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‘You do?’
‘Yes. I have a beautiful dress, which I found tucked away the other day.’
Amelia wasn’t sure what to say. It was kind of Edie to offer, however Amelia was also aware that some of Edie’s clothes were a bit too outrageous for her taste.
‘You’ll love it,’ she said, evidently noticing Amelia’s hesitation. ‘I promise.’
When they got back to Coorie Cottage, Edie told Amelia to wait in the lounge while she fetched it. She came downstairs holding an elegant red silk-chiffon dress by its hanger.
‘That looks pretty.’
‘Do you want to try it on?’
Amelia nodded. ‘Sure.’
‘Just take it up to the spare room and see what you think.’
Amelia slipped the dress over her head, admiring her reflection in the mirror. The dress cascaded perfectly to a handkerchief midi hem and there were feminine ruffles at the cuffs. She felt wonderful and ran downstairs to show Edie.
‘Oh my.’ Edie clasped her hands together. ‘You look radiant. Just beautiful.’
Amelia swirled around and the material moved gently with her. ‘It’s stunning, Edie.’
‘One of my vintage numbers,’ she said, laughing.
‘You don’t think the dress is too fancy?’
‘Not at all. People like getting all dressed up on Christmas Eve.’
‘The only thing is, I don’t have any shoes . . .’
Edie beamed. ‘I do. Wait here.’
Amelia couldn’t bear the thought of forcing her feet into stilettos or court shoes and once again worried about how to tell Edie.
‘Here you are.’ Edie handed her a gift-wrapped box. ‘Just a wee thing from me to you. We said we wouldn’t do presents but, well, I spotted them and couldn’t resist.’
‘Can I open this now?’
‘Of course.’
Amelia tugged off the gold ribbon and slipped a finger under the red paper to reveal a shoebox. She pulled off the lid and a slow smile crept across her face. ‘Edie, I don’t know what to say. They’re perfect.’ Inside was a pair of trainers covered in tiny silver sequins.
‘I didn’t think you’d appreciate a pair of high heels.’
‘You’re so right.’ She slipped them on and twirled around. ‘What do you think?’
‘Perfect! And ideal for all the dancing you’re going to be doing.’
Amelia smiled at her. ‘How will I ever be able to thank you for what you’ve done? I never thought coming here would be like this. I expected to be lonely and feeling sorry for myself. But the opposite is true.’
‘Well, the same could be said for me. You helped me so much with Christine. Without you I would have been a morose mess.’ Edie blinked away tears. ‘But having you here has been the best gift ever.’
‘I wanted to try and find the moment to give you this and, well, this seems like the perfect time.’ Amelia went to her handbag and pulled out a small package.
‘Oh, thank you. I am intrigued.’
This time Edie laughed when she opened the parcel. She pulled out a red silk scarf covered in tiny robins. ‘It’s beautiful, and look at the little Johnnys!’
