Christmas at Lilac Cottage - Holly Martin Page 0,50
cheering, obviously thinking it was all part of the competition. Either that or it was the most excitement the people of White Cliff Bay had seen in a long time.
Penny turned round to make sure Daisy was OK but she was laughing and clapping too.
Penny approached and Josh lessened his protective stance in front of Daisy slightly.
‘I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you, I never expected it to be like this.’
Daisy wiped away tears of laughter. ‘Best thing I’ve seen for a long time. You have to bring me to all competitions from now on, even if I’m not competing.’
With the drama over, people went back to perusing the remaining sculptures. There were only four others now apart from Penny’s and Daisy’s.
‘Gives us more of a chance now they are out of the competition,’ Daisy said. ‘Though that Hogwarts Castle over there is getting a lot of interest.’
Penny peered through the crowds at the castle with each tiny brick carved into the sides, the pointy turrets and even a dragon resting on the roof. It was stunning. ‘That has to be Octavia’s, she is ridiculously talented. She’s bound to win.’
Suddenly there was a flurry of excitement as the judges arrived. Pippa, the Mayor of White Cliff Bay, came in first, her huge pregnant belly parting the crowds, overshadowing the gold chain of office that hung round her neck. Pippa waved at Penny as she walked in and a feeling of unease settled in Penny’s stomach, remembering how grateful Pippa had been towards Penny that morning over her saving Sam. Surely she wouldn’t be so grateful as to award her first place over the magnificent Hogwarts Castle? Thankfully there was one other judge with her, Mr Cartwright, her art teacher from school. He would make the right decision.
Daisy made a squeak next to her. ‘That’s Jackson Cartwright. He’s going to be my art teacher at White Cliff Bay Secondary School.’
‘He was my art teacher when I was there.’
‘How cool is that. He must have been very young when he was teaching you.’
‘He was, all the girls fancied him. He rode a motorbike and wore a leather jacket and he smoked so obviously that made him a hundred times cooler than all the other stuffy teachers.’
‘He has all these cool sculptures in galleries in London, I’m such a fan of his work.’
‘Would you like me to introduce you?’
Daisy nodded. ‘No.’
Penny laughed at the mixed signals. ‘Well, maybe I can chat to him and you can be standing next to me.’
‘Yes, that sounds good.’
‘Competitors, please take your places by your sculptures to meet the judges,’ a loud voice boomed across the hall.
Penny noted the young red-head standing next to Melody’s mermaid sculpture and gave her a friendly smile. She saw Octavia by the Hogwarts Castle as she suspected and Ignatius, a man with a long flowing white beard and long hair to match, standing by a splendid-looking lighthouse. On the other side of him was Frank, dressed in a dusty pink trouser suit and standing next to an intricately carved vase of flowers.
The Hogwarts Castle was obviously going to win, but Penny couldn’t call second and third place at all. Even Daisy’s snowflake, though simple in its design, showed a real talent.
The judges moved around the room, admiring the sculptures and chatting to the competitors.
Finally they came to Daisy. Penny watched them as they studied her piece and noticed how Daisy was standing almost in shock at being so close to her idol. She willed Jackson to say something nice about it; if he did that would make Daisy’s entire night, even if she didn’t make the top three.
‘This is an incredible piece,’ Jackson said. ‘These branches are so thin and perfectly round. I’m very impressed with the detail that you’ve put into this.’
Penny’s heart soared with happiness for Daisy. She could see she was already beaming from ear to ear.
He looked at the card with her name and then looked back at Daisy. ‘How old are you?’
‘Sixteen.’
His eyes widened in surprise. ‘You’re the new girl. You’re going to be in my form after Christmas and I’ll be teaching you for art too.’
‘You’re my form teacher?’
Jackson nodded. Now he’d made her entire year.
‘I’m so impressed that you have this skill at such a young age, have you had much training?’
‘I did a wood carving course in the summer and Penny has been showing me lots of things.’
Jackson turned his eyes on Penny and smiled. ‘Tuppence Meadows, how lovely to see you here,