‘Rhys, do you want to play in the snow?’ asked Jessie.
‘Maybe later,’ he said, as his impromptu scrap with Zach ended. Jessie pouted.
Lottie handed Rhys a full mug. ‘It’s been made a while. Do you want me to microwave it?’
By way of an answer, he downed his hot chocolate and picked up his metal detector.
‘You might find a horseshoe today,’ said Emily, stifling a giant yawn.
‘It felt like I was close yesterday,’ said Rhys, pulling on the woolly hat he’d got for Christmas. Lottie snatched it off his head. ‘Hey!’ he said in protest. She snipped off the price tag and he smiled as she handed it back to him.
‘Can I help?’ asked Jessie, sounding a little dejected. ‘Pleeeeeeeeeeease?’
‘Erm …’ Rhys looked to Lottie. Clearly he felt a flat refusal would be unkind.
‘How about you and I watch Rhys,’ Jessie’s face fell, ‘and we’ll take trowels so we can help dig up the horseshoe when he finds one?’
‘Yay,’ said Jessie, tipping up her mug and adding to her already impressive hot chocolate moustache.
‘She reminds me of someone with that moustache,’ said Lottie to Zach as they watched.
‘Cousin Paul?’ Zach suggested. Lottie shook her head. ‘Nicola’s brother Stephen?’
‘Nope. That’s not it.’
‘Aunt Pearl,’ he said, triumphantly.
‘Yes!’ said Lottie, and she congratulated him with a high five.
Lottie found herself following Rhys round the garden again, wrapped up under multiple layers. Although just as cold today, it was a whole lot prettier outside. The snow had cloaked everything in a white sparkly blanket, and the manor house looked beautifully serene. Somehow the weather had given it an extra edge of magnificence, like it had been painted onto the landscape.
‘Do you like Emily?’ asked Jessie.
‘Yes, I do. She seems very nice,’ said Lottie.
‘She is. I like her. I thought Daddy liked her too.’
‘Oh, he does, sweetie.’
‘Do you like Joe?’ Jessie fixed her with a hard stare.
‘Um, yes. I like Joe.’ She could feel her cheeks burn despite the cold.
‘I don’t like that lady. She screamed at Dave,’ said Jessie.
‘He did eat her coat,’ reasoned Lottie, smiling at the thought of Dave spitting out lumps of fur collar.
Jessie giggled. ‘That was funny. Is Scott going to be your new daddy?’ Lottie felt her eyes ping wide open.
‘We’ve got something!’ Rhys called over, digging frantically.
Lottie was grateful for the interruption.
‘What is it?’ asked Lottie as she reached him.
‘Here,’ he said handing her the headphones. ‘Listen.’ She put one to her ear and Rhys waved the detector over where he was digging – it let out a screech. ‘It’s something big.’ He returned to digging.
‘Probably a horseshoe,’ whispered Lottie, passing the headphones to Jessie, who nodded her agreement.
