Christmas at Lilac Cottage: (#1 White Cliff Bay) Read Free Page B

and with his shaggy fur he does look as if he’s just walked off Sesame Street . Henry, meet Bernard. Bernard, this is Henry, our new neighbour.’
    Bernard came and sniffed him with a vague interest. Clearly Henry met with Bernard’s approval as he sat on Henry’s feet, demanding to be stroked. Henry stroked his head and rubbed his chest. He looked up to see Penny smiling at him and then she quickly looked away.
    He watched as she poured two large glasses of the mulled wine concoction and brought them to the table. She passed Henry his glass.
    ‘Should we make a toast?’ she asked.
    ‘How about… to new beginnings.’
    She stared at him and then smiled, chinking her glass against his.
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    H is grey eyes were so intense, like he was studying her, searching for answers to some unanswered question. He took a sip without taking his eyes off hers and she noticed straight away that he didn’t have a wedding ring.
    ‘Thank you for decorating next door for Christmas by the way. Daisy will love it.’
    ‘My pleasure. I didn’t get you a tree. I guessed that you and Daisy would want to get one together.’
    ‘She’d like that, thank you.’ Henry smiled and Penny felt her heart leap. She had never been the sort of girl to fall in love with a smile before, but there was something about his smile that filled his whole face. He was married, she had to remember that.
    She focussed her attention on Bernard for a moment so she wouldn’t have to look at the smile.
    ‘So what brings you to White Cliff Bay?’ Penny asked, taking a sip of the wine.
    ‘Work mainly. I have a job at the White Cliff Bay Furniture Company, starting after Christmas.’
    Her eyes widened. ‘As a carpenter?’
    He nodded. That at least explained the lack of a wedding ring; he worked with tools like she did, and wearing jewellery could cause injury.
    ‘Wow, they are so selective about who they take on,’ Penny said. ‘I hear they have something like five hundred applicants every time they advertise. Isn’t there some crazy interview process?’
    ‘Yes, it kind of felt like The Generation Game with all these tasks that we had to do. We were shown once how to do a process and then had to replicate it within a certain time with the utmost quality and care. It was a whole day thing with the woodwork skills demonstration in the morning and a panel of seven interviewers grilling me for over two hours in the afternoon. I came out feeling like I had run a marathon.’
    ‘They only take on the very best so you clearly did something to impress them. It will be a huge feather in your cap if you ever decide to move on. Everyone knows how prestigious the company is.’
    Henry took a big swig of the wine. ‘We don’t intend to move on. I hope to stay in White Cliff Bay for some time.’
    The way he said that, staring right at her, sent shivers down her spine. Was he flirting with her? She shook that silly thought out of her head, taking a big gulp of the wine. It was spicy and fruity and, as Henry said, very potent.
    She tried to tear her eyes away from Henry’s gaze but struggled to do so. She quickly turned away from the table to dish up the lasagne.
    ‘Have you always been a carpenter?’
    ‘Yes, I love it. There is something wonderful about creating something beautiful with your own hands. I’ve made and sold my own furniture but I’ve also made wooden jewellery and statues too. That’s more of a hobby, though, but it’s something I like to do in my spare time. I know I asked the agency about this, but they said you would be happy for me to use the shed as a sort of workshop?’
    Penny nodded. ‘Yes, it’s huge and I only really use a small part of it. Feel free. I would love to see some of your jewellery and statues. My job is quite similar.’
    ‘What is it you do, Penny?’
    ‘I’m an ice carver.’
    ‘Oh, that’s cool. And do you get enough work in that line of business?’
    She placed the plate of lasagne down in front of him and sat