Page 16 of The Secret Holiday Kiss

Daisy sat up straighter and, in a move that was entirely out of character, said, ‘I’ve had an idea, too.’ Did she? What the hell?

Faces were already turned in their direction, but now they landed on her, the whispering in the hall kicking up a notch.

‘Daisy Anderly.’ Fiona’s voice was edged with triumph. ‘This is a surprise. We’d love to hear your idea. The more the merrier, frankly.’

‘Right.’ Daisy glanced at Harry, who was frowning at her. Sophie gave her an encouraging smile. Shit. Did she have an idea? She thought of the Christmases she’d loved as a child, and the way she used to go all in with Stefan, hosting dinner parties for their friends, spending hours finding the perfect table decorations, from Selfridges to charity shops to Etsy. She loved the glitz and sparkle, loved being cosy and content, full of good food in glorious surroundings while the world outside was dark and cold. What could her idea be? She looked over her shoulder, and Avery had his eyebrows raised, his arms folded tightly across his chest.

‘A ball,’ she flung out, facing Fiona. ‘A Christmas ball. Last year you had the festive plays at the manor, and of course Harry and Sophie had their wedding there, in that big room. Wouldn’t it be perfect for a ball? It would be another chance for everyone to get dressed up. We could have a band or a string quartet, some delicious picky bits to nibble on, champagne.’

‘At the manor,’ Harry said deadpan, while the hall erupted into chatter, and Daisy winced, because the manor wasn’t hers to offer out.

‘You told me it was good to get involved,’ she tried lamely, and while Harry remained stony-faced, she was sure he was secretly delighted. Wasn’t he?

‘Is a ball as good as a treasure hunt, though?’

Daisy spun around. Avery raised his arms up overhead, in a laconic, infuriating stretch. ‘I thought you didn’t suggest a treasure hunt?’ she said. ‘I thought May was making it up.’

‘The point still stands,’ Avery said. ‘A treasure hunt means getting outside in the fresh air. There are clues, a game to test the little grey cells, a possibility of reward at the end. And you get to see some expertly crafted Christmas sculptures along the way. A ball is a lot of pressure. You have to have a suit or a frock, and not everyone does. It’s a lot of standing around, trying to talk over too-loud music. Nobody ever wants to dance.’

‘What if it’s raining?’ Daisy countered. ‘Cold, horrible December rain? And you don’t have to do anything at a ball, other than turn up, consume delicious nibbles and drink bubbles. Spend time with people, be excited about Christmas together. There’s zero pressure, whereas with a treasure hunt, there’s pressure to do well, to win the prize, or it’ll all have been for nothing.’

‘I love the idea of a Christmas ball,’ May said, and there were murmurs of assent.

‘I thought you’d be on my side,’ Avery said to his sister. ‘You said you loved the treasure hunt idea.’

‘So it was your idea,’ Daisy said triumphantly.

Avery glared at her.

‘A Christmas ball sounds wonderful,’ Sophie said. ‘Harry and I have got ambitious plans for decorating the manor this year, now the renovation is complete.’

‘We have?’ Harry looked at his wife, and she kissed him on the nose.

‘We talked about it. You know.’

Daisy watched some silent communication pass between them, and she got the sense that Sophie was coming to her rescue because she had just, inadvertently, offered up their home for a big, complicated event, and unless she came up with a reason not to do it, she was forcing a lot of unnecessary work on all of them.

‘It might not be as universally loved as a treasure hunt,’ she said haltingly. ‘And obviously it will be a lot of effort, so—’

‘You wouldn’t want to have to do anything too demanding,’ Avery’s voice was soothing. ‘Much better that we go with my idea.’

‘But on the other hand,’ Daisy went on, raising her voice, ‘it would be something for everyone to look forward to. An indulgent evening away from the hectic rush of Christmas preparations, cooking and present wrapping and family wrangling. It would be a real … treat.’

‘I agree,’ Sophie said loyally, and Daisy flashed her a grateful smile.

‘I mean, they’re both great ideas.’ The woman with the purple streaks joined Fiona and Ermin on the stage. ‘I’m Jazz, if you don’t know already.’ She raised a hand in greeting.

‘We know!’ someone shouted from the front row.

‘I’ll never forget your Éponine,’ someone else added.

‘I’ll take that as a compliment,’ Jazz said with a grin. ‘Not to step on Fiona and Ermin’s toes, but couldn’t we incorporate both ideas into this year’s Christmas plans?’

Fiona frowned. ‘As Daisy said, the ball will be a lot of work, as will the treasure hunt. We have to be mindful of the villagers’ capacity for organizing these things.’

‘True.’ Ermin rocked back on his heels. ‘But last year a lot of people took time out to rehearse their plays, and we needed volunteers for the ice rink. Before that, we’ve had good input for the Oak Fest: stalls and entertainment and whatnot. If Harry, Sophie and Daisy took the lead on the ball, Avery and May on the treasure hunt, and both projects had support from other villagers, we could pull them both off.’

Jazz nodded. ‘A treasure hunt to get wild and carefree in the outdoors, a ball to indulge in the luxurious side of Christmas. They complement each other perfectly, when you think about it.’