Boxing Day at Winterview Lodge: A heartwarming Christmas romance (Love in Porthglen Book 9) by Tamsin Bracknell

Author:Tamsin Bracknell [Bracknell, Tamsin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: April Showers Publishing
Published: 2023-11-24T16:00:00+00:00

Marge had hired a few waiters to hand out food and drinks to the guests and the sound system was blasting out Christmas tunes.

Ethan and I were putting the final touches to our outfits upstairs.

“You look beautiful,” he said as I came out of the ensuite bathroom in a red dress with a flared skirt.

“You look nice too,” I said, gesturing to his suit jacket and tie. “Pretty rare to see you so dressed up.”

“Thought I’d make the effort,” he said.

We descended the stairs down into the big dining room. Roger had moved the furniture aside so that the guests could move around, clustered together chatting and laughing. A large bay window housed a giant Christmas tree, dressed in more gaudy colours and bright twinkling lights.

“There you two are!” Marge said, pulling me and Ethan into the group. A woman in red-framed glasses lifted a hand in greeting as Marge forced us together. “This is Ruth, my brother’s widow, and her new partner. Ruth, you know my son of course, but this is Sophia, his girlfriend.”

“Hi,” Ruth smiled. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“And you,” I said. “I didn’t know Ethan had an uncle that passed away.”

“It was a long time ago,” Marge said. She took a glass of bucks fizz from a passing waiter and downed it.

“Nearly a decade,” Ruth agreed. “I still think of him every day.”

Her partner squeezed her hand supportively.

“Me too,” Marge said quietly, in a voice I had never heard her use before.

She grabbed another drink from a passing tray and put her empty glass back.

“I’m going to get some food,” I said, keen to get away from the conversation.

“I’ll get you a drink,” Ethan said.

I headed to the buffet table and picked up a plate.

I had worked hard to make the carrot batons neat.

I reached across to grab some of them, and my fingers collided with another hand.

The smell of pine filled my nose.

“Hal,” I said.

“Sophia,” he smiled. “Told you I’d see you here.”

“You look… different,” I said.

“Was that a compliment?” He asked.

He had swapped the workman’s clothes and dirty coat for a smart white shirt and bright red tailored coat. His suit trousers spoke of the money he came from, perfectly fitted to his slender shape.

“Not quite,” I said. “You just look very different. You still stink of Christmas trees though.”

“’Stink’, how nice of you,” he barked a laugh.

“Sorry,” I back-pedalled. “You know what I mean. It’s a pretty powerful scent.”

“It’s the scent of Christmas,” he pointed out. “Very apt for a Christmas party. And it saves me money on aftershave.”

“I don’t think anyone would sell aftershave that smelt like that,” I quipped.

“Good point,” he laughed.

“You’re still wearing your coat,” I observed.

“I don’t intend on staying long,” he said. “I’ll be polite and spend some time with Ethan, but this kind of thing isn’t really my scene.”

“Mine neither!” I said.

“How is the ruse going?” He asked, loading the batons onto his plate and offering me the dish.

I took some and replied quietly, “Nana Mimi figured us out.

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