Nina Harrington - Trouble on Her Doorstep

‘Richmond Square?’ she replied, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. ‘That’s the hotel where I booked a conference room for early February and…’

Then her brain caught up with the name he had given her, and she inhaled through her nose as his fingers slid away from hers and rested lightly on the counter.

‘Did you just say Beresford? As in the Beresford family of hotel-owners?’

A smile flickered across his lips, which instantly drew her gaze, and her stupid little heart skipped a beat at the transformation in this man’s face that one simple smile made.

Lord, he was gorgeous. Riveting.

Oh, smile at me again and make my blood soar. Please ?

And now she was ogling. How pathetic. Just because she was within touching distance of a real, live Beresford it did not mean that she had to go to pieces in front of him.

He gestured towards the nearest table and chairs.

‘You may need to sit down, Miss Flynn.’

Dear Reader

Tea .

My favourite hot drink.

Working from home means that I enjoy way too many cups of hot black tea with just a spoonful of whole milk than are probably good for me, but I couldn’t do without it.

Coffee is a definite second best!

And I am so picky when it comes to the type of tea I drink.

Yes, I am the girl who always takes my favourite tea bags with me whenever I go on holiday or to a hotel.

At one time tea was one of the most exotic and valuable trade goods, but we take it so much for granted in our modern world, where tea in every possible form and variety is so widely available.

It was a joy to be able to share my love of all things tea with my heroine, Dee Flynn, tea-lover extraordinaire and wannabe tea importer.

Dee is not afraid to share her love of black, green and even pure unroasted white tea with the uninitiated—especially when Sean Beresford is holding her tea festival in one of his hotels.

Sean might understand the hotel business, and he’s used to dealing with awkward customers. But a woman like Dee Flynn…? That is entirely different! They come from different worlds. But the one thing that unites them is their passion for what they do, for the people who love them—and for one another.

I loved following Dee and Sean on their journey to love and I hope that you do too.

And here is one more treat to look forward to.

Dee’s friend Lottie and Sean’s brother Rob may both be chefs but they come from completely different worlds. Would they be willing to risk everything for love? Watch out for my next foodie romance book which will be coming your way soon.

I am always delighted to hear from my readers, and you can get in touch via my website at: www.NinaHarrington.com

Every best wish

Nina

Trouble

on Her Doorstep

Nina Harrington

www.millsandboon.co.uk

NINA HARRINGTONgrew up in rural Northumberland, England, and decided at the age of eleven that she was going to be a librarian—because then she could read all of the books in the public library whenever she wanted! Since then she has been a shop assistant, community pharmacist, technical writer, university lecturer, volcano walker and industrial scientist, before taking a career break to realise her dream of being a fiction writer. When she is not creating stories which make her readers smile, her hobbies are cooking, eating, enjoying good wine—and talking, for which she has had specialist training.

This and other titles by Nina Harrington are available in ebook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Excerpt

ONE

Tea, glorious tea. A celebration of teas from around the world.

There is no better way to lift your spirits than a steaming hot cup of builders’ brew. Two sugars, lots of milk. White china beaker. Blend of Kenyan and Indian leaf tea. Brewed in a pot. Because one cup is never enough.

From Flynn’s Phantasmagoria of Tea

Tuesday

‘Ladies, ladies, ladies. No squabbling, please. Yes, I know that he was totally out of order but those are the rules. What happens in the Bake and Bitch club...?’

Dee Flynn lifted her right hand and waved it towards the women clustered about the cake display as though she was conducting a concert orchestra.

The women put down their tea cups, glanced at one another, shrugged their shoulders and raised their right hands.

‘Stays in the Bake and Bitch club,’ a chorus of sing-song voices replied, a second before they burst into laughter and sank back into their chairs around the long pine table.

‘Okay. I might not be able to snitch, but I still cannot believe that the faker tried to pass that sponge cake off as his own work,’ Gloria sniggered as she poured another cup of Darjeeling and dunked in a homemade hazelnut biscotti. ‘Every woman at the junior school bake sale knew that it was Lottie’s triple-decker angel drool cake and you can hardly mistake that icing. We all know how hard it is to make, after last week’s efforts.’

‘Hey! Don’t be so hard on yourself,’ Lottie replied. ‘That was one of my best recipes and chiffon sponge is not the easiest to get right. You never know; I might have become one dad’s inspiration to greater things.’

A chorus of ‘Boo,’ and ‘Not likely,’ echoed around the table.

‘Well, never mind about dads wanting to show off at the school bake sale in front of the other fabulous baked creations you gals create. We have five more minutes before your cakes come out of the oven so there is just enough time for you to taste my latest recipe for a February special. This is the cake I am going to demonstrate next week.’

With a flourish reserved for the finest award-winning restaurants where she and Dee had trained, Lottie Rosemount waited until every one of the girls had stopped talking and was looking at the cake plate at the centre of the table, before whipping away the central metal dome and revelling in the gasp of appreciation.

‘Individual cupcakes. Dark chocolate and raspberry with white-chocolate hearts. And just in time for Valentine’s Day. What do you think?’

‘Think?’ Dee coughed and took a long drink of tea. ‘I am thinking that I have a week to come up with the perfect blend of tea to complement chocolate and raspberries.’

‘Tea? Are you joking?’ Gloria squealed. ‘Hell no. Those cupcakes are not meant to be washed down with tea around the kitchen table. No chance. Those are after-dinner bedroom dessert cakes. No doubt about it. If I am lucky, I might get to eat half of one before my Valentine’s Day dinner date gets really sweet—if you know what I mean. Girl, I want me some of those. Right now.’

A roar of laughter rippled like a wave around the room as Gloria snatched up a cupcake and bit into it with deep groans of pleasure, before licking her fingers. ‘Lottie Rosemount, you are a temptation. If I made those cupcakes I know that I would get lucky, and just this once I would not think about the risk of chocolate icing on the bedclothes.’