He upended a large box, sending a waterfall of tinsel onto the floor.
‘Oh dear,’ said Astrid, with the biggest smile I had seen on her face all day. ‘Your poor father will be turning in his grave. He hated tinsel.’
‘Why do you think I bought so much?’ asked Nick, returning her smile. ‘This is for you and me to hang. Where shall we start?’
I looked around at the happy scene: Nick and Astrid with armfuls of gaudy tinsel, Angela and Greg unwinding yet more lights to twine around the banisters, Sofia giggling as she used a giant candy cane as a walking stick, India balancing on the stepladder to hang the last of the antique decorations and Marilise snapping pictures of it all on her phone. I may have only been there for a short time, but Lyonscroft was already beginning to feel like home.
SIXTEEN
The next few days passed blissfully. Everyone was upbeat, enjoying the decorations so sparkly and colourful they could probably have been seen from space and beginning to sneak wrapped presents under the tree. Sofia was enjoying school and had been quick to make friends. She hero-worshipped India, who had shown her extreme kindness, even ceasing to complain about the Christmas show they were both involved with, and which Sofia loved being in.
‘I got my snowflake costume today,’ she told Marilise and me one afternoon when she got home from school and we were playing cards downstairs, sitting by the window so that we could enjoy the snow without having to go outside. ‘It’s so pretty. Virginia’s mummy made them, it’s got a sort of sticky out net skirt, which is light blue, no…’ she corrected herself. ‘It’sturquoise, that’s what Virginia said was the right word. Anyway, it’s got lots of silver sequins, and we wear a white leotard and have ribbons for our hair and around our wrists.’
She beamed at us and we both beamed back, enchanted by this delightful child, so changed from when she had first arrived at Lyonscroft.
‘There’s one thing,’ she said, a shadow of worry crossing her face. ‘Mrs Bradley said that someone needs to bring us and help us get ready before the show. She said our mummy or daddy or nanny, but I don’t have any of those here.’
I glanced at Marilise, whose face was the picture of compassion. She reached out her hand and grasped Sofia’s.
‘But you do not need to worry about that, my cherub,’ she said, with the tiniest flicker of emotion in her voice, which she quickly overcame. ‘When I was a child, at the palace, my parents were often not able to be with my sister or me, and many different people would look after us. It could feel a little sad at times, but we knew our parents loved us and we remembered our royal blood; that running through our veins was the ability to bewonderful, no matter what, to enjoy ourselves, to bring pleasure to others, to be honest and brave. You have this same blood, you know, and you also have people here who love you and care about you. They willallwant to accompany you to school and help you into your beautiful costume, and we will all be thrilled by your performance.’
She sat back, tired after this long speech, and I looked at Sofia, not sure how much she would have absorbed. But a smile crept onto her face, and I saw her sit up straighter than before.
‘Mrs Bradley doesn’t know about my royal blood,’ she said. ‘If she minds that it’s not a mummy or daddy or nanny, then I shall tell her about it.’
‘Quite right,’ I said, grinning. ‘But I’m sure she won’t mind. Astrid will be very glad to take you, or I can?’
I cast a questioning glance at Marilise, who nodded.
‘Indeed. I think that would be a very good idea, if you are happy with it, Sofia?’
The little girl looked at me shyly and nodded.
‘Yes, please. You’re very good at doing hair.’
I knew why Marilise had preferred me over Astrid to help Sofia. Amidst all the happiness and festive cheer, Astrid was the only person who was unhappy, although she did her best to hide it. Philip had still not put in an appearance, and I know he had been expected by now. I asked Nick about it one evening when we took Steve out for his nighttime walk, something we had taken to doing together. I looked forward to this short time together all day and, although part of me would have liked to speed things up, I could appreciate that the enforced slowness of the progression of our relationship was for the best. I still thought about Paulo every day, but the pain was softening into a glow, and I was more readily remembering the happy times and accepting that he would be glad to see me moving forward. I had not mentioned anything to my family as, if they had anything to do with it, the minute I was out of the peach satin, I would be into white tulle, and I definitely wasn’t ready for that.
‘Has Astrid said anything to you about Philip?’ I asked, grabbing Steve’s collar as his shoulder dipped in a way I had come to recognise meant he was about to roll in something smelly.
‘No,’ he replied. ‘And I haven’t wanted to ask, but she’s so unhappy. Do you think there’s anything we can do?’
I shook my head.
‘I think the only thing is to be there for her, as and when she needs us.’
Nick stopped walking and turned towards me, taking both my gloved hands in his.
‘Us,’ he repeated. ‘I like that.’
He bent his head and kissed me gently, then pulled away, grinning.
‘Until now, “us” has always meant me and Steve – I assume you have included him?’
‘Of course,’ I said. ‘And Steve wouldn’t be left out even if I tried.’
As if in answer to this, the big dog lolloped over and pushed his head between us, demanding to be stroked.
‘There are three of us in this relationship,’ quipped Nick. ‘But it seems to be working fine.’
