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Like a hole in the head, or a very nasty rash.
She ended the call, turned the volume back up and for a second contemplated using this moment with his phone to try to figure out if he’d seen the message she’d sent while they were at the client’s house, but he was standing there waiting patiently for her to finish so she handed the phone over.
“Thanks. No answer, so I left a message.”
“I heard.” He seemed about to say something else, but Izzy didn’t give him time.
“I’ll give you privacy so you can call your folks. While you do that, I’ll pop back to the kitchen and see what I can do. Elsie was doing some baking with Mabel. It’s going to be a busy Christmas.”
A busy Christmas. It had been a long time since she’d had one of those. Plenty of people enjoyed spending Christmas with family, but she wasn’t one of them. With her family, frosty and cold applied as much to the inside of the house as the outside.
She headed down the curve of the staircase and paused. Brooke was standing outside the rooms she was going to be sharing with her family.
She was staring at the door as if she didn’t know whether she should go through it or not.
Izzy wasn’t sure whether she should slink past or say something.
Given that they were going to be spending the next few days together, she decided to speak.
“Is everything okay?”
Brooke turned her head sharply and smiled. “You made me jump! I didn’t see you there. Everything’s fine, thanks for asking. How are you? All settled in up there in the turret?”
“Yes, it’s great, thanks.”
“You look happy.”
“I love snow.” Izzy couldn’t think what else to say. “And this house is gorgeous.”
She took a proper look at Brooke for the first time. You never would have guessed that only a short time earlier she’d stumbled from a crashed car through thigh-deep snow. Her hair was dark and fell past her shoulders in bouncy waves. Her skin was smooth and she had a natural elegance that Izzy could only aspire to.
“Yes, it’s a great place. Although I confess that right now I’m wishing for a Christmas tree, even a small one. I had this special Christmas all planned out for the girls and—” Brooke took a breath. “And that’s not going to happen. I need to get my head around it, I know. Pivot. Parenthood is all about pivoting. I want them to be happy, that’s all. I’m sure your parents were the same.”
Izzy didn’t think considerations of her happiness had played any part in her father’s decision-making, but no doubt Brooke was different. “Mmm, well, I know this is an important time of year for many. Elsie seemed happy enough in the kitchen. How’s your little one doing?”
“Poppy has crashed out on the bed, exhausted. She can sleep anywhere. I’m envious of that. Elsie is still following poor Mabel around like a shadow. I’m not sure it’s sunk in yet that we’re not leaving here anytime soon. They probably still think it will be Christmas as usual.”
“Where were you travelling to?”
“My parents’ house. That’s the frustrating thing. It’s only about an hour from here, in good weather.” Brooke gave a fatalistic shrug. “So near and yet, so far. Still, there’s much to be thankful for. Crashing outside this house for one thing and not dying of hypothermia in a freezing ditch.”
Izzy felt sorry for her. Brooke was obviously working very hard to be okay about the situation.
“Mabel is kind, taking us all in like this.” Had Brooke noticed Mabel’s reaction to the turret bedroom? Izzy opened her mouth to ask and then closed it again. Whatever Mabel had been thinking or feeling was private. If she’d wanted to share something personal then she would have shared it.
“That’s true, although I don’t suppose we gave her much choice.” Brooke pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “On a practical note, did Elsie find you? She was supposed to be checking menus with you.”
“I haven’t seen her.”
Brooke sighed and glanced towards the stairs. “I wonder where she has gone? She keeps disappearing.”
“It’s the perfect house for hide-and-seek.”
“Maybe, although right now I’d rather know where she is. Do you eat chicken pot-pie? That’s the plan for tonight. Mabel seems to have the ingredients and we’re all going to help. You don’t have allergies?”
“I’m not allergic to anything.” Except perhaps her family. “Neither is Jason to the best of my knowledge, but I’ll go and see if he’s okay with chicken pot-pie. It might take me a few minutes—he’s talking to his family, so I thought I’d give him privacy.”
“Ah yes, family.” Brooke gave a weary smile and something in her expression made Izzy want to reach out and hug her.
