‘Poppycock! I don’t believe any of that. When Cam took over The Old Bakehouse his enthusiasm was soaring. His ambition was to be as good as his Great-Uncle Ted. He was looking forward to the day that envelope finally dropped through the door.’ Dixie was looking despondent.
‘Well, something has changed,’ said Molly. ‘However, today he baked chocolate bread, so maybe he’s actually warming to the idea.’
‘And with a little encouragement from his friends.’ Dixie tipped Molly a wink then gave a fleeting glance towards the door. ‘There’s two things that are needed in times such as these … sherry and a slice of Victoria sponge.’
Molly laughed. ‘I can join you on the Victoria sponge.’
‘That’s okay, I’ll take one for the team and drink your sherry.’
‘I thought you were feeling a little under the weather.’
‘A couple of sherries will do me good. I’ll pour, you go and slice up the cake.’
Molly was up and out of her chair heading towards the kitchen. She heard the clink of the decanter as Dixie poured her sherry. By the time she returned with two plates housing two giant slices of cake, Dixie had cleared all items off the coffee table except for a small shoebox. She tapped the box. ‘This might just jolly Cam around.’
‘What’s in there?’ asked Molly, slicing into the cake with a fork. ‘This cake tastes delicious, by the way. I really do need to stop shovelling sweet things into my mouth otherwise I’ll be giving birth to a sugar lump.’
‘How long until the competition?’ asked Dixie, sliding the elastic band from around the shoebox.
‘A couple of weeks,’ replied Molly.
Dixie took a black book out of the box and lay it on the table.
‘And what is that?’ asked Molly, shuffling to the edge of her chair, looking intrigued.
Dixie tapped the closed book. ‘Ted’s diary. A written account of the lead-up to his very first competition. From receiving the invite to competing for the title, with all the details of how he went about perfecting his recipe with constant attempts to bake his creation.’
‘Oh my, that’s amazing.’
‘And I think this is just what Cam needs to urge him on. If he has any doubts that he’s not good enough, that’s exactly how Ted felt, and it’s all documented in here.’
‘Good idea,’ admitted Molly. ‘With the weather like it is, the bakery will be quiet and Cam will have lots of time to perfect his recipe.’
Dixie looked out towards the grey sky. ‘The worst of the snowstorm is to hit us around three a.m., according to the news. I need Drew to drop off more logs for me before that happens.’
‘Cam is hoping the lorry can get through from the mill.’
‘It’s come early.’ Dixie nodded towards the window. ‘It’s there now. The snow plough has been attempting to clear the roads but by my reckoning the track leading to the bridge will become treacherous.’
Taking the last bite of her cake, Molly tapped the box. ‘What else is in there?’
‘Photographs that Ted kept from the competitions, The Old Bakehouse, members of staff that have worked there over the years … that sort of thing.’
‘And that’s exactly what Cam needs. A trusted assistant, an apprentice that he can train and rely on. In fact, that’s what I’ll do before we go to Isla’s tonight. I’ll get the advert posted, then at least if there are any suitable candidates, it might ease the pressure on Cam a little.’
‘Ted never married, but he had a trusted assistant for over ten years, a slip of a girl who was in her early twenties when she started. Hours they spent in the kitchen at The Old Bakehouse. At first, he had the poor girl constantly baking bread, perfecting her craft. He trained her up so well there was a point when we couldn’t tell who’d baked the bread that day.’
‘This is exactly what Cam needs. As soon as I get back, I’m posting the advert for an apprentice assistant.’
‘Cam will find someone. There’s loads of young people out there willing and wanting to learn a craft, and a good baker will always have a job.’
‘And there’s nothing like waking up to the gorgeous aroma of freshly baked bread. Right, I best get back,’ said Molly, standing up and returning the empty plates to the kitchen whilst Dixie sat back in her chair and sipped her sherry. After Molly loaded up the dishwasher, she walked back into the living room to discover that Dixie had put together a bundle of stuff. She handed over the shoebox to Molly.
‘This is Ted’s diary, a few private letters, the photographs and some of the footage from the opening of The Old Bakehouse and the baking competitions. We could watch them together, maybe make a night of it. This might spur Cam on to take part.’
‘But Cam didn’t want me to mention the competition. If I go back with this stuff…’
‘You just say I was having a sort-out – that’s not a lie – and I felt this should be kept where it belongs at The Old Bakehouse. I know my grandson; he’ll get curious and take a look. Ted was once in his shoes as a new baker.’
