Christmas for Beginners - Carole Matthews Page 0,72

slender leg round Lucas’s.

I wonder if youngsters have no shame or decorum these days, and then realise I’m sounding very middle-aged so shut myself up.

‘I’ve got to get to college,’ Aurora says sweetly. ‘Time and textiles waits for no one.’ She forks her food delicately into her mouth while batting her eyelashes at me.

There’s absolutely nothing to dislike about her and, yet, dislike her I do. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something off. I’m sure of it.

I grab my gloves. ‘See you later,’ I say. ‘Wrap up, Lucas. It’s freezing out there. I had to break the ice off the water troughs this morning.’

‘Brrrr.’ Aurora does a mock shiver.

Perhaps she’d be warmer if she put some clothes on.

I bang out of the door and collect the dogs who are waiting patiently. There’s stuff to do before the students arrive, but I head out across the fields. Stomping my niggling thoughts away. She’s not right for Lucas. She’s too old, too worldly wise, too . . . I don’t know.

The fields are hard with frost, the tree branches glisten with it in the weak sunshine, the sky is milky pale. The frozen grass crunches beneath my boots and the dogs make zig-zag tracks where they run. It soothes my soul. Sort of.

When I get back to the yard, Aurora’s car has gone and has been replaced by the mayor’s. I go up to the barn and find him and Lucas looking at Alan’s work in progress. Some kind of backdrop for the nativity.

‘Morning,’ I say to Matt. ‘I really do appreciate your being here.’ He’s wearing a well-loved overall and a beanie hat and looks younger than his years. I get an unexpected rush of affection for him which startles and comforts me all at once.

‘Looking forward to getting stuck in,’ he says before I have time to analyse my feelings. Probably just as well. ‘Thought we’d finish this and then the students could paint it if you’ve nothing else planned for them.’

‘Sounds like a good idea and we’re only a few in number today.’ I think we’ve got six kids here and they’re some of our better behaved students, thankfully. We’re probably in for a thoroughly nice day. However, I’ve probably jinxed it by saying that. I’m sure we could manage without Bev and Alan for a few days, perhaps even longer, but it’s good to have the mayor’s reassuring presence here. It feels as if I’m not shouldering this alone.

‘I’ll go back to the tea room and see them all in.’ I’ll also be on lunch duty today, so I need to check what we’ve got on the menu. Bev is usually organised at least a week ahead and it’s all written down on our kitchen chalk board, so I’ve just got to follow instructions. Instead of staying with the mayor, Lucas starts to follow me.

‘I need a word,’ he says.

‘OK.’ I need a word too. I have to set some boundaries about him sleeping here with Aurora until I’ve fully discussed it with Shelby. I have no idea whether he’d be absolutely against it or whether, these days, it’s something that’s accepted. Whichever way, the decision has to be his father’s, not mine.

We walk down through the barn and as we do, I spot one of the sheep looking a bit different to usual. If I’m not mistaken, Fluffy looks decidedly fluffier.

I stop and lean on the gate. ‘Does Fluffy look fatter to you?’ Climbing over, I go to feel the sheep’s stomach. Yes, there’s definitely a milk sack there. Underneath all that fluff, I hadn’t spotted the changes. But changes there definitely are.

‘Oh, Fluffy,’ I say with a puff of breath. ‘What have you been up to?’ I turn to Lucas. ‘She’s definitely with child. No idea how.’

‘Usual way?’ Lucas says.

‘Yeah, but we’ve had Anthony the Anti-Social Sheep’s ‘gentleman’s things’ removed to try to make him more pleasant and he’s usually the main culprit.’

‘Virgin birth? They’re quite the thing at this time of year.’

‘Ha, ha.’ I am perplexed though. ‘I didn’t think our other rams had “introduced” themselves to any of our ladies. Just goes to show what happens when you’re not looking.’

It’s those long, dark nights in the barn with nothing to do.

Climbing back out of their pen, I say, ‘We’ll have to keep an eye on her. It looks like she’s not got too long to go.’ I rub my hands together happily. That’s given me a lovely lift. There’s nothing