asked, taking my hand again.
‘What about me, what?’
‘We were talking about decorations.’
‘Oh yes,’ I said, ‘well, I’ve got a few bits and pieces, so I’ll probably get a tiny tree, or even a few branches of something from the garden to display them on. And lights, I definitely need twinkling lights.’
I was rather looking forward to decorating the house and wondered what Harold used to put up. I’d have to ask him next time I saw him.
‘Where are we?’ I asked, looking about me.
After the lingering kiss and criss-crossing lanes, I was completely disorientated.
‘Why are we heading towards a church?’ I frowned as Finn led us down an even narrower path. ‘I thought you weren’t the religious type, or are there more green men in here, like the ones you’ve spotted in the cathedral?’
‘It’s not that sort of church,’ he told me. ‘Not anymore, anyway.’
And he was right. St Gregory’s was now an antique and vintage emporium selling everything from furniture to fancy ornaments, vinyl to vases. I could have spent the entire day exploring the stands and stalls. Some parts were a trip down memory lane, packed full of ‘we used to have one of these when I was little,’ moments and others were full of far more unique treasures. There was one thing in particular which caught my eye.
‘What have you found?’ Finn asked, as he looked over my shoulder.
‘Just a brooch,’ I said, lightly running my fingers over the exquisite detail.
‘Wow,’ said Finn, ‘that’s beautiful.’
‘It’s art nouveau, according to the label.’
It was a beautifully handcrafted bunch of snowdrops made in silver. It was in pristine condition and the perfect reproduction of my all-time favourite winter flower. If I’d had cash to spare, I would have definitely been wrapping it up and putting it under my tree.
‘Snowdrops are my favourite,’ I smiled, ‘all that delicate and fragile beauty springing up during the worst the winter storms can throw at us. I don’t think there’s a more hopeful little flower in the whole of the world.’
I know everyone had their own ideas about that. Eloise favoured the yellow primroses which grew in abundance and lined the ditches along the edges of the fields around Broad-Meadows, but it was the snowdrop which struck a chord in me.
‘Come on,’ I said, as the grandfather clock next to the tills began to chime and alerted me to how long we’d spent browsing, ‘we’ve still got the cathedral to explore before the end of the day.’
‘I’ll meet you outside,’ said Finn. ‘I just want to ask the guy how much he wants for that suit of armour.’
I had thought he’d been joking when he fell into raptures over that, but as he called to the stallholder and walked back over to it, I realised I was wrong.
* * *
‘Why don’t you grab that table,’ I suggested to Finn when we arrived at the cathedral refectory after our walk through the city, ‘and I’ll get the tea.’
Our breakfast had, as predicted, sustained us for a good long while and the lunch rush had long since gone so we could take our time over our still-warm scones, thick cream and locally made strawberry jam.
‘I hope this counts as one of my five,’ I laughed, layering the jam on. ‘We’ve hardly had the healthiest of days, have we?’
As well as the bacon and egg breakfast, we’d also shared the Schokokuss on our walk down to Tombland.
‘In terms of calorie intake, perhaps not,’ said Finn, ‘although we’ve walked a fair few miles, and mentally it’s been a real boost.’
‘You’re right,’ I said, smiling across as him as I licked the luscious jam and cream combo from my lips.
Even though I loved life in the square and my job in the garden, it was a treat to go somewhere else and do something a bit different, and in such great company. Every second I spent with Finn, the harder I found myself falling for him.
I risked another glance as he poured us both a cup of tea, too engrossed to notice my scrutiny. His hair was tied tight back from his face which showed off his jawline and made him look even more warrior-like than usual. I let out a long breath as I realised that I’d never been in love before. I couldn’t have been because nothing I’d ever experienced had felt like this. I adored everything about the man sitting opposite me and that covered so much more than just the way he looked. I loved