Caroline Roberts - The Cosy Teashop in the Castle - The bestselling feel-good rom com of the year

The time was approaching for her parents to leave, the late-afternoon light thinning outside, and Ellie began to feel a little strange. She’d holidayed with friends before, been away from home for the odd week or two, but had never lived away for any real time. Okay, so she was twenty-six, and for all her bravado that she was doing the right thing and would be fine, it still felt odd. An elastic twinge of vulnerability pulled inside.

‘Well then, lass, we’d better be setting off shortly.’ Her dad grasped her to him in a big bear hug. Oh shit, there was a mist of tears in her eyes, better not let Mum see, or they’d have her whisked back home to safety in the back of Dad’s van.

‘Yes, pet. It’ll be coming in dark soon enough,’ her mother agreed, ‘We’d better be going. Now, are you sure you’ve got everything you need?’

‘She’s brought half the house, Mam. We’ll probably find we’ve got nothing left when we get home,’ Jason joked, softly punching his sister in the ribs.

They left the dim light of the tearooms and walked out into the courtyard and towards the main doors. The elastic band in her gut was pulling tighter.

‘Make sure you ring, now, and tell us how you’re getting on. We want regular updates,’ Mum said, her voice waivering.

‘I will, of course.’ Stay cool, calm, collected.

‘And you’ll pop home and see us sometimes too.’ Dad’s eyes looked a bit misty.

‘I promise. I’m only an hour away, and I’m sure I’ll get the odd day off. Once I’ve settled in and got things up and running, I’ll come and see you all.’

‘See ya, Sis.’ Jason put an arm about her shoulders with a squeeze.

There was a knot forming in her throat now.

‘Oh, and we’ll come up to visit you too, no reason why not,’ Dad grinned. ‘Come and sample the food here! It’d better be good,’ he laughed. Then he began fishing in his back pocket, pulling out banknotes. He counted out a hundred pounds and handed it to Ellie. ‘Just in case, pet.’

‘Oh, you don’t need to, Dad. I’ve got savings.’

‘I know I don’t need to pet, but I want to. Take it.’

‘Aw, thanks, Dad.’

‘Where’s mine, then?’ Jason jested.

‘Yours can wait till you leave home. It might give you an incentive. Just think of the peace and quiet we’ll get then, hey, Mam.’

They all laughed, a little too loudly, anxiety feeling its way through the four of them. The family dynamics were about to change.

At the main castle door now, Ellie pulled across the heavy metal bolt, turned the latch. And there she was, on the threshold of her new life. Hugs, kisses and ‘Byes’. They were walking away, the rest of her family, back to Dad’s white work van. Waves and more goodbyes shouted from wound-down windows, a toot of the horn, and she watched with a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes as the van got smaller and smaller, until it was swallowed up by the vast tree-lined driveway.

Well, that was it. She was on her own now, and she had to make damned sure this new life and her teashop dream worked out.

Ellie

She was lying on the bed, having emptied one case, which filled the whole wardrobe before she had even opened the second. She had crammed her books onto two shelves that were set into an alcove in the wall, the overflow pile stacked under her bed. Hmn, storage was going to be an issue.

There was a knock on the door.

‘Come in,’ her voice sounded strange and echoey in this high-ceilinged room.

Joe popped his head around the door. ‘Only me! Just thought I’d see how you were settling in. Sorry I didn’t get chance to come a little earlier and meet your family. Deana said they’ve gone now. I got held up – bit of a problem down on the farm.’

So, there was a farm to deal with on the estate too; Joe must have a lot to keep up with here. He was hovering on the threshold. She suddenly felt awkward lying there on the bed, so sat up briskly, ‘Come on in.’

He walked to the armchair and perched on the edge of it as though he didn’t intend staying long. ‘Is the room okay? Do you have everything you need?’

‘It’s fine, thank you.’

‘I’m afraid you might find it a bit chilly. The central heating system’s a bit antiquated through the castle, seems to have a mind of its own. There is the coal fire. I’ll get James to fetch you up some more coal and logs if you’d like.’

He must have spotted the blank look on her face. She hadn’t a clue how to keep a fire going, she was worried she might end up setting the room alight – they had an electric flame-effect affair in the lounge at home in Heaton, and toasty hot radiators throughout.

‘Actually, I’ll bring you down the electric heater from my office – that’ll take any chill off.’

‘Oh no, it’s fine. You might need it.’

‘It’s okay. I’m hardened to the cold by now. No, I’ll bring it across, honestly by the morning you’ll be glad of it.’

‘Okay, then, thank you.’

‘Well, we’ll have a proper meeting tomorrow, talk about the tearooms, any questions you might have, information you might need, all that kind of stuff. For now, I’ll let you settle in. Oh, and if you want to cook for yourself just go ahead and use the kitchen in the tearooms. And if you think of anything else, or you need anything, my rooms are on the floor above you, this wing. Just go one more flight up the staircase and knock on my door. It’s got a sign saying Keep Out on it.’

She laughed, ‘That sounds very welcoming!’

‘Oh yes,’ he grinned. (He had a lovely smile, which made his eyes sparkle, she mused.) ‘Well, that’s just for the tourist season, they tend to wander off the recommended route in the guide book and get everywhere, and think they can barge in wherever they like just because they’ve paid a fiver to get in! You might think about getting a sign for your door before the weekend, and don’t forget to keep it locked once we’re open. Other times it’s fine, you can trust the staff here with your life, they’re a great bunch, but the tourists …’ He shook his head, but was still smiling.

He seemed much more friendly now they were out of interview mode, Ellie noted. ‘I’ll bear that in mind.’ She smiled back.

He stood up, as though he were about to leave.

‘Oh, Joe, is there a TV point or anything?’

‘There is an aerial socket in the corner here.’ He pointed behind the small table, where Deana had left the kettle and cups. ‘Good luck with reception, though. It’s a bit hitty-missy.’

Sounds like the bloody radiators, she thought. ‘Okay, well, I’ll give it a go and see how I get on.’ What the hell would there be to do here of an evening if there was no telly? Well, at least she had her iPod and laptop. There was always iPlayer. And then another thought dawned on her, ‘Any wi-fi?’ Please, please.

‘ Now, there you are in luck. But only because you’re in this wing, Lord Henry doesn’t have a computer his side of the castle, but I’m pretty sure the wi-fi router from my room will connect through down to here. Try it now and we’ll see.’

She took up her laptop case and started the computer up. As she tried to get into the internet there, to her delight, was the wi-fi symbol, and a message asking her for a password. Joe spotted it and then his cheeks seemed to colour. He said nothing for a second or two, just gave her a funny look.

‘What is it?’ she asked.

‘You need a password.’

‘Okay, and?’

He pulled a face, ‘Okay … it’s Batman.’

She stifled a giggle.

His brown eyes crinkled with an embarrassed smile. ‘Well, don’t you like Batman? Those films are great.’