Christmas at Lilac Cottage - Holly Martin Page 0,93

that you’ve been invited to join us shows how much she likes you.’

Penny smiled.

‘OK, this is the one,’ Daisy said, triumphantly, lovingly stroking the winning tree.

Penny looked up and up. It had to be at least twelve feet high.

‘Daisy, that’s never going to fit in my house, let alone yours.’

‘It will if we stick it under the stairs, you have that space going up to the second floor – and so what if the top sticks through the bannister a bit, or rests on the ceiling? This is going to look fab.’

Henry was already moving off to tell one of the staff which tree he wanted, clearly knowing that Daisy wasn’t to be talked out of it.

Before Penny could protest any further, the tree was bagged up into a big net and between the three of them, Henry carrying most of the weight, they just about managed to get the tree into the van, with the top three feet sticking out the back.

Henry secured the doors to make sure they weren’t going to swing open and Penny drove them home.

They struggled to get the tree in as Bernard, showing the most life she’d ever seen from him, ran around barking at them as they brought the invader into his home.

They stuck it in the corner so the top of the tree protruded up somewhere on the second floor at the top of the stairs.

There were never going to be enough decorations in the world to fill this thing. Penny guessed they’d have to go for a minimalist look.

‘I’ll get the decorations,’ Daisy said, running off to the shed where lots of their boxes were stored.

‘We should probably just stick to one colour, I have lots of silver baubles upstairs, we could have a silver theme…’ She trailed off as Henry was looking at her incredulously.

‘A silver theme? Erm, our decorations are an eclectic mix, there certainly isn’t a theme to them.’

‘But it will look really busy.’

He grinned. ‘We like busy. Why don’t you put some Christmas music on and heat up some of your wonderful mince pies and I’ll go and help Daisy with the decorations.’

She frowned slightly as she watched him go. She couldn’t pick holes in their tradition, not after she had been accepted so easily into the inner sanctum of the tree decorating team. A multi-coloured tree certainly wouldn’t go with her rather tasteful green and white light garlands and decorations but she would just have to let it go.

She built a fire in the fireplace, put on some Christmas songs and went to sort out the mince pies just as Daisy came back, weighed down by three large boxes.

She glanced down to the shed where Henry was still rooting around trying to find the right boxes.

‘Daisy.’

Daisy dumped the boxes on the table, grinning from ear to ear. ‘Yep?’

‘Are you seeing Josh?’

‘Yes. Don’t tell Dad.’

Penny’s eyes bulged, wishing she’d never asked. ‘Are you hanging out at the Love Shack?’

Daisy laughed. ‘The what?’

‘The birdwatchers’ hut at the end of the drive. That’s what we called it when we were teenagers. All the kids used to hang out there and kiss and…’ She was not going to talk to her about sex again.

‘Yes, but we just talk and stuff, it’s no big deal. Just don’t tell Dad because he’ll freak out. How are things between you two anyway?’

Penny noted how quickly the tables had turned. She wasn’t going to lie to Daisy, even if she couldn’t be completely honest. ‘Good. I really like him.’

Daisy studied her for a moment and then smiled. ‘He likes you too.’

Penny bit her lip. Did she know something was going on between them? She was a smart girl, she had probably worked it out by now, but was she OK with it?

There was no time to discuss either topic because Henry burst through the back door, juggling five large boxes. Daisy picked up her own boxes and scurried through to the lounge.

By the time Penny came back in with the plates of mince pies, several of the decorations had made it from the box to the tree and Henry and Daisy were jive dancing with each other to ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree’.

She watched them with a smile, they were so close and she just hoped that she could fit into that somehow.

She put the plates down and Henry grabbed her for a rock and roll style dance, twirling her round as Daisy laughed at them and resumed her decorating. Penny laughed as she