‘Yes! Jess, come on, we’ve a lot to do.’
‘OK, OK, I’m just going to tell Bex she’s in charge all morning and drop Arthur off at his new job.’
‘Jess, you need to let Bex know that she’s been promoted and gotyourjob.’
‘Oh, but…’
‘Cut the cord, Jess. Let it go. Kamran’s interviewed her and she’s more than able to step into your shoes. You just have to take them off and give them to her.’
* * *
I spent what must have been a good three hours up in the newly renovated building with Fabian, Kamran and Tristan, the architect Kamran had drafted in to alter what had been the huge two-storey outbuilding into what was going to be The White House restaurant.
‘So, what d’you think, Jess?’ Kamran followed me out as I started to make my way down the overgrown gardens and back to Hudson House to pick up Arthur. ‘You feeling any better about it all now?’
‘I think so,’ I ventured. ‘I’m just terrified of letting you all down.’
‘You won’t.’ Kamran patted my arm. ‘Look, how about if you’re in charge of desserts to begin with? I know they’re your thing. And that would probably mean you can work mainly the day shift creating desserts that can be served at lunchtime as well as the evening. I know you’re concerned about who’s going to be looking after Lola when you’re here until midnight.’
‘Oh, really? Honestly?’ I suddenly felt a great weight lift from me. I was going to be allowed to see Lola off to school, drop Arthur off at Hudson House and then spend the whole day just baking and creating fabulous puddings. ‘Are you sure? What does Fabian think about that?’
‘Fabian’s idea.’
‘Really?’
‘Jess, he wants you on board. You know that.’
‘Really?’ I said for a third time, feeling a delicious anticipation working its way through every bit of me.
Kamran laughed. ‘Right, how about you come up with ideas for puddings, put them down on paper, give us some idea of costings per unit etc, etc?’
I felt my heart plummet once more. God, how the hell did I go about that? When I’d started up my own little outdoor catering business, ploughing into it all my own savings, as well as financial help from Mum, which I knew she could ill afford, I’d probably always undersold myself – well, according to Dean anyway – sometimes only breaking even when I’d sent the final invoice.
Eighteen months after starting up Jessica Dining,and just as I had begun to make a bit of a name for myself and my new venture, Covid put an end to that little dream. The crockery, cutlery, tablecloths and all the other paraphernalia needed for a one-woman outside catering business were boxed up and laid to rest in the loft alongside the Christmas decs, the battered suitcases and dreadful mirror which had been Pat Butterworth’s sole contribution to my and Dean’s marriage, the cardboard cartons reproaching me every time I happened to go up there for anything.
‘You come up with ideas for the desserts, Jess,’ Kamran was saying, ‘and then Fabian and whoever we get to be in charge of the food side will work with you on them.’
‘Shouldn’t you have found a head chef by now?’ I pulled a face.
‘Chef de cuisine, please.’ Kamran grinned. ‘Been putting feelers out since we decided to go ahead with all this. But you and Fabian’ll make the final decisions.’
‘Really?’ My attention caught by this new little snippet, I fell over a particularly large tussock of grass. ‘We’re going to have to sort these gardens as well, you know.’
‘All in order. We’re already landscaping a large area beyond The White House to grow the restaurant’s vegetables, herbs and rhubarb. With us being so near the rhubarb triangle over in Wakefield, we should take advantage of it.’
‘That’sforcedrhubarb.’ I frowned. ‘The roots are grown in dark, heated sheds where they’re forced to grow really quickly in the darkness. Then, traditionally, the idea is to harvest the stuff by candlelight, usually in December to February. Not being a gardener, Kamran, the last thing I want to be doing is freezing my tush off, holding a candle out here at Christmas when I should be getting my sprouts on.’
‘Oh, right, OK, maybe not then. We can alwaysbuythe forced stuff, but Lisa’s getting really excited about having our own garden and gardeners here. It’ll be like going back to how it was when the house was originally built for the Hudsons in the last century…’
‘Don’t have her overdoing things, Kamran. Mum’s been really ill in the past.’
‘I know.’ He smiled. ‘I’ve nothing but Lisa’s welfare – and happiness – at heart.’
‘You have, haven’t you?’ I smiled across at Kamran.
‘Absolutely.’ Kamran hesitated. ‘And you?’
‘Me?’
