Page 53 of A December to Remember
“I can confirm they are excellent,” added Joe. “Maggie’s freezer biscuits are one of the reasons I stay in Rowan Thorp.”
Star leaned over Maggie’s shoulder and stage-whispered, “I bet I know what the other reasons are.”
Maggie tried not to grin and shoved her sister off.
“And Duncan!” Verity piped up. “He needs to come too.”
“Oh, darling, I’m not sure Duncan will want to help decorate our tree.”
“Course he will.” Star’s face lit up. “Duncan!” she called to the back of the shop. “Grab your coat, we’re going to Maggie’s.”
There was the scratching sound of a chair being moved and then Duncan appeared.
“That’s very kind of you, but I’ve just found a rather interesting amulet that I think might be medieval...”
“Well, if it’s been around for that long, it can wait until Monday,” Star goaded. “And anyway, you’ve been working since half past eight this morning. Even Sotheby’s appraisers are allowed to clock off at a reasonable hour on a Saturday.”
Duncan looked a little awkward. “I mean, if you don’t mind...” He glanced shyly at Maggie.
“Not at all.” She smiled reassuringly. “You are very welcome. Come join us for some freezer biscuits.”
“Right, that’s settled, then. What are we waiting for?” Simone turned to Star. “Are you ready for some decorating?”
“I was born ready,” said Star.
“Woo-hoo!” cried Verity, taking Joe’s hands and dancing a jig on the spot. “Come on! We have to do it before bedtime.”
Star locked the curios shop door, and they all headed across the street to Maggie’s house.
“Remind me how old Verity is?” Simone asked quietly.
Maggie laughed. “She’s ten with a stroppy age of fourteen.”
“She’s going to be a handful in her teens,” said Star knowingly.
“She’s a handful now!” Maggie countered.
“Maybe she needs a couple of aunties to help keep her on the straight and narrow,” said Simone.
“Know where I can find any?” Maggie asked, one eyebrow raised.
“Simone, are you suggesting that I’d be a good influence on our niece?” Star was incredulous.
“A girl needs all the strong women she can get standing behind her.” She winked at her.
“Amen to that,” Maggie agreed.
The winter sun was setting, and within a very few minutes darkness would drop over the land like theater drapes. A freezing wind whistled along the high street, making the Christmas trees sway and the fairy lights dance in the gloaming. They picked up their pace and for the first time in years, Simone felt as though she might have her sisters back.
23
Back at theflat, Maggie crawled into the roof space and—ignoring the bags of Christmas presents she had yet to find time to wrap—began passing the boxes of decorations back to her sisters. They in turn handed them to Verity, who was waiting impatiently in the sitting room, scissors poised to slice open the tape and reveal the festive treasures within.
Joe, Duncan, and Patrick extracted an enormous Norwegian spruce from the bucket of water in the garden and wrestled it up the stairs. Maggie heard them laughing (comradery born from trying to negotiate a seven-foot tree up the narrow staircase) and hoped that maybe the Christmas spirit would soften Patrick’s prickliness toward Joe. She knew it came from a place of love, but surely anyone could see that Joe was a wonderful human...
While she busied herself, pulling out bags of frozen biscuits and laying them out on baking trays, Duncan came out to join her.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
