with Kajsa and Linnea with Tore, as always. I guess Liv is a horse girl now and Kajsa’s parents own a stable,” Emelie said.
“Really? Hey, there’s a recipe for mulled wine in this book. Do you think we should make some for the market?”
Emelie looked up from her newspaper.
“Doesn’t that take a while? And maybe we’ll have to do a test round so we know for sure that it’s drinkable?”
“Exactly. We’ll need malt beer, potatoes, yeast, cloves, cardamum seeds, ginger, cinnamon stick, sugar and raisins. And weren’t there some bottles in the cellar?”
Emelie shivered.
“I don’t care for that cellar, sometimes at night I can swear I can hear something from down there”, she said.
Linn sighed.
“But come on? Like a ghost? Not very likely, is it?”
“No, I get that, but it’s still a bit scary, but it’s okay. I’ll get them when we have bought everything else. Andreas is coming for dinner by the way,” she said, glancing at Linn to see her reaction, but she only nodded and went back into the kitchen.
When Andreas came through the backdoor Emelie was sitting in the living room with all her to-do-lists for the Christmas market.
“Hello?”
She looked up and straight into a pair of glittering eyes and a broad grin. Blimey, what time was it? She fumbled in the sofa to find her phone and Andreas giggled.
“I’m a bit early, I’m sorry. It’s only five o’ clock,” he said. “Can I come in?”
She put one hand to her chest, letting out a relieved sigh. She waved for him to come in and sent a text message to Liv and Linnea telling them that it was time to come home and eat.
“Are those for the market?”
Andreas pointed at the lists and the notes that were spread over the table and Emelie nodded.
“Yes, it’s a bit much now. But I know everything will work out just fine in the end. At least I hope so,” she said, smiling.
He smiled back and for a moment she lost herself in his eyes, before looking in the other direction.
