Page 18 of The Secret Holiday Kiss

‘You didn’t, but now you have a ball to organize. You can’t go back to London before it happens, so that means you have to stay. And if it’s, say, the twenty-second or twenty-third, then there’s no point in you going home for Christmas.’

‘Oh God,’ she said into her hands.

‘It’ll be lovely to have you,’ Harry said softly, sincerely. ‘And honestly, who would you be spending it with in London?’

She almost said Mo and Pete, but of course she couldn’t spend Christmas Day with her trusted tradesmen. They had families of their own, and wouldn’t want her gatecrashing. ‘Fair point,’ she said instead, and realized she would have to come up with a plan to get out of it.

‘Want one of Dexter’s pastries?’ Sophie asked. ‘They’re excellent.’

‘Two please, if that’s allowed.’

‘I’m sure it is.’ Sophie got up, and Harry slapped Daisy on the shoulder and followed his wife.

‘You look pumped about your decision.’ Avery’s voice was close to her ear, his warm breath coasting over her neck. ‘Feeling buyer’s regret?’

She sat up. ‘Not at all. This is my thinking face. I’m thinking of all the ways my ball is going to be better than your treasure hunt. You do realize, if it rains, the entire thing will be a total washout? You’ll have put all that time and effort in for nothing.’

‘This is the countryside,’ Avery said. ‘People here aren’t frightened of a bit of rain. Especially not kids hopped up on pre-Christmas sugar and excited about the possibility of winning something.’

‘Everyone loves a ball.’

‘I don’t love balls.’ He rubbed at a mark on the frayed sleeve of his hoody. ‘I don’t own a suit.’

‘People can come in whatever they want. It’s going to be an inclusive ball, not one that forces you to wear a tux or an expensive ballgown.’

‘So if I turn up in my jeans and toolbelt and nothing else, you’d be OK with that?’

It was a compelling image, one that her brain conjured instantly, and Daisy swallowed. Avery was looking at her, as if he knew the effect his words were having. ‘Perfectly fine,’ she scratched out. ‘Of course.’

‘Great. I’ll come, then. But only if you take part in the treasure hunt.’

‘That’s only fair.’

He nodded, then stood up. ‘Let the games begin.’ Instead of walking along the row of chairs, he hopped up on his and climbed over it, escaping to the back of the hall.

‘You need to ignore him,’ May said, when it was just the two of them. ‘He’s in his forties and his main aim in life is still to cause mischief. I love the treasure hunt idea, but I am so up for a ball, too. And I know Harry and Sophie are thrilled to have you here.’

‘Really?’ Daisy said with a laugh. ‘I forced them into letting me stay, and now I’ve offered up their home and their time because I can’t keep my mouth shut. It’s a disaster.’

May laughed. ‘It’s not a disaster; it’s a wonderful idea. And I’ll help.’

‘You think Avery will let that stand?’

May’s laughter faded, but she gave Daisy a knowing grin. ‘He’ll have to, won’t he? I’m so excited about this. It’s going to be a lot of fun.’ She said goodbye, leaving Daisy sitting all on her own in the sea of chairs.

She didn’t know if May had been referring to the ball planning, the treasure hunt, or the fact that Daisy had somehow managed to pit herself against Avery, and it was clear he was as competitive as she was. As she went to join Sophie and Harry at the refreshment table, she wondered if May wasn’t every bit as mischievous as she’d claimed her brother to be.

Chapter Six

It had been three days since the village hall meeting, and Daisy had ensconced herself at the manor, avoiding the possibility of bumping into anyone. Again. This time, it was because she knew that – if she was out and about – she’d get a hundred questions about her ball, and how it worked and what help she needed, and she wouldn’t have any answers.

She’d had a brief chat with Sophie and Harry about it, and they both seemed remarkably calm about the whole thing. With Sophie, she understood it. Harry’s wife gave off this sense of serenity, of knowing she was exactly where she needed to be, doing what she needed to do. Harry had told her that Sophie had had a turbulent upbringing, and Daisy loved that she’d found her home – physical and emotional – with her brother. But she envied her too, because that’s what she’d had, two years ago. She had been settled, thriving, and thought she knew what her future held.

Now she was hiding out in her childhood home, planning a project for a client who seemed intent on following her to the coast, and she had a Christmas ball to plan in a little over a month. None of these things had been on her bingo card.

‘I’m meeting May for lunch at the hotel,’ Sophie said, appearing in the living room doorway. It was palatial, the room where they’d had their wedding. It could fit at least six normal-sized living rooms inside it, and yet somehow Sophie and Harry had made it seem cosy, arranging the sofas around the fireplace, splitting the room into separate zones. ‘Do you want to join us?’

The hotel was so close to where Avery was working. ‘Thanks for the offer, but I’m good. I’ve got to get this proposal sent over to Lars, then start phoning contractors.’