18
The following morning, Hannah stopped me in the kitchen to challenge me about my miserable expression.
‘How about service with a smile?’ she asked me, taking a tray of freshly baked scones out of the oven.
The smell made my mouth water and I thought regretfully of the stone I’d gained since working at the tea shop. Hannah and Jane had both independently told me they thought I looked much healthier than when I had first arrived in the village. My ex-boyfriend used to criticise me whenever I put on weight and as a result of that I used to be very careful to control my diet. Since moving to Ashton Mead, I had been eating more heartily and also walking more, thanks to Poppy. Even my sister had made a positive comment about the improvement in my appearance.
‘Customers want to feel comf
