Christmas at Lilac Cottage - Holly Martin Page 0,74
out for ice cream before I go out for dinner tomorrow night? I’m at work tomorrow too, someone has called in sick and there are a few jobs that need to be finished before the factory closes for the holidays, so you won’t see me all day.’
‘I’ll cope.’ Daisy flashed him a cheeky smile. ‘But yes to ice cream. Can we do some more carving tomorrow, Penny?’
‘We can actually. I have a snowman carving that needs to be finished for a corporate party so you could help me do that if you wanted, or just have fun creating your own pieces.’
‘You’d let me help with one of your professional pieces?’
‘Yes of course. You’re an ice carving champion now, your credentials more than speak for themselves.’
Daisy laughed.
‘I was serious about the job offer; if it’s OK with your dad, I’d be happy to pay you for your help.’
Daisy fixed him with pleading eyes and he nodded. ‘Only if you promise me you’ll be really careful with those tools and I don’t want her using the chainsaw.’
Penny and Daisy both nodded.
‘I have an errand to run tomorrow morning so come round about lunchtime,’ Penny said.
‘Does the errand have anything to do with Fabio?’ Daisy asked, clearly still digging for dirt.
Penny flashed Henry a mischievous grin. ‘Maybe.’
Obviously he had been forgiven.
Daisy looked over at Henry, obviously sensing that something was going on between them. ‘How did your important meeting with Clara go?’
‘It was fine.’ He watched the smile slide off Penny’s face.
‘Your meeting was with Clara? That’s who you rushed off to see?’
‘It was to talk through my designs, it was nothing,’ Henry said, staring at his plate again.
‘Dad, what happened to your shirt, it’s all torn at the top, did you lose a button?’
‘I just got it caught in something.’
Daisy giggled. ‘Is that lipstick on your neck? Wow, when you said it was fine, I didn’t realise just how fine you actually meant.’
He glanced up at Penny in time to see the look of horror and disappointment register on her face before she stood up to clear the plates away.
He wanted to tell her that nothing had happened, that she didn’t need to worry, but in front of Daisy it was out of the question.
A clap of thunder rumbled overhead and the tension that had dissipated had suddenly returned.
* * *
Penny got into her pyjamas later that night. Henry and Daisy had disappeared back to their own home shortly after dinner, leaving her alone, where if she had been in a proper relationship she could have spent the night cuddled up on the sofa with her boyfriend. Although she certainly wasn’t in the mood to cuddle up to Henry right now. She couldn’t get the thought of him and Clara together out of her mind and how guilty Henry had looked when Daisy had spotted the lipstick. He didn’t even try to deny that anything had happened. She knew, however, that if he cared about her at all, he would come over once Daisy had gone to bed and try to explain. She was going to try to keep an open mind until then. She had been cheated on before and she wasn’t going to let it happen again but she wouldn’t judge Henry until she heard him out.
She got into bed and had just started to read her book when she heard the soft thud of feet on the stairs.
She put her book down and watched him as he walked into the room. He looked scared as he approached the side of her bed.
‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there for dinner and you had to cook when I promised that I would.’
She arched an eyebrow at him; he had to do better than that. Annoyingly, very faint traces of lipstick were still present on his throat.
‘Nothing happened with me and Clara, I swear. She kissed me, I told her I had a girlfriend and I walked out. I was an idiot for thinking that she actually wanted to talk about my designs and I was so eager to have an opportunity to share them with her and Edward that I couldn’t see her true motive for bringing me there. I’m sorry, but you have to believe me, nothing happened. I’m not interested in her at all or anyone else in fact, I only want to be with you.’
He shivered against the chill of the night and she instinctively pulled back the duvet, shuffling over for him to get in. He hesitated for