‘Do you? I’m not sure it works very well at all. I wonder if I’ve got so caught up in dreams, I’ve lost focus on the hotel and that’s why business has suffered.’
‘I don’t think so. It’s inevitable the market has changed with the Langdon Mansion opening up. I think you’ve coped well.’
‘That means a lot.’ Whether it was due to the wonderful night they’d had or the festive atmosphere, his words meant so much to her that they continued to reverberate through her head causing a strange sensation in her heart. ‘Now everyone’s mingling, are you going to tell me where you were yesterday?’ Tom sighed at her questioning. ‘Is it a secret woman?’
As she said the words, she’d meant to tease but the thought of it was like someone stabbing her in the heart. She’d never really thought about it before, but it was the same way she’d felt whenever he got a new girlfriend. Until she got used to them that is, but even then, the feeling faded rather than disappeared completely. She had to stop being so protective of him.
‘It’s not a woman. I was umm … Christmas shopping.’
‘Secret Christmas shopping? I’m liking the sound of that.’ Tom smiled but it was tense. His smiles were normally so wonderfully uninhibited his whole personality shone out through his face. Wherever he’d been she hoped he had a nice time, though she wasn’t sure he had from his expression. It was hard for her not to press, but she knew she had to be patient even though that wasn’t a trait she’d been blessed with.
Once the gingerbread men and mince pies were gone, the rooms began to clear, and everyone left in a flurry of activity. It was like snow going from one or two flakes in the air to a huge whirlwind of white. One person left then everyone else had gone in the space of five minutes. Before long the hotel was empty with just her and Tom present. It didn’t seem Harry was going to arrive any time soon which was disappointing. She’d been so sure he would. But she had Tom and that was all she needed. Tom’s words that he loved how her brain worked rebounded in her brain causing a strange feeling in her chest. Nell surveyed the carnage the children had left in their wake. ‘Shall we have a mince pie before we start the clean up?’
Tom glanced at the empty platter. ‘They’ve all gone. And so have the gingerbread men. I think there might be one with one ear and half a leg missing if you don’t mind a mangled one.’
‘I wouldn’t mind a mangled one at all, but the mince pies haven’t all gone actually. Wait here.’ She sped off to the kitchen and came back with the ones she’d saved. ‘Just for us.’
They shared the mince pies in the lounge, sitting on the floor by the now lit fire, the golden glow lighting their faces. The pies were delicious, as Nell knew they would be. The pastry flaked in her mouth and the sweet, light dusting of sugar on the top gave some crunch. A strangely expectant silence formed between them.
Usually they talked about anything and everything, never running out of things to say or laugh about. A few times Tom looked on the verge of saying something but then changed his mind and turned his eyes back to the flames. She could see from his expression that his mind was occupied but whether it was the heavy tiredness she also felt, or another matter, there was no way to tell. If she asked, he wouldn’t tell her until he was ready and if their friendship had taught her anything over the many years they’d known each other, it was that she had to wait. However hard that was.
Chapter 17
December
Walking down the high street amongst the wooden stalls of the Christmas market, Nell, Tom and Kieran chatted happily. It was Saturday night and Nell had taken a break from the hotel. After the stress of the last few weeks she really needed a night off and Zoe had agreed to cover her again.
Above them, the strings of Christmas lights twinkled against the blackness of the dark, cloudless sky and on the sides of some of the buildings small Christmas trees jutted out, their multicoloured lights aglow. Nell felt like she’d entered a magical fairy tale. The shops of Swallowtail Bay were open late, and their golden lights shone out from wide windows, highlighting pretty Christmas displays. Red tinsel framed giant stars that hung down and spun in the air, and glittering fairy lights made every shop sparkle and shine.
The artisanal shops were Nell’s favourite. They had a cheesemaker who did the most amazing Christmas gifts (she’d have to try there for Tom’s); a wine seller, and old-fashioned bakers and butchers, and seeing them open tonight, busy with chatter and laughter, made the place seem even more special. The Bake House, an amazing local bakery that had proved so popular they’d just opened another shop in Halebury, had a queue out of the door. In between the stores lining either side of the high street were small wooden huts like a traditional German Christmas market selling all manner of ornately carved and brightly coloured decorations, as well as traditional German food. The town was buzzing with life and happy, smiling people ambled past her.
The small blue-grey cobbles of the high street were already shimmering as a heavy frost settled. The night was cold and clear and by morning the world would have a light dusting of white. It wouldn’t be snow, but it would at least make the world look like something from a Christmas card. The chilly air nipped at Nell’s cheeks and she pulled her thick knitted scarf higher to help keep warm. With the sea crashing and roaring just a few streets away,
