After the Fire (26 page)
“I do love you.”
“I’m glad you do. I love you back. I won’t ever leave you again.” Jason said.
“I know. You promised you’d come back for me and you did.”
“Of course. He reached into his pocket. “I think this is yours. And you are now one wealthy woman.”
“I am. Why?”
“That, my dear, is pure firestone. It’s worth six million on the open market.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow.”
He smiled. “Yeah, wow.”
Her fingers rose to her throat and her breath caught as grief and disappointment flooded her. She’d lost the necklace he’d bought her earlier in the week. “It’s gone.”
“No, hon, it’s here.” Jason pulled the necklace from his other pocket, pressing it into her hand. “Want me to put it on for a while? They won’t let you keep it while you’re hooked up to all this equipment.”
She nodded and Jason fastened the chain around her neck.
“This one means more to me because a very special guy gave it to me.” Freddie fingered the chain.
“Should I be jealous? Do I need to go beat someone up?” His tone was light and teasing, and she knew he remembered as well as she did.
“It will always remind me of this week and finding you again. I don’t intend to take it off, ever—once I’m out of here. I want to be with you forever.”
“I want to be with you, forever, too. It doesn’t matter that you can’t have kids or are way richer than I am. I want to serve God on the mission field again, but this time with you as my wife.”
“I’d like that, very much. Maybe we start up our own mission society. I know where I can get my hands on a few million quid to set it up with. How does that sound?”
“That, my love, sounds like a great plan.” Jason kissed her gently.
Freddie kissed him back. They’d come full circle, only this time the ending was different. Instead of being left alone, the fire of love had consumed them both. They’d both fly off into the sunset to serve the God they loved. Together.
In After the Fire, Freddie and Jason go to the harbor café and have the traditional Cornish Pasty for lunch. Originally, the pastry was designed to protect the filling as the miners would take them into the mines as their lunch during a long shift. The early ones contained a pasty divided between the meat ‘main meal’ half and the jam ‘dessert’ half. Today the pastry is part of the meal and they just contain meat and veggies.
The recipe uses beef, but this can be substituted for lamb or chicken or just veggies.
Cornish Pasties
Shortcrust Pastry
14 ounces flour (2 cups)
Pinch of salt
3½ ounces margarine (7 Tablespoons)
3½ ounces lard/suet (7 Tablespoons - may use shortening)
Cold water to mix
Filling
1 large potato, peeled
1 large onion, peeled
1 carrot, peeled
12 ounces braising steak (or left over roast meat) (1 ½ cups)
Salt, pepper, mixed herbs
1 ounce butter (2 Tablespoons)
Beaten egg to glaze
Directions
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Heat oven to gas mark 6 / 200C / 400F
Make pastry. Rub margarine and lard into flour. Add water and bring to a soft dough using a knife. Knead gently. (The key to light pastry is to handle it as little as possible.)
Divide pastry into 8 portions and roll out. Cut into a 5 inch circle. (I use a saucer as a template)
Dice potato, carrot and onion. Rinsing onion in cold water helps stop eyes from watering. Cut meat into small ¼ inch cubes. Add to the veggies. Season.
Divide meat mixture between the 8 pastry rounds. Divide butter into 8 pieces. Dot onto meat mixture.
Dampen edges of pastry with water. Draw edges together to form a seam across the top. Crimp or flute edges with fingers. Place onto greased baking tray and brush with beaten egg.
Cook for 30 minutes. Then reduce heat to gas mark 3/170C/325F and cook for further 20 minutes until golden brown.
Serve hot or cold.
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