20 for hackle please!
20. things you said that I wasnât supposed to hear
Ada peered into one of her many tea tins and realized that she was nearly out of PG Tips. Checking the time, she decided she had enough time to go downstairs and rectify this situation.
As she rummaged around the tea closet, voices floated in from the main kitchen.
âGreat Mary Berry, what on earth happened to your frosting, Hecate?â
âWhat do you mean, what happened to it?â
âItâs black, thatâs what I mean.â
âDo I tell you how to do your job, Maria?â
âNo, but I thought you were making a cake for Ada.â
Ada froze, one hand stretched out to the shelf.
âI am,â Hecate replied calmly.
âWell thenâŚâ Maria sounded a bit flummoxed.
âWell what?â
âWell, birthday cakes arenât usually frosted with black frosting now are they?â
âArenât they?â
âNo.â
There was a long silence, and Ada went back to peering at the shelf. Surely there was some PG Tips here somewhere. Perhaps behind the Twinings?
âWell, what color are they usually frosted then?â
âWhite, pink, light brown, dark brown, blue, yellow. Almost anything really. Except black.â
âOh. Are you certain?â
âOi, which one of us is the professional chef?â
âWell, thereâs not time to change it now,â Hecate sighed. âBut perhapsâŚâ
âYes, I think that will do. Brings a bit of color into it.â
âDo you think sheâll like it?â
âOf course she will. You made it didnât you? Sure, itâs a bitâŚunusual, but itâs the thought that counts. Believe me, Ada will be over the moon about this.â
âI canât tell her I made this for her.â
âOf course you can.â
âItâs tooâŚâ Hecate trailed off and Ada wished desperately that she could see her face.
âShe thinks very highly of you, you know,â Maria said in a gentler tone than Ada had ever heard her use.
âWell, now that thatâs done, I have other things to attend to,â Hecate said briskly.
âIâll make sure the girls donât get into this.â
âThey had better not.â
Ada carefully pulled the pantry door mostly closed, just in time to hear the click of Hecateâs heels as she walked away.
Then quite suddenly the door opened, and there was Maria muttering âIâve no idea what weâre going to do with those two- Ada!â
Ada made a noise halfway between a yelp and a squeak, and Maria clutched at her apron.
âMaria! I was just looking for-â and her mind completely blanked. âTea. PG Tips. Iâm out.â
âRight. Itâs on the second shelf, there wasnât room for it with the rest.â
âThanks,â Ada said, turned around, grabbed a box, and transferred out.
âMary Berry never has to deal with this,â Maria muttered. âIf they donât get this sorted soon Iâll lock âem in a closet myself until they do.â









