“Exactly,” Ruby said. She put her seat belt on. She was happy to bribe the girls to make them smile like that.
When Rashid didn’t start the car, she looked at him. He was watching her with that intense gaze of his. He needed to stop doing that, because that look was giving Ruby thoughts she shouldn’t have.
“Seriously, Rashid, it was nothing. Now let’s go, before they run out of hot chocolate!”
It was a long and quiet drive to the holiday craft market, but Ruby didn’t feel the need to fill the silence. She’d realized that Rashid was particularly quiet when he was focused on something, like driving. Which was fine. She wanted him to drive safely, especially when his nieces were in the car. The girls were chattering quietly behind them to each other, but Ruby couldn’t make out a word of it. She wondered if they had their own made-up language. They clearly had a very close bond. Ruby felt a pang of jealousy—what would her life have been like if she’d had a sibling? But it was probably a good thing that her parents only had one child—the last thing she would have wanted was another person saddled with her family.
Ruby gasped when Rashid pulled into the parking lot ofthe East End mansion. She’d seen pictures of the place, but it hadn’t seemed this big, or this picturesque. The house was an old Victorian country home now surrounded by a residential neighborhood filled with 1960s bungalows. The mansion was dark brown brick, with lots of cream gingerbread moldings on the multipeaked roof. It even had a turret. Walking up to it felt like walking back in time. Ruby half expected to see a mysterious woman in a black veil in the attic window.
“Oooh, very Jane Eyre!” Ruby said, clapping her hands. “I had no idea this place existed!”
Rashid raised his brows. “I figured you would think it was Dickensian… I mean with those wreaths on every door, this could be a scene fromA Christmas Carol.”
Ruby turned to give Rashid a look. “How would you even know whatA Christmas Carollooks like?”
“Um, because I’m a human being born in the twentieth century? Remember, I grew up in the UK. Dickens is kind of unavoidable. You girls ready to be Victorian gentry for the day?”
The twins looked at their uncle, thoroughly confused. Ruby laughed. “C’mon, let’s get some pictures outside.”
After taking a bunch of pictures of the twins, and then the twins with Rashid, they went inside.
“Oh, this is… perfect,” Ruby said after their tickets were scanned at the door. The house was fully decorated for Christmas, but very tastefully. Natural pine boughs tied with red plaid ribbons and groupings of white pillar candles were everywhere. The fireplaces in each room were adorned with greenery, silver candlesticks, and ornaments, and the whole place smelled like winter—cinnamon, pine, and warm chocolate. There werecraft vendors set up in all the rooms of the main floor, selling jewelry, pottery, stained glass, gourmet jams and jellies, woven tapestries, hand knits, hand-painted ornaments, and even handmade candles and skin care.
It was lovely. It was the exact opposite of the Winter Market—no corporate sponsors, no overpriced drinks, just artisans selling locally made gifts. Ruby had to admit that even though she loved Reid’s Holiday and the Winter Market, she also loved the charm of this place. And best of all, Rashid seemed to be enjoying it, too. The four of them went from room to room looking at all the crafts for sale. Rashid bought a lot—starting with twin fairy crowns made with silk flowers and crystal beads, which the girls insisted on wearing right away. Ruby chuckled when she saw their red and white Christmas outfits paired with pink and purple tiaras. He also bought gifts for other people, with Ruby’s help. Some little knit pieces, some ornaments, jellies, and even a handmade soap that smelled like cinnamon and marshmallows. Rashid’s family was very lucky—he really was very generous, just like Jasmine had said.
And he was in a fantastic mood. He smiled more and talked more, and there was a lightness, almost a giddiness, in his steps as he moved from vendor to vendor. It was contagious. The girls were chattier—with each other and with their uncle. They even talked to Ruby a bit—showing her things they liked, like little clay fairies and unicorns.
“How much are you going to buy?” Ruby asked Rashid after he bought an adorable hand-knit hat with a fur pom-pom. “I thought you don’t celebrate Christmas?”
He shrugged. “I want to support local artists. Plus, otherpeople celebrate, even if I don’t.”
“Oh, wow, look at that…” Something caught Ruby’s eye. It was a necklace made of delicate raw rubies on a copper chain. It was so unique. Of course, considering Ruby’s name and her love of the colors red and pink, she’d always been attracted to rubies. She picked it up. “This isgorgeous.”
The woman behind the table—a twentysomething Brown woman, smiled. “It’s handmade. Kashmiri rubies and pure copper.”
Ruby was usually drawn to more traditional jewelry, the type sold in boutiques, not this handmade, rustic style. But this piece was beautiful. The stones weren’t clear, and they were a deep, kind of moody blood-red instead of the pinky-red rubies she was used to. And the copper chain they were strung on was so slim and delicate.
“Do you make the jewelry yourself?” Rashid asked the woman.
The woman shook her head. “We work with a women’s collective in Northern India. All the pieces are handmade for us and are one of a kind.”
Ruby wanted to buy it. It wasn’t that expensive, just over $100. But she hesitated. She wasn’t supposed to be spending too much before her move. But she thought about Rashid mentioning that she didn’t exchange gifts with anyone. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Ruby buying a gift for herself. And she wanted something to remember this weird month—when she made an unlikely alliance with a Christmas Scrooge who turned out to be kinder than he appeared.
“I’ll take it,” Rashid said, handing the woman his creditcard before Ruby could tell the woman that she wanted it. Ruby turned quickly to him.
“I was going to buy it,” she said.
“I know you were. I’m beating you to it.”
“Well, that’s very rude. I’m literally holding the thing in my hand.”
The woman at the table was still holding Rashid’s credit card, looking between the two of them, not sure what to do. She glanced at the twins, wincing. She’d probably assumed the four of them were a family and was worried that she’d caused a fight between the girls’ mom and dad. “I have another similar one,” the woman finally said. “Made with Ceylon sapphires. Can I show you?”
“I’m buying itforyou, Ruby,” Rashid said. He looked at the woman. “Can you gift wrap it?”
Ruby shook her head. “You can’t buy me a necklace!”
“I owe you,” he said. “You bought the tickets today.”
