Page 22 of The Christmas Fayre on Holly Field

‘So it is! Well done, you two. Sara, do you think you can make an envelope?’ Sara had done a brilliant job – Darlene would be thrilled to receive such a lovely, thoughtful card.

‘What’s the point?’ Sara muttered.

‘Can I make an envelope, Mam?’ Bobby was brandishing the card he had made for Owen.

‘Of course you can.’ Harriet would have to have a fiddle around using a spare piece of paper to get the dimensions right before she showed the children how to make envelopes, but she was certain it could be done. ‘And the point, my lovely girl, is that you can’t give a card without putting it in an envelope.’

‘That’s OK, I don’t need to make an envelope because I’m not giving this card to Darlene. I’m going to buy a proper one when we buy her present. She wants a Pandora bracelet.’

Flipping heck! I bet she does, Harriet thought, wondering if the cheeky little madam had told everyone what present she wanted them to buy.

‘No chance,’ Harriet said.

‘But that’s what she’s asked for,’ Sara protested.

‘Then she’ll have to ask for it from someone else, because she’s not getting that from us!’ Harriet was thunderstruck at the cheek of it.

‘I’ll buy it myself.’

‘You will not!’

‘I will, too! I’ve got money.’

‘Do you know how much those cost? More than you’ve got in your piggy bank.’

‘You’re mean. Everyone else is buying Darlene what she wants.’

‘I highly doubt that,’ Harriet said.

‘She’ll hate me.’

Good, Harriet wanted to say. Darlene sounded like a thoroughly spoilt little girl, and the less Sara had to do with her, the happier Harriet would be. If she could forbid Sara from being friends with the child, she would, but she couldn’t stop Sara from bothering with her in school, unfortunately.

‘I’ve got an idea,’ Harriet said, a warning tone in her voice. ‘How about if you don’t go to her birthday party at all? Then you won’t have to give a card or a present. Problem solved.’

Sara looked aghast. ‘But I’vegotto go!Everyonewill be there!’

‘Not everyone, surely?’ Her daughter was prone to exaggeration.

‘Everyone,’ Sara declared. ‘Darlene is having her party at Deri Castle and she’s invited the whole class.’

‘I meant to ask you about that – I thought it was a misprint, that her mum must have written it down wrong.’

‘It’s deffo at Deri Castle.’ Sara was adamant.

‘Wow! That’s not going to be cheap.’ As far as Harriet knew, it was more renowned for hosting weddings than kids’ parties. It was also a country club and spa, and she’d never set foot in the place, despite it being only fifteen or so miles away.

‘Iknow!’ Sara looked starstruck. ‘She’s having a pamper party and I’m getting my nails painted purple. Or maybe orange, with glitter on the top.’

‘I bet the boys will be thrilled about that,’ Harriet said dryly.

‘What boys?’

‘I thought you said she’s invited the whole class?’

‘Not theboys. Duh!’

Did Sara just ‘duh’ me?Harriet raised her eyebrows and gave her daughter The Look. The one that meant she had gone too far.

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