Page 31 of Confessions of a Christmasholic

Their eyes met across Rosie’s head. ‘I am sorry,’ she said, looking rueful. ‘I shouldn’t have taken my granddaughter’s word as gospel.’

Rosie looked up at her. ‘What’s gospel, Nan?’

Moira dropped a kiss on her head. ‘It means you need to go to Sunday School more often.’ She straightened and met Sutton’s eyes. ‘Am I forgiven?’

Sutton placed the cup against her breastbone. Yes, of course she was. ‘Absolutely. Come in, but be careful, there are boxes everywhere.’ Sutton pulled the door open, and Moira looked past her and clapped her hands, delighted. ‘Yay, a tree! I love putting up the tree.’

Sutton knew the process would go a lot quicker with some adult help. ‘Then come in and give us a hand.’

‘No Gus?’ Moira quietly asked, wrapping her arms around Rosie’s small shoulders.

Sutton shook her head, watching Moira’s face. She thought she mouthed an obscenity. No, she was imagining things, there was no way the esteemed Lady M would drop an F-bomb. ‘Gus is working at the shop today,’ she told Moira. ‘He told us to get on with it.’

Moira clapped her hands, covered in gorgeous, soft leather gloves, together. ‘Then that’s what we shall do. But we need chocolate cake. And champagne.’

She’d indulge in the first and not the second. Moira peeked into the hall and nodded her approval. ‘What an excellent tree! It’s huge and we’re going to need some help. Do you mind if we ask Will and Eli to join us?’

Sutton quickly nodded. Four adults to help wrangle two overly excited children. She’d be a fool to say no.

‘I’ll scoot back to the hall and grab the chocolate cake I made and a couple of bottles,’ Moira told Sutton. ‘I’ll pick up the boys on the way back.’

‘They might have other plans,’ Sutton suggested.

Moira smiled at her. ‘Trust me, they’ll jump at the chance to decorate the tree, boss you about, eat my cake and drink my champagne.’

Alrighty, then. Rosie looked up at her grandmother. ‘Can I come with you, Nan?’

Moira looked at Sutton. ‘Can she? I have car seats in my car, and I haven’t had anything stronger than tea to drink today.’

Sutton appreciated her asking for permission. And since she knew Moira often collected the kids from school and took them out and about, she couldn’t see why not. She snagged Rosie’s coat and helped the little girl into it and rammed a beanie on her head. Pig pushed his nose into Rosie’s neck, and she wrapped her arm around the big dog’s neck. ‘Can Pig come too, Nan?’ Rosie asked.

Moira grinned at Sutton. ‘Why not?’

She pressed her car fob and the back door of her Range Rover opened automatically. Pig belted off and leapt into the back of the vehicle, his tongue lolling. Pig wore a collar of red, white and gold tinsel around his thick neck.

Moira smiled and took Rosie’s hand. ‘We’ll be back in fifteen minutes, tops. Do you want to put on some milk for hot chocolate? I have some baby marshmallows at home. Do you want hot chocolate, Fee?’

Felix nodded enthusiastically. ‘I love your hot chocolate, Nan! It’syum.’

‘Of course it is,’ Moira smugly replied. ‘Because why?’

Rosie looked at her brother and sighed. ‘It’s your turn, Felix.’

Felix took a deep breath. ‘BecauseMis for marvellous,Ofor outstanding,Iis for incredible…Nan, do I have to?’ he whined.

Moira rolled her finger and Felix released a huge sigh.

‘Ris for ravishing, andAis for amazing,’ Rosie jumped in, impatient to get going. ‘Nan, let’sgo!’

Sutton laughed. ‘How long did it take you to teach them that?’ she asked, shivering in her jersey and jeans.

‘Not as long as you would think,’ Moira gaily replied, placing her hand on Rosie’s head and smiling at Felix. ‘Good little minions, you earned your hot chocolate.’

Sugary hot chocolate meant they’d soon be bouncing off the walls. ‘Do you think sugar is a good idea?’ Sutton asked, doubtful.

Moira waved her concerns away. ‘If they get too much, we’ll just send them home with the boys. The other day they told me they are thinking of changing careers, staying home more and maybe having a baby via surrogacy. It’s never too early to start practising.’

Sutton grinned. ‘I like the way you think,’ she said.

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