Page 73 of The Secret Mistletoe Promise
‘Did you have a wonderful honeymoon?’
Sophie gave her a dreamy smile. ‘It was perfect. The weather was pretty good for December, and the food and the landscape were lush, the hotel was gorgeous and … well, Harry was the best thing about it.’
Imogen grinned. ‘I’m so glad. You look really relaxed.’
‘I am, which is a good thing considering all the Christmas stuff we’ve got coming up. What about you? You already feel like a permanent fixture here, and one thatcertainpeople can’t do without.’
Imogen swallowed. ‘It will be lovely to have Christmaswith my gran, and I’m so looking forward to the Snow Show. Dexter’s counting on me.’
‘Of course,’ Sophie said, while she rearranged a display of shimmering ballpoints. ‘And Mistingham is rather inescapable, once it’s charmed you. Do you feel better than when you arrived?’
Imogen nodded, because she certainly felthappier, but how could she have thought that racing to that train in her wedding dress, coming up here on a whim, was as complicated as things would get? She hadn’t expected to want so much of what this seaside village had to offer. ‘I bet Felix is glad you’re back,’ she said, moving onto safer ground.
‘He’s acting out, worse than he was before we went away.
I think he feels like we owe him for abandoning him.’
‘I’ll get Lucy to send Artichoke round,’ Imogen said without thinking. ‘That’ll calm him down.’
‘Sounds good.’ Sophie’s smile turned into a grin. ‘And I’ll see you at the next rehearsal? It’s in the village hall again, because the manor is in chaos while we get everything ready, but we’ll be done in time for the final warm-up.’
‘I thought you already had your tree up?’ Imogen’s brain was intent on getting her into trouble this morning.
Sophie narrowed her eyes. ‘We do, but we want to make some changes, especially to the lounge where the performances will be.’
‘Right.’ Imogen nodded frantically; she knew she’d been busted. ‘I just … I went with Dexter, once, when he was checking the manor for you.’
‘It was good that he had some company,’ Sophie said solemnly. ‘It can get quite spooky when you’re in there on your own.’
‘That’s what I thought,’ Imogen said weakly, then hurried out of the shop before she had a chance to put her foot even further in her mouth.
When she left Birdie’s for the village hall the following evening, she was sure she could feel the first dusting of snow against her cheeks, but looking up, with the pink cloud looming and strange now it was dark, and no chance of stars or a moon, she realized it was just the cold air.
She stepped through the door in Birdie’s coat, and someone shouted, ‘Here’s our little gooseberry!’
Before she had a chance to reply, a warm hand grabbed hers and whisked her to the back of the hall. Every nerveending in her body came to tingling, hopeful life.
‘We haven’t rehearsed since the last time,’ Dexter said into her ear, and even though he did actually sound a little bit worried, all Imogen could think was how much his presence calmed her.
She faced him, her breath catching when she realized he hadn’t shaved for a few days, and the stubble that was usually neat was longer and darker – more dangerous, somehow. Ridiculous, that she could be turned on by the length of a man’sstubble.‘I know,’ she said stupidly.
‘We’ve found time to have dinner together and go foraging for decorations, and …’
‘Other things,’ Imogen finished breathlessly.
Dexter’s eyes darkened. ‘Right.Other things.But noNorthanger Abbey. No Catherine and Henry.’
‘We’ll have to wing it.’ She was giddy because concerned Dexter was no less attractive, and when he rubbed his handover his jaw and she heard the rasp of his stubble, she couldn’t hide her grin.
‘What are you so happy about?’ he murmured.
‘Being here with you.’ She watched his frown lift and his gaze spark, just as Fiona called everyone to order and invited the first person – this time it was May with her already perfect poem recital – up to the front to show them all how it was done.
‘Well.’ Fiona narrowed her eyes at Dexter and Imogen when they came to the flustered, messy end of their scene. ‘It was entertaining, at least.’
‘Yup.’ Jazz folded her arms. ‘I particularly liked the bit where Imogen dropped her script and then banged her head on Dexter’s knee.’
‘And the part where neither of them had a clue whose line it was and they just gazed at each other until Fiona snapped her fingers,’ Mary added.
