‘Yes, yes, they’ve got some tree things in the shop, and we really want them.’
I looked over at Bunny for confirmation that this was a suitable activity, although, to be honest, I think she would have approved anything that gave her a break to work and rest.
‘Yes, that’s a super idea, we saw them the other day, didn’t we? It’s a shop called ‘Present Box’, they’ve got animals which are sort of knitted – or are they crocheted?’ She shrugged, clearly unsure if there was much difference or whether it mattered. ‘Maybe even woven? Anyway, you’ll see them. Very sweet, they’ll help our tree look gorgeous, my darlings.’
The children had completely forgotten the TV now, their butterfly minds utterly fixated on this new venture.
‘Comeon, Pixie, let’s go and get dressed, hurry up.’
They pulled at my hands, and I laughed.
‘Okay, okay, let’s go! I’m sure the shop isn’t going anywhere.’
‘It doesn’t even open till ten, so there’s no rush.’ This from Lando, emerging from behind his newspaper. ‘Actually, I’ve got a few things to do in the village myself, so I’ll walk down with you, if that’s all right?’
To my intense annoyance, I felt a blush rising in my cheeks. I berated myself. For goodness’ sake, Penny, your resolutions can’t be worth much if you get so pathetically excited about walking for fifteen minutes with a good-looking man. No wonder you’re so easily taken advantage of.I nodded my assent and was glad that the twins covered my momentary confusion.
‘Yay, Uncle Lando! Maybe we can find some wood for whittling.’
‘Good idea, you wanted to try a mouse, didn’t you, Cas?’
‘Yes, please.’
‘And I want to do a giraffe,’ said Seraphina, then added sternly, ‘but Idon’twant to be late for the shop, so can wepleaseget moving?’
‘Good idea,’ I said. ‘Shall we see you in the front hall in maybe twenty minutes?’
We both turned to the twins, who were now parading around the room, heads stretched up high, pretending to be giraffes. Lando and I looked at one another.
‘Perhaps half an hour?’ he said.
‘Yup,’ I replied, ‘half an hour seems safer.’
‘See you then,’ he said, smiling, and I ushered the twins off upstairs to get ready before I could linger on any creeping unsuitable thoughts about Lando Lord for a second longer.
FOUR
I bundled the twins up in multiple layers, much to their disgust. Caspian had wanted to wear swimming trunks and a Snoopy vest, and Seraphina was keen on a thin, silky Batman costume; judging by their shocked outrage when I said they had to wrap up warm, I suspected that Bunny didn’t usually contest such outfit choices. There is something to be said for letting children discover consequences for themselves, but when the consequence was hypothermia, it seemed harsh.
We were only five minutes late downstairs, which I considered a win. For under fives, I usually add the age of each child in minutes to the ETA, so, given the twins were four, we should have been eight minutes late. Lando was waiting for us, wearing a smart, dark grey overcoat, which would have looked more city than country, had it not been for the muddy pawprints decorating it and the light sprinkling of sawdust. He raised an eyebrow as we appeared.
‘My goodness, you’re all eminently suitably dressed for a walk to the village. Last time I seem to remember rather a lot of sequins and a rainbow cape.’
He scooped up a child in each arm, making them shriek with laughter, and I opened the front door so that he could sweep them outside, where he proceeded to drop them on the cold gravel, which made them scream with even more delight, especially when Garbo and Hepburn came galloping over and joined the wriggling pile.
‘Come on, let’s get moving,’ I said after a few minutes of this mayhem. ‘I want to see this wonderful shop you’re so excited about.’
They clambered to their feet, pink-cheeked with the fun of it all and arranged themselves between Lando and me so that we were all holding hands in a chain. We set off down the drive, and I felt a curious mixture of emotions. There was happiness at being a part of this joyful picture as we crunched along, our breath puffing out clouds in the chilly air and the smell of something deliciously spicy being prepared by Pilar drifting along behind us, but there was also a profound melancholy. This seemingly simple tableau was all I had ever wanted – a husband and a couple of kids – but it had proved frustratingly elusive. I tried to conjure up a picture of India in my head, seeing the sunny school I might teach at, a market replete with piles of colourful spices, different and exotic sights and smells, but it made me feel even more pathetic and desperate, like when you put on particularly bright lipstick the morning after a heavy night before and only succeed in looking more haggard and exhausted.
As all this had come to me, I thought I had done a good job in concealing my feelings, swinging Phina’s hand and looking up to exclaim at a robin that Caspy excitedly pointed out. But obviously not. As the twins broke away to clamber on a fallen tree trunk that lay near the lane we were now walking down, Lando spoke.
‘Hey, Penny, are you okay?’
I arranged my face into what I hoped was an expression of casual calm.
‘Yes, yes, I’m fine. Gorgeous day.’
That, at least, was true. The sun had that beautiful golden hue you sometimes get at this time of year, and there were only wispy little clouds to temper it, not that solid iron grey that can dog December. It was very cold, but in that invigorating, flattering way that makes you rosy-cheeked rather than blue and pinched. Lando, however, was not to be drawn into a discussion about the weather.
