Page 64 of A Winter Kiss on Rochester Mews
‘Well, next time you can deal with your own spiders.’ Tom removed himself from the door, as Posy took another bite.
Two more bites and it was gone.
‘Have another one,’ Mattie urged Posy. ‘You are eating for two, after all.’
Posy pulled a face even as she selected another cupcake. ‘Sadly, that’s a myth, even though my appetite is off the charts. My GP says that in reality I should only be eating an extra three hundred calories a day.’
‘I would think it took more extra calories than that to grow a human being,’ Mattie said, watching again as Posy brought the cupcake to her mouth like a satellite docking.
‘Oh! Damn it!’ Posy exclaimed, plonking the cupcake back down on the plate with some force. ‘These things are evil!’
‘They have a bad aftertaste?’ Mattie asked in disbelief, having to cling to the edge of the nearest desk for support.
‘Oh! Ooh!’ Posy groaned and for a second Mattie hoped she was having a delayed reaction to how yummy the cupcake had been. ‘Oooh. Oh goodness. Oh no.’
Suddenly it was Posy clinging to the edge of her desk for dear life, her face drained of colour.
‘Are you all right, Posy?’ Mattie asked anxiously and Posy shook her head briefly as if she was so far from all right that she couldn’t speak. ‘Are you … are youhaving the baby?’
Posy groaned again and Mattie, panic rising in her like dough proving, did a full 360-degree turn where she stood. They’d need towels! And hot water! And …
‘Not having the baby. Just feel a bit peculiar,’ Posy managed to say and the colour was returning to her pretty face, which was still a bit squinched up.
‘Enough, Posy,’ Mattie said as firmly as she could. ‘I think you should go home. Put your feet up. Or even better, go to bed.’
‘No, I’m fine now,’ Posy said, releasing her death grip on the desk. ‘It was just a funny turn.’ She smiled at Mattie, a forced smile which didn’t quite meet her eyes. ‘Better get back to the bookselling, and don’t you have tearooms to run?’
‘Yes, but …’
‘Well, then.’ Posy hoisted herself up and walked slowly and laboriously out of the office, leaving Mattie with no option but to follow her into the shop, which was hot and stuffy, despite the cold of the day.
Nina had obviously been inspired by Cuthbert and his never-ending supply of festive tunes because instead of the sound of excited chatter from book-buyers, the Phil Spector Christmas album was blaring out. It was quite hard to make oneself heard over The Crystals inviting everyone to take a walk through a winter wonderland.
‘Posy! I really think you should be resting,’ Mattie called out but she wasn’t sure if Posy had heard her because she didn’t turn round. Instead she barrelled through a couple of customers who were waiting to use the Mistletoe Booth and then crashed into the Christmas tree, which wobbled alarmingly, pine needles raining down like confetti, baubles crashing to the floor, a few panicked yelps from shoppers. Miraculously the tree stayed upright, unlike Posy who swayed on her feet and seemed on the verge of crumpling to the floor, before Tom was suddenly there, a strong arm around her.
‘What is going on in here?’ Nina asked sharply from the archway that led to the Regency room. ‘I’m trying to sell some books! Why is no one manning the Mistletoe Booth?’
‘What’s all the commotion?’ Verity appeared from the archway that led to the Classics room. ‘I can hardly hear myself think with this music on.’
Then their eyes alighted on Posy at the same moment, who had one hand clutching her bump, her face ashen as Tom slowly guided her to the sofa, which was instantly vacated by the two sullen-looking men who’d been sitting on it.
‘Posy!’ Nina and Verity cried in unison.
‘I’m fine,’ Posy said in a high-pitched, decidedly unfine voice. ‘Just a bit dizzy.’
Nina and Verity took charge. The music was turned off, Nina dealt briskly with any customers waiting to pay, Tom handled any Mistletoe Booth stragglers and Verity patted Posy’s forehead with a damp cloth. Then the shop was temporarily closed.
‘My profit margins,’ Posy faintly moaned but she didn’t put up any real protest. ‘I’m not about to go into labour, I just need to lie here for ten minutes.’
Mattie felt quite helpless. ‘I’ll make you a cup of tea. Sweet, strong tea.’
She hurried blindly for the tearooms, surprising Sophie and Sam, locked in an embrace in a quiet corner of the Non-fiction and Foreign Language room.
‘Oh, really!’ Mattie exclaimed as they sprang apart. ‘For two people who want to keep this a secret, you could be a bit more discreet.’
Sophie wrung her hands. ‘It’s hard to ignorefeelings…’
‘Well, try harder,’ Mattie snapped and she didn’t mean to be unsympathetic but their timing was terrible. ‘Sam, Posy’s not well! She says she’s not in labour but …’
