Page 112 of One More Christmas at the Castle
I leaned back with a sigh, feeling suddenly drained. ‘I’m glad you know now, and I admit I’ve frequently felt rather shabby about why I hired her,’ I confessed. ‘I’ve also often entirely forgotten the relationship … until something has reminded me of Faye, like a recording session with Xan, and I’ve found myself barely able to stand the sight of her.’
‘Oh, Sabine!’ Nancy said and, leaning forward, suddenly hugged me. ‘The only person you’re hurting is yourself. Try and let go, and don’t blame Dido for her grandmother’s actions.’
‘I’ll try,’ I said dubiously.
‘Forgive her with your head and then your heart will follow in due course,’ she said practically.
‘There speaks the vicar!’ I said, and she grinned.
‘I wonder where Dido gets her stunning looks from?’ she said.
‘It’s a mystery. She must be a throwback – we have no idea who was the father of Faye’s child.’
‘Genes work in strange ways, their wonders to perform,’ Nancy said vaguely. ‘Rather like God.’
The sitting-room door was suddenly flung open and Lucy hurried in, her face pink with cold and excitement, still wearing her outdoor things.
‘Oh, Cousin Sabine, such a catastrophe!’ she exclaimed enjoyably. ‘Mr Tarn, the publican at the Pelican, has badly broken his leg and of course, he’s always Santa at the village Christmas fair, which isthisSaturday!’
I felt quite underwhelmed by the revelation of this disaster, but Nancy was her usual kind self.
‘How difficult! Can anyone else take the part?’
‘I’ve already saved the day,’ she cried dramatically. ‘I rang Nigel, becausehealways plays Santa for his dramatic society Christmas party, and he said at once he’d be happy to do it. So he’s coming over on Friday morning and I’ll take him down to the village after lunch, to introduce him to the vicar and show him the venue.’
‘That sounds a perfect solution,’ Nancy said, smiling at her.
Lucy turned to me. ‘I hope you don’t mind if Nigel arrives a bit earlier on Friday?’
‘Not at all, though you had better tell Henry, when he finally makes his appearance with the tea trolley, that there will be one more for lunch on Friday. But at least it means I’ll be able to have a cosy little chat with Nigel, before the Mellings arrive. Tell him to come over after breakfast.’
‘I … yes …’ agreed Lucy doubtfully, and went out to hang up her coat, passing Henry with the heavily laden tea trolley on the way.
‘Sorry if things are atriflelate, but my curry puffs are worth waiting for,’ he said. ‘And I’ve made more seed cake, because I know you enjoy it, Mrs Powys. I’ve beensucha busy little bee in the kitchen.’
‘We seem to have been gathering a bit of nectar ourselves,’ Nancy said obliquely, and I gave her a quelling look and told Henry about Nigel, the substitute Santa.
‘And he has his own costume and beard,’ Lucy said, coming back in after divesting herself of her coat and many scarves.
There didn’t seem to be an answer to that one.
32
Crushed
When I returned to the kitchen from the study, Xan hard on my heels, I found Henry putting the finishing touches to the tea trolley.
‘Oh, ructions!’ he said, looking up. ‘I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I earwigged when you were talking to Nancy. I’d gone to remind you of the time, Dido, and the door to the passage was just ateensybit ajar … You could have knocked me down with a feather, but I had to scarper when I spotted Mrs Powys heading in my direction.’
‘That’s all right. I was going to tell you in a bit anyway.’
‘Then just let me whip this through and then you can fill me in on the finer details.’
I caught Xan’s eye as Henry pushed the trolley out and said, ‘I tell Henryeverything. He’ll keep it to himself.’
‘I’m sure he will, and I suppose really heneedsto know,’ Xan agreed. Then he walked over and took me by the shoulders, looking searchingly into my eyes.
‘Are you really all right? It was a huge shock even to me – and more so when I realized Sabine had to have known about it all along. It was one coincidence too many.’
