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Lucie’s hand found hers and gave a gentle squeeze. Frances froze, her focus narrowing to the softness of her hand and how well it fitted in her own. This was how it felt. Even though it was nothing more than a reassuring gesture, her pulse seemed determined to treat it as something else.
“It’s okay. I know exactly what you mean.”
Frances let a small, relieved smile slip as her eyes met Lucie’s. “Of course you do.”
“Night, Frances,” Lucie whispered.
“Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Frances closed the door behind her, lingering for a moment, hand resting on the handle. Lucie’s absence settled behind the door with a heavy weight. She wanted her to come back, to pull her inside and keep her there a little longer.
The Christmas elf had magically appeared in her life and turned everything the right way up by turning everything upside down. She really wasn’t sure how she was going to cope without her.
Pushing the thought aside, Frances headed for bed, deciding to cross that bridge when, and if, she needed to. Meanwhile, she would enjoy Lucie’s company and learn what she could from her in the time they had together.
CHAPTER 14
“Happy Christmas,” Mandy said, opening the front of Croft Cottage and pulling Lucie into a hug.
“Happy Christmas,” Lucie replied.
“The first one in too long,” Mandy said, squeezing her tighter.
“It is. Sorry, I overslept. I was going to come and help with lunch.”
Her dad appeared from the kitchen as she stepped inside. “Morning, love. Merry Christmas and all that.”
Lucie pulled back from Mandy as her dad came for a hug. “Merry Christmas, Dad.”
He looked different. His hair was trimmed and styled, his beard neat and tidy. She was sure the clothes he was wearing were new as the shirt still had the fold marks in it.
“I would have come over with you if you’d woken me,” she said as he let her go.
“I thought I’d let you sleep in. Me and Mandy have Christmas lunch down to a fine art, don’t we?” Not waiting for an answer, he added, “I’ll go and fix that light switch you were having trouble with upstairs.”
“Thanks, Pete.”
“What’s with the new look?” Lucie whispered as soon as he was out of sight.
Mandy shrugged. “Maybe he’s decided it’s time for a fresh start?” Hope flickered across her face. “He wants to go into the attic tomorrow morning and start clearing things. Can you give us a hand?”
“Yes, of course,” Lucie replied eagerly.
Mandy turned towards the kitchen. “I need to get the turkey out to rest.”
Lucie followed, pausing by the old pine table, which was beautifully laid out for five, each place set with a cracker and a festive napkin. She took a breath, nervousness competing with excitement.
Christmas had always been a noisy affair, with Dad carving the turkey badly, setting fire to the Christmas pudding with too much brandy; Gran presiding at the head of the table, telling stories and laughing loudly after too many sherries. The last few they had shared without her, when Lucie returned from university for the holidays, had felt lopsided. Like the room was missing a wall, or the table a leg.
How would today feel?
Frances and Rose would no doubt fill some of that space. Even with Rose’s confusion and repeated questions, it wouldn’t cut the way Gran’s final Christmases had. At least they no longer felt like an open wound, more like a bruise she’d learned to live with.
She hadn’t seen much of Frances over the last two weeks; they’d moved like ships in the night. As soon as Frances arrived home, Lucie was heading out the door. She felt the absence more than she had expected considering they had seen each other most days. It was more their conversations she missed, and time alone together.
Mandy glanced up as Lucie entered the kitchen, her mouth twitched as she closed the oven door with her foot. “You look nervous.”
“Nervous? No,” Lucie replied, voice a little high-pitched. “Why would I be?”
