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  ‘Ooh, now I’ve got gooseflesh,’ said Anna, wrapping her arms round her shoulders.

  ‘Edward had a pack of adventure stories to tell. Day after day he would sit on the beach, a far-away look in his deep blue eyes, and spin tales about elephants in Ceylon and giant snakes in South America; of glistening white icebergs and massive killer whales; of Oriental silks and precious jewels and of storms at sea when the waves rose up like dark glass mountains.

  ‘The simple village folk listened in wide-eyed disbelief. The children leapt with questions. They asked to hear the stories over and over again, and so the days became weeks, and the weeks became months, and by the time Edward had been accepted and assigned a regular place on a fishing boat, he and Martha were engaged. The villagers were overjoyed.

  ‘As soon as the wedding date had been set and the banns drawn up, they started improving the little church for the occasion, repairing the roof, hammering together new pews. At last this wedding – this wonderfully romantic wedding – would perfectly complete the story of Martha.

  ‘But even as they sawed and planed and plastered, even as Martha put the finishing touches to her wedding dress and Aunt Dora started painting her portrait, Edward was desperately trying to explain to her that he needed to go on just one more voyage. He was a sailor, and he loved the sea as much as he loved her. He wasn’t ready yet, he said, to settle down as a fisherman. ‘Please, please try to understand,’ he pleaded over and over. ‘I have to go just once more. A few months – and then I’ll be back forever. We’ll be married, and I’ll build you a house right on the beach.’

  ‘Ag no,’ interrupted Lily. ‘I just knew he was going to put a spanner in the works. It always happens.’

  ‘Well, on the day that Edward sailed for Spain, Martha stood on the shore until the sea lay empty; until the little ship with its cluster of taut, white sails had edged round The Point and slowly dipped below the horizon. And then, anxiously twisting her hair into a coil as she walked, she returned to the village and to Aunt Dora’s little whitewashed cottage – to wait.

  ‘Each day Martha went down to the water’s edge and looked out to sea. Through the dazzling blue summers and the wild, tossing winters she waited, while her gaiety grew old and died. The villagers stood by mutely, watching in dismay as their romantic dream faded. And when eventually the first streaks of grey threaded her long black hair, Martha used some of her inheritance to build the house on the cliff. For Edward.

  ‘And there she waited – in the house on the cliff – the great white house that shimmered in the heat of the summers, shuddered in the winds of winter, and glowed gently at night with the light of a candle burning brightly in a window, like a beacon. Her lovely face became sad and lined; her graceful figure became thinner and wasted. And still she waited.’

  Now Florrie stopped to take a sip of her cold tea. Some of the women had tears in their eyes. They clucked their tongues, shook their heads, completely overcome by the thought of Martha’s heartache.

  ‘Now this,’ continued Flora, ‘was when the agency sent me to Plettenberg Bay, and one of the patients on my list was Martha. She had had a bad fall and injured her knee and I was to go and see what could be done.

  ‘When I first knocked at the door, there was no response. Then I heard a soft voice asking “Who is it?”. I turned the knob and, finding it unlocked, went inside. Martha was sitting in an old armchair, knitting. She looked quite frail, but her face was still lovely, and her hair carefully swept up. She looked at me with those dark eyes and said nothing. I examined her leg – it was only badly bruised – so I bandaged it, and offered to make her some tea. She was so grateful, and I started visiting her every day, cooking a hot meal, and staying for a chat. Soon she was no longer just a patient, we became friends.

  ‘Shame. She must have been so lonely until you came, sitting in that big empty house all alone.’

  ‘No, no, it was beautifully furnished. Comfortable sofas everywhere and paintings on the walls – but she always sat in the same chair next to the same little table. On it stood a framed photograph of a young blonde sailor. She did not know that I knew her story, and I never referred to it. But one day an incredible thing happened.’

  Just then there was a knock at Flora’s front door. It was Harry the postman, and while she left the kitchen to receive her post, the women sat like statues, speechless for once, unable to anticipate the next chapter.

  ‘What happened,’ Florrie resumed, sitting down, ‘was that one day a sailor, a young blonde sailor, with his kitbag over his shoulder, came bounding up the old steps and hammered on the front door.

  I saw him, through the window. Of course I answered his knock, and opened the door. And there on the doorstep stood the young man in the photograph.’

  ‘Ag no Florrie! That’s impossible!’ the women gasped. ‘Now you’re telling stories. How could it be?’

  Flora smiled. ‘The young Edward Bellamy had none of his Spanish mother’s dark beauty; he was big and blonde like his father. He had come to visit Martha, he said, because his father had told him all about her after his mother had died. “My father is quite an old man now, living in Barcelona. It was here that he met my mother when his ship was in port for a few weeks. My mother was very beautiful, and he says he completely lost his heart. But Father never forgot his first love. And he said if my travels should ever bring me to this place, that I should please visit her and tell her he would always remember her, and to give her his fondest wishes.” And he moved forward, as though to step inside.

  ‘Quick as a wink I jammed my foot into the doorway. And I told him, I said, “Listen here, young man! If you think you’re going to just march in here and upset Martha Foster you’d better think again. No, no, NO! I have news for you. You’re going straight back to your Spain, and you’re going to fetch your father. You’re going to bring him here with you – and then – and only then will I let you into this house.”

  ‘Well, young Edward Bellamy just stood there and looked at me for a long time. I think he was shocked. But he stood there for so long that eventually I stood aside and he saw past me to where Martha was sitting, the sun was shining on her face and hair and she was looking out of the window at the sea. I think that was when he made up his mind.

  ‘It wasn’t more than three months later that the two of them walked up the steps together. Martha and I were playing a game of cards when I glanced up and saw them coming. I waited for them to knock. ‘I wonder who that can be,’ she said. ‘If it’s the baker, tell him two loaves, please.’

  ‘Well, I rushed. Flung the door open and stood aside, and in they walked. First the father, and then the son.’

  ‘And then?’ asked Sophia, wringing her hands.

  ‘Ag ladies, don’t ask me to describe what passed between those two people in that emotional moment. I just turned and looked the other way, both the son and I. Then we walked into the garden and stayed there, looking at the sea for a long time, before going back inside.’

  ‘I can’t stand it,’ wailed Amelia. ‘What did they do? Did they speak? Did they cry? Hold hands?’

  Flora shrugged. ‘Who’s to know? But what I can tell you is that the two old people live there together now. The parson read a marriage service and she wears a ring, and every day they walk together on the beach, and the villagers – those who still remember them – smile and wave as they pass.’

  ‘Oh my, oh goodness me, what a story! It’s just like a book!’

  ‘It makes me quite sad, it’s so lovely, I mean that she got him after all.’

  ‘But I still don’t know how you come to be in Corriebush.’Sophia tapped the table-top with one finger. ‘Here. How do you come to be here?’

  ‘Listen, then. Martha found out that I was the one who had arranged their meeting. Edward told her. She insisted on giving me a huge amount of money and when I refused to take it she took matters into her own hands. She and Edward consulted estate agents, chose an architect, and had this house re-built for m
e; they even had it furnished with these lovely pieces. But she instructed the architect to keep the kitchen old-looking because we had had so many happy meals in hers, and she wanted me to remember.’

  ‘What an angel.’

  ‘And she chose Corriebush because she knew I had grown up in the Karoo and always longed to return.’

  ‘So how did she tell you? I mean, one can’t wrap up a house like other presents!

  ‘She asked me to come to supper one evening, she and Edward, and they handed me the title deeds. I cried then.’

  ‘Shame, Florrie.’

  ‘You see, I had worked all my life, and I had very little money, and she gave me my freedom. I can never thank her enough. I’ll visit them often, of course, Martha and Edward. Yes, I’ll keep an eye on them, take them photographs of the house, and rusks and venison and figs and other Corriebush things. But this is my home now.’

  ‘Oh yes,’ they repeated, all misty-eyed. ‘This is your home now.’

  Sophia had the last word. ‘Ag what a beautiful story, Florrie. Just like a fairy tale.’

  And for once she had got it right.

  Mains

  Salmon with Stir-fried Vegetables

  Roasted Cape Salmon with Butter & Herbs

  Spicy Stove-top Fish Curry

  Roasted Fish, Italian-style

  Poached Fish with Lemon & Tarragon

  Baked Fish Fillets on a Bed of Vegetables

  Poached Fish with Anchovy Mayo & Crunchy Sage

  Unbelievably Easy Fish with Salsa

  Chicken, Brown Mushroom & Tomato Curry

  Chicken Thighs Baked on a Bed of Vegetables

  Chicken & Mango Salad

  Finger-licking Chicken Wings

  Chicken Casserole with Mushrooms & Red Wine

  Favourite Quick Chicken

  Spicy Chicken Curry

  Orange Coq Au Vin

  Quick Mushroom Chicken

  Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Spinach & Ricotta

  Chocolate-Chilli Chicken

  Butter Bean, Mushroom & Walnut Curry

  Baked Rice & Vegetables with Omelette Topping

  Chickpea Curry with Mango & Mint Raita

  Green Risotto with Butternut, Pine Nuts & Asparagus

  Quick Chilli Beans with Corn & Avocado

  Simply Splendid Vegetable Curry

  Roasted Vegetable & Pasta Party Salad

  Pasta Puttanesca Salad with Basil Oil

  Pasta, Bean & Rocket Salad with Pine Nuts

  Pasta Stroganoff

  Pasta with Smoked Salmon, Mushrooms & Cream

  Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes & Butternut

  Saucy Pasta in a Bowl

  Robust Tomato Sauce with Herbs

  Beef Steaks with Red Wine & Mushroom Sauce

  Fillet of Beef with a Creamy Mustard Sauce

  Casserole of Veal with Brinjals & Olives

  Casserole of Lamb with Mushrooms & Butter Beans

  Lamb Buffalo with Peppadews

  Braised Leg of Lamb

  Simmered, Savoury Lamb Loin Chops

  Orange Pork Chops

  Salmon with Stir-fried Vegetables

  If you dislike frying fish, try this one. It’s a super, stove-top dish, delicately touched with Oriental seasonings that don’t intrude on the fine flavour of Cape salmon, but it’s also good with the old faithful – hake. If you prepare the vegetables in advance, it does not take much standing over the stove, and it’s light and healthy. The one imperative: a very large pan – 28 × 6 cm is perfect.

  45 ml (3 Tbsp) oil

  5 ml (1 tsp) dark sesame oil

  a bunch of spring onions or a few baby leeks, chopped

  a small knob of fresh root ginger,

  peeled and coarsely grated

  3 medium carrots, julienned

  180 g slender green beans, trimmed and diagonally sliced

  1⁄2 English cucumber (250 g), pared and julienned (seeds discarded)

  125 g button mushrooms, wiped, sliced

  4 Cape salmon fillets (550–600 g total weight) (skin removed)

  sea salt and milled black pepper

  toasted almond flakes to garnish

  SAUCE

  250 ml (1 cup) fish or chicken stock

  30 ml (2 Tbsp) cornflour

  about 30 ml (2 Tbsp) soy sauce (depending on the brand)

  5 ml (1 tsp) honey

  2–5 ml (1⁄2–1 tsp) finely grated lemon rind

  Heat the oils in that large pan and stir-fry the spring onions or leeks, ginger, carrots and beans until softening but still crunchy. (You could also cover the pan and let them steam over a low heat.) Add the cucumber and mushrooms, and toss until wilting. Stir together all the ingredients for the sauce, add to the pan and, when bubbling and thickened, reduce the heat to very low and arrange the lightly seasoned fish on top of the vegetables. Cover and allow to simmer very gently for 10–12 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the fillets to a warmed serving platter, best side up, sprinkle with almonds and spoon the saucy vegetables alongside. Serves 4.

  Roasted Cape Salmon with Butter & Herbs

  An amazingly effortless fish dish – no frying, no turning, no grilling. No fishy haze in the kitchen. No garnishing. It’s astonishing that it can turn out so well when almost all that is required of the cook is the making of the butter – that, and having in hand a perfect piece of thick, skinned salmon fillet, weighing 500 g. The dill and tarragon used in this recipe are dried, because all too often they are unobtainable fresh – either they’re out of season, or the supermarket is fresh out. But dried herbs, freshly bought, make an excellent butter, and the flavour of this dish is lovely.

  60 ml (4 Tbsp) soft butter

  1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) dried dill

  1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) dried tarragon

  15 ml (1 Tbsp) finely snipped chives

  15 ml (1 Tbsp) finely chopped parsley

  2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) finely grated lemon rind

  500 g skinless salmon fillet in one piece of even thickness

  60 ml (1⁄4 cup) white wine (Sauvignon Blanc is a good choice)

  sea salt

  First cream the butter with the herbs and lemon rind, mixing well. Roll into a sausage-shape, wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until firm enough to slice. To bake, place the fish in a baking dish – not a big one – it should fit fairly snugly with a bit of room to spare for the juices. Pour the wine in at the side and season the fish lightly. Slice the butter into 6 coins and place them on top of the fish in two rows of three. Roast at 200 °C for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and spread any blobs of butter that have not melted, over the fish, giving it a green coating. Give a quick baste with the winey juices and return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through. To serve, slice the fish into four and spoon some juices over each serving. Oven-roasted potato wedges go well with this – simply scrub and cube potatoes, season, roll in olive oil and place in the hot oven about 30 minutes before the fish. For veg, a stir-fry is great: green beans, button mushrooms, julienned baby marrows and carrots, chopped leeks – all good. This fish dish will serve 4, and is easily doubled.

  Spicy Stove-top Fish Curry

  The Karoo might teem with game and lamb and beef, but there’s no fish in the veld. Sometimes there isn’t any at my nearest city fish market either. Fresh out of fresh. I’m talking hake here, which is good for a curry – and so this recipe uses frozen, and very satisfying it is too, in a thick, bright, fairly hot sauce. Good with basmati rice (add a touch of turmeric when cooking) and serve with yoghurt and cucumber.

  45 ml (3 Tbsp) oil and a pat of butter

  1 large onion, chopped

  1 red chilli, seeded and chopped

  2 cloves garlic, crushed

  20 ml (4 tsp) curry powder

  5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin

  2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) ground fennel

  250 ml (1 cup) fish or chicken stock

  1 × 400 g can tomatoe
s

  about 250 g baby marrows, pared and diced (200 g prepared weight)

  30 ml (2 Tbsp) chutney

  2 bay leaves

  5 ml (1 tsp) tomato paste

  sugar to taste

  500 g skinned and filleted frozen hake portions

  seasoned flour

  fresh coriander leaves

  Heat the oil and butter in a very large frying pan, add the onion, chilli and garlic and, when softening, add the spices, stirring for a few seconds over low heat. Place half the stock, the tomatoes plus juice and the baby marrows in a blender and pulse briefly to chop and mix to a chunky consistency. Add to the pan, together with the chutney, bay leaves, tomato paste and a little sugar to offset the tart tomatoes. (The mixture will look very ‘seedy’ at this stage, but don’t worry, it will smooth out to create a thick and succulent sauce.) Cover and simmer very gently for about 20 minutes to concentrate the flavour. Dust the fish lightly with seasoned flour, shaking off any excess, and slide into the sauce – at this stage it will be very dense, so add the remaining 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) stock – you may even need a little more. Keeping the heat low, cover and simmer until the fish is cooked right through – turn once, carefully. The cooking time depends on the size of your pan and the thickness of the fillets. Remove the bay leaves, and sprinkle with fresh coriander. Serves 4.

  Roasted Fish, Italian-style

  I’ve never eaten this dish in Italy and possibly the Italians haven’t either, but it’s as good a name as any for fish teamed up with Mediterranean ingredients. It’s a favourite, this one, rating tops for simplicity and flavour. Only a few special ingredients are required, but they are important to ensure that the dish ends up as it should – succulent, flavoursome, and so satisfying that you don’t need pasta or potatoes or anything but a green salad to accompany it.