A Sweet and Spicy Kind Of Love

by Minx Charmer

  ~~~

  Rose and Julian embraced as she invited him to sit on her soft couch. “Park it over there for just a moment and let an old woman look at what a strapping young man you’ve become.” With a quick smile she allowed her gaze to wander over his features and nodded. He was beautiful, just like his mother and no doubt half of the female population would lie at his feet.

  But, she was happy to note that he appeared unaffected by his handsomeness and the remnants of that loving youth were still hidden in the depths of his green eyes. “We have not really spoken for a few years Julian. The boarding school kept you away for so long, that I didn’t know exactly how you’ve fared over the years. And yet I see a fine man before me who could be great, if you made the right decisions.”

  Julian’s lips twitched with a hidden smile and he winked at her. “You have been talking to my father I see. I knew he would use you to bring me to heel.”

  Rose’s eyes twinkled with delight as she shook her head “Not so young man. I have never had the intention of bringing you to heel. It is you that must make your choices. I only wish to guide you to make good choices, if you will allow an old woman to still have that liberty.”

  Julian paced the room as he ran restless fingers through his hair. “You do have the liberty Rose. You are the only woman who does. I have not forgotten those nights you nursed my fears, cared for my wounds, cured my fevers and gave me guidance when I needed it. Without my mother I felt loss for such a long time and I have been ever grateful for your loving support. My father seemed to have lost his way after her death and for a while I lost my own. If it wasn’t for you, I would be just as bitter as him and just as controlling. And now, he wants me to make a choice I cannot make. And yet I have to try. Templeton Manor must remain in the family and a wife and heir would ensure this, but a woman like Valeria is not what I had in mind.”

  Rose agreed with him “I do know of the Trenton family and of the girl in question, so I can see your point.”

  At Julian’s puzzled look, Rose smiled secretly “I have my eyes and ears in the village young man, and know a lot of what has happened over the years. Sunnyvale has grown from a small village into a thriving town. It is not the city, but it has a charm all its own and Templeton Manor is part of that charm. The Trenton family is no different than any other. They would be glad to see their daughter joined to this family. Their little hotel, or Daffodil Inn as they call it, would benefit greatly from such a union. It would ensure the continuity of their way of life, which I hear is quite opulent to a certain extent.”

  Julian laughed ruefully. “And here I thought you didn’t know what was going on. I see I have been fooled. What else do you know dear Rose?”

  “Well now that you ask that question…haven’t I heard about a red head with an interesting affinity for you?”

  Julian choked on his laughter as his eyes opened in disbelief “Molly? You know about Molly? Come on Rose, if you know about her you should know that she is the last person on my mind.”

  Rose did not agree with that assessment, but she did not pursue it any further “Me thinks you protest too much! But let’s not worry about it right now. For the moment, let me tell you this. Go out and see the world for a little bit. Tell Valeria that you will have a sojourn in Europe, taking care of your father’s business abroad but that when you return, you will take up where you have left off. That will keep her in suspense for a while. If she should feel threatened by this, tell her you will call from time to time and that soon you will be reunited. And then send her a piece of jewelry from each place you visit. That should keep her together, until you decide what to do.”

  Julian’s gaze turned reflective. “Excellent idea Rose. I will do precisely that. My father should not object to my hands-on offer. And if I tell him I will keep the lady in my thoughts, he should be content. As usual you have solved my dilemma and given me some breathing room.”

  Raising Rose’s hands to his lips, he kissed it gently. “You are forever in my heart Rose. Sometimes I think you are the only girl that will be there. Love you.”

  Rose’s eyes brimmed with affection as she watched Julian walk away, but her task was not yet complete. First she would visit Lionel and give him the good news, leaving out the more interesting bits and then she would visit Belinda Makepeace, Molly’s mother. It was time to come to some sort of arrangement if Julian was ever to have a chance at happiness.

  ~~~

  Valeria could not believe what Julian was saying, but she kept her cool. There was no sense in upsetting the delicate truce they had agreed upon. “So you want to leave to travel to Europe for a few years? And then when you come back we can finalize our plans? Why?”

  Julian turned his attention to a painting on the wall. He did not want Valeria to notice the whitening of his lips which indicated extreme displeasure. “I do not think we need to go tearing up the isle for a wedding right now. My father has extensive holdings abroad that I will administrate for him. Soon these years will have passed and I will return to Sunnyvale as promised. Surely you can be patient for just a little while longer, or is that too much to ask? Perhaps you might become interested in someone else when I am gone? That Tommy Livingston for example. Did he finally make his way back home the night of the prom?”

  Valeria burst out laughing and dismissed the thought “Really Julian, must you talk about that sorry excuse of a human being? Tommy means nothing.” she said with a dismissing wave “I told him that if he drank himself to a stupor, I would leave him right there and I did. It was his own fault for being a klutz.”

  Julian nodded “You can’t stand fools I know. Well then, do we have a deal?”

  Valeria nodded and smooth her hair in a subconscious gesture. There was really nothing more to say. He had decided and if she wanted him, she would have to comply with his wishes. “I’ll be here Julian, just be sure to keep in touch as you have said and send me gifts. There must be some compensation for this ridiculous wait, don’t you think?”

  “Of course my dear. I know you must be duly compensated. I would expect nothing less.” With an invisible sigh of relief Julian kiss Valeria on the cheek. He was relieved that she had taken it so well and he felt for the first time, that his future was somewhat in control. “I’ll be back in no time. Until we meet once more.”

  When he left the house, Valeria watched his departure with mixed feelings. For some reason she felt a sense of loss, which was quite unexpected. But it made no difference. He would be hers and thanks to their agreement, there would be some nice gifts in the bargain. Now that was definitely something she could live with.

  Chapter 5

  FIVE YEARS LATER

  Molly tucked the tendrils of her red hair behind her ears with trembling fingers. She felt as though the entire world rested on her shoulders and her tired limbs begged for a soft bed, but the day was not yet over. The contemporary kitchen required cleaning and Daisy Trenton ran a tight ship. No dirty dishes were allowed overnight. No exceptions. With a tired sigh Molly scrubbed the pots and pans clean, as she allowed her mind to reflect on the course of her life.

  Valeria’s parents had made The Daffodil Inn a landmark over the years, and when Molly had applied for the position of cook, she was surprised and elated to get the job. Although Valeria had shown no loss of love towards her, Daisy Trenton was quite another matter. In the interview she had been stern but fair in her assessment. Her eyes had skimmed over Molly’s resume and reflected approval “Not bad Molly Makepeace. Not bad at all. Now let’s talk business. I have gotten to know a little of your mother since you’ve been away and I found myself pleasantly surprised by her personality. And since your return I have gotten to know a bit about you as well. I need a good cook for the Daffodil Inn and I know you left for the city to go to that chef school, and they tell me you were the best student. That is what I need. The best. So I am inviting you for a small trial so you can show me what you’ve got. And if all goes well, you can continue here indefinitely. After all, I
would prefer a local instead of hiring outside help.”

  Molly’s eyes lit up as her smile stretched wide. She was overjoyed to be given the chance. After living in the city for two years she had returned to Sunnyvale with a heavy heart and a sense of defeat. It was her hope that the work in the city would provide enough funds to help her mother with the expenses, but city life was not for her. The rat race coupled with unfriendly people and neighbors caused her prompt return, after only two years to the sanctuary that was home.

  However Molly agreed that she had fond memories of her city sojourn. She had studied with a French Chef, Rene D’ Cotillion, at an affordable school that had given her talented skills in the cooking arena. She was pleased to know that when she left, her badge of ‘Extraordinary Chef’ was well deserved. And her teacher inspired her when he would say ‘Molly you could take a lumpy piece of meat and turn it into filet mignon… just by looking at it!’ That comment still brought a smile to her face.

  Upon her return, Belinda could not stop hugging and kissing her for days. It made Molly feel a little guilty that her mother had missed her so. Because of that and her fear of city life, Molly resolved to find some sort of work nearer to home. But nothing suited her taste or skills in the town of Sunnyvale. The various hotels served horrendous food which gave mostly indigestion and the few large homes already had dedicated cooks of their own. When the Trenton family decided to take their little Inn to the next level, Molly was the first to apply for the position of Chef in hopes that opportunity had at last come her way.

  After three years on the job, she was glad she had taken the step despite’s qualms over Valeria’s animosity. And she was pleased to know that she gave an exclusive, gastronomic blend that couldn’t be found anywhere else in Sunnyvale. The Daffodil Inn’s restaurant was continually jammed pack with eager customers, ready for a taste of “Molly’s Masterpiece.” Molly took it all in stride but with a healthy taste of pride in her work. Although Valeria remained a constant thorn in Molly’s side, the kitchen was off limits courtesy of Daisy Trenton and for that Molly was grateful.

  After the cleaning was done, Molly closed up for the day. With a heavy sigh of weariness, she made her way home. As she walked, the lingering scent of perfumed roses along the way tickled her senses and made her smile with delight. A light wind descended from the upper valley, softly caressing the tendrils of her hair and the stars above shone brightly. The beauty of the surroundings was like a balm to her weary soul and she felt better. She was so intent on her surroundings that the sound of the approaching vehicle did not register, until it stopped beside her. When the driver rolled down the window and flashed a bright smile, Molly gasped. She couldn’t believe it. It was him!

  “Molly isn’t it? Long time no see.”

  Julian Chambers in the flesh. Molly had so many feelings clamoring inside that she couldn’t decide which emotion to feel first. After a few seconds which seemed like an eternity, she found her voice “Hello there Julian. It is nice…I mean it is swell to, wonderful to….and to know…um, well you know…”

  Julian did not comment on her haltering words, but pointed to the passenger seat “Hop in and I’ll take you home.”

  Molly shifted slightly and bit the inside of her cheek. She really didn’t know what to think of his offer but there was no better time to find out. With a shuddered breath, she got inside and closed the door.

  After making sure her seatbelt was fastened, Julian pulled away. “Were you planning to walk all the way home?”

  Molly nodded “I love to walk and it is safe here at night. And my home is only about fifteen minutes away, so not too far.”

  “That sounds nice, but why don’t you drive?”

  Molly smiled to herself. Not everyone had money to buy a car, but she would not mention the obvious. “Well I like the walk, so I do not mind.”

  His words were full of amusement as he replied “I see. Well then walk your poor legs to dust… unless you get a bicycle and then you can ride them to dust instead.”

  Molly laughed out loud, suddenly at ease. She could not believe how much more approachable he had become. “Well that is a great idea. My mother would love it too. That way she wouldn’t be scared that I will wrap my bumper around a tree.”

  It was Julian’s turn to laugh. “Oh there is no road rage going on here, so there’s no danger of that. The most you would do is run over poor farmer Fenton’s pigs or crash into Ms. Maguillicody’s chickens. Either one would put you in the dog house for years, but at least they won’t put you in jail.”

  “No at least that won’t happen. So how are you? What have you been doing away all these years?”

  When silence greeted her questions, Molly cleared her throat nervously and glance at the man at her side. His face was inscrutable and she lost the courage to question him any further. Angry at herself she raged within. Why did she have to ask something like that? What was wrong with keeping things light? Of course he would not want to talk about his personal life. So much for being approachable.

  The rest of the drive was made in complete silence and when he left her at the doorstep without a word of goodbye, Molly’s eyes filled with unshed tears. For just a moment things were going well and then she put her foot in it. With a frustrated sigh she went inside and tried to put Julian Chambers out of her thoughts. Again.

  Chapter 6

  Valeria’s steps were determined as she made her way to the kitchen. The morning rush for breakfast would soon be started and she wanted to deal with the situation before then. Her lips were a thin line of displeasure and a frown was between her brows. After all those years of waiting she did not understand how things were not going as smoothly as she had hoped.

  When she got to the kitchen, Molly was decorating a cake. It was a beautiful, curved, three tiered cake in black and white, with white roses and pearls adorning each petal. As she watched Molly use wax paper with some kind of pattern to make designs around the sides of the cake, Valeria was intrigued despite her anger. The red head really seemed to know what she was doing, which was a pity since she would not do it anymore. “Molly Makepeace, turn around and look at me.”

  Molly was startled and almost ruined the design on the uppermost layer of the cake. She had not realized that Valeria was standing there and felt slightly annoyed at the interruption. The wedding was only two days away and she had a lot of work to do. It was not fair for Valeria to interrupt at such an important time. With a sigh she placed the decorating instruments aside and waited patiently for her unwanted visitor to get to the point. It didn’t take long.

  “How dare you allow Julian to take you home? It is inconceivable that you would do such a thing. He is mine do you hear? Not yours and I want to know that you will never do such a thing like that again.”

  Molly’s reaction was as unexpected to her visitor as it was to herself. As she burst out laughing until her eyes moistened with tears, Valeria’s eyes narrowed and her lips thinned all the more. Her anger did not faze a cheerful Molly. Putting her hands over her face and feeling the unexpected release of negative energy caused her to laugh even harder. When she finally stopped laughing and removed her hands from her face, Valeria was nowhere to be seen.

  Molly sat down on shaky legs and wiped the edges of her eyes as she sighed deeply. She had not laugh like that in ages and it felt incredibly good. No doubt Valeria would return but for the moment she was gone. With a new found spring in her step, Molly returned to her work. She felt so happy and contented that she started to hum a tune as she reflected on the reason for Valeria’s visit. Who would have known that such a beautiful butterfly would be jealous of someone like Molly? It was such a ridiculous notion that she felt the threat of laughter coming on again. Life was certainly full of surprises.

  ~~~

  Julian was seated at the breakfast table reading the newspaper “The Sunnyvale times”. Lionel’s frown was more pronounced than ever as he glared at his son, but Julian was blissfully oblivious. He did not care abou
t his father’s black mood for the moment because something in the paper had caught his attention. “Father did you notice that they are hosting the annual, chili competition here in Sunnyvale? They have never done that before. I think it would bring some new faces to the town and if someone from here actually won the competition that would be a nice bit of promotion for the area. Perhaps we should sponsor it. What do you think?”

  Lionel’s fist crashed into the table as he bellowed “What the devil do I care about a chili competition? That means nothing to me, not one little bit. What I care about is your plans to marry that girl. What are you waiting on huh? An invitation? You already have it so it seems to me that you are procrastinating and I do not like it.”

  Julian folded the paper slowly and leaned back. With a sigh he looked at his father and noted the deep grooves in his cheek and the white pinch around his mouth. His father’s imposing nature seemed more pronounced than before, but perhaps it was time to air their differences to some extent. “Father, do you really want me to marry Valeria?”