Christmas at Lilac Cottage: (#1 White Cliff Bay) (24 page)

He ran his fingers through Penny’s hair, feeling the softness of it. She opened her eyes blearily to look at him and he just wanted to lean forward and kiss her, which he would have done if he hadn’t had the dead weight of his daughter lying on his chest.

‘I’m going to take Daisy to bed,’ Henry whispered.

Penny nodded and scooted back off of Daisy.

With some difficulty, he managed to extricate himself from Daisy, stood up and then he scooped her up. Penny smiled up at him sleepily and he smiled back before he walked out and carried Daisy up the stairs. A minute later he came back for Penny, who was fast asleep again, still on the sofa. He scooped her up too.

‘What are you doing?’ she mumbled.

‘Taking you to bed.’

‘Oh.’ She snuggled into his neck as he walked up the stairs. ‘I’m not really awake enough for that.’

He felt her breathing immediately becoming heavy again.

‘I can’t stay, not tonight. I don’t want Daisy waking up and finding me gone.’

‘K,’ Penny whispered.

He laid her down on her bed and she snuggled into her pillow, her eyes closed as she drifted off.

‘I fell in love with you a little bit tonight. Although maybe I should say I fell in love with you a little more. The way you handled Daisy was brilliant, even I wouldn’t have handled it like that. Well I didn’t, you saw what a mess I was over something as ridiculous as a power cut. But you… you just kept talking to her, making her laugh, made her see sense. You were wonderful. I love how you are with her, but not just with her, I just love how you are. I’m not really making a lot of sense, am I?’

There was no answer from Penny at all and, judging by her heavy breathing, she was somewhere else entirely, certainly not in the room with him.

He bent over and kissed her on the head and left her to sleep.

P
enny stared
at the silvery dress in wonder. In the lights of the shop changing room it sparkled as if the whole thing was made from tiny twinkly fairy lights. It gathered under the breast in a cluster of large black gemstones and then flared out to the floor, covering all her lumps and bumps. It was simple, elegant, utterly stunning and cost more than she would pay for groceries in a month.

‘You should buy it,’ Daisy said, next to her, twirling back and forth in a gorgeous red velvet floor-length dress.

‘It’s over five hundred pounds. I cannot justify paying that for a dress I’m only going to wear once.’

‘Why, brides do that all the time. Besides, can you imagine Dad’s face when he sees you in it? I think he might just drop to one knee and ask you to marry him there and then, you look so beautiful in it.’

Penny laughed.

‘I’m totally serious.’

‘And how would you feel about that?’ Penny asked carefully, trying hard not to sound like she was too bothered about the answer.

‘I think you’d both be really good for each other, if he can get past his fear of letting anyone in. I don’t want him to hurt you and I told him that but he really likes you and I’ve never seen him that way about any woman before. Maybe you can be the one that changes him. But if you do end up married you have to promise me that you’ll let me be bridesmaid.’

Penny wanted to tell Daisy that they were already dating but that was something that Henry would have to do himself. But clearly, with Daisy’s blessing, they might be able to tell her sooner rather than later.

Penny went back into the cubicle, unzipped the dress and carefully hung it back on the hanger. She came back out and Daisy was already dressed and waiting for her.

‘Are you getting the red one?’

Daisy pulled a face. ‘I’ve already spent all my pocket money on the green one.’

‘Well, let me treat you to that one. It’s loads cheaper than the silver dress and then you have a choice come Christmas Eve.’

‘No, I can’t let you buy it for me.’

‘Consider it your Christmas present. Come on, we need to get back home so we can pick up the freezer van before the ice carving workshop.’

‘Are you getting the silver dress?’

‘No, I have a lovely little black dress which I wear every year to the ball. I have some new shoes to go with it, that’ll have to do.’

Penny paid and they left the shop. She smiled when Daisy linked arms with her. They had spent a wonderful morning together, wandering between the shops, chatting, stopping for Christmas cake in Linda’s bakery. They just sort of clicked and Penny genuinely loved spending time with her.

‘Oh look, there’s Anna,’ Daisy pointed out and ran over to give her aunt a hug. Penny hesitated and reluctantly walked over. Bea was with her and presumably baby Oliver was asleep in the pram.

Bea waved hugely at her when she saw her and Penny bent down to talk to her so she wouldn’t have to talk to Anna.

‘Hello Bea.’

‘Hi Penny,’ Bea said and Penny was aware of Anna and Daisy stopping talking above her head.

‘Are you looking forward to Christmas?’

Bea nodded. ‘Can you teach me how to say “Happy Christmas” with my hands?’

‘With sign language? Yes I can.’ She carefully signed the two words and Bea copied her. ‘That’s it. Now you can tell Tilly in the bakery what your name is and wish her a happy Christmas.’

‘Thank you. Will you teach me more words?’

‘I tell you what, every time I see you, I’ll teach you something new. Do you want another one before you go?’

Bea nodded keenly.

Penny signed a word slowly and Bea copied her again, getting the hang of it very quickly.

‘What does that mean?’

‘Chocolate.’

Bea giggled.

‘Tell you what, Bea,’ Anna said. ‘Daisy can take you to the bakery and if Tilly is in there you can ask for some chocolate
cake
,’ Anna said, signing the word for cake.

Bea nodded enthusiastically and Anna gave Daisy some money and Daisy scooped Bea up and ran across the road to the shop, leaving Penny and Anna alone.

Penny stood up so Anna wasn’t towering over her. She was tall like her brother, obviously inheriting those genes too.

‘I’ve been watching you and Daisy for the last hour,’ Anna said.

‘You’ve been following us?’ Penny was incredulous.

‘Spying would be a more accurate description,’ Anna half smiled. ‘She loves you and I can see you genuinely like having her around. I have to remember she is a brilliant judge of character. She didn’t like any of Henry’s girlfriends even when we all thought they were lovely and they turned out to be terrible, so if she likes you then maybe I should trust her too.’

‘Is that your version of an apology?’

Anna sighed, obviously finding it hard to say. ‘I love her. I love them both and I don’t want to see them getting hurt, especially Daisy and especially after what happened last time with Emily. So I’m sorry if I overreacted. It came from the right place, even though I know that doesn’t excuse it.’

Penny smiled. ‘Apology accepted. And I’m sorry for kicking you out of the house.’

Anna shrugged as she turned to walk up the road alongside Penny. ‘I totally deserved it. When will you tell Daisy?’

‘Soon I hope, she wants us to get together too so I hope Henry tells her soon, maybe after Christmas. It’s been a pain in the arse hiding it.’

Anna laughed. ‘I can imagine. Henry is rubbish at keeping secrets too, he always was as a child, so I imagine it’s causing him all sorts of headaches.’

‘Did you two get on as children?’

‘Yes. Well not always, we used to have the best time playing together, but we’d fight like cat and dog too. Still do actually, although we get on really well most of the time.’

‘Is it true that you still have food fights?’

‘Ha, yes we do, but only when he annoys me. It’s hardly a good example for the children though, is it?’

‘I don’t know, it’s certainly one way to sort out any disagreements without resorting to violence and swearing and shouting.’

They turned to wait for Daisy and Bea and watched as they came running out the shop towards them.

‘I think Bea might be a good judge of character too,’ Anna said.

‘Because she likes me?’

‘Because she talked to you. She never talks to anyone outside the house. Not even me.’

Penny took a few moments to let that sink in and how worrying that must be for Anna.

‘Maybe you could teach her some more sign language. If she isn’t brave enough to talk to people at least she can communicate in a way that a lot of other people in the town can understand, even if she’s only signing with you.’

Anna smiled and scooped Bea up, who was covered in chocolate already. ‘I think that is a brilliant idea. We better go.’ She hesitated for a moment before she turned back. ‘You’d be very welcome to join Henry and Daisy when they come to us on Christmas Day night.’

‘Oh you should,’ Daisy said, biting into her cake. ‘We always play games in the evening.’

‘Thank you, that’s very kind. I may be at my brother’s but I might visit him late afternoon and then maybe come to you in the evening.’

‘You’d be welcome any time.’

Penny watched her go with a smile and then suddenly realised the time.

‘Come on Daisy, we’ll be late for the ice carving workshop and, trust me, Maggie is not the sort of person you ever get on the wrong side of.’

‘
I
’m really excited
,’ Daisy said as she jogged up and down on the spot to keep warm.

Penny blew on her fingers trying to find the excitement that Daisy had for working at such low temperatures. Working in the cool room in her house was always a bit chilly, but working in a flimsy outdoor marquee with no heaters was a new level of cold. The weather seemed to have got colder and bitterer over the last few days. Maggie, in her wisdom as chief organiser extraordinaire, had decided that Penny didn’t need heaters for her ice carving workshop in case the ice melted while people were working on them. Something Penny had only just found out now. With all the stress of the ball and the other events Maggie was organising, as well as being completely exhausted from being heavily pregnant, Penny didn’t want to bring up the fact that her blocks of ice would take five hours before they would even start to melt, even in a warm room filled with people. For an hour-long workshop a little heat was not going to be an issue; in fact the lack of heat might cause problems for the participants.

‘How many people do you think will come?’ Daisy asked.

‘I don’t know. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve done a few private parties before for hen parties and stag nights and I’ve done a few corporate team-building-type events but I’ve never just put out an open invitation for anyone to come along and have a go. It was Maggie’s idea, she said it would be another thing that would raise money for charity. And she’s not someone you ever say no to.’

Daisy smiled as she glanced over at Maggie on the phone. ‘No, I get that impression too. So how does this work, you just show people how to do it and let them get on with it?’

‘Pretty much. I’ll show them the basic skills. I have some templates here if anyone wants to use them and then I’ll just go round and give them pointers as they work. I’m not honestly expecting great things from anyone. People will just want to have some fun having a go. Whenever I’ve done the hen or stag parties, everyone always does willies.’

Daisy burst out laughing. ‘Seriously?’

‘Yeah.’

‘What,
everyone
?’

‘Yes, pretty much. Grannies, mother of the bride, the men, they all like to carve willies. I don’t know why. The first time I did a hen party I just presumed I had a group of ladies that had a bit of dirty sense of humour but I’ve done maybe ten or twenty parties over the years, every single time I get willies.’

‘That’s hilarious.’

Penny smiled. ‘I’m hoping the people of White Cliff Bay might be more discerning and I might get a few Christmas crackers or bells or trees, but I imagine I’ll probably just get a load of willies. Maggie has a local press photographer coming to record the sculptures at the end so I need you to create something tasteful to make sure he won’t be photographing a load of willies.’

‘What’s all this talk of willies?’ Henry said, carrying over three small ice blocks and setting them up on the tables. ‘Are you corrupting my daughter?’

Daisy giggled. ‘Wellies, Dad, not willies. You need to get your ears checked, old man.’

Henry slung an arm round her neck and strangled her against his chest. ‘Less of the old, you, and stop talking about willies with my innocent daughter.’

Penny laughed. ‘You’re the only one mentioning willies. Daisy was telling the truth, we were talking about how I needed a new pair of wellies and what colour to get.’

She tried but failed to look innocent and Henry pretended to glare at her.

‘And what colour did you decide on?’

‘Pink,’ Daisy said.

‘Purple,’ Penny said at the same time and then hid her smile behind her water bottle.

‘Pinky purple,’ Daisy said, unable to control her laughter as they carried on the lie.

Henry suppressed a smile as he walked back to the freezer van to collect more blocks.

‘We should talk about something else sordid for when he comes back,’ Daisy said. ‘How about drugs or prostitution or bestiality?’

Penny spat out her drink. ‘I think you’re the one who will be corrupting me, not the other way round. Bloody hell.’

‘Don’t swear in front of my daughter,’ Henry said, as he came back and Penny burst out laughing at what he had just missed.

‘Yeah, Penny, my innocent ears don’t need to hear words like that.’

Penny was about to defend herself when a family with a young child walked through the doors. The posters had been very clear about the age limit. With the sharp tools that were being used, no one under the age of eighteen was allowed to participate for legal reasons. Daisy was the exception to that rule and only because Penny had taken full responsibility for her and told Maggie how good she was. Penny hoped this family hadn’t turned up wanting their little children to have a go. Maggie, as efficient as ever, went to greet them as a few other people walked through the doors of the marquee.

At least with more people inside the marquee, it might start to warm up a bit, although they would need hundreds more people to make a difference to the temperature. It was so bitterly cold Penny worried about whether people would really enjoy themselves or even be able to hold and use the tools properly.

A few more people arrived, some of them Penny knew from around the town: Libby, Maggie’s sister Hazel, surprisingly old Suzanna from the chemist, other people she didn’t know. Maggie was taking payment and issuing them with instructions to find a pair of gloves and a table. The marquee was still almost empty. With Christmas only three days away the people of the town were most likely using the day for last-minute shopping or visiting relatives. As the time they were supposed to start came and went and no one else arrived, Penny guessed that was it. There were ten of them eager to learn, which was a nice number to teach but not the hugely successful event that Maggie had hoped it would be. The participants were all huddled inside their coats looking miserable in the cold.

Henry looked around the group anxiously. ‘Why don’t I take orders from these guys for some hot drinks? There’s a coffee shop just down the road, I could be there and back in about fifteen minutes.’

‘That’ll be perfect, thank you so much,’ Penny said, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek and stopping just in time before anyone noticed. Henry smiled at what she had just been about to do.

‘Soon, I promise,’ he whispered. He touched her hand just briefly but it was enough for her to know that he wanted to kiss her too.

He went around and took orders from everybody; they were all beyond grateful at the prospect of something hot to warm themselves up.

After he had left, Penny introduced herself and gave a short demonstration of how to draw the thing they wanted to carve and which tools to use to turn that 2D drawing into a 3D sculpture. She only had basic tools available for them to use and certainly no chainsaws so she was confident enough to be able to walk around and work with each member of the group one on one, leaving the others to fend for themselves until she got round to them.