Page 101 of The Night Before Christmas
Andrea made a face. ‘We’ll have to change those names but, yes, them. They will be turned around pretty soon, won’t they? They’re both healthy and strong. I suppose I could ask if theywould wait for them instead. You know, if you want? You did save these two, after all. Not that I’m trying to encourage you, you understand.’ Andrea put her hands on her hips and gave her a hard stare.
Felicity chewed her lip.
She walked along the corridor and back.
She chewed her lip a bit more.
She made a phone call.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
NINE MONTHS LATER
A yearto the day since they first met over a freezing cold kitten.
Christmas Eve, no less, and this year it found them both standing on the doorstep of a very smart Victorian house near the town centre, bags of brightly wrapped presents at their feet. James rang the doorbell again.
‘I may never forgive you for this,’ hissed Felicity, flapping one (dry) penguin wing at him.
James put his own winged arm up to her face and stroked it gently. ‘You look so cute as a giant penguin,’ he said.
She raised an eyebrow.
‘Hot, you look hot as a giant penguin, that’s what I meant to say.’
She giggled. ‘Not as hot as you.’
James did a sort of awkward penguin bow and nearly lost a flipper.
‘Not tonight, of course, tonight you look like something out ofMary Poppins.’
‘Oh, thanks a lot.’
‘No, I just mean, it’s soclean. Last time, you were all filthy and wet and I fancied the penguin suit right off you. Which is weird, given that you were a total stranger, and I was a bitworried you might be a murderer. And, you know, the whole dying kitten thing.’
‘Itisweird,’ said James. ‘A bit erotic, but definitely weird.’
At that moment, the door finally opened revealing a tall girl of about eight or nine, dressed as an Easter bunny. She had long dark hair tied in plaits on either side of her pretty round face, and enormous green eyes.Like a young Wednesday fromThe Addams Family, thought Felicity.But a lot less creepy.
A cloud of warmth and noise came wafting out of the door, wrapping its tendrils around them. Enticing them in.
‘Hi, Uncle James! Hi, er, Penguin Lady,’ she said cheerfully, eyeing Felicity up and down.
So, this was the niece.
‘Thank God, it is fancy dress. I was convinced we’d dressed as giant penguins for nothing,’ said James, pretending to mop his brow in relief.
The girl giggled.
‘Next year it’s going to be fancy dress too. We know how much you like it.’ She said this with a cheeky grin. ‘The question is, are you going to dress as a penguin again?’
‘Hey, that’s a low blow,’ said James.
‘What are you saying? Don’t you like the penguin look?’ said Felicity, doing an awkward flippered-foot twirl.
The little girl/Easter bunny laughed out loud and before Felicity knew what had happened, she was giving Felicity’s foam-padded belly a big hug. The bunny ears tickled her nose.
‘Wow, okay, er, this is Felicity, Harper,’ said James. ‘And Felicity, say hi to my very special – and only – niece, Harper.’
