A Very Country Christmas by Stoneley Zara

Author:Stoneley, Zara [Stoneley, Zara]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780008165970
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2015-10-29T07:00:00+00:00

The man shook his head and Lottie grinned. ‘If that’s all then, Lady Stanthorpe, I’ll be off.’

‘That is all, Andrew. Give my best to your family.’ She paused, waiting for Rory to take her coat. ‘And now I suppose we have to suffer that syrupy sherry before we get a proper drink, do we, Robert?’

Rory laughed. ‘A large one coming up, Liz.’

CHAPTER 7

Dinner is Served

‘Happy Christmas, it looks grand, love.’ Billy Brinkley grinned at his daughter before wrapping her in a bear hug, which meant he could whisper in her ear. ‘Good girl for sticking to your guns and staying at home.’ Elizabeth shot him a look from the other side of the room that said she’d heard every word, but when he winked the twitch at the corner of her mouth was, he was fairly sure, humour not ire. She might like getting her own way, but she admired those who knew their own mind (provided it did not clash too severely with her own aims).

As a child Lottie had always loved Christmas, and retained a child-like delight in every aspect of it until she was well into her teens. And Billy was pleased to see nothing had changed. She appeared to have grabbed every last decoration she could get her hands on, and somehow found a place for them in the small flat. It was like a grotto that had been decorated by tripping elves. He’d always felt that for his daughter, Christmas was more about the occasion than the actual presents. Apart from the year that he’d studiously ignored all her pleas for a puppy.

He still felt guilty about that, and had a sneaking suspicion that he’d unconsciously tried to make it up to her in every subsequent year. But she hadn’t been old enough to take responsibility, and with his heart still scarred from losing his wife the pressures of looking after his young daughter, his horses, and their home had been more than enough. The look of disappointment that had filled her face, despite her attempts to disguise it, had nearly broken his resolve though. Lottie had always been as open as they came, he could read her like a book, and his saving grace had been that she had stoically refused to give in to her disappointment and bounced back by the next day.

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