Page 58 of A Christmas Celebration
‘Shall we find somewhere quiet and all eat together?’ I suggested to Alice. ‘Many hands and all that.’
‘Oh yes, please.’ Alice smiled and Molly held out her hand for the little girl to take. ‘But only as long as you’re sure? I wouldn’t want to interrupt your evening.’
‘Of course I’m sure,’ I told her. ‘Come on.’
‘I’m Molly,’ Molly said softly, making the introduction I hadn’t got around to.
‘And I’m Saffron.’ The girl smiled back and their friendship was sealed.
The three of us opted to drink the seasonally spiced apple juice on offer. It was just as warming as the cider, but without the alcoholic hit. We also picked up regular apple juice for the children, sausages in crusty rolls embellished with apple and plum chutney, and pumpkin pasties from a stall selling vegetarian and vegan bakes.
‘That was so good,’ I said, wiping my mouth on a serviette once we’d eventually finished. ‘Those pasties were amazing.’
‘I really liked mine,’ said Saffron, who had a whole host of crumbs around her feet.
Her siblings had crumbled their fair share too, but everyone appeared happy enough, or they were until Alice unleashed the wet wipes and tidied them all up.
‘Shall we stick together?’ I asked her, once the objections had died down. ‘Molly and I still have loads to see.’
‘Thank you,’ she said, ‘but I’m going to go and find Kathleen. I said I’d check in and let her know I was okay before Santa put in an appearance.’
‘All right then,’ I said, pleased that she and the children were having a good time but aware that Alice, as a result of what she’d been through, might not find it all that easy to slip into new friendships. ‘I’m sure we’ll bump into you again later.’
I made a mental note not to be full-on where getting to know Alice was concerned and to tell Dorothy about Kathleen’s further acts of kindness. I couldn’t see how she could object to someone who was so community spirited, even if she did favour low-calorie and low-fat options in the kitchen.
‘Bye, Saffron,’ said Molly, giving a little curtsey and making her young admirer laugh. ‘See you later.’
The four of them were barely out of sight when I heard someone calling my name.
‘Paige!’
I spun around to see Jack waving from behind a stall bearing a Brambles banner. He and Tilly looked to be doing a roaring trade, but there was no sign of Brodie. Once Molly and I had walked over, I bit back the urge to ask if he was around.
‘Coconut vodka?’ Jack offered, holding out a shot in a tiny plastic cup. ‘You missed out on the tour, so it’s the least I can offer you in its place.’
‘Thank you,’ I said, feeling relieved that he hadn’t started the conversation off by mentioning the dance, ‘that’s very tempting, but I’m driving tonight, so I’d better not.’
He looked crestfallen.
‘I wouldn’t mind trying it though,’ said Molly and he handed it to her instead.
She took a surprisingly small sip and licked her lips, a wide smile readily forming.
‘Wow.’ She grinned. ‘That’s amazing.’
‘And moreish, right?’ added Tilly.
‘Ever so.’ Molly nodded, but I noticed that she didn’t drink the rest. ‘I know now why Archie came home the worse for wear the other night. I’ll have this, please,’ she said, picking up a bottle and handing it to Tilly who expertly wrapped it. ‘It will be a nice surprise for Archie. I’ll give it to him on the solstice. The coconut can be an extra reminder that the sun and light are poised to take over from the dark, short days again.’
I looked at her and raised my eyebrows.
‘I know that’s a tenuous link,’ she laughed, ‘but you’ll understand once you’ve tasted it, Paige.’
‘It fills me with an urge to dance the samba,’ grinned Jack, clicking his fingers.
‘Each to their own,’ Molly laughed.
‘How about you, Paige?’ he asked me. ‘Are you still in the mood for a dance?’
