watched as they came running out the shop towards them.
‘I think Bea might be a good judge of character too,’ Anna said.
‘Because she likes me?’
‘Because she talked to you. She never talks to anyone outside the house. Not even me.’
Penny took a few moments to let that sink in and how worrying that must be for Anna.
‘Maybe you could teach her some more sign language. If she isn’t brave enough to talk to people at least she can communicate in a way that a lot of other people in the town can understand, even if she’s only signing with you.’
Anna smiled and scooped Bea up, who was covered in chocolate already. ‘I think that is a brilliant idea. We better go.’ She hesitated for a moment before she turned back. ‘You’d be very welcome to join Henry and Daisy when they come to us on Christmas Day night.’
‘Oh you should,’ Daisy said, biting into her cake. ‘We always play games in the evening.’
‘Thank you, that’s very kind. I may be at my brother’s but I might visit him late afternoon and then maybe come to you in the evening.’
‘You’d be welcome any time.’
Penny watched her go with a smile and then suddenly realised the time.
‘Come on Daisy, we’ll be late for the ice carving workshop and, trust me, Maggie is not the sort of person you ever get on the wrong side of.’
* * *
‘I’m really excited,’ Daisy said as she jogged up and down on the spot to keep warm.
Penny blew on her fingers trying to find the excitement that Daisy had for working at such low temperatures. Working in the cool room in her house was always a bit chilly, but working in a flimsy outdoor marquee with no heaters was a new level of cold. The weather seemed to have got colder and bitterer over the last few days. Maggie, in her wisdom as chief organiser extraordinaire, had decided that Penny didn’t need heaters for her ice carving workshop in case the ice melted while people were working on them. Something Penny had only just found out now. With all the stress of the ball and the other events Maggie was organising, as well as being completely exhausted from being heavily pregnant, Penny didn’t want to bring up the fact that her blocks of ice would take five hours before they would even start to melt, even in a warm room filled with people. For an hour-long workshop a little heat was not going to be an issue; in fact the lack of heat might cause problems for the participants.
‘How many people do you think will come?’ Daisy asked.
‘I don’t know. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve done a few private parties before for hen parties and stag nights and I’ve done a few corporate team-building-type events but I’ve never just put out an open invitation for anyone to come along and have a go. It was Maggie’s idea, she said it would be another thing that would raise money for charity. And she’s not someone you ever say no to.’
Daisy smiled as she glanced over at Maggie on the phone. ‘No, I get that impression too. So how does this work, you just show people how to do it and let them get on with it?’
‘Pretty much. I’ll show them the basic skills. I have some templates here if anyone wants to use them and then I’ll just go round and give them pointers as they work. I’m not honestly expecting great things from anyone. People will just want to have some fun having a go. Whenever I’ve done the hen or stag parties, everyone always does willies.’
Daisy burst out laughing. ‘Seriously?’
‘Yeah.’
‘What, everyone?’
‘Yes, pretty much. Grannies, mother of the bride, the men, they all like to carve willies. I don’t know why. The first time I did a hen party I just presumed I had a group of ladies that had a bit of dirty sense of humour but I’ve done maybe ten or twenty parties over the years, every single time I get willies.’
‘That’s hilarious.’
Penny smiled. ‘I’m hoping the people of White Cliff Bay might be more discerning and I might get a few Christmas crackers or bells or trees, but I imagine I’ll probably just get a load of willies. Maggie has a local press photographer coming to record the sculptures at the end so I need you to create something tasteful to make sure he won’t be photographing a load of