For the next half an hour, I nodded and smiled as the rest of the group continued their chatter and excitement about the day past and the market to come. I stayed silent, unable to muster the energy to speak. A couple of times I glanced over at Sebastian, who wasn’t saying much either. After a fraught and physical day, he still looked yacht-party ready. His gray cashmere jumper hadn’t taken a beating from being caught on the Christmas tree trunk like poor Peter’s Christmas pudding jumper, which now had a huge hole just over the sprig of holly. And Sebastian’s hair still had that same glossy sheen it always seemed to have. I could tell by the way my plait had started to unwind itself that I looked like a place a hedgehog would happily hibernate. I was also sporting a now-dried patch of mud up the side of my coat that I’d have to try to brush off when I got home. It looked like Sebastian had been on the sidelines while the rest of us had been at war. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sebastian might claim to hate Christmas, but his actions proclaimed loud and clear that he loved Snowsly and his granny, and would do anything for either.
A second before I excused myself—confident that leaving would be the only way to avoid falling asleep where I sat—Ivy cleared her throat. “These old bones need to get to bed. Off with you all. Another busy day awaits. Sebastian, please make sure you see Celia home.”
I started to shake my head but stopped as I locked eyes with Sebastian, who nodded.
“I’ll see you home,” Sebastian said as he approached me. There was something in his smooth, sultry voice I hadn’t heard before. He was probably as exhausted as I was.
I didn’t argue and we said our goodbyes. I pulled on my hat, coat, and gloves and headed to the lobby.
“I’ll be fine. I have my torch,” I said to Sebastian as we headed to the exit. I’d left my tool belt at home this morning but carried my trusty torch at all times.
“It will only take a few minutes. Let me, please.”
I sighed, too tired to argue. “Okay.”
“It’s icy,” he said as we stepped out of the Manor.
Without thinking, I slipped my arm through his and he pulled it close to his chest, like he was hanging on to something precious. Even though the pavements were slippery, I had no doubt the man beside me would catch me if I were to fall. A pang of regret chased around my ribs as I realized I’d never felt that before. Not even with Carl.
“Thank you for the pep talk this morning,” I said. “It made all the difference.”
“What are friends for?” Sebastian kept his eyes on the path in front of us. “I knew you were just having a moment. You soon snapped out of it and got back to business.”
Warmth gathered in my stomach and I bit down on my bottom lip. He’d had faith in me. That felt good. “Thanks to you.”
“Hardly. But if I was any kind of assistance at all, it was my pleasure.”
Sebastian seemed more relaxed and at home than he had done when he’d joined the meeting just a few days ago. “You seem less grumpy than you were when you arrived. Has the Snowsly ambience gotten to you?”
He chuckled as he led me toward my cottage. “Maybe I’ve just accepted the idea that I’m going to have to wait until the twenty-fourth to go to Barbados. It’s not that far away.”
“You’re leaving on Christmas Eve?” My stomach flipped, disappointed for him—and maybe for me, too. What was the point in all the build-up and anticipation if he left before the big day?
“The market will be over. The Christmas committee disbanded. Granny won’t need me here.”
My stomach tugged at his words. As we reached my front door step, I turned to him. “She might not need you here, but I have no doubt that she’d love to spend Christmas with you.”
He pulled in a breath as he turned to face me. “She’s the center of this village. She won’t even notice I’m gone.”
But I would.
“You’ll be missed,” I said, pressing my glove-covered hands to his chest.
He glanced up at the mistletoe hanging above us, pulled his hands from his pockets, and cupped my face. When I dared to look up at him, his blue eyes seemed to burn brighter than normal.
“You should go in,” he murmured, his tone pure, liquid chocolate. If I could bottle his voice and sell it to drink, we’d guarantee Snowsly was the king of Cotswolds Christmas. “It’s cold.”
I nodded but stayed rooted to the step. In the next moment, he leaned in and pressed his gloriously full lips against mine, soft and firm. The heat from his mouth seeped into me, warming me from the outside-in. My entire body began to vibrate.
If that’s what his lips could do . . .
He pulled back and my hand flew to my mouth.
“Did I overstep?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.
I shook my head. “Never,” I managed to breathe out.
The corners of his mouth turned up and he nodded. “Good night, Celia Sommers.”
I watched as he strode back up Delphinium Row and disappeared into the darkness, taking with him his strong hands, half smile, and completely kissable lips.
Eight
Celia
My heart still fluttering like I had a butterfly trapped in my chest, I unwound my scarf from my neck and hung it on one of the hooks in the hallway.
Sebastian just kissed me.
I pressed my fingers to my lips again. It felt good. Strange to be kissed by someone who I’d only known a few days. Someone who wasn’t . . . him. Even though Carl had been gone almost a year to the day, it still felt oddly disloyal.
My phone buzzed in my hand and I pressed accept on the call from my oldest friend.
“Are you awake?” she asked.
“I’m answering the phone. Of course I’m awake. It’s just gone nine.”
“I thought it was eleven.”
“Lemon, you’ve lived in New York nine years. All you need to do is add five to whatever time it is there.”
“You know math was never my strong point.”
“Maths. Don’t forget where you come from. We call it maths with an ‘s’ in the motherland.”
“You’re in a feisty mood.”
I grinned. Was I? Was that what Sebastian’s kiss had done to me? “Just had a busy day. How is December in New York?” I wound my way to the back of the cottage to the kitchen and flicked on the kettle. A nice cup of hot chocolate was just what the doctor ordered.
“I wish you were here,” she said.
Every year we talked about spending Christmas together, but she was paying a ridiculously high rent to live in New York and couldn’t afford to come over here. Until this year, I couldn’t think about spending the season in New York. Carl had his job and family and would never have wanted to be out of the country at Christmas. This year, without Carl, I was paying double the bills, so we still couldn’t make it work.
And this year, Snowsly needed me.
Or maybe I needed Snowsly.
“I wish you were here,” I said, pouring the hot water into my mug and scooping it up. As soon as I’d finished talking to Lemon, I’d head upstairs. It was early, but on these dark winter nights I liked to be snuggled up in bed with a book as soon as I came home.