Recipe for Love by Katie Fforde

nice compliments from the judges. ‘I think Zoe just did a really good job with her ingredients. I thought her pudding was lovely.’
    ‘Not that lovely,’ Cher persisted. ‘I happen to know something about her and Gideon the rest of you don’t!’
    ‘Please don’t talk about me as if I’m not here,’ said Zoe, feeling suddenly desperately tired.
    ‘Well, if you don’t want me to tell everyone where you slept last night, you’d better do it yourself!’ said Cher. She’d had a couple of glasses of wine and it seemed to have made her more aggressive than usual.
    ‘No one is remotely interested in where I slept last night!’ said Zoe. ‘Can you just leave the subject alone?’ Damn Cher, she obviously wasn’t going to give up lightly.
    ‘I think people will be interested if it affects your chances in the competition!’ Cher looked around, making sure everyone at the table was listening now. ‘So tell us!’
    Zoe sighed, aware she had to say something.’ Because Miss Zonked-out here couldn’t be woken to let me in, I had to find somewhere in the main house to sleep. Which I did. Now why is that anybody’s business but mine?’
    ‘Why are you making such a fuss about this, Cher?’ asked Muriel. Zoe could have kissed her. ‘It sounds to me as if it’s a story that doesn’t put you in a good light.’
    ‘Never mind about me!’ said Cher, determined to finish what she’d started. ‘Make Zoe tell you!’
    ‘I really don’t see—’ Zoe began, frantically trying to think of something she could say that wasn’t too incriminating.
    ‘Did you, or did you not, sleep with Gideon Irving?’ Cher banged on the table for emphasis.
    ‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, don’t be ridiculous, Cher. You could get a job standing in for Jeremy Kyle, you could,’ said Muriel. ‘Now can we move on? Anyone got a clue about the next challenge?’
    Zoe, who did have a clue in that she knew a wedding was coming up, didn’t answer.
    Muriel went on, ‘Well, let’s think what we’ve done so far. Teamwork in the restaurant …’
    ‘An individual challenge,’ said Becca, ‘which I preferred. I find relying on other people too nerve-racking.’ She glanced at Cher.
    ‘I like teamwork,’ said Alan. ‘In the theatre you have to rely on each other. I’m used to it.’
    ‘I still think Zoe should tell us where she slept last night,’ said Cher doggedly.
    ‘Oh, let go of the bone, Cher!’ said Alan. ‘She’s told us. The main house. Lucky her. It really doesn’t make a difference to any of us if it was the second-best bedroom or the bridal suite.’
    Zoe felt herself blush because it had been the bridal suite. ‘It is a huge house. There are loads of bedrooms, although most seem to have the floorboards up or something . What I want to know is what the rest of you would do if you won the competition? I want to open a deli. What about you, Alan?’ She knew, of course, but she was desperate to change the subject.
    ‘Oh, definitely the gastro pub, somewhere lovely, where all my muckers from the old days would come,’ said Alan, suddenly dreamy. ‘I can see it now. I might even buy a few vines in France, produce my own wine and sell it in the restaurant.’
    ‘That sounds fun,’ said Muriel. ‘I just want a small restaurant in my own area where people can go out for a jolly good meal and not spend a fortune.’
    Becca shuddered. ‘I love cooking but I do not want to run a restaurant – or even work in one.’
    ‘Why not?’ demanded Daniel, emerging from his pit of failure. ‘I love the buzz, the excitement—’
    ‘I hate being shouted at and from what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of shouting in restaurants,’ Becca explained.
    Zoe nodded. ‘You’re dead right. I don’t think people work well under that sort of pressure.’
    ‘You’re both wusses!’ declared Shadrach. ‘I really get off on that stuff.’
    Zoe and Becca exchanged glances.
    ‘What about you, Cher?’ asked Zoe, wanting to get back at