Second Chances at the Log Fire Cabin: A Christmas holiday romance for 2018 from the ebook bestseller. Catherine Ferguson

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СКАЧАТЬ gingerbread men turns out to be even more tricky than I’d imagined, and I need four tries – and much embarrassed laughter on my part and giggles on Poppy’s – before she deems me proficient enough to work on my own. I’m painfully aware that I’m slowing up the proceedings. But if Poppy is worried, she doesn’t show it. She just keeps making encouraging remarks and praises me to the skies when I finally get Santa’s red suit with white trim and black buttons almost perfect. He looks a little cross-eyed, but she doesn’t seem to mind about that.

      ‘Right, if we get these done by five, we can run through the recipe for the mince pies to get a head start for tomorrow. Then we can start on dinner. I’ve told them eight o’clock tonight because I knew we’d be working up to the wire.’

      I nod, focusing on getting Santa’s pupils in the right place this time.

      ‘You’re very welcome to stay for dinner,’ she says suddenly, and I glance up. ‘You might as well. There’ll be plenty.’

      She’s smiling encouragingly.

      ‘Oh, no. I really need to get back. But thank you.’ Flo will be desperate to know how today went!

      ‘Is there anything at all to read around here?’ says a voice.

      We both turn to find a statuesque girl in her early twenties standing in the doorway, chewing gum in a rather bored fashion. She’s wearing a short, silky, pale lilac dress and skyscraper nude heels, and her hair flows down over her shoulders in sculpted honey-blonde curls.

      ‘I’m not being funny but is it always this tedious in the countryside?’ She crosses her arms and gazes around sulkily.

      ‘Oh, hi, Sophie,’ says Poppy. ‘Roxy, this is Sophie. She’s going out with Jed’s friend, Jack. Sophie, this is my new assistant, Roxy.’

      I smile at Sophie. ‘Hi.’

      She hitches her mouth up fractionally, flicks her eyes over me and continues chewing. ‘Well?’

      ‘Oh, books, yes,’ says Poppy. ‘If you go through to the study along the hall you’ll find a big bookshelf—’

      ‘I don’t mean books.’ She looks so horrified, I want to giggle.

      Poppy raises her eyebrows questioningly.

      ‘Cosmo?’ snaps Sophie impatiently. ‘Harper’s Bazaar? Vogue?’

      ‘Ah, sorry, no. I’m afraid I don’t buy fashion magazines.’ She suddenly colours bright red and glances at me with a grimace that I don’t understand. ‘I mean, I do sometimes.’

      Sophie eyes Poppy’s outfit of blue jeans and a plain pink T-shirt. ‘Perhaps you should read them more often. You might pick up some tips.’ She smiles to show she’s just being helpful.

      If Poppy is annoyed, she doesn’t let it show. Instead, she beams at Sophie. ‘Roxy, Sophie here is a very important person in the world of fashion magazine publishing. She’s the editor-in-chief of Dazzle.’

      ‘Oh. Dazzle? Wow, that’s amazing. I used to read it all the time.’ I’m genuinely impressed. Come to think of it, Sophie is dressed impeccably – as I guess she should be, representing such a stylish magazine as Dazzle.

      ‘But you don’t read it now?’ Her tone is a little accusatory.

      ‘Er, well, sometimes I do,’ I say awkwardly. Dazzle is pretty much all fashion, which I was well into in my teens. But since the accident, my twenties have been much more about covering up …

      Sophie is looking quite put out. But maybe that’s just her normal expression. Still, better not mention I only ever flick through Dazzle now when I find a copy in the dentist’s surgery.

      ‘My mum insists on giving me her back copies of The People’s Friend. Any good?’ offers Poppy. I glance at her. She’s gazing innocently at Sophie but I’m fairly certain she has her tongue firmly in her cheek.

      Sophie doesn’t even dignify this with a reply.

      ‘How’s the hotel?’ Poppy asks. She turns to me. ‘Sophie and her boyfriend are staying at the same place as Alex. You know, when I first came here, it was just a sad, rundown old cottage. And look at it now! A gorgeous boutique hotel! Sylvia’s done a superb job transforming it, don’t you think?’

      ‘It does look lovely,’ I agree. ‘Especially all decorated for Christmas.’

      Sophie wrinkles her perfect nose. ‘It’s okay I suppose, although the rooms are quite small. It’s not a patch on The Lawns,’ she adds, naming a five-star hotel twenty miles from here. Renowned for its elegance and attention to detail, it also boasts a Michelin-starred chef. ‘We stayed there a few nights ago.’ Sophie gives a theatrical sigh. ‘So romantic. The bedrooms are big enough to host a party!’ She picks up one of the mince pies and holds it aloft, examining it with her pinky finger in the air. She takes a tiny bite, chews doubtfully, then drops the rest in the bin.

      Walking out, she calls back, ‘A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.’

      Poppy and I stare after her with our mouths literally hanging open.

      ‘What a bloody cheek! That woman thinks she’s royalty just because she edits a fashion magazine,’ mutters Poppy once she’s gone. ‘And as for her romantic night at The Lawns – excuse me while I puke!’ She shakes her head wearily. ‘I’m just not in the mood to hear about love’s young dream at the moment.’

      I heave a sigh. ‘I know what you mean.’

      I’d like to ask Poppy about her relationship with Jed but I definitely don’t know her well enough yet – and she is my boss, after all.

      ‘God, I’m starving. What time is it?’ Poppy glances at her watch, then crosses the kitchen, pulls the fridge door open and peers inside. She brings out a Tupperware box and sniffs the contents. ‘Kedgeree leftovers. Would you like some?’

      ‘No, thanks. You go ahead.’ I grin as she gets a fork and starts chomping through the fish and rice concoction in the box. ‘Wouldn’t you prefer it hot?’

      She grins. ‘Not bothered. I can’t seem to stop eating these days. It must be the worry.’

      ‘Worry?’

      She shrugs. ‘That I won’t be able to fulfil this contract. There’s so much depending on it. I want to take the business to the next level – perhaps even start employing a couple of full-time staff. But if this doesn’t work out …’ She shakes her head and munches faster.

      ‘It’ll be fine. We’ll do it.’ I try to sound reassuring, although I have absolutely no idea if it will be fine.

      ‘I thought we could have trifle for dessert,’ she says. ‘I found a box in the cupboard. Nice and quick.’

      I feel a big surge of relief. Yes! I can make trifle from a box! We have it every Christmas when I’m at Mum and Dad’s!

      Poppy presents me with a lovely cut-glass bowl, the box and a tin. I pat the canned fruit cocktail СКАЧАТЬ