LOUISA PULLED BACK THE SILK drapes in her suite and couldn’t imagine a more perfect day. Yesterday’s clouds and snow had been replaced by a clear blue sky and bright sun. Snow melted on the striped awnings and the cars on the pavement gleamed as if they had been through a car wash.
Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and today was the last day of filming around London. They were going to visit Royal Albert Hall and St James’s Palace where the royal family actually lived, and take a private tour of the Royal Mews.
She felt a bit guilty that she had explored Buckingham Palace by herself on the day they arrived. She should have known they would film there; it was one of the most important landmarks in London! Instead she missed her makeup session and arrived half an hour before the reception at the Fumoir and Noah had been furious.
Did Noah really think she was beautiful and why hadn’t he told her? She turned to the mirror on her dressing table and thought he was wrong. She didn’t have Bianca’s smoldering brown eyes and pouty lips, or Kate’s blond hair and long legs. But she never cared much about her looks. What was important was knowing how to make the meringue in a Baked Alaska melt in your mouth and how long to let the fruit soak in anisette in a chocolate cream trifle.
Then why did she spend an extra half hour this morning choosing her outfit and deciding on a lipstick? She tried to tell herself it was to look good for the camera and make Kate happy. The real reason was she wanted to see the look on Noah’s face when she appeared on the hotel steps.
Last night had been magical: the kiss under the Christmas tree at Trafalgar Square and holding hands and listening to the boys’ choir. She and Noah drank hot chocolate and talked about everything and she never wanted the moment to end.
She picked up a bottle of perfume and put it down. She recalled in high school when her friend Beth stopped taking Louisa’s phone calls because Beth fell in love with the cross-country star. She didn’t study enough for the ACTs because she attended all his meets and was rejected by her top colleges.
That wasn’t going to happen to her; she had always put her career goals first. Look at everything she had achieved! Tomorrow she was appearing on Christmas Dinner at Claridge’s, and in a few months she would open her own restaurant.
To be fair, it was because of Noah she was going to be on television. But it had nothing to do with his feelings for her. The only reason she was in London was because she made the best cinnamon rolls he ever tasted.
She couldn’t think about her future with Noah; it was like checking her Pinterest when she had a molasses spice cake in the oven. It only took a minute to click on a recipe for buttercream icing. But it was so easy to get distracted and then the molasses hardened and the spice cake was ruined. It was better not to have the phone in the kitchen at all.
They really should remain friends for now. But how could she tell Noah without hurting his feelings? If Noah said he couldn’t see her because he was too busy with law school she would be disappointed. Relationships were like a Magic 8 Ball. Every time you put it down, it came up with a different answer.
And she had so much to do! Kate wanted to go over details for tomorrow, and she had to take the rice pudding to Digby. Noah and the camera crew were meeting her in front of Claridge’s at eleven and they were going to board a double-decker bus.
First she had to write her recipe card for Chloe. She sat at the rolltop desk and opened the ivory card. She couldn’t believe that in just a few days she’d be back in New York, baking shortbread with Chloe in the bakery’s kitchen. Christmas Dinner at Claridge’s would be over and it would all feel like some wonderful dream.
Her phone rang and Ellie’s number appeared on the screen.
“It’s 3:00 a.m. in New York, you really need to get some sleep,” Louisa said playfully. “Stir a cup of warm milk with brandy. It works for me every time.”
“I’ll sleep when Christmas week is over.” Ellie’s voice came over the phone. “Chloe wanted me to call and say the Gingerbread Sweaters recipe is her favorite so far. She wants to bake a whole sheet to take to her teachers after the holidays.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Louisa agreed. “I’m just writing out a recipe for Christmas Pudding Rice Krispie Cakes. Chloe will love them: Rice Krispies Treats topped with warm chocolate pudding and buttercream icing. We’ll dye the icing green and red, and add peppermint sprinkles.”
“It sounds delicious. To be honest there’s another reason for my call. I’m dying to know how things are going with Digby Bunting,” Ellie continued. “I saw him on a television talk show last night and he is so handsome. Maybe you can convince him to come to New York after the show.”
“I doubt that’s possible. He has a new book coming out and his publisher keeps him busy with appearances.” Louisa fiddled with her pen. “Besides, I’ll be swamped when I get home. I need to put in long hours at the bakery, and bake with Chloe, and then there’s Noah…”
“Who’s Noah?” Ellie asked.
Louisa was tempted to tell Ellie everything: that she and Noah shared a wonderful kiss and were developing feelings for each other. That she was worried spending time with Noah would interfere with opening her own restaurant. But she couldn’t expect Ellie to solve her problems over an international phone line. It would be better to wait and discuss it over hot chocolate in Ellie’s office.
“Noah is the assistant to the producer of Baking with Bianca,” she said. “He’s just a friend but he’s been very kind to me.”
“Well, see if you can convince Digby to come to New York. If Digby Bunting showed up at the bakery and bought a bag of cinnamon rolls our sales would go through the roof,” Ellie chuckled. “I should go, I have a mountain of paperwork. Chloe sends her love. She can’t wait to show you the apron her grandmother gave her as an early Christmas present.”
Louisa hung up and finished writing her recipe card. She slipped it into the envelope and grabbed her purse. Then she entered the hallway and knocked on Kate’s door.
“Louisa!” Kate opened the door. “I’m glad you’re here, I want to go over a few things. It seems simple to crack eggs into a mixing bowl on the set, but I’ve even seen Martha Stewart freeze up when the director is barking at her.”
“I can’t imagine Martha Stewart ever freezing up,” Louisa laughed. “She’s like an impossibly sleek sports car that never leaves the showroom. But Noah said it’s easy.” She was suddenly nervous. “All I have to do is stand on the X and smile into the camera.”
“It is easy as long as you don’t let anyone distract you.” Kate poured a glass of orange juice and handed it to Louisa. “You are a wonderful chef and you’re going to make a delicious croquembouche.”
“I promise I won’t let you down.” Louisa felt a thrill of excitement. “I’m going to practice my smile until I look like the models in magazines who have never had bad news. I’ll go to sleep dreaming of spun sugar and pastry puffs, and tomorrow I’ll stay in bed until the show so nothing terrible can happen: slipping on the bathroom floor and twisting my ankle or getting run over by a motorcycle.”
“You don’t have to go to extremes,” Kate laughed. “Just do what I do before a show. Take deep breaths and imagine the thing that makes you happy.”
“The thing that makes me happy?” Louisa wondered if Kate knew about her and Noah. It would be terribly unprofessional and Noah might get fired.
“A movie that you love or dress you saw in the window at Saks,” Kate continued. “Then the smile on your face will be natural.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Louisa said with relief. She noticed a vase of two dozen peach-colored roses and gasped. “I’ve never seen such beautiful roses.”
“McQueens delivered them this morning.” Kate followed her glance. “They were grown in a hothouse and transported in a temperature-controlled truck. I was shocked when they arrived, but they are lovely.”
“You don’t seem very excited.” Louisa looked at Kate. “I know we don’t know each other well, but do you want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps to tell someone what’s wrong. I’m a good listener.”
“The flowers are just unexpected.” Kate sat opposite her. “Trevor and I were going to remain friends and now it’s developed into something more.”
“That isn’t what you want?” Louisa prodded.
“Producing the show is a twelve-hour-a-day job. I can’t flit off to London for a few days or spend whole weekends with him if he comes to New York.”
“You said you didn’t want to be alone forever,” Louisa reminded her.
“I don’t, but this might not be the right time,” Kate answered.
“Then tell him to wait,” Louisa said confidently. “If you’ve been apart for ten years, you won’t change how you feel about each other.”
“That’s the thing about love.” Kate fiddled with her earring. “Once you give yourself over to it, nothing is the same. You want to be with that person all the time, and it’s the most important thing in the world.”
“I’m not even going to consider falling in love until I own my restaurant.” Louisa remembered Noah’s kiss and had a funny feeling in her chest. “Now tell me all your other suggestions. I want Christmas Dinner at Claridge’s to be the best show you’ve ever produced.”
* * *
Louisa rang Digby’s doorbell and had to smile. This time the doorman welcomed her profusely and offered to escort her to Digby’s flat. The woman she shared the elevator with complimented Louisa’s rose-colored cashmere dress and asked where she got her pumps. She even made Louisa write down the name of her perfume so should could buy a bottle for her daughter.
“Louisa.” Digby opened the door. He wore a striped robe and blue velvet slippers. “This is a surprise, please come inside.”
“I hope I’m not intruding.” Louisa entered the flat. “I tried calling but you didn’t answer your phone.”
“I never check my phone before 10:00 a.m., it can ruin my whole day,” Digby said. “Why don’t you wait in the living room? I’ll get dressed and make some coffee.”
Louisa had never been in the living room before; she always walked straight to the kitchen. The sun streamed onto the parquet floor and it looked like a photo in Architectural Digest. Leather sofas were arranged around a glass coffee table and there were white bookshelves. A bronze statue stood in the corner and bay windows overlooked a garden.
She perched on an armchair and suddenly wondered if this was a bad idea. Noah wouldn’t approve of Digby answering the door in a robe and slippers. But it was Noah’s fault the rest of her day was tightly scheduled, and Digby had to try her rice pudding.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Digby said, entering the room. “I must apologize for my behavior yesterday, I was quite rude. My publisher insisted I sign all those cookbooks and I was in a hurry. I hope it wasn’t inconvenient for you taking the books to Claridge’s.”
“Of course not, it has nothing to do with that.” Louisa flushed. “It’s about the rice pudding. You thought it was lumpy.”
“Did I say that?” he wondered. “The master classes can be overwhelming. My palate can’t handle too many chocolate fondants or linzer tortes before they all taste the same. You’re a talented chef, I’m sure it was delicious.”
“You were right, it was lumpy. But I made another batch and it’s perfect.” She handed him the bowl. “You don’t need to try it right away, one doesn’t eat rice pudding for breakfast. I’ll leave it here and you can tell me what you think tomorrow at Claridge’s.”
“Nonsense, if you went to all this trouble I’ll try it now,” he insisted. “I’ll get two spoons and you can join me.”
Digby disappeared and Louisa walked to the bookshelf. The spines on the cookbooks were printed with the names of her idols: Anthony Bourdain and Paul Bucose and Alice Water. There was a signed cookbook by Alain Ducasse and a whole shelf devoted to Julia Child.
“Here we are.” Digby returned, holding two spoons. “You are the chef, you take the first bite.”
Louisa ate a spoonful of pudding and it tasted even better than she remembered. She waited for Digby to try it and had never been so anxious.
“The flavor is delicious,” Digby said finally.
“And the texture?” She sucked in her breath.
“The texture is like a fine brandy,” he mused. “It sits on your tongue for a moment, and then dissolves in your throat.”
Louisa’s heart lifted and she remembered her first class at the Culinary Institute. She baked a raspberry cheesecake and was terrified the raspberries were tart or the date on the cream cheese expired. The instructor ate a whole slice and asked if he could serve it at a dinner party. Louisa was so happy; she couldn’t stop smiling.
“Do you really think so?” She exhaled. “I hoped you’d like it.”
“In fact, it would be an excellent addition to the Christmas lunch I’m preparing tomorrow,” he said suddenly. “You should join me.”
“But tomorrow is Christmas Dinner at Claridge’s,” she reminded him.
“I’ve been asked to prepare Christmas lunch at a country house about two hours from London,” he explained. “The kitchen has every gadget you can imagine, and Town & Country is doing a four-page photo spread.”
“Town & Country!” Louisa gasped. “But how will you prepare lunch and get back in time to do Claridge’s?”
“I’m going to bake the puddings and leave them in the fridge. I couldn’t turn it down, members of the royal family will be there.” He smiled. “It will go much more smoothly if you assist me, and you’ll have your photo in Town & Country. I promise we’ll return in time.”
Could she really drive two hours out of London the morning of Christmas Dinner at Claridge’s? She told Kate she wouldn’t do anything all day, but surely Kate wouldn’t mind. And Louisa didn’t have any other commitments besides getting her hair and makeup done in the afternoon.