Free Recipe for Love by Katie Fforde

suppose so.’
    Susan made a gesture towards her shelves. ‘Have a look at the bottled fruit then.’
    ‘Bullaces? What on earth are bullaces? I’ve never heard of them,’ Zoe said a few moments later.
    ‘A sort of wild plum. They grow in the hedgerows and we had masses last year. My mother does the bottling.’
    Zoe picked up the jar and inspected the small yellow fruit that looked like golden opals. ‘I’ll definitely have some of these. Now, do you do cream?’
    ‘Of course I do! And I defy you to find any better in the county.’
     
    After a little more shopping, mainly in farm shops, they arrived back at Somerby. Zoe was relieved they hadn’t bumped into anyone on the way. Not that she was doing anything illegal but she still felt she probably shouldn’t have been spending so much time with one of the judges. She was delighted with her purchases and, what’s more, although Gideon had been there, he didn’t know exactly what she planned to cook. She found she liked the idea of surprising him in particular. Fenella and Rupert had organised tea for them all and Zoe was looking forward to cream tea – one that she had nothing to do with making.
    Gideon parked in front of the house and Zoe got out. As she did so Cher appeared from beside the house. That girl had a sixth sense, thought Zoe guiltily.
    ‘Oh, hello. We wondered where you were. You found a lift then?’
    Now Gideon got out causing Cher to stare and then bridle.
    ‘Oh! I see!’ She giggled fetchingly. ‘Isn’t it against the rules to get pally with the judges?’
    ‘It’s against the rules to make it impossible for contestants to source their ingredients,’ said Gideon calmly.
    ‘Did I do that?’ Cher was all innocence.
    ‘You got in a cab all by yourself which meant there wasn’t room for Zoe,’ he explained.
    ‘Duh! Sorree! There seemed to be loads of cabs.’ Her fake remorse involved looking at Gideon upwards under her false eyelashes and smiling.
    ‘Well, never mind, I’ve got what I need now,’ said Zoe.
    Just for a second she felt she’d rather do without anything to cook with than watch Cher flirt with Gideon, but then she gave herself a mental shake. That was ridiculous. Gideon seemed impervious to Cher’s wiles and anyway she, Zoe, had no claim on him.
    Their carefully marked packets of food handed in for safe-keeping, ready for the challenge the next day, and a wonderful spread consumed, everyone wandered back to their accommodation. They had some free time before dinner.
    As Cher had got into the shower while Zoe was giving Fenella her shopping, Zoe switched on her laptop while she was waiting, aware Cher might take a while. Zoe was looking for a recipe. She’d just about tracked down the one she wanted when Cher emerged wrapped in a towel and peered over her shoulder, her nearness causing a drip to land on the keyboard. Zoe closed down the site and switched off her laptop.
    ‘Being a bit precious about what you’re planning to cook, aren’t you?’ Cher said.
    ‘Am I? What are you planning then?’ Zoe asked.
    ‘Oh, not telling! Unless you tell me, of course. We wouldn’t want to be doing the same thing, after all.’
    Zoe was not a natural games player but she was beginning to learn. ‘Oh, OK,’ she said brightly. ‘It does make sense. You go first.’
    Cher’s expression hardened almost imperceptibly as she dressed. She didn’t seem to mind doing so in front of Zoe but then with a body like hers she had nothing to hide. ‘No, you.’ She was now preening herself in front of the mirror.
    ‘Right. Well, I thought I’d do this thing that was in a book of my mother’s. Basically it’s choux pastry that you deep fry.’
    Cher made a face. ‘Dreadfully fattening!’
    ‘That won’t matter. We don’t have to eat them. What about you?’
    ‘Oh, I haven’t decided yet. I need a bit more time to think about it.’
    Zoe considered protesting but the truth was she hadn’t decided on her entire menu herself.