Page 35 of Snowflakes at the Little Christmas Tree Farm
‘Isn’t that birthday cakes?’ I ask in confusion.
Noel laughs. ‘This is an old mince pie tradition and Fergus won’t rest until he’s provided all of Elffield with his magical mince pies.’
The idea of magical mince pies makes me start giggling and the serious expression on both Noel and Fergus’s faces only makes it funnier, until Noel elbows me in the arm. ‘Well, wish or no wish, one of Fergus’s mince pies is a miracle in itself. Thanks, mate.’
He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and hesitates for a second like he’s making a wish, then he seems to steel himself before biting into it. ‘Mmm, this issogood,’ he says around a mouthful. ‘So rich and decadent, Fergus, you’ve outdone yourself this year. In fact, it’s so good that I’m going to save the rest for later. I’m still full from breakfast so I can’t fully appreciate it.’ He wraps the pie back up in its paper bag and stuffs it into his pocket. ‘Thank you, I’m going to savour that with a cuppa when I get home.’
I narrow my eyes as I look at him. He’s overcompensating and I can’t work out what for. Fergus’s gingerbread trombone that I had earlier was delicious. Maybe Noel just doesn’t believe in magic.
He nudges me. ‘Go on, Lee, make a wish.’
I know he knows something I don’t know, but Fergus is looking at me with that same expectant look he had when he gave me the gingerbread trombone earlier, so I close my eyes, silently make my wish, and take a bite of … unusually hard pastry, and … good lord,whatis that in the middle? Surely that’s not the usual fruit and spice mix? It’s very … chewy, and not in a good way. Was that a raisin? I nearly lost a filling to that. I suddenly know exactly why Noel was overacting.
‘Oh, wow, that’sreallygood, Fergus.’ It just sort of sits there in my mouth, impossible to chew, impossible to swallow, and impossible to spit out with Fergus watching. ‘I’ve never had a mince pie quite like it.’
A beam lights up his face. He genuinely can’t realise how bad these mince pies are, can he? Maybe he’s trying to re-enact theFriendsepisode where Rachel got the pages of her recipe book stuck together and put beef in a trifle?
I’m regretting taking such a big bite. Fergus is still watching me with a proud look, and it’s almost impossible not to shudder as my teeth crunch on something that might once have been a cranberry. Or some form of animal defecation.
‘It’s certainly busy here.’ I look around the market as I try to swallow without Fergus realising how difficult it is.
‘Didn’t expect that, did you, Londoner?’ Noel says.
‘It’s a real hub here,’ Fergus says. ‘Our market is known countrywide. People even come over from Europe closer to Christmas. We’re on a list of best markets in the UK and it brings in so many tourists. Of course, it used to be so much better …’
‘Budget cuts.’ Fiona suddenly pops up behind me, making me jump with her sudden appearance. I hope she didn’t notice the grimace as I turned away to swallow the last of that pastry or the way my eyes are watering because a particularly sharp bit caught my throat on the way down.
‘We used to have lights all over the building and the most gorgeous tree right there in the entranceway.’ She points to an elevated platform in the centre of the walkway inside the main entrance. ‘But the council cut funding a few years ago so we haven’t had one for a while, and it makes such a difference to the festive spirit. Last year, the handbag stall owner was kind enough to bring in a moth-eaten plastic tree that had been in his loft for a few years. It was okay after we got the dust off it, but it fell apart before the end of the season.’
‘Do you want a real tree?’ I ask as the idea comes to me. ‘I’d be happy to donate one. It’s definitely a good cause – the market is gorgeous.’
‘Oh, would you really?’ Fergus says.
‘The darling Mr Evergreene used to donate one every year, but we didn’t expect you to carry on the tradition,’ Fiona adds. ‘And it’s ever such good advertising. We’d put a big sign up saying where it came from, and the tree stands right in the entrance soeveryonewould see it …’
I can’t help giggling at their mischievous faces, leaving me in no doubt that this was exactly the way they’d hoped the conversation would go. ‘How about one of the Peppermint firs?’ I turn to Noel. ‘They’re so striking, that would be an ideal place for one.’
‘And some smaller ones for the corners of the market?’ Fiona says.
‘Of course.’ I had no idea that Evergreene used to provide trees to the market. Maybe it’s a good omen that I thought of it too.
Noel rolls his eyes. ‘You two are incorrigible, you know that, don’t you? Leah hasn’t been here forty-eight hours yet and you’ve wheedled god knows how many trees out of her.’
‘Sounds painful. Here, have a gingerbread fire extinguisher to make up for it.’ Fergus produces two wrapped biscuits from his cardigan pocket and hands us one each.
‘It’ll be a great way to spread the word,’ Fiona says. ‘And will you be selling your trees here too? What a brilliant way of advertising, we can put a sign out telling everyone exactly where your stall is.’
‘And we all know the market’s in trouble. If we’re going out, at least we’re going out with a Christmas tree-scented bang. That artificial thing was a mess last year. It dropped more shiny plastic pieces than a real tree would drop needles.’
‘I think we’d better be going before you two talk Leah into giving you a tree stand and a tree skirt too,’ Noel says, putting a big hand on my shoulder and extracting me from the circle Fergus and Fiona have formed around us.
‘A tree stand would be wonderful!’ Fiona calls as we back away. ‘I can make a pretty skirt for it, don’t you worry about that!’
At the pumpkin stall, Noel picks up the stack of two empty wooden crates and carries it with one hand, swinging it along beside him like it weighs nothing as we walk towards the side entrance of the market where his truck is parked.
‘You got totally taken advantage of there, you know that, right?’
‘What, for the tree?’ He nods and I shrug. ‘I don’t mind. It’d be nice to get off on the right foot with the locals. Besides, the marketisgorgeous, it deserves a real tree, and I can easily spare one.’
