Chapter 4 #3
Zoe gave a wry smile. ‘She might look the part, but she’d never get involved in something like that in a million years.’
‘Ah, but you said that about the gingerbread contest, and then she won it!’
‘A gingerbread contest is a very different thing from a pantomime. Billie doesn’t like being the centre of attention.’
‘I expect Magnus has ideas about who he wants in it anyway,’ Lavender said. ‘It’ll be his favourites.’
‘Aren’t you one of those?’ Zoe asked.
‘You’re joking, right? We get along fine, but I give as good as I get, and I’m not all in awe of him, like some are. He likes to be worshipped, and he doesn’t like it when you can argue the toss with him.
‘Anyway, we’ll find out soon enough,’ Lavender continued. ‘Auditions are next week. Are either of you doing the gingerbread competition this year?’
‘After last year, I doubt it,’ Zoe said, wincing at the memory of a burned creation that resembled a partially demolished tenement block more than a cute gingerbread house. ‘I’ve had enough humiliation for one lifetime. I’ll let Billie fly the flag for Hilltop.’
‘I don’t think I’ll be in any state to do something like that,’ Shabana said. ‘I’m due just after Christmas and, believe it or not, I’m already struggling. Plus, I’ll be on maternity leave by then.’
‘I hadn’t thought of that. I suppose you live a bit far out to be back and forth, even when you’re having to be here for work,’ Lavender said to her. ‘I’m surprised you haven’t looked for somewhere closer, seeing as you’re going to be job-sharing with Ottilie after your mat leave.’
Shabana let out a heavy sigh. ‘There’s nowhere for sale in Thimblebury. There’s not likely to be either. You must know how in demand it is around here.’
Zoe nodded agreement. She’d been lucky to find a property to rent when she’d first moved to the village because what little property there was for sale had been well out of her price range.
It was hardly surprising, given the picturesque sweeps of the hills that cradled the village, the peace, the clean air and the postcard-pretty lanes lined with stone houses and gardens bursting with flowers.
‘Victor hasn’t got anyone in Kestrel Cottage at the moment,’ Lavender said. She looked at Zoe with barely disguised glee. ‘Not since your dad cleared out.’
‘We wouldn’t want to rent,’ Shabana said.
‘And I don’t think Victor wants to sell,’ Zoe added. ‘I think he wants to keep hold of Kestrel for a while.’
‘Probably hoping that daughter of his will come back and live there again,’ Lavender said.
Before anyone could agree or otherwise, she blasted the kitchen tap, splashing the wall with water, and then turned it off and marched to the door. ‘I’m going to see if Simon or his less agreeable counterpart need anything before I open up the main doors for the afternoon session.’
The door slammed as she left them.
‘She really doesn’t like Emilia, does she?’ Shabana said. ‘It’s not still over last Christmas, is it?’
‘I don’t know,’ Zoe said. ‘But I hope we don’t have a repeat of all that this year because it was awful.’
‘I’m guessing she’s asked you about cornering Emilia for funds so we can go on a works do? She says there wasn’t one last year because Emilia was adamant she wanted nothing to do with Christmas.’
‘I think, to be fair to Emilia, she had more pressing worries last year. She’d only just joined the surgery, and her sister was pregnant, living with her, and her marriage was in trouble. If I was Emilia, a Christmas do would be the last thing on my mind too in those circumstances.’
‘Do you think Emilia will say yes to one this year with things being more settled?’
‘I haven’t a clue, but I know she’s no fan of Christmas. If I were you, I’d try to plan my mat leave for then, just in case. I wouldn’t want to be in the middle of that stand-off if I had the chance to be out of it.’
‘It’ll be early. I don’t want to have too long off before the birth so I can have more time afterwards.’
‘You say that now…’ Zoe broke into that knowing smile again.
She remembered only too well the Christmas war of the previous year.
Lavender had wanted to spread seasonal joy to the max, and Emilia had wanted no signs of it anywhere, viewing it as an unnecessary distraction from the real work of the surgery.
They’d come close to actual blows over it – at least Lavender had said many times how she wanted to tip Emilia’s coffee over her head – and the atmosphere in the surgery had been difficult and fractious.
‘You might feel differently when Lavender gets that box of decorations out in a couple of weeks and then Emilia starts to pull her doom-and-gloom face.’
‘Never mind the couple of weeks – Lavender mentioned to me she might go and root out the decorations this week.’
‘We’re barely into November!’
‘That’s what I said. But you know Lavender.’
‘After last year, I do. I’m surprised we don’t already have a mound of mince pies on the table every lunchtime.
You can bet she’s bought her first lot already.
’ Zoe got up and went to the sink with her bowl.
‘I’d better get cracking. I swear these lunch breaks are getting shorter.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say Emilia’s been in here messing with the clock.
It’s not only Christmas she’s not keen on; she doesn’t think the surgery should close during the day either, for dinner or otherwise.
Anyway. Enough of that. I’d better get some actual work done. Sorry to abandon you.’
‘It’s fine; I’m just about done anyway. I get heartburn now if I eat more than a spoonful of anything.’
‘The joys of pregnancy, eh? At least you’re almost there.’
Shabana broke into a wide smile. ‘I wish I could keep a lid on it, but I can’t wait. I’m so excited to meet my baby; it feels as if I’ve waited my whole life for it.’
‘You’ve been through a lot to get there,’ Zoe said, ignoring the little voice she was beginning to know so well, the one that plaintively asked, Why not me? Why don’t I get to meet the baby I’ve longed for? ‘And you’ll be a great mum.’
‘I hope so. I’m going to try my best.’
‘I bet. Well, I have to…’
‘Of course,’ Shabana said, getting up. ‘Sorry, listen to me banging on and you just said you have loads of work to do.’
Zoe nodded. ‘See you at the meeting later,’ she replied with a brightness she suddenly didn’t quite feel.