Page 29 of Mistletoe and Wishes at The Cornish Bakery

Elsie wiped her hands on her tea towel. ‘I wonder who that could be. Teresa has a key and would have only just got back home to get the kids ready for school and it’s too early for anyone else.’ She walked across to the door, before pulling it open. ‘Harry! Whatever are you doing here at this time of the morning?’

‘Morning, Elsie. Sorry to just drop by like this.’ Harry rubbed his hands together, red from the cold.

‘Come on in, love. Come and get yourself warmed up a little.’ Elsie ushered him inside before closing the door behind him. ‘You must have met Holly at the pub quiz?’

‘Yes.’ Harry held his hand up towards Holly. ‘Hi, good to see you again.’

‘Is Diane okay?’ Elsie poured coffee from the cafetiere into a mug before handing it to him.

‘Thanks.’ Gratefully taking the mug, Harry wrapped his hands around it before holding it against his chest. ‘She’s fine. Absolutely fine. In fact, she was still in bed when I left.’

‘Right. Well, that’s a relief then.’ Elsie nodded and began shaping the cookie dough again. ‘What can I do for you then, love?’

‘I...’ Harry lowered the mug from his lips and spoke quickly, his words tumbling over each other. ‘I’m going to ask Diane to marry me.’

‘I... You’re what?’ Elsie dropped the lump of dough back into the bowl and stared at him. ‘Sorry, love, did I hear you right?’

Harry took a deep breath. ‘Yes. I said I’m going to ask Diane to marry me.’ He looked down into his coffee mug before looking back at Elsie. ‘If you give me your blessing, that is.’

Elsie blinked and wiped her hands on the tea towel again before breaking out into a grin. ‘Well, I rather think you need to be asking Diane’s parents that question, don’t you, love? But of course, I’ll give you my warmest blessings.’ She wiped a tear from her eye. ‘Oh Harry, love. That’s such wonderful wonderful news.’

Harry smiled. ‘Thank you.’

‘Ooh, you’re going o ask Diane to marry you.’ Else held her hands against her cheeks. ‘I can’t believe it! I’m so happy for you both.’

‘I’m just hoping she says yes.’ Harry grimaced.

‘Oh, she will, love. She will. I just know it.’ Elsie drew him in for a hug before stepping back again, still grinning. ‘You’re a perfect match. You are. How are you going to propose? When are you going to pop the question?’

‘Well, I was hoping you’d be able tot help me with that.’ Harry looked into his mug again.

‘Ooh really?’ Elsie clapped her hands. ‘I’d love to. What are you planning?’

Harry looked across at Holly.

‘Would you rather I go so you two can talk?’ Holly smiled.

‘No, no, it’s fine. I’m happy you hearing my plans. In fact, it’s probably better having two people in on the plan anyway, just in case anything happens.’

‘Okay.’ Holly grinned and lowered the icing bag she’d been using.

‘I was going to put the ring in a cracker. Her cracker here, at Christmas dinner.’ Harry shifted on his feet and looked from Elsie to Holly and back again. ‘That’s a rubbish idea, isn’t it?’

‘I think it’s a wonderful idea.’ Elsie pulled out a stool for Harry.

‘Yes, it sounds really romantic.’ Holly grinned.

‘I just thought it would be nice to ask her in front of everyone.’ He perched on the stool. ‘Terrifying for me, of course, but nice for her. I know how highly she thinks of you and Ian and of all the bakery family. We both do.’

‘Oh, love.’ Elsie lowered herself to the stool next to him. ‘What a lovely way to propose.’

Harry nodded. ‘So, I need to get the ring into one of the crackers you use. I don’t want it to be different. I want the cracker to be from the box you’ll be putting in everyone’s place. I don’t want her to suspect a thing beforehand.’

‘I see.’ Elsie nodded. ‘That’s doable. Although it might be tricky to put the cracker in the correct table place. We normally have a free for all regarding where everyone sits.’

‘Could you give out the crackers when everyone’s sitting down?’ Harry asked.

‘Or you could have table place tags?’ Holly smiled. ‘That way, you’d know where she’d be sitting.’

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