Page 34 of The Cake Fairies

“Lagom. This is a Swedish confection, remember?” Alex corrected her. “Contentment: yeah, I’d say that’s what you’re after for day one of your social experiment.”

“I have no idea what either of you are talking about… the joys of being cut off from all things continental, what with living the village life,” Annabelle’s patter quickened, tailing off with a strange chuckle. She chanced a glance at her cousin.

Oh hell. Polly was not happy about this. She was not happy at all.

“Right then,” Alex took over. “Lights. Camera. Action. We will need,” he flicked his swoon-worthy locks from his eyes, “eggs, sugar, milk – full fat, of course – some cornflour, a vanilla pod…”

“Ooh, we stocked up on loads of them because we’ve nev—”

“Hard to come by out in the sticks,” Polly completed Annabelle’s sentence, throwing her the sternest of looks, and Annabelle gulped at her near-constant queue of slip-ups. Nobody let her near the cava while these two were around, for the mission’s sake.

“Flour, baking powder, hot water.” Alex shrugged at the kettle as if it might care to instantly boil itself, but alas, they weren’t in Amber Magnolia’s tent. “Then double cream, vanilla extract, and those all-important strawberries for decoration.”

“The only berries we have areblackberries, which I’m saving up to pair with apple for something much more special. So that’s put paid to that,” said Polly felicitously. “Right, a five-tiered Victoria sandwich instead then.” She rubbed her hands together.

“No worries on that score,” said Ivy, “there’s an awesome fresh produce market a few streets away. I know it well. No way can you bake something so…”

“Vanilla,” smirked Alex.

“I’ll come with you,” Annabelle raised her right hand high, as if in the classroom volunteering to ring the end of school bell. She removed her apron, grabbed Ivy, and before Polly had chance to protest, they’d both vanished out the front door.

“That was so cruel,” Ivy snickered as they bounded down the stairs two at a time.

“Just a sneaky little detour, en route to being kind.” Winked Annabelle.

And then her heart sagged as reality bit. When would she ever put her own happiness first?