The Sweethearts Collection. Pam Jenoff

earning extra, helping them down at the fair. If Jago paid us she wouldn’t have to. Yer’ve done enough now,’ she said, nodding to the pile of sugar. ‘Yer can put that into the jar there and place the rest of the cone back on the side. Those trays of lollies can go on the side too. We’ll need all the table to work on.’ They jumped up and she turned back to her stirring and before long the mixture began to bubble. Colenso did as she’d been asked then watched as Karla picked up the brush and began washing down the inside of the pan.

      ‘I watched someone making tablet the other day,’ she said, reminded of her morning with Caitlin.

      ‘’Tis a similar process ’til you get to the colouring and kneading bit. Different ingredients other than the sugar, of course,’ she grinned. ‘Now for the tricky bit,’ she frowned, quickly dipping the finger next to the scarred one into the pan and licking off the mixture. ‘Right, that’s done,’ she said, taking the pan off the heat. ‘Just need to leave that to cool down a bit. Fancy a drink?’

      ‘Yes please. It’s so hot in here, although it looks like you’re very well organized,’ Colenso told her as Karla poured lemonade from another jug on the dresser and handed her a glass.

      ‘Hot? More like a raging furnace,’ the woman said, downing her drink in one. ‘Phew, that’s better. Jago got one of his, er, friends to help him add on this room. Said we could make more sweets and more money. Ha ha to the second. How did yer come to be working with him?’

      ‘It’s a long story but I’m travelling with Mara in her van and, well, thought it would be a good way of contributing towards my keep.’

      ‘Mara the fortune teller?’ Karla asked. ‘I keep meaning to have mine told. I’ve heard she’s good. Mind yer, I think I already know my future,’ she said, her hand going to her stomach.

      ‘You mean …?’ Colenso said, her eyes widening. Karla nodded.

      ‘Not that Jago knows. Denny, that’s my follower, and me are getting wed. Cors it’ll have to be sooner rather than later now,’ she chuckled as she crossed the room and lifted the pan into the sink. Luckily Colenso was saved from answering, as the noise of hissing and spitting filled the room.

      ‘I thought Mother’d go mad, but Jago’s away so much she quite likes the idea of having a man around the house. Says we’ll be the only ones to make her a grandmother anyhow,’ she said, lifting out the pan and stirring before pouring the syrup into the prepared tray. She let it cool for a moment then cut it into two portions, one twice the size of the other.

      ‘Right, now we add flavouring to the bigger piece,’ Karla said, carefully shaking out two drops from a tiny phial.

      ‘That smells so good,’ Colenso cried, inhaling the floral aroma. ‘It’s just like roses.’

      ‘Rose rock, see? If yer wants to help yer can wet yer hands and start kneading this,’ she said, placing the flavoured piece in front of Colenso. ‘I’ll colour the other portion.’ She added a couple of drops from a phial and began massaging it in. As Colenso worked her mixture she was surprised to see it turn from clear and glass-like to white and satiny.

      ‘It’s like magic,’ she cried.

      ‘Alchemy, they calls it,’ Karla grinned. ‘Now, you roll the mixture into a long sausage while I roll the red one into a strand. They need to be the same length. That’s it,’ she said, taking her red one and placing it deftly over Colenso’s white. ‘Now I’ll roll them together like so.’

      Colenso watched fascinated as the combined mixture was rolled to twice its original length before being folded so that they became two red stripes. Then taking up a pair of scissors, Karla began snipping the mixtures into six-inch lengths.

      ‘Right, you can help me roll and bend the tops back into the shape of a crook like this, see?’ she demonstrated. Colenso smiled as she saw the formed shape of the walking cane then tried herself. ‘That’s it,’ Karla said moments later. ‘Now we can take a rest while they cool.’

      ‘That was fun,’ Colenso said as they collapsed back onto their chairs.

      ‘Don’t know about that, but it’s bloomin’ bakin’,’ Karla groaned, fanning her face with her hands. ‘Want another drink?’

      ‘I’ll get them,’ Colenso replied, jumping up and refilling their glasses. She handed Karla hers then ran her fingers along the jars lined up in the cupboards. ‘They’re like priceless jewels,’ she murmured.

      ‘Well, Jago certainly thinks they’re beyond price,’ Karla moaned. Then her lips widened into a broad grin. ‘That’s it. We won’t hand them over until he pays what he owes.’ She jumped up and began hiding the jars in the cupboards. ‘The lollies are set now, so help me pack them into cones then we can hide those away too,’ she said, snatching up a little pile and placing them on the table. ‘Can’t believe I didn’t think of this before.’

      By the time Jago came back, they’d cleared everything away and the room was looking neat and tidy.

      ‘There’s people milling around all over the fairground. Should bode well for selling lots of sweets,’ he grinned, rubbing his hands together. Then he frowned as he took in the clear table and bare work surfaces. ‘Where are they?’

      ‘Where’s what, brother dear?’ Karla asked innocently.

      ‘All those sweets you were busy making.’

      ‘Yer mean the ones yer intend selling for lots of money?’

      ‘Of course, er … well, hopefully,’ he amended as they both stared stonily as him.

      ‘Yer’ll get the sweets when we get our money,’ Karla told him, holding out her hand.

      ‘I haven’t the time to play games,’ he blustered.

      ‘Best get on with it then,’ Karla countered. He stared at them for a moment then, realizing he was beaten, took out his leather pouch. Slowly he counted coins into their outstretched hands. ‘And the rest, you skinflint,’ Karla urged. ‘Mother helped as well.’ With a muttered oath, Jago handed over a few more coins.

      ‘Thank you, brother dear,’ Karla said sweetly while Colenso stared at her money with relief. She had enough to give Mara a fair amount for her board and to purchase another card and stamp should she receive a reply from Kitto. Her heart leapt at the thought and she pocketed her money before helping Karla unpack the confection from the cupboards.

      By the time Jago had loaded them onto his wagon and Colenso had thanked Karla for the lesson in sweet-making, it was late afternoon.

      ‘I’d like to stop at the post office, please,’ she told him as they headed down a road of elegant Georgian houses with their splendid walled gardens and on past the newer townhouses that led into the town.

      ‘Not sure I’ve got the time,’ Jago muttered, still sulking from being outmanoeuvred by his sister.

      ‘Well, drop me off here then and I’ll walk. Mara told me the green is only just out of the town.’

      ‘I suppose I could take you, as long as you promise to help me arrange everything in the Panam. This fair’s only on for two days so I’ll need to make the most of every minute if I’m to earn any profit at all. And we’ll need more cones as well,’ he added, letting out a long sigh.

      ‘I’d be happy to help,’ she told him sweetly. The sooner she could get to the post office the better. She was longing to find out if there was anything waiting for her. As Kitto had never learned to write she couldn’t see how he could possibly reply, but Mara had seemed so sure.

      And Mara was right. A letter was waiting for her. Hugging it to her body, she almost danced out of the building and clambered back onto the wagon.

      ‘Happy now?’ Jago asked, urging his horse on.

      ‘Very,’ she smiled widely, tempted to open it there and then. Somehow she resisted and happily watched