Chapter 22 Dragon Hoards #2
‘I did sit for the original model. We update them from time to time,’ he said. ‘But I wouldn’t describe myself as exquisite, dear lady!’
Opal, huddled in a sofa corner next to Pearl, seemed listlessly uninterested in her gifts and I was sure Nerys was right, and she was going down with something.
From Noel we had a copy of his small booklet, A History of the Church of St Melangell, while Cariad had painted beach pebbles for everyone.
Mine was bright saffron yellow with a bee on it and I liked it very much.
Evie seemed delighted with hers, too, and said you could never have too many paperweights.
Then there were just my offerings: the little stained-glass hangings, which also seemed to go down well. Kate loved the teddy bear on hers, a lucky choice. She seems to have become somehow slightly more likeable since we discovered her love of teddy bears.
Timon went out to put on another CD of carols and Rhys took his place on the end of the sofa next to me.
‘I love my little mistletoe hanging, Ginny. And you have one more parcel to open.’
I hadn’t noticed there was a tiny gift on the coffee table in front of me, tagged with my name. It was from Rhys, and I was sure it hadn’t been there a moment before.
No one else seemed to have an extra present, either, although Cariad was sitting in a positive cloud of wrapping paper, with Nerys perched on the pouffe next to her.
While most people were watching the excited little girl, I unwrapped my last present and inside found a small box containing the most exquisite silver brooch, shaped like a sprig of mistletoe, set with shining pearl berries.
‘I saw it and it just looked as though it should belong to you,’ Rhys said. ‘Mistletoe seems to be the symbol of our renewed friendship, doesn’t it? But perhaps we’d better not ask Noel to remind us of its traditional meaning!’ He gave his quirky grin.
I was pretty sure it was all about ensuring fertility and that kind of thing, and I felt myself blushing.
‘You really shouldn’t have. But it is lovely,’ I said, already pinning it to my tunic.
‘Daddy, look what Ginny’s given me!’ exclaimed Cariad, shoving the unwrapped toolbox between us.
‘It’s a complete archaeologist’s kit, with two different-sized trowels – the pointed kind that builders use, and one small one like a gardening trowel – and then brushes and a special notebook for recording finds. ’
She exhibited her treasures and Nerys said, ‘What a great idea! That will be so useful for your dig up at the castle, when the ground thaws out enough, darling.’
‘It might be my favourite present, although it’s hard to choose. I like yours, and Uncle Timon’s too … and Daddy’s and Uncle Noel’s … and Bronwen and Tudor’s.’
‘Well, luckily you don’t have to choose,’ said Nerys, laughing.
‘Nanny Jones knitted me another jumper, but this one is in rainbow stripes and has a zip front and a hood with a tassel and I like it. I’d grown out of the usual ones with teddy bears and baby stuff on the front,’ Cariad said. ‘All my presents seem extra special this year.’
‘I hope you count mine among them, too, darling,’ said Verity.
‘The manicure set,’ prompted Nerys, who seemed to have been listing the presents and their givers from her seat on the pouffe.
‘Oh, yes. Thank you very much,’ said Cariad dutifully.
‘If you’ve finished unwrapping, then perhaps you can help me put all the paper in a bag,’ Rhys suggested, and Toby and I got up too and helped stuff everything that would recycle into one bag, and the rest into another, smaller one. The room looked a lot better after that.
‘There you are, help yourselves,’ said Nerys, putting down a huge open tin of chocolates on the coffee table. ‘I’ll just go and make us some coffee, then there’s just time to watch Elf, for those who’d like to, before dinner.’
‘I want to show Ginny all my presents,’ objected Cariad.
‘You can do that after dinner,’ said Noel. ‘And you can safely leave your family of dragons to guard your hoard while you go into the TV room.’
‘Good idea!’ she said. ‘I’ll just take a couple of my favourite things in with me …’
‘I’m going into the library for some peace – I need to think about my new book,’ announced Kate, heaving herself up and heading off, scooping up a great handful of the chocolates from the tin as she went.
‘That woman is diabetes waiting to happen,’ said Evie dispassionately. ‘Come on, Noel, let’s go up to my room and I’ll show you the material I’ve got so far about Arwen and how it fits in with what I’ve found out about her time here.’
‘I think I’ll go upstairs too, and rest a little,’ said Verity. She didn’t say from what, and I hadn’t noticed her do anything more strenuous than unwrap her gifts.
‘I’ll go up as well,’ Opal said and then, reluctantly admitting to what we could all see for ourselves, added that she had a slight headache and needed to lie down for a little while.
Pearl went up with her but soon came down again, saying Opal had taken some paracetamol and was lying down, and then she and Toby retired to the window with the Scrabble while Cariad insisted Rhys and I go into the other room to watch the film – and it doesn’t matter how often I’ve seen it, I still become hysterical when Elf goes round and round in the revolving glass door.