Page 76 of The Black Trilogy

“I stuffed it in the cupboard above the blender.”

The kitchen timer dinged. Well, here we go. My first cake. It was a team effort, really. Tia had read the instructions off the internet while I measured and mixed. I just hoped it turned out edible.

“Ready?”

I grabbed a tea towel, fetched the cake from the oven, and put it on the counter.

“It looks cooked,” Tia said, peering at it. “But why is one side lower than the other?”

“Absolutely no idea.” I gave it a prod. “Maybe that side got hotter or something.”

“We could hide it with icing.”

“Or cut a slice off. We’ll manage something; don’t worry.”

With the hard part done, we’d be having a good Christmas, of that I was determined.

CHAPTER 24

THE NEXT MORNING, Christmas Day, I rolled out of bed at six and stretched. I needed to get up before Tia to give Luke the first part of his Christmas present, which was, well, me.

I checked my hair in the bathroom mirror and brushed my teeth, then wrapped myself up in a red satin ribbon before tiptoeing along the hallway to Luke’s room. The look on his face when I shed the my robe and woke him with a kiss said my efforts had been worth it. He grinned from ear to ear as he pulled the bow undone.

“Best Christmas present ever.”

Okay, I confess, this Christmas present was for me as well as him.

Afterwards, his breathing gradually slowed, and he dropped into a slumber. I stayed with him, his arms wrapped around me, careful not to fall asleep myself. A bittersweet moment. Luke was a beautiful man, inside and out, and in sleep he looked younger, without the worries that usually haunted his features. Kind and gentle, generous and thoughtful—one day, he’d make somebody a wonderful husband. But it couldn’t be me.

I sensed Luke’s feelings were becoming deeper, and sooner or later, he’d want more commitment. Commitment I couldn’t offer. Right now, being in Lower Foxford made me happy, and it was so, so tempting to stay. Luke was easy to live with, and I saw potential in Tia. Life was good. So, why did I have a problem?

Well, because it wasn’t my life.

Work was more than just a job to me. For years, I’d believed it was what I’d been born to do, no matter how challenging or unpleasant it could be. Conflict raged within me—should I stick with straightforward or return to my destiny?

If I stayed, would I be able to keep my past a secret? Easy in the short term, but what if Luke fancied a holiday? Or wanted me to accompany him to functions? Staying within the boundaries of the village forever wasn’t an option.

Hammering at the door interrupted my thoughts.

“Come on, get up!” Tia yelled. “It’s Christmas and there are presents to open! Hurry and put your clothes on.”

Luke stirred awake. “Tell me again, why did we let her move in?”

“Because she’s your sister and you love her dearly.”

“Not at this moment, I don’t.”

Tia decided to open half of her presents before lunch and save the rest for later. Either her mother was awful at buying gifts, or she’d delegated the task to Mrs. Squires. Tia’s delights included a Barry Manilow CD, fluffy dice for a car she wasn’t old enough to drive, and a pair of comedy socks meant for a three- to five-year-old.

“Lame,” she said, and I couldn’t blame her. Someone had clearly put seconds of thought into that little lot.

She brightened up when I suggested we start cooking Christmas dinner, but I didn’t share her enthusiasm.

“This is gonna be a disaster.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic. I’ve found a YouTube video on how to prepare a turkey. All we need to do is follow the instructions.”

“Yeah. All we need to do.”

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