Page 74 of The Christmas Fayre on Holly Field

‘She doesn’t mean it,’ Pen said soothingly. ‘Give her a chance to calm down. I’m sure she’ll come round.’

‘It doesn’t end there.’ Harriet groaned, biting her lip to stop herself from bawling. ‘Darlene said the card Sara made for her was lame, and she hated the present we got her because she’s allergic to milk and she doesn’t eat chocolate.’

‘It sounds like she’s allergic to good manners,’ Pen muttered. ‘What kid doesn’t eat chocolate? What’s the matter with her? It’s one of life’s great joys!’

‘She told Sara it’s fattening,’ Harriet stated, flatly.

‘Good grief! She’s twelve! A kid that age shouldn’t be worrying about her weight, unless she scoffs pounds of the stuff. Everything in moderation, I say.’

Harriet eyed the bottle of wine, which was already two-thirds empty, and topped up her glass. She’d have a hangover from hell tomorrow, but she didn’t care.

‘I wish I’d never seen the damn dress!’ Harriet cried. ‘I should have just bought one from a shop. I can’t believe I was so stupid.’

‘How were you to know?’ Pen repeated.

‘I should never have agreed to that stupid challenge.’

‘But look how much money you’ve saved.’

‘Look how much grief it’s caused,’ Harriet shot back. ‘Bloody Owen,’ she muttered, and just as she said that, her phone pinged.

It was from Owen. It was the third message from him that evening and she ignored it, the way she had ignored the others.

‘I hope you’re not blaming Owen.’ Pen sounded cross.

Pen was right. ‘It’s not his fault,’ Harriet agreed. ‘He didn’t force me to do it. But if I’d never met him this never would have happened.’

Chapter 16

The next morning, Harriet was sitting in her kitchen with her head in her hands and groaning. She had made inroads into the second bottle of wine when Kelly had phoned to ask if Sara was all right, and to tell her that the party had been a bit of a flop. The other girls had felt so awful about the way Darlene had treated Sara that the atmosphere had been subdued and not in the least bit celebratory. Catrin had demanded to go home and so had one or two others. According to Kelly, who had got it from Catrin, Darlene was more feared than liked, and Harriet was worried that Sara might be picked on in school tomorrow.

‘Serves you right for drinking so much,’ her mother told her, plonking a glass of water down on the table, along with a blister pack of painkillers. ‘I’ve not got any sympathy,’ Ginny added, as she rooted around in the fridge and brought out a packet of bacon. ‘You need something to settle your tummy.’

‘I can’t face eating anything,’ Harriet said, looking up. The movement made her head hurt worse than ever and she let out another groan. Her mam’s actions belied her words, and Harriet knew she was concerned about her.

‘You need some food inside you,’ Ginny reiterated. ‘I bet the children would like a bacon sandwich, too.’

Her mam had phoned earlier in the morning but Harriet hadn’t been in any fit state to speak to her. Bobby had, though, and what he had said to his granny had sent her hotfooting it to Harriet’s house.

‘Thanks, Mam.’

‘Do you want to tell me what’s going on? Bobby didn’t make a great deal of sense. He said something about a dress and Sara threatening to go and live with her dad.’ She snorted. ‘As if that would ever happen. Has he actually had any contact with his kids recently?’

‘No.They’ve not heard a peep out of him for months.’

‘I thought as much. She’s just trying to make you feel bad. Bobby also said you had been sick. If I’d realised you were suffering from a hangover, I mightn’t have called round.’

Harriet gratefully swallowed the painkillers and washed them down with the water, draining the glass; then she wished she hadn’t, as she struggled to keep it down.

Ginny stopped what she was doing and turned to face her. ‘It was that posh birthday party yesterday, wasn’t it?’

‘It was.’

‘Didn’t Sara enjoy it?’ Her mam narrowed her eyes. ‘Where is she?’

‘In her room.’

‘Bobby!’ Ginny yelled, making Harriet wince. ‘Tell your sister to come down. I want to speak to her.’ She gave Harriet a look. ‘What’s she done?’

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