Page 24 of A Winter Wish

Ah, I get it...

I clear my throat. ‘Um... I think he was. Searching for the co-ordinates. But don’t worry. I hid the map in a really safe place where no one will ever find it.’

‘Where?’

‘I can’t tell you.’

‘You don’t trust me? I promise, Griselda, your secret is safe with me.’

‘No!’ I act shocked, looking furtively around me. ‘I can’t tellanyone. They’d kill me if they found out I’d stolen the map.’

He leans forward and whispers, ‘You know what this means, of course?’

‘What?’

‘You need to find the gold before anyone else does.’ He shrugs. ‘I’ll help you, if you like.’

‘But can I trust you not to just run off with it?’

He shakes his head sadly. ‘Griselda, I’m shocked that thought should even cross your mind. How long have we known each other?’

I’m having to bite the inside of my lip now to stop myself giggling.Griselda?‘Er, since last Tuesday week?’

‘Yes, well, that’s beside the point. You’re rubbish at map reading. Do you want to find the gold or not?’

‘Now?’ I hiss, with a glance around the café. (Mrs Rubberneck is staring straight at me, no longer making any pretence at not listening.) ‘You want to go and look for itright now?’

‘Well, let me finish my coffee first.’

‘Okay. But we’d better hurry up. Agent Bradbury can’t be far behind me and I’m pretty sure I was followed here by a man in a black car.’

‘Come on, then.’ He swigs the last of his drink. ‘Let’s go.’

We leave the café with a wave at Bertha behind the counter, and outside, I explode into giggles. ‘Griselda?’ I splutter. ‘Couldn’t you have given me a slightly more romantic name?’

He grins at me. ‘Agent Bradbury. Nice bit of improvisation.’

I glance behind as he walks me to my car. ‘You don’t think she’s following us, do you?’

‘No, but she’s got a good story to tell the neighbours at their Christmas party.’

‘True.’

Shaun takes my hand and squeezes it. ‘Listen, do you want to have a quick look at the barn before you go?’ He smiles knowingly at me, aware of how much I love the place.

‘Ooh, I shouldn’t really. I’ll just start dreaming about the impossible again. Dance studio and all that.’

The first time he showed me inside the barn he’s converting, I was completely captivated by the gorgeous leafy surroundings and the loveliness of the dappled light that filtered across the pale wood floor of the large, airy space. I remember thinking that whenever I’d pictured the dance studio I dreamed of running, it looked exactly like this!

Now, Shaun shakes his head. ‘It’s not impossible. Not if you want it enough,’ he murmurs as we walk over there and he unlocks the door, ushering me inside.

‘But what would the rent be on a place like this?’

His brow knits as he thinks. And the figure he comes up with makes me gasp.

‘That much?’ I laugh, although I feel like crying! ‘Well, there’s no way I couldeverafford that on a long-term basis. My inheritance from Dad would probably cover the rent for a year plus all the additional costs of setting up the studio and doing some advertising. But what if it wasn’t a success? I’d have thrown all that money down the drain.’

Shaun shrugs. ‘It doesn’t have to be this place, though.’

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