Page 52 of The Christmas Highland Lodge

Disappointment and confusion were creeping over the children’s expressions. Even their teacher was beginning to shoot us desperate looks.

I had to do something, otherwise things could turn ugly.

I leant close to him and grinned over at the children in the hope of reassuring them that Santa was in fact all right. ‘You’ve got this,’ I reassured him in a whisper. ‘You’ve climbed bloody great mountains in all sorts of weather. A classful of primary one children is nothing.’

Blake fidgeted, glancing at the expectant faces staring back at him. ‘You think?’ he hissed out of the corner of his false beard.

‘I know.’

He shot me a look and managed a nod. Then he puffed out his chest. ‘Ho-ho-ho!’

He did sound rather stilted with the first few children, but after a few more minutes, he began to relax and channel his Santa vibe.

Blake even surprised me by cracking a few corny jokes with the kids, which saw them erupt into giggles and groans.

‘Not so bad, is it?’ I muttered to him during a brief break.

‘I wouldn’t go that far,’ he said, appraising my Kermit-green outfit again. ‘Still, at least I didn’t have to dress up like Shrek.’

I pulled a face at him. ‘Any more sarcastic wise cracks and I’ll set fire to your beard – both of them.’

I straightened up and grinned at a little girl with long, straight, glossy black hair who had appeared at the entrance to the grotto. Her big blue eyes scanned us both from beneath her thick fringe. She shuffled forward, encouraged by her teacher, who was trying to control a couple of buzzing little boys who were up next. The little girl was wearing a lemon-yellow party dress. She reminded me of a bright butterfly.

From through in the main hall, the sounds of dancing children and Little Mix drifted in.

‘And what is your name, young lady?’ rumbled Blake in his best Santa voice.

The little girl eyed him. ‘Natalie.’ She sidled up to Blake’s elbow and gave me a shy little smile out of her freckled face.

‘Hello, Natalie. Have you been a good girl this year?’ asked Blake.

She thought long and hard. ‘I think so.’

‘I’m sure you have,’ he assured her.

Natalie’s attention fell on the sack by Blake’s booted feet, the wrapped presents peeking out of the top of it. ‘I know what I would like for Christmas, Santa.’

‘Oh good. And what might that be?’

Natalie shot a glance over at her teacher, who was still preoccupied with the two little boys. She dropped her voice. ‘I would like my mummy to come back home. Can you do that, Santa?’

An emotional gasp shot out of my throat, but I managed to turn it into a cough. Blake blinked at the little girl as she stood by his elbow.

While she waited for Blake to reply, Natalie wrapped her arms around herself and examined her sparkly party shoes.

Blake spun round in his chair to see my reaction to her request. I gave a sad, sympathetic shake of my head, forgetting that I had a bell at the end of my elf hat. It dinged.

Realising Natalie was waiting for him to say something, Blake swung his attention back to her. He puffed out his chest again. His voice was gentler now, but faltering. ‘Where is your mummy at the moment, Natalie?’

The girl shrugged her slight shoulders. ‘We don’t know. Mummy told Daddy she was very tired and she needed a little holiday.’

My heart felt like it was going to wrench itself out of my chest. Bless her.

I glanced down at Blake. Under the white cloud of wig and false beard, his dark eyes were swimming with sympathy. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times.

Miss Turner, Natalie’s teacher, was listening from the grotto entrance, her expression an agonised one.

‘So, can you bring my mummy home please, Santa?’