Dreams of a Little Cornish Cottage by Nancy Barone

Author:Nancy Barone [Barone, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781838938055
Publisher: Head of Zeus

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For dinner, Sarah had taken a tray up to her room. She worked practically every evening these days, bent as she was on getting her promotion. She spent more time barking orders into her phone than receiving them, which boded well, and I could only be proud of the determination she was showing. It seemed that we were all changing – except for Amy.

‘Amy, sweetie, leave your sister’s ears alone and eat your food,’ Connor said as she made an attempt to shove a piece of shepherd’s pie into Zoe’s ear as Zoe swatted her sister’s hand away. Only a few weeks ago Zoe would have buckled, but she was, thankfully, developing a sense of strength that I never knew she had.

From upstairs, we could hear Sarah shout, ‘Just get to work – now!’

‘She’s gonna become her boss’s superior if she keeps this up,’ Connor said with a chuckle, reading my mind.

I grinned. ‘She’s bound to. I don’t know anyone as strong and determined as her.’

He put his fork down, his eyes caressing my face. ‘You don’t? I do.’

‘Oh, well, I uhm…’ My cheeks burning under his gaze, I whipped to my feet and brought out the apple pie I’d bought from Dora’s.

‘Come on, girls, finish your dessert, then get ready for bed.’ I couldn’t have them witnessing their Auntie Nat blushing at Connor’s compliments.

‘Can Uncle Connor tuck us in?’ Zoe asked, her eyes swinging to his. Which in turn swung to mine with the message I don’t know where she got Uncle from, but I like it.

‘Of course, if that’s what you want,’ I said. Uncle Connor. It was safe to say that he was definitely one of us now. I only hoped they wouldn’t suffer too much when he went back to Ireland.

‘Come, then, Uncle Connor, Auntie Nat,’ Zoe urged, pulling both our hands until we stood up. Connor’s eyes twinkled as he grinned at me.

‘Me last,’ Amy ordered as they skipped up the stairs before us. ‘I want to be the last one up!’

‘You’ll be the first one down if you don’t stop bossing people around,’ I warned her, but couldn’t help smiling. Zoe tittered, satisfied, and Connor laughed.

‘Can you read us Little Red Riding Hood, like when we were little?’ Zoe asked me.

‘Goodness, aren’t you too old for that now?’

‘We like the voices!’ Amy said. ‘Uncle Connor, you do the Big Bad Wolf and Auntie Nat can do Little Red Riding Hood.’

‘Or…’ I said with a devilish grin ‘…we can do it the other way around.’

Connor’s face lit up. ‘Sure,’ he said in a wobbly falsetto. ‘I’ll be Little Red Riding Hood!’

‘And I’ll be the Big Bad Wolf!’ I howled.

The girls shrieked with laughter for the entire story, hardly listening to the horrible events unfolding, and just waiting for the spoken parts.

‘This’ll keep ’em up all night,’ Connor commented, rolling his eyes and laughing.

‘All the better to eat you up!’ I roared, pretending to pounce on Connor (not that I hadn’t ever thought of that before)

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