‘You should buy it,’ Daisy said, next to her, twirling back and forth in a gorgeous red velvet floor-length dress.

‘It’s over five hundred pounds. I cannot justify paying that for a dress I’m only going to wear once.’

‘Why, brides do that all the time. Besides, can you imagine Dad’s face when he sees you in it? I think he might just drop to one knee and ask you to marry him there and then, you look so beautiful in it.’

Penny laughed.

‘I’m totally serious.’

‘And how would you feel about that?’ Penny asked carefully, trying hard not to sound like she was too bothered about the answer.

‘I think you’d both be really good for each other, if he can get past his fear of letting anyone in. I don’t want him to hurt you and I told him that but he really likes you and I’ve never seen him that way about any woman before. Maybe you can be the one that changes him. But if you do end up married you have to promise me that you’ll let me be bridesmaid.’

Penny wanted to tell Daisy that they were already dating but that was something that Henry would have to do himself. But clearly, with Daisy’s blessing, they might be able to tell her sooner rather than later.

Penny went back into the cubicle, unzipped the dress and carefully hung it back on the hanger. She came back out and Daisy was already dressed and waiting for her.

‘Are you getting the red one?’

Daisy pulled a face. ‘I’ve already spent all my pocket money on the green one.’

‘Well, let me treat you to that one. It’s loads cheaper than the silver dress and then you have a choice come Christmas Eve.’

‘No, I can’t let you buy it for me.’

‘Consider it your Christmas present. Come on, we need to get back home so we can pick up the freezer van before the ice carving workshop.’

‘Are you getting the silver dress?’

‘No, I have a lovely little black dress which I wear every year to the ball. I have some new shoes to go with it, that’ll have to do.’

Penny paid and they left the shop. She smiled when Daisy linked arms with her. They had spent a wonderful morning together, wandering between the shops, chatting, stopping for Christmas cake in Linda’s bakery. They just sort of clicked and Penny genuinely loved spending time with her.

‘Oh look, there’s Anna,’ Daisy pointed out and ran over to give her aunt a hug. Penny hesitated and reluctantly walked over. Bea was with her and presumably baby Oliver was asleep in the pram.

Bea waved hugely at her when she saw her and Penny bent down to talk to her so she wouldn’t have to talk to Anna.

‘Hello Bea.’

‘Hi Penny,’ Bea said and Penny was aware of Anna and Daisy stopping talking above her head.

‘Are you looking forward to Christmas?’

Bea nodded. ‘Can you teach me how to say “Happy Christmas” with my hands?’

‘With sign language? Yes I can.’ She carefully signed the two words and Bea copied her. ‘That’s it. Now you can tell Tilly in the bakery what your name is and wish her a happy Christmas.’

‘Thank you. Will you teach me more words?’

‘I tell you what, every time I see you, I’ll teach you something new. Do you want another one before you go?’

Bea nodded keenly.

Penny signed a word slowly and Bea copied her again, getting the hang of it very quickly.

‘What does that mean?’

‘Chocolate.’

Bea giggled.

‘Tell you what, Bea,’ Anna said. ‘Daisy can take you to the bakery and if Tilly is in there you can ask for some chocolate cake,’ Anna said, signing the word for cake.

Bea nodded enthusiastically and Anna gave Daisy some money and Daisy scooped Bea up and ran across the road to the shop, leaving Penny and Anna alone.

Penny stood up so Anna wasn’t towering over her. She was tall like her brother, obviously inheriting those genes too.

‘I’ve been watching you and Daisy for the last hour,’ Anna said.

‘You’ve been following us?’ Penny was incredulous.

‘Spying would be a more accurate description,’ Anna half smiled. ‘She loves you and I can see you genuinely like having her around. I have to remember she is a brilliant judge of character. She didn’t like any of Henry’s girlfriends even when we all thought they were lovely and they turned out to be terrible, so if she likes you then maybe I should trust her too.’

‘Is that your version of an apology?’

Anna sighed, obviously finding it hard to say. ‘I love her. I love them both and I don’t want to see them getting hurt, especially Daisy and especially after what happened last time with Emily. So I’m sorry if I overreacted. It came from the right place, even though I know that doesn’t excuse it.’

Penny smiled. ‘Apology accepted. And I’m sorry for kicking you out of the house.’

Anna shrugged as she turned to walk up the road alongside Penny. ‘I totally deserved it. When will you tell Daisy?’

‘Soon I hope, she wants us to get together too so I hope Henry tells her soon, maybe after Christmas. It’s been a pain in the arse hiding it.’

Anna laughed. ‘I can imagine. Henry is rubbish at keeping secrets too, he always was as a child, so I imagine it’s causing him all sorts of headaches.’

‘Did you two get on as children?’

‘Yes. Well not always, we used to have the best time playing together, but we’d fight like cat and dog too. Still do actually, although we get on really well most of the time.’

‘Is it true that you still have food fights?’

‘Ha, yes we do, but only when he annoys me. It’s hardly a good example for the children though, is it?’

‘I don’t know, it’s certainly one way to sort out any disagreements without resorting to violence and swearing and shouting.’

They turned to wait for Daisy and Bea and watched as they came running out the shop towards them.

‘I think Bea might be a good judge of character too,’ Anna said.

‘Because she likes me?’

‘Because she talked to you. She never talks to anyone outside the house. Not even me.’

Penny took a few moments to let that sink in and how worrying that must be for Anna.

‘Maybe you could teach her some more sign language. If she isn’t brave enough to talk to people at least she can communicate in a way that a lot of other people in the town can understand, even if she’s only signing with you.’

Anna smiled and scooped Bea up, who was covered in chocolate already. ‘I think that is a brilliant idea. We better go.’ She hesitated for a moment before she turned back. ‘You’d be very welcome to join Henry and Daisy when they come to us on Christmas Day night.’

‘Oh you should,’ Daisy said, biting into her cake. ‘We always play games in the evening.’

‘Thank you, that’s very kind. I may be at my brother’s but I might visit him late afternoon and then maybe come to you in the evening.’

‘You’d be welcome any time.’

Penny watched her go with a smile and then suddenly realised the time.

‘Come on Daisy, we’ll be late for the ice carving workshop and, trust me, Maggie is not the sort of person you ever get on the wrong side of.’

‘I’m really excited,’ Daisy said as she jogged up and down on the spot to keep warm.

Penny blew on her fingers trying to find the excitement that Daisy had for working at such low temperatures. Working in the cool room in her house was always a bit chilly, but working in a flimsy outdoor marquee with no heaters was a new level of cold. The weather seemed to have got colder and bitterer over the last few days. Maggie, in her wisdom as chief organiser extraordinaire, had decided that Penny didn’t need heaters for her ice carving workshop in case the ice melted while people were working on them. Something Penny had only just found out now. With all the stress of the ball and the other events Maggie was organising, as well as being completely exhausted from being heavily pregnant, Penny didn’t want to bring up the fact that her blocks of ice would take five hours before they would even start to melt, even in a warm room filled with people. For an hour-long workshop a little heat was not going to be an issue; in fact the lack of heat might cause problems for the participants.