Recipe for Love (24 page)

She’d found some sow thistle, which would apparently make a nice salad but, more importantly, was easily recognisable. She also spotted some reachable ash keys but decided she didn’t want to make pickle. They didn’t yet know how long they’d have to cook their foraged dish. Beginning to worry that it was all a con and there was nothing edible in the wood, she went down into what might have once been a quarry and up the other side again. To her relief she spotted some coltsfoot, its huge semi-circular leaves reminding her how it got its name. At least she’d have one vegetable, she thought, and began to pile it into her basket. Then she heard a noise. She turned round. Gideon was on the top of the quarry, the place she had just come down from.

‘Zoe!’ he said.

Her heart gave a jolt and her brain could hardly take in what she was seeing. She had managed to put him out of her mind for at least half an hour, and she’d thought he was in the States so had stopped hoping to see him. Now that he had appeared her brain could hardly take in his presence.

Her instinct was to fling her basket into the bushes and
clamber
up the quarry and into his arms but her last remaining gram of sense stopped her. They could so easily be seen. A moment of impulsiveness could throw her chances of winning as easily as she could have chucked her basket. Her mouth had gone completely dry and her legs shook a little.

But then he smiled and started down towards her. Suddenly nothing seemed to matter, not Sylvie’s warnings, not the competition, not the potential shame, nothing. She moved to join him, barely aware of how she got there.

He was holding her in his arms before she remembered her resolution to give him up. Just before his lips met hers she realised all her virtuous plans had no chance. She was in love with him and if she got her heart broken so be it. Her passion swept all logic away.

They stayed welded together for long minutes, then at last broke away an inch or two.

‘God, I’ve missed you,’ he breathed into her hair.

Zoe gave a shuddering sigh. Now he was with her all her doubts disappeared. So what if he’d once been in love with someone else? So what if their being together meant that she might be thrown out of the competition? His arms were round her; nothing else was important. ‘How did you find me?’ she asked.

‘Rupert knew where you’d been brought. I found the others, saw you weren’t with them and went exploring.’ He paused. ‘Maybe it was my soul calling to your soul that helped me locate you.’

She giggled. ‘Silly!’ she said, but in her heart she wished he’d meant it. Wanting to get nearer to him again she pushed her arms under his coat so she could press her face against his shirt front. He smelt lovely. His arms encircled her more tightly and he lowered his head so he could rest it on her hair. Eventually she said, ‘I dropped my coltsfoot.’

‘I’ll help you get more.’ He paused, suddenly serious. ‘Actually, if I help you, would you mind going back early? I’ve got the car.’

For a moment Zoe thought he was about to suggest something romantic, but he seemed concerned, as if he’d remembered something that was bothering him. ‘Why? What’s the problem?’

‘It’s Fen. I think the baby might be coming.’

‘Goodness, but that isn’t a problem, is it?’

‘I don’t know. They wouldn’t really tell me.’

‘Now you’re not really telling me!’ Zoe was starting to worry. ‘What’s going on?’

‘I’m not sure, but Rupert said he’d find out if you’d mind coming back early, and then Fen said, “No, Rupes! We’ve already made her mess up one challenge, I’m not doing it again.” So Rupert said, “Oh, OK.” But he looked worried.’

‘But you don’t really know why?’

He shrugged. ‘It might be because Fen was frantically cleaning the kitchen and muttering about beds and things.’

‘Women about to give birth do clean,’ said Zoe, glad that she knew this and so needn’t worry about it.

‘I don’t think this is to do with nesting,’ said Gideon, ‘but more because Rupert’s parents are coming. I gather they’re not easy guests. Rupert would have asked Sarah but she’s up to her eyes in weddings. It’s her busiest time of the year.’

Zoe began to understand. Rupert thought Fenella ought to go to hospital but Fenella didn’t want his parents arriving and finding the place in a state. But nor did she want to ask Zoe to help, because she was in a competition. ‘I tell you what, let’s pick as much as we can for me to make something and then go back.’

‘Good idea. You mustn’t risk your chance in the
competition
. That would be a real waste when you’ve done so well so far.’

His words brought her up short. When she first saw Gideon again she had thought ‘all for love and the world well lost’, only for her it meant the competition rather than the world. But now she realised it was madness. Gideon was right. The competition was important, but so was Fenella. She’d find a way to do both. She had to.

‘I don’t want to let Fen down. She’s become a real friend.’

‘You won’t let her down if you pick a few more weeds,’ said Gideon.

She was diverted by his sceptical expression. ‘Not a fan of foraging, then?’

He shrugged. ‘I think it may be a fad, but you didn’t hear me say that. It’s possible someone may create a dish one day that doesn’t taste of compost.’

Zoe received an instant shot of extra enthusiasm for the task. She had to impress Gideon and convince him that she could make anything taste good.

They found plenty of coltsfoot and more sow thistle and filled up the basket with dandelion leaves. ‘You know the French call this
pis-en-lit
, don’t you?’ asked Gideon, putting a handful in the basket.

‘Doesn’t everyone?’ said Zoe. ‘And they sell it in France. We get it for nothing.’ She inspected her booty. ‘I think we’ve got enough. We can’t fit anything else in.’

‘Good, then kiss me instead.’

They had just started back when Cher appeared from behind a tree. She was holding her mobile phone and as there was no reception in the wood Zoe suddenly panicked that she might have seen her and Gideon.

‘Hiya!’ Cher trilled. ‘Just taking some piccies of the
plants
, in case I need to pop out and get more later.’ She paused. ‘That and other interesting things.’

‘Good idea,’ said Zoe, ignoring her last comment.

‘So, Gideon,’ said Cher. ‘You’re back from the States.’

‘Obviously,’ said Gideon pleasantly.

‘And how did you manage to find Zoe?’

‘I just came across her by chance. I was lucky.’

He spoke so calmly and with such a complete lack of guilt that Zoe felt that Cher would be forced to accept this as the truth. At least she hoped she would.

Although Zoe wanted to go straight to the house to check on Fenella, Gideon insisted she went to the marquee. ‘Babies take ages. Find out what you need to do with your potential compost heap and then see Fen.’ He paused, seeing she was still concerned. ‘I’ll go to the house and if I think she needs you urgently, I’ll come and get you.’

She sighed. ‘OK.’ The fresh green plants that had looked so appetising when she gathered them had begun to wilt a little. She hoped she could prove Gideon wrong and turn them into something delicious.

Rupert was in the marquee providing tea for the judges and contestants.

‘How’s Fen?’ asked Zoe the moment she was near enough.

Rupert sighed. ‘Cleaning the guest bathroom.’ His opinion on his wife’s choice of activity was evident by the way he slammed a tin of biscuits on the table.

‘But Gideon said the baby was coming? said Cher.

‘I think it is, but she won’t go to hospital yet. I did ring the midwife, because she’s started having contractions, but she said if Fen’s still speaking it’s OK to hang on for a bit – but not to leave it too late.’

‘Helpful,’ said Anna Fortune.

‘I’ll take my tea up and see her, if that’s all right,’ said Zoe, looking at Anna.

Anna shrugged. ‘It’s up to you. You’re missing out on thinking time but it’s your choice.’

‘I have got a bit of an idea …’ Zoe lied.

Anna relented a little. ‘Well, everything you’ve picked has to be checked by Thorn to make sure it’s not poisonous, so go and see Fenella if it’ll make you feel better.’

Rupert walked back to the house with her. ‘I’d be grateful if you could talk her into going into hospital. I don’t want her having it here with only me in charge.’

‘God no!’ said Zoe, suddenly worried.

‘She keeps telling me first babies take ages,’ he said on a sigh. ‘I do hope she’s right!’

‘I’m sure she is. Everyone says that.’

‘So, what are you going to do for your foraging challenge?’ He paused. ‘Sorry! You don’t have to tell me. I just wanted a bit of distraction.’

‘I don’t mind you asking and I’m not really sure. How do you make any of it taste nice! I do wish it wasn’t a bit too late for wild garlic. There was some growing when I was at home just now, I saw it when I went riding, but it’s over in most places.’

‘Ah ha!’ said Rupert proudly. ‘We still have it! It’s in a gloomy bit that never gets any sun. I’ll show you.’

‘Oh, that would be fantastic! I could do pesto and pasta with a weed salad. At least I know that would taste nice.’

‘Then come this way.’

After she had gathered a generous amount she suddenly said, ‘You don’t think it’s cheating, do you?’

Rupert shrugged. ‘I have no idea. Maybe you’d better trot back and ask?’

Zoe didn’t trot, she galloped. She raced up to Fred and Anna. ‘I’ve just come across this amazing wild garlic.’ It was
only
half a lie. ‘Can I use it?’ They exchanged glances. Zoe could see that Fred would have said yes instantly but Anna was thinking about it. Gideon was busy with the others. They applied to him and after a shrug from him Anna at last said, ‘OK, it’s wild. Thorn will have to check you haven’t made a mistake and picked lily of the valley or anything toxic, but otherwise, I don’t see why you shouldn’t make use of what’s growing here and not in the wood.’

Having expressed her gratitude and added her garlic to her basket, she went back to the house more quickly than she’d gone to find the judges.

Fenella was on her hands and knees in the bathroom making noises that Zoe had never heard a human make before. When she became aware of Zoe she apologised. ‘Did I swear? Sorry! It’s just when the contractions come it helps.’

‘Shouldn’t you go to hospital? Rupert is really worried he’s going to have to deliver the baby himself – with the house full of people!’

‘I can’t go until I’ve finished this. Rupert’s parents are coming and they think I’m a first-class slut.’

‘Well, if you’re going to be a slut, be a classy one!’ said Zoe, joking to cover her anxiety. But Fenella was not in the mood for jokes. ‘Seriously, Fen,’ Zoe went on. ‘I can do this.’

‘What about the competition? I can’t let you jeopardise your chances for me again. The cupcake thing was bad enough.’ Then she clenched her eyes shut and panted, in obvious pain.

At this, Zoe decided she couldn’t bear to go on arguing about it. ‘I can do both. Right now, you and the baby are more important and if you need to go to hospital, you should go. If you can’t go without sterilising the bathroom first, I’ll do that for you.’

‘I can’t let you do that!’

‘I’m only doing pasta with pesto made from the wild garlic Rupert showed me and a salad. It won’t take long. Give me the Marigolds and the bleach.’

‘Are you really sure?’ asked Fenella, handing them over.

‘Yes! We can’t start anything yet because Thorn has to go through every bit of weed and stick in case it’s hemlock. That’ll take ages.’ Although Zoe now had what she needed to finish the bathroom, Fenella showed no signs of moving. ‘Shouldn’t you go now?’

Fenella shook her head. ‘I really don’t want to go too early. It would just mean hanging around for ages. I’m better off here.’

Zoe raised her eyes to heaven. ‘How far away is the hospital?’

‘Not far! Only about half an hour. The midwife said don’t come in too soon.’

‘Fen, that’s miles – ages away.’ Zoe pulled on the rubber gloves. ‘I think this is just the right time!.’

‘I don’t want to go before Rupert’s parents get here. They’re so difficult.’ Then Fenella settled into another contraction that seemed longer and more painful than the last Zoe had witnessed.

‘Why did you ask them to come?’ said Zoe when Fenella could speak again.

‘Ask them? Ask them? I didn’t bloody ask them! They said they were coming and nothing Rupert could say would stop them. They say they want to help.’

‘And will they?’

‘Good God no! They need to be waited on hand, foot and finger. Rupert’s mother’s idea of helping is to knit a shawl that needs to be washed by hand in early morning dew gathered by virgins.’

‘Goodness!’

‘And vests. Hand-knitted vests.’

‘But it’s nearly summer!’

‘Oh, don’t worry, they will have shrunk to postage stamps before it gets really warm.’

Zoe shook her head. ‘I’d leave the house and barricade the door if I were you. They’d go home eventually.’