“Oh, you’re not goinghome, are you, dear?” Mrs. Shelby asked, her eyes widening as if Celeste had just suggested something scandalous. “Not when the children of the island are about to have their Christmas parade? They’ve been workingso hard! Surely you don’t mean not to watch it?”
Celeste stared at her. “Uh… Christmas parade? I’m afraid I –”
“No, I know,” Mrs. Shelby said, shaking her head. “You’re not usually on the island for Christmas, are you? Always locked away in that lighthouse, writing, writing, writing!” She laughed, waving her hands as if to imitate typing. “But all themorereason for you to comethisyear! You’re already here! It’s only a little way up the road – come now, Celeste dear. You simplymustcome and see what the children have done!”
Celeste bit her lip, glancing at Pierce. It was true, she was never usually around for Christmas, even if it wasn’t because shewantedto be anti-social. In fact, a Christmas parade sounded kind of fun. But she’d made just about as big of a fool of herself as she thought she could handle today. It might have been afunidea, but was it agoodone?
“Well – perhaps I could just come and have a look?” she finally ventured – and there, that was a good solution, wasn’t it? She’d come, but she wouldn’t stay for long enough to embarrass herself again.
“Ofcourseyou will, dear,” Mrs. Shelby purred. “The children reallyhavedone a wonderful job. As you know, there are no reindeer here – ha ha! – so they’ve been dressing up the horses from Linda Larsen’s property in… well, all kinds of things. Just between you and me, I think they may have gottenslightlycarried away. I think they may have roped even the sheep into things – but I’m sure it’ll all be simplydelightful!One must take care to nurture young minds, after all. Even if the young minds seem to want to drape a sheep in a tablecloth.”
“That does sound very interesting,” Celeste said, swallowing down a smile – and she had to admit, it kind of did. There weren’t that many children on the island, and most went to school on the mainland, catching the ferry across the short stretch of water every day before getting on their school bus. But now that they were on their winter vacation, they were clearly looking for ways to entertain themselves.
“And of courseyou’llcome as well, won’t you?” Mrs. Shelby asked, turning shining, eager eyes to Pierce. She seemed like she was practically salivating – but Celeste knew it was unlikely to be out of lust. It was more likely that Mrs. Shelby sniffed gossip, and wanted to find out any way she could just who exactly Pierce was, how he and Celeste knew each other, and why he’d come to the island.
Celeste held her breath. Her emotions felt as if they were at war inside her – one half of her desperately wanted Pierce to sayyes, he would come and look at this parade of beautified sheep and horses. The other half of her just wanted to run away to lick her wounds and hope she’d never see him again.
“I would love to, but I’m afraid I can’t just now,” Pierce said, shaking his head. “I’m on vacation, but unfortunately I’m not quite free yet – I’ll need to head back home in half an hour to finish up some work I didn’t get done before I left. It’s not much, but it’s important.”
As Mrs. Shelby cooed and sighed over whatrottenandterribleluck that was that Pierce wouldn’t be able to see the annual Christmas parade, Celeste took the time to try to sort out just how she felt about Pierce not going.
Disappointment had stabbed through her chest when he’d first said he couldn’t go – but then, maybe it was for the best? She wasn’t sure she could take much more of his presence. It was just too painful, too confusing. She needed to get her head on straight before she said or did anything else to embarrass herself or to make Pierce uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry you can’t come too,” Celeste managed to stammer out after a moment. “But… I hope we might be able to catch up again soon?”
Pierce seemed to hesitate before he spoke, opening his mouth and then closing it again. It was the closest to flustered Celeste had ever seen him, and her heart sank into her stomach. Shereallymust have made him uncomfortable.
“I hope so too,” he said after a moment. “I’d like that very much.”
“Well then, I suppose it’s all settled!” Mrs. Shelby said, seemingly oblivious to the awkwardness of the mood. “Celeste dear, let’s put your… well, yourthingson a shelf for the moment – I’ll get them into the kiln later today. And Mr. … oh! It seems I didn’t catch your name. What was it again?”
“Hardwicke,” Pierce replied, a faint smile crossing his face.
“Ah well, Mr. Hardwicke. It wasverynice to meet you. Anddomake sure you keep your promises to our Celeste – wedoconsider her one of our own, after all!” Mrs. Shelby gave Pierce a severe look, her eyes steely. Celeste knew she meant well, but it only made her wish even more fervently to just sink into the ground and never return.
It wasn’t Mrs. Shelby’s fault, of course – she probably thought she was just being sweet and protective of Celeste. But right now, thelastthing Celeste wanted was for anyone to make any implications about her and Pierce’s relationship.
“Well, I guess we should get going if we’re going to see that parade,” she said, forcing out a brittle laugh. “I’m sorry you can’t come, Pierce, but I hope we’ll catch up again soon!”
She was aware she sounded just the slightest bit manic, and it was entirely possible she looked that way too – the smile she’d plastered onto her face was hurting her cheeks. Certainly, Mrs. Shelby looked just the slightest bit startled when she turned to look at her.
“Why… yes dear, of course,” Mrs. Shelby said slowly. “The parade starts in Linda Larsen’s paddocks, before going up the main street – I think they’ve even set up agrill, of all things, and some other little stalls. But that weather doesnotlook promising, and so we should certainly make our way there as quickly as possible.”
Celeste didn’t know what inanities she chattered out until – finally – Mrs. Shelby had locked the door of the studio behind them, and they’d said their farewells. But despite her relief at finally having no further opportunities to make a fool out of herself in front of Pierce, she still couldn’t stop herself from glancing over her shoulder at him, her eyes drawn to the broad shape of his back as they walked away from each other.
She bit her lip and forced herself to turn her head to watch where she was going, and to nod and laugh along with whatever Mrs. Shelby was saying to her.
But the truth was she could barely concentrate on any of it – not above the chant in her head of her own brain, repeatingstupid,over and over again.Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Chapter 6
Stupid,Hardwicke thought.Stupid, stupid, stupid.
If you’re hoping I’ll contradict you, I most certainly will not,his pegasus replied, its voice dripping with contempt.
Hardwicke ignored it, though he couldn’t deny the annoyance that rippled through him. It wasn’t really annoyance at the pegasus, though – in many ways, it was right, and hedidn’tdeserve to get talked out of berating himself this way.
I didn’t know I wouldn’t be able to control myself,he thought in frustration. If he’d known, he would have found a way to gracefully back out of meeting with her, or of refusing Mrs. Shelby’s… well, more-or-less unrefusable invitation to make the fundraising auction mugs. His had been a disaster anyway – he really couldn’t see anyone bidding on it. So it hadn’t even been worthwhile in that sense.
