Page 5 of Snow Going Back

Eleanor stared at Henry, holding his gaze a fraction of a second too long.

‘Yes, I guess you’re right,’ he said. ‘There’s more to life than work.’

Kate frowned. Something was definitely off here today. Butwhat?

‘You OK, Dad?’ she asked.

Henry shot her a quick smile. ‘’Course. Did I tell you I finally finished the rockery down by your cherry trees?’

‘No, you didn’t. That’s great,’ she replied, frowning suspiciously.

Lance stood up and stretched. ‘I think I need some fresh air after that drive, you know,’ he said. ‘I might wander down and take a look at it, Henry.’

‘Sure.’ Henry shrugged and picked up his tea.

‘Oh, you should. The centrepiece isquite spectacular,’ Eleanor enthused.

‘I’ll join you,’ Kate said, standing up. ‘I’ll grab our coats.’

‘No, no! You sit there, darling. I’ll grab them,’ Eleanor insisted. She jumped up and swept past them, out into the hallway.

‘What iswithher today?’ Kate whispered, directing the question at her father as soon as Eleanor was out of earshot.

‘What do you mean?’ he asked.

‘What do you meanwhat do I mean?’ she replied, glancing at the door. ‘The tea set, offering to get my coat – she even told me myhair looked nice.’ Her voice dropped to an urgent hiss. ‘The last time she complimented my hair, someonedied.’

‘Someonedied?’ Lance’s eyes widened.

‘No one died,’ Henry said in a flat tone.

‘Pippidied,’ Kate countered stubbornly.

‘Who’s Pippi?’ Lance asked.

‘Pippi was the dog. She’s being dramatic, Lance,’ Henry replied.

‘Dad, you’resurethere’s nothing you need to tell me? You’re notdyingare you?’ Kate checked.

Henry sighed. ‘Kate, other than the unavoidable oxidisation process we call aging, and the chronic neck pain also known as Eleanor, I assure you I’m as healthy as a horse.’ He topped up his tea and dropped in another lump of sugar. ‘And your mother is still complaining daily about every ache and pain under the sun, so she’s absolutely fine, too. It’s when she goes quiet that we’ll need to worry.’

He glanced at Kate with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, and she couldn’t help but grin.

Eleanor breezed back in with an armful of coats.

‘Here we are,’ she said in a singsong voice. She handed everything out and sat back down. ‘Just go out here. No need to go all the way round.’ She gestured to the French doors.

Kate pulled on her long grey coat and her scarf and hat, still eying her father, but his attention was firmly on the tea. She moved her gaze over to her mother, but Eleanor turned away and walked to the window. Kate’s frown deepened. She wassureher mother was avoiding eye contact.

‘Shall we?’ Lance put a hand on her back, gently moving her towards the door.

Kate bit her lip, resigning herself to a pause, and her stomach turned uneasily as she stepped outside into the late autumn chill. There was definitely something strange going on.

But what was it?And why were they so intent on hiding it from her?

FOUR

Kate’s breath crystallised in the air and drifted off in white hazy curls as they made their way down the long frosty lawn, and the sight of it made her smile. Eleanor had once told her, when she’d been very small, that when the air was so cold it froze breath, it was actually the yearly reminder from Jack Frost to start preparing the Christmas cake. Kate had been so young she’d taken it literally, and for years had spent the fading days of autumn running outside to check whether he’d been by to tell them it was time.

---