A Brambleberry Manor Christmas - Rosie Green Page 0,36

Come in.’ I grab my dressing gown, and she comes in, hands me a mug and sits on the side of the bed, her eyes shining.

‘I can’t believe I’ll soon be on a beach, making sand-pies and playing in the sea with my brother and sister. It’s going to be so amazing.’

I nod and smile, drinking in her happiness. I take a sip of the over-full mug and almost choke on the sugary sweetness, just managing to disguise my reaction as a cough.

‘Is the tea okay?’ she asks. ‘I put an extra sugar in for luck.’

‘It’s lovely.’ Apart from the fact that I haven’t taken sugar in my tea for years!

‘Jenny?’

‘Yes?’

‘Sorry I’m such a pain in the arse sometimes. I’ve just been so down after Dad and everything.’

I reach out and cover her hand with mine. ‘I know, love. You don’t have to apologise to me. But thank you. It means a lot that you said it.’ I swallow. ‘I love you, you know, and your dad would be so proud of you.’

She smiles wistfully. ‘Drink your tea before it gets cold.’

‘Oh. Of course.’ I take another disgusting gulp that almost makes my teeth ache, it’s so sweet. ‘Listen, why don’t I come clothes shopping with you some time?’ I shrug. ‘Unless you’d rather go yourself.’

‘That would be nice,’ she says, and my heart lifts.

‘Great! We could have hot chocolate specials at Raffles Café?’ The last time we went to Raffles together was before Harvey died. It was our favourite place…

‘Okay.’ She springs off the bed and goes out, calling back, ‘With a shot of caramel, of course.’

‘Of course!’ I smile. It feels just like the old days. We always had caramel in our hot chocolate.

*****

Getting in the car to go and pick up Flo brings back a memory. Driving home the other night, my heart full of dancing in the ballroom with Bob…while Noah learned the steps with Rhoda.

If Melanie hadn’t arrived at that moment, Noah and I would have danced together.

Suddenly, the thought of being in his arms, whirling around the dance floor with him, stirs up so many conflicting feelings that for a moment, all I can do is sit there, my hands resting on the steering wheel, letting the emotions wash over me.

How would it have felt?

My heart pulses with longing for a moment as I allow my imagination to run wild.

Then a neighbour walks by and waves, and I wave back, reality intruding on my dream. I put the car in gear with a wistful smile. That’s all it will ever be – a tantalising image in my head of what might have happened, had Melanie not appeared…

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Menu – Day 4

Buffet lunch

Salmon en croute, herb-stuffed roast chicken, lamb & courgette skewers, Yorkshire puddings filled with beef and horseradish

***

Strawberry pavlovas, mini treacle tarts, double chocolate brownies with fresh raspberries and cream, tangy lemon tart, jam roly-poly

Flo and I are at the manor by nine in order to prepare the big buffet lunch Marjery has ordered for today. They’re all going out for dinner tonight, so by about two o’clock, we’ll be finished for the day. Maybe I’ll go shopping with Tavie and treat her to some new clothes for the trip, then come back and curl up with some nice food and some Strictly repeats on the TV. I tried to call Vivian about the holiday but the line was bad. I need to try her again…

Flo asks how I am today, after yesterday’s upset, and I reassure her that I’m fine, although I’m actually anything but fine.

I’m dreading seeing Constance.

Did she recognise me last night as Harvey’s other half? Maybe she didn’t even know that Harvey had a live-in girlfriend. Perhaps he lied and told her he was single.

But whether Constance knows about me or not, every time I hear footsteps outside in the hall, my heart leaps into my mouth and my legs start to tremble.

The suspense is horrible – but then at just after midday, I see her through the kitchen window, going out into the snow with Melanie. They’re both wrapped up well, and I watch them striking out in their wellies across the vast snowy lawn.

Seconds later, Rhoda and Bob appear, with Wilbur chasing around their ankles, rootling in the snow. Rhoda points over at Melanie and Constance, who seem to be heading off along the drive. Then Bob nudges her and they laugh, and do an about turn so that they’re walking in the opposite direction, over towards the