Snowy Christmas by Helen Scott Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

week at Rosemoor Hall, along
with more mundane jobs like meeting the window cleaner and the man
who valeted Marcus's cars, Emily drew up a list of local farms to
supply organic vegetables, meat, and cow's dairy products. Where
possible, she selected Rosemoor tenant farmers.
    She spent a lot of the week doing her
favorite thing, cooking. She prepared some of the dishes from the
wedding menu they were offering to clients for Vicky and Marcus to
sample.
    Once she finished preparing a batch of
desserts, she arranged them on the massive old table in the middle
of the kitchen at Rosemoor, just down the corridor from her
apartment. The appliances were circa 1950, but Emily loved the huge
old stove. It actually cooked really well.
    Marcus had supplied her with the modern small
appliances and kitchen tools she'd asked for, and she hummed to
herself as she worked while Snow White followed her around,
patiently waiting for scraps to fall on the floor.
    "Desserts are bad for you, sweetie." Emily
wanted to stroke her dog, but resisted while she was cooking
because it was unhygienic. The local environmental health officer
had instructed that no pets be allowed in the kitchen, but she was
only preparing samples for Vicky and Marcus to try.
    She arranged the small ramekins of crème
brûlée decorated with bunches of red currants on a lace tablecloth.
Then she added the portions of sticky toffee pudding, the chocolate
pots de crème decorated with shaved chocolate, her signature
dessert, and finally a tray loaded with individual apple and
blackberry crumbles, along with their small jugs of steaming yellow
custard.
    "Are you ready for the photos?" Vicky brought
in a young man from the village who was studying photography. He'd
been coming in to take shots to go in their new brochure, and he'd
already photographed the main courses she'd prepared earlier in the
week.
    "Yes, just about. Tell me if I need to
rearrange anything."
    She stepped aside and poured cups of tea for
herself and Vicky. They leaned back against the kitchen counter and
watched as the teenager angled his camera and clicked the
shutter.
    "By the way, Jonathan asked me to take him a
crème brûlée. He has a bit of a sweet tooth," Vicky said.
    "Of course. As soon as the photos are done,
I'll hide a crème brûlée in the fridge. I'm sure Marcus can't eat
them all."
    "What are you planning to hide from me?"
Marcus said, striding in with Peggy at his heels.
    "You'll get fat if you eat all these
desserts." Vicky prodded his middle.
    "I'm addicted to Emily's sticky toffee
pudding. Weird, as I always thought I was a savory kinda guy."
    "Well, I think you're sweet." Emily meant the
words as a joke, but as she met his deep brown gaze, the familiar
bump in her pulse made her flush.
    The chemistry between them made her nerves
tingle whenever he was in the room, yet he'd kept his distance from
her since last weekend. Was it possible the attraction was all
one-sided?
    Of course, she should be grateful for his
restraint. Eventually she would get over this silly crush on her
boss, and she'd still have a job she loved, a place to stay, and a
way to pay her debts.
    Once the photographer had finished, Marcus,
Vicky, and Emily all grabbed teaspoons and dipped into the
desserts, sampling everything.
    Vicky closed her eyes. "Mmm. Your chocolate
pots are heavenly. You must give me the recipe."
    Dog claws clattering on the tile floor
heralded Paddy, dashing in to greet Peggy and Snow White. Owen and
Chloe followed him in through the door a few moments later.
    Chloe squealed when she saw the table laden
with desserts. "Can I try them?"
    "Of course. Grab a spoon."
    Chloe went straight to the chocolate pots,
demolishing one in a few mouthfuls.
    "Slow down, cocoa puff," Owen said. "You'll
make yourself sick."
    "Don't call me that, Dad. It makes me sound
like a baby."
    "I'd say the name is rather appropriate now
that you're full of chocolate." Marcus tugged playfully on her
ponytail and she gave him a