Secrets of the Heart (12 page)

The
whole of the kitchen staff watched and waited with interest.

A
flush of colour swept across Stella's cheeks. Her green eyes glittered with anger as they met Annis's, but she spoke coolly.

`I'm afraid I can't be spared, so I suppose you'll have to stay for the time being. But I shall look into the situation.'

Turning
abruptly, a furious look on her face, Stella swept out of the room.

`Why
didn't you tell her Mr Hadley had sanctioned you being here?' asked Lisa, looking worried.

`I
wasn't aware that the kitchen came under her jurisdiction,' Annis replied calmly, and was surprised to encounter one or two shocked stares.

‘B
ut Mrs Freeman is management and she's Mr Hadley's PA,' Lisa said in hushed tones, staring at Annis with a mixture of fear and shocked admiration on her face.

`Yes,
I know that, but it doesn't give her the right to throw her weight around in your kitchen, does it?' said Annis. ‘Now then, shall I take some of this stuff over to the marquee?'

`It's
about time someone stood up to that Mrs Freeman,' one of the waiters said as they entered the marquee. 'She's got too much influence; for some reason, people are in awe of her.'

`Well,
I'm not,' Annis said, 'and I'm sure Chef isn't either.'

* * *

Both receptions went smoothly, and Lisa's cooking was praised by several of the guests. Afterwards, Annis helped to clear away, and then assisted Lisa with the staff meal. Much later still, the kitchen staff sat down thankfully to their own supper in the kitchen.

‘
It's been great having you here today,' Lisa told Annis. 'It's good to find someone who's prepared to muck in at a moment's notice, isn't it, guys?'

The
rest of the kitchen staff nodded. Annis knew four of them from years back when Lisa had been only a junior. Although they were friendly enough now, she had felt, back then, that there was some kind of barrier between them.

`Things
have certainly altered since the last time I was here,’ Annis ventured to say now.

‘And not all of the changes have been for the better,’ said Harry, one of the porters. ‘It’s not nearly so easy-going here as it used to be. There seem to be too many chiefs these days.’

‘Everything’s OK, providing we tow the line and stick to the rules,’ Millie added.

‘Well, you’ve got to have a system, otherwise where would you be? But we don’t have so much of a laugh nowadays,’ someone else said.

‘We could have done with you being here a few years back, Annis — times were rough then,’ Lisa added.  

There was a note of reproach in her voice and Annis couldn’t blame her.
Suddenly she realised just how selfish she’d been, so wrapped up in her own misery. She hadn’t spared a thought for the others, or bothered to enquire how they’d coped directly during the months after the fire when the Mill had been closed and they had been out of work.

She
knew that Harry had a disabled mother and that one of the ladies cared for her young granddaughter. Each had their own problems, and she suddenly realised that they must all be wondering why she hadn't bothered to come back after the fire to see how they were all coping.

Ross
came into the kitchen just then, full of praise for the way the day had gone.

`You
can be proud of yourselves. There have been a number of compliments. Tomorrow should be very much easier. About twenty guests are arriving late afternoon for the conference on Monday. The rest of them won't be coming until Monday morning. We'll run through the menus tomorrow, Lisa, and thanks, Annis, for your input today.' He nodded to Annis, smiling. ‘It's good to know we can rely on you in a crisis.'

Annis
met Harry's eyes, and suddenly she couldn't bear the unspoken accusation any longer. She got to her feet and with a murmured excuse went from the room.

A
few minutes later, she found herself walking round the lake in the late evening sunshine. She had realised suddenly, and with startling clarity, that she needed to face up to the past if she was ever going to move on.

It
was also obvious to her now that several of her former colleagues felt that she had let them down by staying away for so long.

She
stopped to watch a moorhen weaving in and out of the rushes and then she saw Ross approaching her from the other side of the lake. Her immediate reaction was to pretend that she hadn't seen him and retreat, but she realised it was too late. A few moments later he had caught up with her.

`You're
not running away again, Annis?' he asked.

`Of
course not. I'm just reflecting on a few things, that's all.'

`Well,
you've certainly proved your worth today. Lisa and the others can't sing your praises enough. It's a pity you didn't tell Stella I'd agreed to you working in the kitchen, though. It would have saved her a bit of embarrassment.'

`I
can't imagine Stella being embarrassed about anything,' Annis said, staring at him coldly. 'In any case, why did she feel the need to interfere with what was going on in the kitchen? When I worked here previously, everyone ran their own department, with Bryn and Arnie at the helm. Everyone respected what everyone else did, and didn't interfere.'

Ross's
eyes glinted. 'Things have changed since you were here last, Annis, and the sooner you realise that the better. We can't put the clock back, so we just have to move on. Stella has been a pillar of support during these past few months. She's my right-hand woman. Sadly, since the accident Bryn hasn't been able to take such an active part as he used to do.'

`So
you go off and make all the decisions and present them to him as a
fait
accompli
?
'

`You're
determined to see me in a bad light, aren't you?' He sighed. 'We all try not to put him under too much pressure, but as you're fully aware, he still has the final say.'

‘F
or the moment, at any rate,' she countered, and met his angry gaze.

He
cast a pebble into the lake, as if to gain control.

`Well,
anyway, Sally will be back on Monday, so I guess you'll be heading back to London soon?'

Annis
met his gaze levelly. 'There's no particular rush. I've got another week's leave, and I don't suppose Chef will be back for at least a week.'

`No,
but we've got someone coming from the agency on Tuesday and our sous chef will be back by then, too. I've been to see Niall. He's been under a lot of pressure recently and the doctor's signed him off for a couple of weeks, but his wife will be back in a few days. Our sous chef will naturally take charge once he's here, but if Sally or yourself can be spared until he gets back, then we'd obviously be grateful for your help.'

`Of
course.' Annis thought for a moment, and then she told Ross, `Coming here has made me do a lot of thinking about my situation.'

`So
you didn't come merely to visit Sally and Bryn?'

`At
first, yes, but now I've taken a long, hard look at myself and I realise that it's high time I let go of the past. I've told Bryn I'd like to come back permanently.'

There
was a laden silence.

`I
see,' he said at last. 'You're full of surprises, aren't you? Ever since you've been here, you've made it painfully clear that you disapprove of most of the changes. And yet . . . '

She
folded her arms. 'Yes, well, in the past we all pulled together and relationships were good. I've been on a few team-building courses while I've been working in London, and I suppose I must have learned something.'

To
her surprise, he nodded. 'I'll admit there have been a few problems recently, but this is a business and . . . '

`There's
no sentiment in business!' she finished, echoing the phrase she had heard him use before. 'You know, you're in danger of losing the caring atmosphere that made this place what it was. You'll get far more work out of the staff if they're happy in their environment and know that they're valued.'

He
fell silent once more, and she wondered if she had gone too far. But he appeared to be mulling her words over in his mind.

`You've
had your say, so now let me have mine. You've stated that you want to let go of the past fine. But in doing so, you'll have to be prepared to accept the changes. We do things differently now and there's no going back. We've got to move forward, however hard it may be for you.' He looked levelly at her. 'Personally I'm not at all sure that you're suited to the present way of working.'

Annis
gaped at him, unable to believe her ears.

`I've
worked my socks off for the past fortnight in order to prove to you and Tristan that I can make a valuable contribution to the workforce!'

`Yes,
I don't deny that, but you've also got to prove that you're prepared to work as part of this new regime, and I'm not sure that you are. Anyway, we've both had a long day. Think about what I've said. I'm going to have a drink in the bar before turning in

care
to join me?'

She
bit back an angry retort. `Another time, perhaps. I've got an early start in the morning.'

Annis
went to her room and off to bed with a heavy heart.

Chapter Eight

On
Sunday, Annis got up early and lent a hand with the breakfasts. Lisa's sister, April, had arrived to help out, and everything was nicely under control. Lisa said that they could manage until around four o'clock, so, when Bryn asked if she would like to accompany him and Ross to church that morning, Annis accepted, determined to put her differences with Ross aside.

The
Norman church was beautifully cool, and sun streamed through the stained glass windows creating dancing rainbow patterns on the floor. It was a lovely service and afterwards they went up to Andrew's grave for a few moments, and placed some fresh flowers.

As
Ross drove them home, Bryn said, `We'll have coffee in the garden this morning. Tristan's on the desk and Vicki's offered to do a stint in the kitchen, so you'll have no excuses, either of you.'

Ross
went off to rustle up some coffee, and Annis escorted Bryn into the garden and settled him on a comfortable seat beneath an arbour of roses.

`So,
what do you reckon to the garden, Annis? Like it, do you?'

`It's
beautiful — John's done an amazing job.'

`It's
a quiet sanctuary after a busy day's work. We're planning to have a fountain here, in memory of Andrew.'

`He
would have liked that,' Annis said quietly.

Presently,
Ross returned with the coffee and, sitting in the peaceful surroundings of the garden with the bees droning in and out of the lavender, she could almost forget what Ross had said to her the previous day. He was looking very relaxed that morning and was very attentive to Bryn's needs.

For
the next half hour or so, they discussed village activities and the next project that John had in mind for the garden. When Annis got to her feet, saying that she would go and see if they needed any help in the kitchen over lunchtime, Bryn insisted that she sat down again.

`Annis,
I've told you, it's all sorted! Tristan is doing a turn on reception and Vicki's lending a hand in the kitchen. Both you and Ross need some off-duty time, and I'm going to see that you get it.'

Ross
and Annis exchanged looks.

`You're
both coming out to lunch with me,' Bryn announced. 'It's all arranged. I've booked a table at 'The Chestnut Tree'.'

Ross
winked at Annis and she smiled back, knowing from past experience that it would be useless to argue with Bryn, for he was a very determined character.

To
get to 'The Chestnut Tree' they drove along winding country lanes, past hedgerows starred with dog roses, until they reached the restaurant, which nestled on the outskirts of a village not far from where Sally's parents lived.

It
was a delightful meal in a pleasant environment and Ross was at his most charming. Annis couldn't help wondering if Bryn had an ulterior motive in inviting both of them.

Presently,
he set down his knife and fork and sighed with satisfaction.

`That
was a good roast. I shall send my compliments to the chef.'

Over
dessert he said, 'So, now that you've been here for a while Annis, have you come up with any explanation for all the problems Sally's been experiencing of late? It's not like her to be careless.'

Annis
was aware that Ross was watching her keenly, but she had to be honest.

`I
only wish I could give you an answer, but I'm afraid I can't at present, except that I don't believe Sally is to blame. She's far too efficient. So perhaps we should be looking elsewhere.'

Ross
frowned and Bryn raised his hand. 'OK, we'll leave it for now. It doesn't look as if we're going to get to the bottom of the matter in five minutes. Let's just hope Sally returns from her course with her batteries recharged. And now that Annis is soon to replace Zoe, albeit on a temporary basis to begin with, then Sally won't feel under so much pressure. So, who's for coffee?'

Annis
shot a look at Ross and saw that his mouth was set in a grim line. He had made it clear that he wasn't exactly ecstatic about her appointment and she knew that she would have her work cut out to prove herself.

`By
the way, before I forget, I'm coming to sit in on one of the client interviews tomorrow morning, Annis,' Bryn told her. 'I thought I'd take up your suggestion and become more involved.'

`That's
really good news, Bryn,' she said, smiling at him.

* * *

Back at the Mill, Ross followed Annis out into the garden.

`I
don't know about you but after that lunch I could do with a spot of exercise before going back on duty,' he said. 'Fancy a game of tennis?'

Taken
by surprise, she found herself agreeing and hurried off to change into shorts and T-shirt. She tied her hair back with a piece of ribbon and went along to the courts where Ross was waiting for her, swinging a couple of racquets.

He
looked even more attractive in his white shorts and T-shirt, which showed off his tan to advantage.

He
was good at tennis. They had the courts to themselves and Annis found herself enjoying his company more than she had expected. If only it could always be like this.

The
time went by quickly, and it was almost four o'clock before she realised it.

As they came off the court, Stella came out from reception looking extremely glamorous in a jade coloured dress, her dark curls beautifully styled. Beside her, Annis felt sticky and untidy.

`Ah,
there you are, Ross! I thought we could go for a drive out into the country. It's far too nice a day to be stuck indoors.'

Ross
gave her a charming smile. `Sorry, Stella, but I'm just about to go back on duty.'

Stella
looked sulky and took his arm. `Can't you swap with Tristan?'

Ross
shook his head. 'No, sorry. Some other time maybe?' And he strode away towards the staff quarters, leaving Annis and Stella standing.

Stella
turned to smile coolly at Annis.

`Ross
is an absolute darling so considerate of others but he's also something of a workaholic. One word of warning, Annis he's not a bit like Andrew, except in looks, of course.' Annis murmured something about going to the kitchen and walked away, wondering what message Stella was trying to convey. Was she trying to warn her off? Well, she needn't worry: Annis had no intention of getting involved with him, even though her emotions were inexplicably in turmoil.

* * *

On Monday morning, Annis was busy with breakfasts for the conference delegates when Tristan put in an appearance in the kitchen.

`So,
this is where you've been hiding! I wondered where you'd got to this morning, Annis. How are things?'

`Fine,'
she told him briskly. 'Everything’s under control, isn't it, Lisa?'

Lisa
nodded and went on serving up bacon and eggs.

`Good,
then I'll leave you to it. Are you here all morning, Annis?'

`No,
I'm going over to the office shortly. Sally should be in just before nine.'

But
Sally was already in the office when Annis got there.

`How
was the course?' Annis asked her.

`Brilliant!
I feel like a new woman.' Sally grinned. 'Thanks for holding the fort. How's it been?'

`Everything
went according to plan no hitches.'

`Well,
I'm glad about that, but,’ Sally looked doubtful ‘— doesn't that prove that I'm the one who's making all the mistakes?'

`How
do you work that out? We'll just have to hope things go more smoothly from now on and be extra vigilant about spotting mistakes before they get into the system. Anyway, there have been plenty of problems in other directions — so brace yourself.'

Annis
told her about the problems in the kitchen.

`Oh,
poor Chef — and poor Niall. I thought he'd been looking under a bit of strain recently. Stella's pretty good at putting her foot in it. Anyway, it just goes to show what a decent lot they are here, all being prepared to rally round like that.'

`Yes,
but that's how it ought to be all of the time,' Annis pointed out.

Sally
was looking through the appointments book.

`You
know, I enjoyed that course so much! It restored some of my confidence, and I began to think that if it wasn't for Uncle Bryn I'd leave here — apply for a job elsewhere.'

Annis
stared at her, knowing that she must persuade her not to take such a drastic step.

`Sally,
don't you dare leave not when I've just packed in my London job so that I can come back here.'

Sally
gave a whoop of delight and hugged her friend.

`That's
the best news I've heard in a long time! Things are certainly looking up!'

`Oh,
and I nearly forgot: Bryn's coming down to sit in on the client interviews this morning,' Annis informed her. 'I told you I'd suggested he should get more involved.'

`Well,
you've certainly achieved results since I've been away,' Sally said admiringly.

`I'm
doing my best. How do you fancy a stint in the kitchen while I do the second interview?'

Sally
beamed at her. 'I'd love to you know how I like cooking.'

`And
if we share the interviews and anything goes wrong in the future, then we can share the blame, too!' Annis teased.

Sally
pulled a face. 'Don't say that! I'm just hoping everything's sorted itself out.'

* * *

Bryn appeared in the office just before ten o'clock. The first clients were a rather nervous-looking girl and her mother. The girl was obviously under her mother's thumb, and Annis and Sally had to coax her to say what she really wanted — while being continually interrupted by her mother, who wanted to have everything her own way.

It
required a great deal of tact and diplomacy to handle them, and after they'd departed an hour and a quarter later, Bryn congratulated both Sally and Annis on the way they'd dealt with the situation.

He
expressed a wish to go over to the boutique to see Madame Cecile, and, since the next clients weren't due to arrive for another hour, Annis volunteered to go with him, while Sally escaped to the kitchen.

Bryn
leaned heavily on Annis's arm as they walked across the grass.

`It
was a good idea of yours to get me more involved, Annis. I was turning into a bit of an old stick-in-the-mud up there in my flat.'

`Well,
it's far too nice a day to be indoors,' Annis told him.

Madame
Cecile looked up and smiled as they entered the boutique.

`Mr
Freeman, how delightful to see you — and Miss Fuller, too.'

Annis sat down out of the way while Bryn and Madame Cecile sat near the front counter, deep in conversation, bent over the order book.

Annis
took the opportunity to look about her. It was an attractive little shop, tastefully furnished. In a corner of the room, Lara sat stitching away, wearing a perpetual frown.

Annis
observed her while pretending to look at a glossy magazine, but suddenly the woman glanced up and met her gaze, and Annis was startled by the bleak misery in her eyes.

Perhaps
she had an unhappy home life, Annis speculated, and on impulse crossed to Lara's side and bent to examine the gown she was working on.

`That's
beautiful, Lara. You really are gifted.'

Just
for a moment, the woman's face softened.

`Thank
you, Miss Fuller, but I can't take all the credit — Madame does so much of the work herself.'

Overhearing,
Madame Cecile looked across at them. `Cara is too modest. We all play an important part. We aim to satisfy our customers.'

Millie
came rushing in just as Annis and Bryn were about to leave the shop later. Her face lit up when she saw the old man.

`Hello,
Millie of Heathercote Mill,' he quipped.

`Uncle
Bryn, what are you doing here?'

`Camille!'
her mother chided, frowning sternly at her daughter's familiar tone.

`I
thought it was about time I paid you all a visit. How's life in the kitchen?' Bryn asked Millie, smiling at her indulgently.