Page 11 of The Secret Mistletoe Promise
‘You’re not wrong.’
Imogen jumped, then peered at the black and white goat. It was staring at her, chewing a bit of grass. For onecrazy moment she thought it had been the one speaking, but then she looked beyond it and found a man standing a few feet away. He had mid-brown hair, slightly too long, and a handsome, severe face, though his eyes were kind. He was holding the biggest bunch of mistletoe she’d ever seen.
‘Wow,’ she said. ‘That is alotof mistletoe.’
‘Yes, I had noticed.’ He puffed out a harsh breath.
Imogen gave him a tentative smile. ‘Are you planning a village kissing competition?’
‘I wasn’t, but I might have to now.’ He shook his head. ‘Who did you say you were?’
‘I’m Birdie’s granddaughter. I told your goat because it’s wearing one of her jumpers and I thought it ought to know.’
‘Felix knows,’ the man said. ‘Felix – and I – are indebted to Birdie.’
‘Felix the goat?’
He nodded. ‘And I’m Harry. I would shake your hand, but …’ He lifted the armfuls of mistletoe, then, after a moment’s pause, dropped it all on the ground. ‘I’ve got enough of it.’ He stepped up to the fence and shook her hand. ‘Good to meet you. I didn’t know Birdie was having family over.’
‘I’m an unexpected guest. Imogen. And you’re Harry – Sophie’s Harry?’
‘That’s right.’ He pointed at her paper bag. ‘I see you’ve already visited her Emporium.’
‘It’s gorgeous. A notebook makes everything better, don’t you think?’
Harry grinned. ‘Either you and my fiancée are kindred spirits, or she’s brainwashed you already.’
Imogen laughed. ‘Kindred spirits. And congratulations on your impending nuptials.’
‘Thanks.’ Harry’s grin got wider, and it transformed his face from steely and slightly unapproachable, to unquestionably attractive. He wasn’t quite as good-looking as Dexter, but she could see that he and Sophie would make a striking couple. ‘It’s already turning into the headache I thought it would be.’
‘The wedding?’
‘Yup. I don’t keep anything from Sophie, but I also don’t want to tell her I’ve already made a mistake.’
‘OK.’ Imogen stepped forward, so her knees were between the wire rungs of the fence. Felix headbutted them, so she bent and stroked the fur between his ears. ‘Tell me your mistake, and I’ll see if I can put things into perspective for you.’
Harry crossed his arms. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I have some … insight, into wedding mishaps, and I can promise that yours is on the small side.’
‘You don’t even know what I’ve done.’
‘So why don’t you tell me?’
He glared at her for a moment, then glanced behind him, looking over the parkland. ‘It’s the mistletoe. I’ve accidentally ordered a whole lorry-load of it.’
‘Ofmistletoe? How much did you mean to order?’
‘About a fiftieth of what I’ve ended up with. We wanted some for wedding decorations, because it’s natural and Christmassy and … you know. Its symbolism is love and peace.’
‘And it’s good for kissing under,’ Imogen added.
‘Exactly,’ Harry said. ‘Anyway.Thisguy,’ he pointed atFelix, who Imogen was still lavishing with ear fondles, ‘distracted me when I was making the order, and I must have put in the wrong amount or hit it multiple times, and this morning a lorry pulled up in the driveway, and I got the whole lot. Now it’s up at the manor, it’s non-refundable because it’s a cut plant, and I have enough to open my own mistletoe farm.’
‘What were you going to do with all this?’ Imogen gestured at the bunches he’d dropped on the ground.
‘I’ve been walking around holding it, as if that would somehow spark a solution, and realized I’d better check on Felix. I don’t know what to do. Obviously now I’ve looked at my bank account, I can see that it isquitea lot of money for the amount I was expecting, but – it’s been a busy time.’ He exhaled. ‘And now it looks like I’ve been … frivolous.’ His frown suggested he wasn’t happy with his word choice.
