Page 60 of All We Want for Christmas
‘Flynn gave me a lift back in his truck,’ Henry said, entering the room with a beaming smile.
Flynn lingered in the doorway, unwilling to cross the threshold.
‘Thank you, Flynn,’ Fiona said.
‘No problem.’
He caught sight of Lara and Tessa and nodded a polite greeting. Tessa seemed frozen to the sofa, teacup in hand, her eyes out on stalks. Even in his work combats and Ravendale hoodie, Flynn could have that effect on people.
‘Tessa’s been fitting Lara for her Twelfth Night costume,’ Fiona said.
‘I already told him we might not gain admittance to the boudoir,’ Henry said with a chortle.
‘It is not a “boudoir”, Henry,’ Fiona said icily, ‘it’s a salon. Two quite different things.’
‘I stand corrected,’ Henry said, with a twinkle in his eye. ‘I bet you looked lovely,’ he directed to Lara. ‘Don’t you think, Flynn?’
Lara wanted to sink through the cushions of the sofa.
‘I’m sure she did,’ Flynn managed without catching Lara’s eye. He was as tense as a coiled spring in his obvious urgency to escape.
‘We were just talking about the staff Christmas dinner,’ Fiona said. ‘Are you going to be joining the rest of the team?’
‘Er. I – um – I’m not sure yet.’
‘I thought that as you were so far from your family, you might enjoy it,’ Fiona said.
‘Flynn might have other options, my dear,’ Henry said, perhaps sensing Flynn’s discomfort. ‘Now, am I allowed to have a cup of that tea before it’s stewed? It’s parky out there.’
‘Of course. Flynn, would you like a coffee? I can make one.’
‘No, thanks. I really must get back to work. I’m meeting the builders about a quote for relocating the fire systems from the dungeon in the New Year.’
‘I won’t keep you from that,’ Fiona said. ‘It’s long overdue.’
Flynn beat a hasty retreat. Lara wanted to make her own exit but also leave enough time for Flynn to be out of the way first.
‘Isn’t he wonderful?’ Fiona said dreamily after he’d gone. ‘One of our better decisions.’
‘I’d say so,’ Tessa chirped up. ‘I was quite discombobulated. I’d love to see him in his full highwayman costume.’
Henry sniggered. ‘When he first turned up at the castle, we thought the ghost of Sir Roger – a long-gone ancestor who’d vanished on the moors – had materialised. He made a dramatic entrance in the middle of our Halloween dinner, dripping wet in his motorcycle leathers.’
Lara would never forget Flynn’s arrival at Halloween either, not long after the other guests had been hearing about Sir Roger’s disappearance.
Tessa fanned herself with her hand. ‘Oh my, I’d like to have seen that.’
‘I have to be going too!’ Lara clattered her cup rather too hard in the saucer. She found it impossible to deal with the Flynn Appreciation Society any longer. Any moment now, Tessa would set up a Facebook fan page and be making TikTok videos about him.
‘Oh, of course. We’re keeping you from your work.’
‘Not at all. I’m very grateful for the costume. I’m sure it will be amazing and thank you for the tea. But I have to meet a party of Japanese tour operators for lunch and persuade them to include Ravendale on their Lakeland tour itineraries.’
‘Gosh. I’d almost forgotten about that. I’ll be down in time for lunch too,’ Fiona said, ‘once I’ve smartened myself up.’
Lara left, once again avoiding the lift in case Flynn was called to rescue her from it. She didn’t need rescuing – never had and never would, but it was hard not to feel the weight of disappointed hopes as she trudged down the staircase to the ground floor.
It was embarrassing to mope over a man she’d only known for such a short amount of time, even though she understood his reasons for cooling things with her.
