~ Nicci gravitating to the kitchen again ~<br/><br/>"OK, one hot chocolate coming up" said Nicci to Mila, and then to Mari, "Yes, I'd love that...."  she hesitated again, if Mila didn't want a drink or to meet up for half an hour Nicci needed to follow suit, "I'll see you there in half an hour then," she added, smiling, and turned back to the hall.<br/><br/>So she had a little time to kill. She'd have loved to go outside for a walk, to blow away some cobwebs, but she didn't know the place well enough yet for that, and she didn't want to intrude on the guys so she looked round, considering her options.  Although part of her would have liked to go to the diary room, to unload some of the feelings and impressions that already seemed to be enough for a whole chapter, she also didn't feel ready to talk about it just yet, and that she needed to file it and sort it out in her own mind first.<br/><br/>In the end she made her way to the kitchen and chatted to Cathy and Triona who were washing up and clearing away, finding out a little about the island and the staff, and taking up a tea towel to dry up with them.  She was getting used to Triona's stronger accent, laughing together when she needed help with a translation from Cathy. Then she explained she'd like to make some hot chocolate and asking Cathy if she minded.<br/><br/>Cathy showed her to the larder, where Nicci gazed round in admiration and pleasure at the store of wonderful ingredients, a veritable cook's  paradise.  In the end Cathy tapped her on the shoulder, laughing at Nicci's expression, and pointed to the dry goods section where Nicci spotted not only drinking chocolate and cocoa but Green and Blacks cocoa too.  Checking they had cream to spare she took that and the sugar pot and with Cathy's help got the milk on to heat up and mixed a smooth paste of cocoa and sugar in the bottom of four mugs in the end as both Cathy and Triona said they have some too.<br/><br/>As Nicci was about to leave, and take the two mugs upstairs, having checked with Cathy where the Mari's room was and thanking them for their compliments on her hot chocolate, Cathy stopped her for a moment.  Nicci grinned as Cathy put on a bag of Thornton's champagne truffles onto the little tray she was using, next to the mugs, saying she had meant to put them out with the coffee earlier and the girls may as well have a little spoiling. Nicci kissed her cheek and called her a doll and said if a little bit of drying up got her champagne truffles she'd have to do it more often leaving the two women laughing behind her.<br/><br/>As she went up the stairs carefully, so as not to spill the hot chocolate which she had finished off by whipping in a  dollop of cream to make it smooth and luxurious, she told herself she really should learn from what had just happened.  Just as she told herself when she'd escaped from dinner, she had to stop trying so hard and just be herself.  Just then she'd had a lovely time, laughing and joking with the two other women, completely at home and already feeling part of the group.  She knew though  it was one thing thinking it and another putting it into practice when it all meant so much, but maybe on her own with the two other girls tonight it would be easier.<br/><br/>She laughed to herself as she got to the top of the stairs, maybe it was being in the kitchen that did it, and if that was the case maybe she should just stay there. She made her way down the corridor to Mari's room and knocked on the door.<br/><br/><br/>(continuing in the bedrooms thread) (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=86340.msg3796567#msg3796567)