Page 26 of All We Want for Christmas
Lara turned around, her pulse rate taking off like a bonfire-night rocket. At this rate, she’d be the one having a heart attack, not Henry.
Somehow Flynn had crept into the strong room without her realising.
‘Would you mind not doing that, please!’
‘Doing what?’
‘Creeping into a room suddenly.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, with a downturn of the mouth, thengrinned. ‘The door was ajar and I heard you muttering in here. Or praying, I wasn’t sure which.’
‘Both, and don’t joke about it.’
‘Are you OK?’ he asked, serious now.
‘Just about.’ She lowered her voice. ‘I had a very close shave with Fiona. She was here when I walked in and about to open the safe.’
‘Jesus. Not to get the chalice?’
‘No, but, for all I knew, she might have been about to. In the end, she only wanted St Anselm’s finger.’
‘Hiswhat?’ Flynn pulled such a face that Lara almost laughed.
‘His finger bone. It’s actually been proven to be an animal bone passed off as a saint’s relic, but the reliquary that holds it is thirteenth century and very beautiful. It’s on the table over there, actually. No, please don’t touch it.’
Flynn held up his hands and curled his lip in horror. ‘I wouldn’t dream of touching St Anselm’s finger.’
‘It’s not funny,’ Lara said in exasperation, although under other circumstances, she’d have had a fit of the giggles at his expression. ‘I just managed to stop Fiona from opening the safe and offered to take the reliquary downstairs. Why are you up here anyway?’
‘I had to come up to the attics to collect an old stereo set and speakers and stuff for the recycling centre. I also just dropped off some new Christmas lights for Henry’s tree. I’m going down now with the electrical junk. I’ll give you a lift. Ha ha.’
‘Very funny,’ Lara said, then sighed. ‘Come on, then.Knowing my luck, if I take the stairs, I’ll probably fall down them and break St Anselm’s finger.’
Flynn called the lift and wheeled a small truck loaded with the dusty sound system, a tea urn and a plate warmer inside.
It was an old-fashioned goods elevator, much larger than a passenger lift. It had a metal grille and a heavy door that you slid back before stepping out. Lara stepped gingerly inside and Flynn closed the door and metal grille. With the truck inside, there wasn’t lots of room left.
Flynn sniffed at the control panel with its brass buttons. ‘This is a real museum piece. Look. There are only two buttons. Up or down. That’s it.’
He pushed one and there was a clanking and whirring noise before the lift started to descend slowly.
Lara cradled the reliquary in her hands, observing Flynn. Even with dusty hair and in dusty jeans, he still looked gorgeous. In a confined space, he seemed taller and rangier than ever.
‘Colleting old stuff from the attics seems a trivial job for you,’ she said, as the lift made its arthritic way down from the third floor.
‘I wanted to sound out Henry and Fiona about the Spectacular. The Christmas lights and attic stuff gave me an excuse. They seem very pleased with how it went.’
‘They are. We are definitely in their good books.’
‘If only they knew the truth … Whoa!’
Lara steadied herself with a hand on the lift wall. The cabin had juddered and stopped.
Flynn rolled his eyes and pushed the button again. Nothing happened.
He peered at the panel. ‘Hmm …’
‘What does “hmm” mean?’
