Page 77 of The Secret Christmas Bookshop
‘It obviously wasn’t an issue last year,’ Harry said sheepishly. ‘No idea what happened before that.’
Dexter shrugged. ‘People wore boots, got a bit muddy, but didn’t mind because it was Christmas.’
‘Right.’ Harry blew out a breath. ‘Good to know. We need to plan the layout; where we’re going to put everyone.’
‘And you needed my ladder as well as yours, because …?’ Dexter asked.
‘Because we’re putting the lights up.’ Harry pointed at the boxes he’d brought from the manor, the sets of lights they’d bought in Norwich. Inside the biggest box, Sophie thought gleefully, was the light-up goat.
‘And we need two of us to do it,’ she added.
Dexter tipped his head back, looking at the top of the statuesque oak tree. ‘Great.’
‘You sound thrilled,’ Sophie said with a laugh.
‘I’m not a huge fan of heights.’
‘Why do you have a ladder then?’ Harry asked.
‘Because sometimes you need a ladder, and you just have to get over your fears.’ Dexter sighed. ‘Anyway, this is going to be much better than a street festival.’
Harry glanced at Sophie. ‘I know. I’m glad I was made to see sense.’
‘Don’t worry Dex,’ she said, ‘you can be our man on the ground. I’ll go up with Harry.’
Dexter’s shoulders dropped. ‘You sure?’
‘Of course. Can I show you something, though?’
‘Go ahead.’
‘I’ll get the lights ready.’ Harry strode to the other side of the green, and Sophie couldn’t help watching him go. He’d had that same certainty, that confidence, under the sheets with her the night before.
‘Sophie?’ Dexter prompted with a laugh.
‘Oh! Yes. Right.’ She took the copy ofJane Eyreout of her bag and handed it to him. She had wrapped the brown paper loosely back around it, wanting to keep it pristine.
‘What’s this?’ He turned it over slowly.
‘Someone left it for me at the shop. It had a postcard addressed to me, a message about how I needed to look closer to home to find what I was missing, but I have no idea who’s behind it. Winnie’s been given a book too, and I just wondered if …’
‘I remember you telling me about this ages ago. And now Winnie’s had one? Where’s mine?’ he said with a grin. ‘I’m afraid I haven’t got a clue who sent it to you. It’s a beautiful edition, but I don’t remember even Bernie selling copies this nice in the bookshop.’
Sophie sighed. ‘I’d be able to understand the message more if I knew who was behind it – I’d like to thank them.’
Dexter shrugged. ‘Maybe they don’t want thanks: maybe you’re just supposed to enjoy it.’
They stared down at it, and Sophie realized she’d already got a lot out of it. Rereading the story, having a mystery to try – and so far fail – to solve. It was the reason she’dvolunteered for the Oak Fest, which had thrown her together with Harry. Her life had changed a lot because of this book.
‘Thanks Dex.’ She put it back in her bag and they went to join Harry, who looked as though a Christmas tree had exploded all over him, one set of lights draped over his shoulders and another tangled round his arm.
‘How has this happened?’ he asked. ‘I’ve been herefiveminutes.’
Sophie grinned. ‘You’re not used to sparkly, joyful things?’
He narrowed his eyes at her. ‘Take that back, Sophie Stevens. The lights clearly have it in for me.’
‘I take it all back.’ She found the end of the dinky, book-shaped lights, and began to unwind them from round his arm. ‘It can’t bethatdifficult to get you out of this.’
