Christmas at Lilac Cottage - Holly Martin Page 0,35

he put a hand on her shoulder to stop her getting up. ‘Give yourself a moment to wake up.’

‘I never fall asleep during the day.’ She rubbed her face and looked up at him. Her hair was sticking out at all angles and there was something just so achingly endearing about her.

She stood up and shivered. He grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it round her and with his hand on her back he guided her towards the connecting door.

As they walked into the kitchen, Daisy looked up at them in horror at Penny’s appearance. With the bright red blanket, pale face and hair everywhere she did look like she’d just been rescued from a hurricane or plane crash. Henry made frantic gestures behind Penny’s back so Daisy didn’t say anything to make Penny feel self-conscious. Thankfully, after sixteen years of living together, she knew him well enough to understand him.

‘Here, sit down,’ Daisy said gently, as if Penny had just received some bad news and needed tender loving care.

Daisy patted the seat next to her and Penny sat down, obviously still waking up.

Penny started helping herself to some of the food and Daisy mouthed over her head, asking if she was OK. Henry nodded and mimed that she had been sleeping. Daisy sighed with relief.

Daisy liked Penny and it was easy to see why. He really liked her too. But it was almost unheard of for Daisy to like the same women he did. She had never really liked any of his girlfriends apart from Rosie and, although he hadn’t the best track record for choosing wisely, he did wonder whether some of it was to do with not wanting to share him after she’d had him to herself for the last sixteen years. He didn’t want to upset Daisy and he worried over how much his daughter would still like Penny if he ever got involved with her, or if she would find fault in her just like all the others. Daisy had practically made him promise not to pursue things with Penny and he had to remember that.

They ate and chatted about the upcoming ball for a while and then Daisy got up and started clearing away the plates.

‘We better get going,’ Henry said, glancing at his watch.

Penny nodded. ‘I’ll just grab my shoes and coat, I won’t be a second.’

Sure enough, she was back in the kitchen a few seconds later, with her shoes on, fastening her coat, her hair still a wild, tangled bush.

Henry bit his lip. As much as it didn’t bother him in the slightest going out with her looking like this, he knew it would bother her.

‘Erm… maybe you should, er, brush your hair first,’ Henry said.

Penny looked at him in shock. ‘Why, what’s the matter with it?’ She glanced at herself in the reflection of the window and her eyes widened. ‘Oh my god, why didn’t you tell me I looked such a state?’

‘Because we’re friends, and if you came to dinner in your tattiest stained pyjamas, I wouldn’t give a shit.’

Penny turned to look at him, a huge genuine smile forming on her face. ‘We’re friends?’

‘Yes of course.’ He wasn’t sure what had caused her to smile so much but he liked it a lot. Penny didn’t say anything else, she just walked out, presumably to do something about her wayward hair, but she had the biggest grin on her face.

He looked at Daisy in confusion and she came and hugged him. ‘You know, for all your grumpiness you can be very sweet sometimes.’

‘What did I do?’

Daisy let him go. ‘I’m just going to grab my hat.’

She ran upstairs and he stared after her. Women, he’d never understand them.

Penny came back in with her hair suitably brushed and swept up in a loose ponytail and he caught her arm as she moved towards the door.

‘Look, I’m sorry about…’ he gestured towards the shed, ‘the flirting and everything. I don’t want to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable and I certainly don’t want to do anything to hurt you, but I would like to be friends. I promise no more flirting from now on.’

She eyed him speculatively for a moment then smiled. ‘I’d really like to be friends too.’

She stuck out her hand for him to shake and he smiled as he took it. The feel of her skin against his was like a jolt to the stomach. Her eyes were alight with happiness, trusting