“We’re twenty percent down on the first day compared to last year. Last year was fairly typical.”
That wasn’t not great. That was terrible.
Ivy nodded. “Well, we couldn’t have done any more. We’ve put on a great show by all accounts.”
“I’m surprised we’re down,” Sebastian said. The fact that he’d said “we” rather than “you” lifted my spirits. Just a little. “It was so busy. And not just the stalls. The shops as well. There were queues outside some of them. There wasn’t even a spare table in the pub. I checked.”
“Maybe people are visiting but aren’t spending,” I suggested.
“We don’t measure footfall,” Barbara said. “But Sebastian’s right. It was busy. I wouldn’t have said we were down on last year by looking at the number of people visiting.”
“I have more news,” Barbara said and cleared her throat. “From Mr. Taylor at the Black Swan.” Her tone was somber and I just knew he was going to tell us how Snowsville had killed it yesterday. I bet that’s why people weren’t spending as much with us—they were taking their money to Snowsville.
“Snowsville sent people to our market last night.” She glanced around as if she was getting ready to run if we started throwing things at her. “To see what we were doing. Check how busy we were. That kind of thing.”
“To steal all our great ideas, you mean?” I bit out.
Sebastian squeezed my shoulder, trying to reassure me, but nothing would help. “That’s not so surprising, is it?” he asked. “It makes sense for them to check out the village that’s been running Christmas for years. Especially when they’re so close. You’re not going to stop that happening. Look on the bright side—it will push Snowsly to continue to set the bar and do better every year.” His expression was all confident authority, but he couldn’t convince me.
Snowsville was going to sink us.
“But we’re not doing better every year,” I said. “We’re twenty percent down on last year.”
“We need a two-pronged approach,” Sebastian continued. “First, we need fresh ideas that will bring people to Snowsly to spend money, not just visit. And then we need to increase the numbers of people who are coming to the area. I have some ideas. And I can make a few calls. Leave it with me.”
“Wait,” Barbara said, throwing a long, searching look at Ivy. “If Snowsville knows what we’re putting on for visitors, isn’t it only fair that we know what they’re doing?” Barbara asked. “We should visit Snowsville’s market.”
“Great idea,” Howard said.
“Excellent,” Keely replied, nodding at me like I had suggested it.
I perked up. Yes, that made sense. If they were taking our business, I’d like to understand how and why.
“We don’t just want to copy them,” Sebastian warned.
Jim cleared his throat. “No, but it makes sense to check out the competition.”
“Yes,” Howard said. “We can figure out what we need to do better.” Howard was grimacing like someone had told him there was a sudden and total country-wide chocolate shortage.
“Fantastic idea,” Ivy said. “But of course, I can’t go. I’m too recognizable. Same for all of you lifers. It makes sense if Celia and Sebastian go. A young couple is far less conspicuous than a group of old codgers from the rival town.”
I wanted to go if it would help Snowsly, but realistically, I needed to stay close to the action. Also, a couple? Why did we have to pretend to be a couple? “I have to hold the fort here,” I replied. “What happens if things go wrong?”
“You’re only going to be out a few hours,” Ivy replied, her gaze flickering toward Barbara.
“Yes, you won’t need to be long,” Barbara said. “Go in the evening—that way at least you’re not making it too obvious. I think it’s entirely fair that we check out the competition, but we don’t need to be blatant about it.”
I sighed. “Okay. That’s fine. I’ll go on my own. I don’t need to be more than thirty minutes.”
“You don’t want to rush it,” Ivy said. “You’ll draw more attention to yourself. And if Sebastian goes with you, people won’t place you. No one in Snowsville will recognize Sebastian all these years later.”
“There’s no point in upsetting anyone unnecessarily,” Howard said and cleared his throat again. Was he coming down with a cold or something? “You and Sebastian should go together.”
I glanced at Sebastian, who I couldn’t read at all. “I’m sure it won’t take long,” he said. “And I can go on my own if Celia’s needed here.”
“No, no, no,” Ivy said at the same time as Howard shook his head and Barbara chirped, “Not at all,” as if she quite relished the idea of me not being around.
“You’ve been working so hard,” Keely said. “You might even pop into the Black Swan and have dinner or something.”
“What a great idea,” Ivy said. “You should go and enjoy yourselves.”
I felt slightly dazed, like I’d missed a part of the conversation that explained why it was so important to visit Snowsville tonight, and why it would be almost impossible for me to go without Sebastian. Everyone seemed so resolute.
“We don’t have time for dinner but if you want to come, Sebastian, I’m happy to drive.” The jingle in my stomach told me I didn’t hate the idea of spending the evening with Sebastian, even if it was on a mission to spy on our competition.
“Sebastian?” Ivy asked.
“I’m very happy to go, Granny.”
“Then that’s settled. Tonight, you and Celia will go to Snowsville and figure out what they’re doing and how. I suggest we meet back here and you can both debrief us.”
So it was settled. Sebastian and I would spend the evening together. And I wouldn’t think about him kissing me. Not for a second.
Eleven
Sebastian
I ducked my head to peer through the passenger seat window of the smallest car I’d ever laid eyes on. Why on earth hadn’t I had Bradley leave the car? That way I wouldn’t have to have Celia drive me in a toy car.
She waved and grinned at me before beckoning me in. I wasn’t sure I’d fit.
I opened the door and assessed how I was going to be able to fold myself up to fit in the front seat. “How old is this car?”
“I hope you’re not Claus-trophobic.” She laughed at her own joke. “Oh I don’t know. It was born sometime in the last century. You can’t say it doesn’t have personality.”
There were a lot of things I could say about this car. “Maybe personality isn’t something that’s top of my list when it comes to transportation.”
“Say it ain’t snow.”
I shook my head, trying not to crack a smile at how ridiculously awful her Christmas puns were. “It’s a short drive, right?”
“Just six miles.”
I groaned. That could take twenty minutes in the Cotswolds. “Does the seat go back any further?”