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Back A Nice Cup of Tea Save as PDF
Chapters (42)
  1. Cover
  2. Half-title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Also by Celia Imrie
  5. Title Page
  6. Part One
  7. One
  8. Two
  9. Three
  10. Four
  11. Part Two
  12. Five
  13. Six
  14. Seven
  15. Eight
  16. Nine
  17. Part Three
  18. Ten
  19. Eleven
  20. Twelve
  21. Thirteen
  22. Fourteen
  23. Fifteen
  24. Part Four
  25. Sixteen
  26. Seventeen
  27. Eighteen
  28. Nineteen
  29. Twenty
  30. Part Five
  31. Twenty-one
  32. Twenty-two
  33. Twenty-three
  34. Twenty-four
  35. Twenty-five
  36. Twenty-six
  37. Part Six
  38. Twenty-seven
  39. Postscript
  40. Acknowledgements
  41. Also available by Celia Imrie
  42. Nice Work (If You Can Get It)

Sally realised that this news made her situation even worse. If her daughter was going to be there in the bar, sitting in another corner, coaxing a potential client, she really did have to find somebody to take with her to dilute the evening, even if only a little.

Part Five

PART FIVE

OEUFS FARCIS DE NICE

Otherwise known as Stuffed Eggs Niçoise. Serves 6.

6 eggs

handful of black olives, finely chopped

fresh parsley, finely chopped

tube of cream of anchovy

3 dessertspoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mustard

salt and pepper

small tin anchovy fillets, drained

piment d’Espelette or cayenne pepper

green salad, to serve

Boil the eggs until hard (about 12 minutes). Remove the shells and cut the eggs in half. Take out the yolks and mix with the olives, parsley, a squirt of cream of anchovy, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Fill the half egg-whites with the mixture to get a rounded bump. On each half lay a fillet of anchovy, and sprinkle with piment d’Espelette or cayenne pepper. Serve on a bed of green salad.

Twenty-one

TWENTY-ONE

After hearing that Cyril would be in the restaurant this evening, Carol would not accept any of Theresa’s protests. She accompanied her over the road to her flat, after telling William and Benjamin that Theresa had a serious migraine and couldn’t possibly cook.

‘It’s all too much, darling. You cannot allow Cyril to intimidate you in this way. So you’re going home to safety.’

‘But I . . .’ Theresa was torn. But knew deep inside that Carol was right.

‘I’m on front of house tonight, and, while serving him, I’m going to delve, and see what I can pump out of him on the subject of you and all his stalkerish behaviour.’

The flat was dark. Carol strode ahead, checking every nook and cranny, even throwing open the back door and inspecting the small yard before allowing Theresa inside.

Then she demonstrated the flat to Theresa. ‘All clear, guaranteed by Carol Rogers. OK?’

They both looked up at the Hotel Astra, its windows all lit against the darkness.

‘Can you work out where the voice came from?’

‘Don’t think I haven’t tried to work it out. But look! So many windows.’

‘I know. Looks like a magical Advent calendar, doesn’t it?’ Carol sighed, and turned back into the flat. ‘Can’t you phone your daughter and maybe go up there and sit with them?’

Theresa mulled this over. But how to explain to Imogen, especially as she had her own problems? And even if she went up for the evening, once it came for time to go to bed she would still have to come back here alone, but then she wouldn’t have Carol with her to check the place out.