‘Aye, lass,’ agreed Duncan, nodding his head. ‘And Ross says he’s going to be wine waiter extraordinaire.’
Ross raised an imaginary glass and nodded.
For most of her life, Izzy had done the looking after and supporting and though a big part of her was proud of her independence and capability, sometimes it felt lonely and the responsibility wearing. Always being in charge had become the default setting for so long. It would be so lovely to share some of the load for a change. She couldn’t find the words for a moment, instead she stared down at the table, tears shimmering in her eyes.
‘That’s very kind of you. All of you,’ she finally squeaked out.
‘Away with you, you big Jessie,’ said Jeanette, putting her arms around her. ‘You’ll set me off. Literally I don’t know what Jim and I would ha’ done without you giving us a roof over our heads. And you’ve never made us feel beholden or that we’re employees. You’ve always been so nice.’
Izzy sniffed.
‘So we want to do something nice for you.’
‘Thank you.’ It was all Izzy could say.
‘Why don’t I put the kettle on? And perhaps we could heat up a couple of those mince pies from the freezer?’ Ross looked hopeful, a bit too much like a friendly Labrador who was trying to convince everyone he hadn’t been fed for a week.
‘Away with you,’ said Izzy, shaking her head. ‘At this rate there won’t be any left for Christmas.’
Izzy rose to retrieve a batch of mince pies. She ought to be paying him as well.
With everyone’s help, Izzy was beginning to think she might just pull Christmas off.
Chapter Thirteen
‘What time will dinner be served, this evening?’ asked Xanthe, sweeping into the kitchen in a floor length, dusky-pink velvet cape. ‘I think as it’s Godfrey’s last night we should eat in the dining room and make a night of it.’
‘How about seven?’ suggested Izzy.
‘Perfect, I’ll lay the dining room table, make it look nice.’ Xanthe glanced round the kitchen where Jim, Jeanette, Duncan and Ross were assembled, having their usual morning coffee break. ‘I expect you all to dress for dinner.’
With that, she departed, her cape flapping behind in a flurry of velvet folds.
‘Seriously?’ said Jeanette. ‘He’s a right old windbag. Always under my feet and asking stupid questions. Banging and tapping, determined to find those sapphires.’
‘Bluidy fool,’ said Duncan. ‘Doesn’t know his arse from his elbow, that fella. He came sniffing round before and Bill sent him packing. Bill always said they were in plain sight and would be found by the sharp-eyed.’
‘You didn’t say that before. You said they didn’t exist,’ said Izzy, sharply turning to look at Duncan.
He assumed an innocent expression. ‘Didn’t I?’ He shut his mouth with clam-like implacability. Did he know something?
‘Well, me and Jeanette work here,’ said Jim, ‘so we’ll go to the pub. Save you cooking for extra mouths.’
‘Don’t even try that one,’ said Izzy. ‘If I have to suffer, I think you should too.’
‘I don’t see why I should,’ said Ross. ‘I’m a guest here.’
‘All the more reason,’ said Izzy. ‘You should be getting the guest treatment. Dinner in the dining room. Please, Ross.’ She gave him a beseeching smile. ‘As soon as you’ve had dinner, you can skedaddle. And it will be a nice dinner.’
‘Will it now?’ asked Ross, narrowing his eyes with suspicion. ‘And what makes you think I’m the sort of man that responds to bribes?’
Izzy frantically thought of what there was in the freezer and what she might get from the farm shop.
‘Venison,’ she said, ‘with roast potatoes, crispy kale and mixed greens.’
He gave her an assessing look. ‘I do like a nice piece of venison. You’re on, but don’t blame me if we come to blows over his ridiculous views. If he starts to suggest you sign the castle over to the nation, ignore him.’
After trawling through some of the Scottish recipe books in the kitchen, Izzy had pulled together a menu and made a hasty visit to the farm shop. As she brought in the first course in a big ironstone soup tureen, complete with matching ladle, which Xanthe had unearthed in the wooden sideboard in the dining room and insisted they use, Izzy had to admit it did look rather wonderful, especially with the matching Victorian crockery.
