Read Online The Way to a Woman's Heart by Christina Jones - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christina Jones
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and that’s why the pan caught fire –’
‘Absolute crap!’ Ella exploded.
Poll laughed. ‘Nice to see you’re keeping an open mind. Actually, Trixie also said that she thought a bad elf –’
‘Oh, Poll,’ Ash spluttered, ‘come on. Bad elves and wicked fairies, please…’
‘You and I may not believe in fairies – although I’m not entirely sure about me – but if Trixie does, and it makes her happy, then who are we to point fingers?’
‘But she blamed the fairies for setting fire to her house!’ Ella snorted. ‘Which means she’s totally barking and won’t take any responsibility for anything because she can always blame it on the fairies. I think she sounds like one huge risk.’
‘Which is exactly what everyone once said about Mitzi Blessing in Hazy Hassocks.’
‘Mitzi Blessing?’
‘Oh, you’ll love Mitzi. Everyone does. She’s become quitea good friend since I moved here. And, come to think of it, she’s got a couple of lovely girls working with her who’re roughly about your age. Amber Flanagan and Cleo Maguire. We’ll have to get you together. You’ll need some youngsters to pal up with locally. I’m sure you’ll be itching to get out on the town before too long.’
Ash looked serious. ‘Sounds like a good idea, Ella. I’ve heard there’re some great whist drives and barn dances in these villages.’
‘Oh, ha-ha.’ Ella poked out her tongue.
‘Children!’ Poll frowned. ‘Where was I? Ah, yes, Mitzi. Mitzi has a really successful herbal cookery outlet – Hubble Bubble – and several uninformed people have accused her of witchcraft over the years. You’ll see – it’ll be just the same with poor Trixie. Mocked for believing in things that other people don’t understand. Anyway, Trixie couldn’t possibly be mad. She wears twinsets.’
‘Oh, that’s OK then,’ Ella giggled. ‘An insane arsonist fairy-believer in a twinset. Super.’
‘Don’t prejudge either of them, Ella. You wait until you meet them. They’re both sweethearts. Like Ash.’
Ash blushed.
‘And I thought it might be nice if we cooked a special welcome dinner for them. Ash can do the soup, I’ll do the main and you can do the pud. Does that sound OK with you two?’
‘Great,’ Ash said, leaning back in his chair. ‘It’ll be fantastic to work in your kitchen.’
‘Lovely. Ella?’
‘Yes, of course. You’ll just have to remind me what kleptomaniacs and arsonists like to eat.’
‘Now I know you’re teasing,’ Poll laughed. ‘But, seriously, now you know what I want to do and why I need you here, it hasn’t put you off, has it?’
‘I’d agreed to a three month trial – so I’m not going to renege on that. But I’m still honestly really not sure about it… them.’
‘You will be.’ Poll leaned across the table dangling beads in the cheese and pickles again and hugged her. ‘Thank you so much. You’re a real star. And you’ll love them as much as I do – and once you’ve met them, you’ll never want to leave here, I promise you.’
Chapter Nine
‘Sleep well?’ Poll looked up from the cooker as Ella, in cutoff jeans and a pale-blue T-shirt, pattered into the sun-filled kitchen the following morning.
‘Zonked,’ Ella said happily. ‘I haven’t slept like that in years. The bed just sort of snuggled round me and just as I was thinking I’d never get used to the darkness or the silence or being away from home, it was morning again. I didn’t even hear my alarm clock. Sorry if I’ve overslept. I know I should be working and getting George up and seeing to his breakfast and everything.’
‘Not today.’ Poll handed her a glass of orange juice and a mug of coffee. ‘Today we can all take things easy and get settled in properly before Billy and Trixie arrive tomorrow.’
‘But George –?’
‘Has been up since five and helped me collect the eggs for breakfast and is out in the garden adding more embellishments to your motorway.’ Poll
‘Absolute crap!’ Ella exploded.
Poll laughed. ‘Nice to see you’re keeping an open mind. Actually, Trixie also said that she thought a bad elf –’
‘Oh, Poll,’ Ash spluttered, ‘come on. Bad elves and wicked fairies, please…’
‘You and I may not believe in fairies – although I’m not entirely sure about me – but if Trixie does, and it makes her happy, then who are we to point fingers?’
‘But she blamed the fairies for setting fire to her house!’ Ella snorted. ‘Which means she’s totally barking and won’t take any responsibility for anything because she can always blame it on the fairies. I think she sounds like one huge risk.’
‘Which is exactly what everyone once said about Mitzi Blessing in Hazy Hassocks.’
‘Mitzi Blessing?’
‘Oh, you’ll love Mitzi. Everyone does. She’s become quitea good friend since I moved here. And, come to think of it, she’s got a couple of lovely girls working with her who’re roughly about your age. Amber Flanagan and Cleo Maguire. We’ll have to get you together. You’ll need some youngsters to pal up with locally. I’m sure you’ll be itching to get out on the town before too long.’
Ash looked serious. ‘Sounds like a good idea, Ella. I’ve heard there’re some great whist drives and barn dances in these villages.’
‘Oh, ha-ha.’ Ella poked out her tongue.
‘Children!’ Poll frowned. ‘Where was I? Ah, yes, Mitzi. Mitzi has a really successful herbal cookery outlet – Hubble Bubble – and several uninformed people have accused her of witchcraft over the years. You’ll see – it’ll be just the same with poor Trixie. Mocked for believing in things that other people don’t understand. Anyway, Trixie couldn’t possibly be mad. She wears twinsets.’
‘Oh, that’s OK then,’ Ella giggled. ‘An insane arsonist fairy-believer in a twinset. Super.’
‘Don’t prejudge either of them, Ella. You wait until you meet them. They’re both sweethearts. Like Ash.’
Ash blushed.
‘And I thought it might be nice if we cooked a special welcome dinner for them. Ash can do the soup, I’ll do the main and you can do the pud. Does that sound OK with you two?’
‘Great,’ Ash said, leaning back in his chair. ‘It’ll be fantastic to work in your kitchen.’
‘Lovely. Ella?’
‘Yes, of course. You’ll just have to remind me what kleptomaniacs and arsonists like to eat.’
‘Now I know you’re teasing,’ Poll laughed. ‘But, seriously, now you know what I want to do and why I need you here, it hasn’t put you off, has it?’
‘I’d agreed to a three month trial – so I’m not going to renege on that. But I’m still honestly really not sure about it… them.’
‘You will be.’ Poll leaned across the table dangling beads in the cheese and pickles again and hugged her. ‘Thank you so much. You’re a real star. And you’ll love them as much as I do – and once you’ve met them, you’ll never want to leave here, I promise you.’
Chapter Nine
‘Sleep well?’ Poll looked up from the cooker as Ella, in cutoff jeans and a pale-blue T-shirt, pattered into the sun-filled kitchen the following morning.
‘Zonked,’ Ella said happily. ‘I haven’t slept like that in years. The bed just sort of snuggled round me and just as I was thinking I’d never get used to the darkness or the silence or being away from home, it was morning again. I didn’t even hear my alarm clock. Sorry if I’ve overslept. I know I should be working and getting George up and seeing to his breakfast and everything.’
‘Not today.’ Poll handed her a glass of orange juice and a mug of coffee. ‘Today we can all take things easy and get settled in properly before Billy and Trixie arrive tomorrow.’
‘But George –?’
‘Has been up since five and helped me collect the eggs for breakfast and is out in the garden adding more embellishments to your motorway.’ Poll
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