Read Online Second Thyme Around by Katie Fforde - Free Book Online Page A

sharpen it with?’
    Perdita shrugged. ‘Possibly not. I’ve just got what Kitty gave me. There may be a better knife somewhere.’
    The second knife was no sharper than the first, and the handle was loose. ‘Perdita, why don’t you just ask Lucas? Then if he makes a hash of it,’ Janey obviously thought this was highly unlikely, ‘it’ll be his fault.’
    Perdita considered this fairly tempting idea, but decided it constituted a cop-out. ‘No. I’ll carve myself. It can’t be that hard.’ She took the knife from Janey and made a pass at the leg of lamb. The knife bounced off it and landed on the top of her thumb. Fortunately it was too blunt to cut her. She stuck the point into the meat the next time and managed to hack her way a couple of inches into it before hitting a bone. ‘Bugger!’ she muttered.
    ‘Why don’t you let me?’ asked Lucas, from the doorway.
    ‘OK,’ said Perdita, deciding that copping out was better than taking more bits off herself than off the joint. ‘We’ll get the rest of the meal on the table, you carve.’
    While she and Janey brought through plates, gravy, serving spoons and the vegetables, Perdita spotted Lucas sharpening the knife on the back doorstep. Then, while she was finding space for everything on the table, he turned the leg of lamb into a row of tidy pink slices, which he laid out on the somewhat stained and chipped serving plate she had dusted down for it. He brought it in and stood holding it. It looked quite appetising.
    ‘Wow,’ she said, forgetting for a moment who she was talking to. ‘That looks really nice.’
    ‘Goodness knows what it tastes like,’ said Lucas. ‘Now where do you want to put it?’
    In the end Perdita put a trivet on top of the wood-burning stove and put it there.
    ‘Now, where is everyone going to sit?’ asked Perdita rhetorically. ‘Kitty, you sit there, with William on one side. Now Janey, sit next to William, and Lucas next to Janey. I’ll sit next to Kitty.’
    ‘And me,’ said Lucas. ‘Shall I serve out?’
    ‘Yes, please,’ said Perdita, handing round vegetables.
    When at last everyone was served, Perdita and Lucas squashed into their places. They had to sit with their knees sideways and were hideously uncomfortable.
    ‘Do please start, everyone,’ said Perdita, too tired to care if she could reach her plate or not.
    ‘Well, here’s to our hostess,’ said Lucas blandly, his sarcasm as silent as it was obvious.
    ‘Yes, here’s to Perdita,’ said William, missing the undercurrents, and everybody joined in the toast.
    Perdita took a huge gulp of wine and was pleased to note that Kitty’s dear departed husband had not let them down; the wine Kitty had found in his cellar was delicious.
    And so, by some miracle, was the food. The lamb, undercooked by Kitty’s standards, tasted perfect. The potatoes, while not exactly brown, had developed enough of a suntan to be appetising, and the sprinkling of rosemary Perdita had added out of desperation gave them a certain sophistication. The vegetables were crisp and the gravy was tasty. Everyone except Lucas delivered a cacophony of praise for Perdita, all of them knowing that cooking wasn’t her thing.
    ‘Darling! This is delicious,’ said Kitty. ‘I didn’t think I liked lamb rare, but this is really tender.’
    ‘No thanks to me. That was the organic butcher,’ said Perdita.
    ‘Well, the veggies are down to you,’ said Janey. ‘And cooked just right.’ She blushed and glanced at Lucas to see if this comment on culinary matters was acceptable to him.
    ‘The vegetables are fine,’ agreed Lucas. ‘No marks for presentation, but they taste fresh.’
    ‘So, what about the gravy?’ Perdita demanded provocatively.
    Lucas regarded her. ‘Let’s not spoil a pleasant occasion by discussing it.’
    ‘I think it’s jolly good,’ said William. ‘Is there any more?’
     
    ‘And what is this?’ asked Lucas, as Perdita handed him a glass dish.
    ‘It’s trifle,’