Page 68

Her mouth watered at the sight of the golden-brown turkey as Mandy placed it down on the worktop.

“Because your hot boss is coming for Christmas lunch.” Mandy removed her oven gloves and then held Lucie’s shoulders firmly. “Relax. You look lovely,” she said, tucking a loose strand of long brown hair behind Lucie’s ear. “Take a breath.”

Lucie did, letting it out slowly. “Thanks, Mands.”

A knock at the door made her jump. Mandy grasped her shoulders again. “Breathe, and don’t stop.” She chuckled as she headed out of the kitchen.

Needing a minute, Lucie positioned herself so she could see the front door without being spotted. Why was she so jittery today? Was it the expectation of the day after being absent for so many Christmas lunches, or more, as she suspected, spending the day with Frances? It was probably both.

“Merry Christmas, both of you,” Mandy said, stepping aside as Frances entered, Rose close behind.

Frances looked different. Her usually pinned hair fell in soft dark blonde curls over her shoulders. Lucie’s breath caught — so much for thinking she couldn’t look any more beautiful.

She continued to watch as they removed their coats and passed them to Mandy. Frances looked stunning in a red, A-line dress with a pair of black tights and ankle boots. Lucie steadied herself against the wall and looked down at her plain, white shirt and blue chinos. She really needed to invest in some dresses come summer.

“I’ve brought a couple of bottles of champagne,” Frances said. “I wasn’t sure what everyone drank.”

“Perfect, thank you. We drink anything and everything.” Mandy took two bottles from her. “Rose, why don’t you sit by the fire? You look frozen.”

The older woman shivered. “Thank you.”

“We walked down,” Frances confirmed as she guided her mum to a chair.

“Is champagne okay for you?” Mandy asked Rose. “Or would you like something warm?”

“Champagne is fine, isn’t it, Mum?”

“Yes, just a small one, please.”

“Pete’s just fixing a light for me upstairs. He won’t be long.“

Lucie knew she would have to make an appearance sooner rather than later. With a deep breath, she entered the sitting room.

“Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” Frances said, her voice low as she leaned in to air-kiss Lucie.

The unexpected closeness caught Lucie off guard, making her smile. A hint of Frances’s perfume drifted under her nose. It was different today, heavier and woodier. Perhaps one she saved for special occasions.

“I can’t thank you enough for the invitation. It’s always a little quiet at Christmas, just the two of us.”

“You’re both very welcome,” Mandy said.

Lucie crouched beside Rose’s chair. “And merry Christmas to you, Rose.”

“Happy Christmas,” she replied slowly, rubbing her hands together in front of the fire.

“It’s a bit of a different routine today, isn’t it? If it gets too much, just say the word, and we’ll get you home, all right?”

Rose gave a gentle nod as she reached for Lucie’s hands, giving them a light squeeze.

“We’ll be back in a minute with some fizz for you,” Lucie said, getting up, catching what she took to be a look of appreciation on Frances’s face.

“Oh, Dom Pérignon. Lovely,” Mandy said, heading towards the kitchen. “You can definitely come again.”

Lucie twitched her eyebrows at Frances and smirked, making the corners of her mouth curl too.

As she entered the kitchen, Mandy was already taking champagne flutes from a cupboard.