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Claudia expelled a sigh as the enormity of the moment filled her. “They’re all so beautiful. Are you sure, Patrick?”
“Sure about what?”
“That we can take one?”
“Forest needs a thinning anyway. Might as well get started now.”
She bit down on her lip, and moved a few paces, running her hand over the base of one. “This one’s huge.”
“Don’t worry about that, Claudia. I’ve got my right-hand man over later today. He’ll put it on the truck and bring it to the house.”
“But it would be too big for inside, surely?”
“Not in the library,” he said, eyeing the enormous pine thoughtfully.
“Not the library,” she rejected, thinking of the walls that were lined with books, including her father’s, with a sinking heart.
“That’s where Mrs Chastain always had the tree.”
“Oh.” Claudia’s heart sunk.
Perhaps Patrick saw the fleeting look of disappointment on her face, because he continued, “Although, she set up a smaller tree in the conservatory, and that’s where they did their family Christmases. When Stavros and the kids were little.”
“Did they?” She thought of the conservatory with its beautiful glass room and bright white floor, the comfortable white leather lounges and the view over the garden and nodded. “Let’s choose a small tree for there, then.” They wandered deeper into the forest and then both stopped at exactly the same moment, staring at one tree in particular.
“Oh, Patrick.” Ridiculously, tears sparkled on Claudia’s eyelashes. “Look. It’s perfect.” Shaped like a triangle, the tree had soft branches ful
l of green bristles, and a healthy trunk. “It’s perfect!” She repeated, almost jumping up and down on the spot.
“All right,” he grinned. “That’s the one. I’ll have it in the house by the afternoon.”
“Oh! I’ll have to get my friend to mail my decorations up. They’re all in London.”
He made a grunting noise which could have been a noise of agreement or disagreement.
“Thank you, Patrick,” she said, smiling at him with true gratitude.
“It’s a pleasure, miss.”
They walked back to the house mostly in silence. But, as they approached, Marta met them at the door, her cheeks pink.
“Well?” She asked, wiping her hands on her apron, stepping back to allow them inside.
“She picked a beauty,” Patrick winked. “We’re gonna be putting it in the conservatory.”
“Excellent,” Marta nodded. “I always liked the conservatory tree best of all.”
“She mentioned something about getting decorations posted from London,” Patrick said with an inexplicable grin.
“I have some special pieces,” Claudia murmured. “That I’ve collected over the years.”
“Oh, I see,” Marta said, her eyes meeting Patrick’s over Claudia’s head. “Why don’t you come with me a moment, Claudia?”
With the distinct impression that the pair had hatched a plan at some point between dinner the night before and this morning, she looked from one to the other, her smile one of amused resignation.
“Okay, then, sure.”
They moved through the house, into the kitchen, and then used the servants’ staircase that moved up the back of the house. It was still really grand, but it was dark wood, and it was on a much smaller scale than the stairs which made their way up the middle of the mansion.
