A Spoonful of Sugar by Kerry Barrett Page A

exchanged a look. It was the first time Lizzie hadn’t been sweetness and light and it seemed out of character for her. She obviously really didn’t like Peter. Mind you, I didn’t blame her. I didn’t like him much myself.
    ‘So what now?’ Wilf asked. ‘Apart from interviews. Do we need to finish our pies?’
    Portia shook her head.
    ‘You don’t have to finish them,’ she said. ‘Because you’re all through to the next round – the semi-final! Yay!’
    There was silence. Undeterred, she carried on.
    ‘So, we’ve got a few bits to record tomorrow morning – just the judges explaining what will happen next week and whatnot. Reaction shots mostly. Can you all stay here tonight?’
    There was a murmur of accord. Harry and I always stayed in Claddach on the Saturday night anyway, so it wouldn’t be a problem to hang around tomorrow instead of going straight home. And Millicent wouldn’t object to the crew all staying longer.
    ‘Great,’ Portia said. ‘I’ll go and track Peter down and tell him. And I’ll see you all back here first thing.’

Sixteen
    I was absolutely exhausted by the time we got home and all I could think about was having a bath, eating some food and flopping into bed. It was nice to be going home so Mum could look after me, though things had changed at the big house Harry and I had grown up in.
    My mum, who’d split from my dad years and years ago, was now married to a lovely man called Doug so she and Suky had come to an arrangement and converted their large shared house into two smaller homes. To be honest, Suky wasn’t there all that often as she’d rediscovered the itchy feet she’d had as a teenager and was always jetting off to various exciting places all over the world. But there was still plenty of room for us to stay and because Mum and Doug had a big kitchen, Harry and Suky were joining us for dinner.
    ‘I’ve run you a bath,’ Mum said, as we arrived. ‘Let me know if you want a hand getting out of it.’
    I chuckled.
    ‘I might need you,’ I said, rubbing my bump, which seemed to be growing by the second.
    ‘Dinner will be about an hour,’ Mum added as I climbed the stairs to the bathroom. ‘Just come down in your pyjamas – no one will mind. We’re all desperate to hear what’s been going on.’
    And that was why I loved coming home, even if it wasn’t exactly the same as it always had been.
    I had my bath, then I phoned Jamie to fill him in on what was happening.
    ‘Ez,’ he said, as we wrapped up our conversation. ‘It’s safe up there, isn’t it? I don’t want anything to happen to you and the baby.’
    I took a moment to answer.
    ‘I can’t pretend it’s not crossed my mind that something could happen,’ I admitted. ‘But, Jamie, it’s crazy. These must just be unfortunate accidents. No one would target a baking competition for heaven’s sake.’
    ‘It’s been good though,’ Jamie pointed out. ‘For that Amelia – she’s been everywhere. And for the show itself. Even for Claddach.’
    ‘I suppose,’ I said doubtfully. ‘But even so, Jamie. No one would do that.’
    ‘If you’re sure,’ he said. ‘But if you feel weird about it, or nervous, or worried, just give up. Promise me?’
    ‘Okay,’ I agreed. ‘I will.’
    We said our goodbyes and I went downstairs in search of food. Harry and Suky were there already, sitting round the table with Doug and Mum, drinking wine.
    ‘Then there was a huge crash, and June was on the floor,’ Harry was saying. ‘We were all so shocked.’
    Mum handed me an apple juice and I sat down next to her.
    ‘I must admit all these accidents have been good for business,‘ said Mum. ‘The cafe is booming – we can’t bake fast enough. And Allan has been inundated with requests for writers’ retreats and poetry workshops from people who have seen Claddach on the television and in the papers.’
    ‘Millicent’s booked up right through the autumn too,’ added Suky. ‘That’s normally her quiet