Page 30 of A Snowy Seaside Christmas
‘Hi, folks, it’s grand to see you, too.’ Silas opted for the bench opposite his daughter, clicking his seat belt shut. ‘How’s motherhood treating you, Maggie?’ he asked.
She turned to face Silas from the front seat. ‘I have to say, it’s treating me very well, thanks. Of course, having the most perfect baby in the world definitely helps.’ She gave him a wide grin.
‘Aye, she’s a little angel,’ agreed Bear, a smile in his voice. ‘She’s slept right through the last couple of nights.’
‘She has, bless her, it’s beenbliss. You can’t beat a good night’s kip.’ There was no mistaking the thankful tone in her voice.
Maggie and Bear had waited for an age for baby Lucia to arrive, their hopes dashed month after month, plagued by anagonising mix of miscarriages and false alarms. They could scarcely believe it when Maggie had found herself pregnant and carried the baby full term. And since Lucia’s arrival into the world last Christmas, they’d been besotted with their little daughter. ‘Granted, I’m exhausted, but she can scream and yell as much as she wants, I wouldn’t swap her for the world,’ Maggie had told Lark when Lucy – she and Bear used her nickname on a daily basis rather than Lucia which had been chosen to reflect Maggie’s Italian heritage – had been suffering from six month colic and screamed at the top of her lungs from six p.m. through to midnight for two weeks solid. Lark had given her friend a selection of rose quartz crystals to dot around Clifftop Cottage, telling Maggie it would instil a sense of calm into their home which baby Lucy would absorb. Though Maggie had been sceptical, she’d accepted the gift and to her surprise, Lucy’s colic came to an end.
Arriving in the town, Bear managed to find a parking space at the bottom of Endeavour Road, which was just around the corner from Victoria Square.
Despite the biting cold, they found a substantial crowd had already gathered outside the bookshop and were spilling onto the road, a buzz of anticipation tangible in the air. Everyone was bundled up well and the chill wind didn’t appear to be dampening anyone’s spirits. Out of nowhere a rich baritone voice struck up with the opening line of “White Christmas”. It didn’t take long before the rest of the crowd joined in, mumbling along when they didn’t know the words.
The square looked impossibly festive with Christmas trees above every shop doorway, their soft white lights twinkling out into the darkness. More white lights were festooned from shop to shop as well as being strung between the vintage lampposts, all adding to the festive vibe. The huge Christmas tree at the topof the square was also bedecked in hundreds of fairy lights, its boughs swaying in the breeze.
And, of course, the shop windows were all decorated for Christmas. Artist Ed had set the bar high since he’d given his creative skills free rein on the Happy Hartes window displays, and, not to be outdone, the other storekeepers had put extra efforts into their own. The results were stunning.
‘Wow! I had no idea the bookshop window displays were so popular.’ Silas looked on in amazement. ‘And, if I’m not mistaken, I’m sure I’ve just spotted what looked like a television camera over there.’
‘You probably will have, Silas, they were here for last year’s unveiling too,’ said Bear. ‘It used to be that Jack giving a reading was what tempted them over, but Ed’s windows are a big enough draw in their own right now, particularly the Christmas ones.’
‘And since Jack and Jenna have become an item, it’s generated an extra level of interest,’ said Lark. ‘Jack doing the window reveal and then a reading with Jenna afterwards has become a big event for the town.’
‘Well, that’s got to be a good thing,’ Silas said.
Lark watched as his gaze swept around the dazzling rows of shops where the displays ranged from yet more decorated Christmas trees with fake presents set out beneath, to snowmen, to festive floral arrangements. It was good to see him taking an interest in things again. She slotted her arm through his, hugging it close.
‘Ooh, look, there’s Jazz with Max and the kids.’ Maggie waved enthusiastically at their friends. ‘Her mum and dad are with them too.’
‘Ah, she looks all loved up. I’m so happy for her.’ Lark waved too, smiling at the happy scene.
‘I was so pleased when you told me about her and Max, it seems so fitting that they should end up together,’ said Silas. ‘Do you think we’ll be hearing wedding bells in the near future?’
Lark and Maggie exchanged wide-eyed expressions. ‘I wouldn’t mention that within her earshot unless you fancy having your head bitten off,’ said Maggie.
He gave an easy laugh. ‘Ah, it’s good to know she hasn’t changed.’
Jasmine had had a tough few years since the death of Bart, her partner and father to her two children, Zak and Chloe. Her relationship with Bart had been difficult and she’d sworn off getting involved in a relationship until her childhood best friend and neighbour, Max Grainger, had returned to Micklewick Bay after a twenty-five-year absence. It hadn’t taken long for the pair to fall for one another. And Jasmine hadn’t stopped smiling since. Though never one to talk about her emotions, mention of the “M” word was enough to stir up her quick temper.
‘Now then, missus.’ The unmistakable tones of her lawyer friend, Stella, behind her made Lark turn.
‘Stells! I’m so glad you could make it. You too, Alex.’ She nodded to Stella’s boyfriend.
Stella worked as a criminal barrister and was based at a set of chambers in York. She’d warned her friends there was a chance she’d be late since she was prosecuting a drugs trial in York Crown Court and had a conference following straight on at four thirty. From the way she was dressed, in her fitted black wool overcoat, black trousers, and her hair tied back in a sleek chignon, Lark guessed she’d come straight from work.
‘The con was cancelled at the last minute, so I raced over here and scooped Alex up en route.’ The diamond star earrings she always wore glinted under the streetlight. ‘Hi, Silas, it’s good to see you.’
‘Hello there, Stella, it’s good to see you, too. Sounds like the criminal fraternity is keeping you as busy as ever.’
‘It certainly is.’ Stella laughed. ‘And you’d be surprised how many are from the same family.’
‘That sounds worrying.’ Silas switched his gaze to the tall dark-haired man standing beside her. ‘And how’s work for you, Alex? Have the plans for the new Art Deco themed house you were working on been given the go ahead?’
‘I’m very pleased to say they have. In fact, work’s already started on it. I’m managing the project too, and I’ll be calling in to see how things are progressing tomorrow afternoon. You can join me, if you like?’
‘Sounds great, I’d love to.’
It warmed Lark’s heart to see how thoughtful her friends were with her father. They were all fond of him, and all aware of what he’d been through over the last few years, that she’d been worried sick about him. She appreciated their kind gestures.
