Page 4 of All We Want for Christmas
‘I think we got away with it,’ Flynn said, with a sigh of relief. ‘Phew.’
Lara stared at the glass, feeling sick. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘What?’
‘Look at the base. I think it’s – I think it’s chipped.’
He walked over to the table. ‘Where? I can’t see anything.’
‘Look closer. It’s only tiny but it’s there.’ She pointed to the edge of the base.
Flynn leaned over the chalice, his dark head of hair obscuring the chalice for a few moments before he turned back to her, his lips pressed together in a grimace.
‘Yeah. I hate to say it, but I think you’re right. It is only minuscule, and if you weren’t looking for it, you probably wouldn’t notice, but I’m afraid there is a tiny nick. I am so sorry.’
Lara sat down on a chair next to the table, her head in her hands. For six centuries, the Lucky Chalice of Ravendale had remained pristine and intact. Now, she’d done what sieges, battles, fire and flood could not achieve: ruined the most precious item that the Penhaligon family owned.
She glanced up. ‘I could lose my job. I’ll have to resign.’
‘Whoa. Hold on. It can’t be that bad, can it?’ Flynn said gently.
Although on the verge of tears, Lara held them back. ‘It is. I’ve destroyed a priceless object, the one thing that matters more to the family than everything else in the castle. Imust tell Fiona and Henry – but how can I?’ A groan of frustration slipped out.
Flynn’s hand was on her arm, his voice soothing. ‘Hold on a minute. Take a breath. Let’s think about this before we do anything rash.’
‘It’s too late for that. We, I –havedone something rash. There’s no way I can hide this from Henry and Fiona. I’ll have to offer my resignation.’ The enormity of the situation rolled over her like a truck. ‘Just when I’d found a job I love and a place I want to stay.’
‘Lara. Lara. I know this is upsetting—’
‘Upsetting? It’s a disaster.’
‘Now wait,’ Flynn said calmly, but with an edge of firmness. ‘It’snota disaster. A fire burning the place down would be a disaster. Something awful happening to a guest or a member of staff or to you would be a disaster …’
She stared at him.
‘What I’m trying to say,’ he went on, ‘is that this is unfortunate and not good, but it’s not life or death, is it?’
‘It might be,’ Lara said, ‘if you believe the myth around the chalice.’
He arched his eyebrows. ‘And do you?’
‘No, of course not!’ She laughed bitterly, partly through embarrassment as she realised how dramatic she’d sounded. It wasn’t like her to panic. She was cool, calm and competent. Normally. However, the combination of dropping the glass, the prospect of losing her job, and Flynn having a hand in it, had thrown all her normal rules of behaviour out the window. ‘No, I don’t believe the castle will fall and thefamily will have to leave Ravendale, but the fact remains. I’ve damaged a priceless piece of art and I have to do something about it.’
‘If you’re dead set on telling Henry and Fiona, then why not let me take the blame?’
She followed his gaze to the chipped chalice, which stood there, accusingly. Lara was acutely aware that he’d somehow taken charge of the situation and she needed to get a grip. ‘Thanks for the offer, but you can’t take the blame for the damage. For a start, I wouldn’t let you. Besides, you haven’t even started your job here. How can you go to the Penhaligons and tell them your first act has been to wreck the family’s most precious heirloom?’
‘Yet it’s OK for you to do it?’ Flynn asked. ‘It was both our faults, but mainly mine, let’s be honest.’
‘I – I suppose they might not sack me,’ Lara said. ‘Even so, I’ll feel my professional credibility has been shattered – not to mention their trust in me. I love working here. It’s my dream job.’
‘I already knew how much this place means to you,’ he said.
That conversation had been almost three weeks ago, and since then she’d had to accept he’d been merely a guest passing through, like thousands of other visitors. She’d begun to think she might have imagined the briefest of kisses as he left and went off on his motorbike back to Cornwall.
Her shiver of desire ended when she caught sight of the chipped chalice again.
‘I admire your honesty, Lara,’ Flynn said gently, ‘butthere is another solution, if you don’t want me to take the blame or you to risk your job.’
