we have a look at these lights?’
I couldn’t help but smile, in spite of my turmoil.
‘I thought you wanted it to be a surprise?’ I reminded him.
I’d had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to wait. He’d had a company in to install some strategic lighting to highlight certain parts of the garden, impressive specimen shrubs, trees with interesting bark and the like. I knew how spectacular the illuminations looked because Maddie, the woman heading up the installation, had secretly shown me when Luke was out, but he was supposed to be waiting until the open-day evening before he saw it all.
‘I do,’ he said, rocking back on his heels, ‘but it could be a surprise that I have now, couldn’t it?’
‘No,’ I said, ushering him out of the garden office where the main control panel had been installed. ‘Wait until Sunday. I promise it will be worth it.’
He looked a little sulky but I resisted telling him that he could operate some of the lights independently, from the switches next to the chosen trees and shrubs, because I knew he would have been off around the garden and most likely blowing the bulbs in his excitement.
‘Oh, all right,’ he relented. ‘I’ll wait. We’ll see you in the morning, yes?’
It was the last Winterfest session – making a needlefelt robin under Heather’s competent guidance. The little collection of felted woodland animals and garden birds she made were exquisite. So exquisite that we’d all told her she should be selling them. That said, I had no idea how she found the time to craft them with three tiny tots under her feet, so perhaps running a business, even a small one, might have been a bit of an ask.
‘Yes,’ I nodded, ‘I’ll be there.’
‘I can’t believe it’s the final session,’ Luke said wistfully. ‘The last few weeks have flown by, haven’t they?’
‘Just a bit.’
‘This time next week it’ll be Christmas Day,’ he pointed out. ‘The end of Christmas Day!’
I still hadn’t decided how I would be spending mine. Not with Finn, obviously, but I wasn’t sure I could face a return to the family fold. I knew I would be made to feel welcome, but still thought I’d be better off, with Nell, home alone. I didn’t want my mood ruining anyone else’s seasonal celebrations.
‘Right then,’ said Luke when I didn’t bemoan the fact that in just one week’s time it would all be over. ‘I’d better get back. See you tomorrow, Freya.’
‘Yes,’ I swallowed, ‘see you tomorrow.’
* * *
The Prosperous Place dining room looked as beautiful as ever the next day and it was a full house and a couple of last-minute additional Nightingale Square attendees who greeted me as I took my place at the table. I tried to focus on the demonstration Heather was giving which would enable us, allegedly, to replicate the jolly round robin she had provided for each of us so we knew what we were working towards, but I couldn’t take it in.
Once she had distributed supplies, I began stabbing at the wool with my needle, which was surprisingly cathartic, and my mind wandered.
‘Don’t rush, Freya,’ Heather told me as she made her way around to check on everyone’s progress and monitor their technique. ‘The more time you spend getting this bit right, the more solid the little chap will be.’
I nodded and she moved around to where Lisa was working, most likely to tell her something similar. For some reason our friend seemed to be more adept at stabbing her finger than her creation and she was being most vociferous about it. That said, Lisa was generally vociferous about everything, so that was nothing new.
During the mid-morning coffee break, Kate asked if it would be a help if Luke popped over to let Nell out at lunchtime.
‘You’re always rushing about,’ she told me. ‘It would be lovely if you could have the whole day here without any interruptions, wouldn’t it?’
‘Do you know,’ I said, pulling my house keys out of my pocket and handing them over, ‘you’re right. It’s been quite a week and it would be nice not to have to leave at lunchtime.’
I knew that Nell was fond of Luke, so there would be no issue about him letting himself in and, if I stayed with my fellow felters, there was less chance that I would spend the time, scrolling through my phone in the hope that I would hear something from Finn. I hadn’t managed to magic him up so