Hannah continued. ‘Each shop will have a big jar of sweets to offer to customers and I’ve lined up a couple of students to wander about giving out mince pies. Half the gazebo will form Santa’s grotto – Santa and an elf already booked – and I’ll be around to encourage people into shops, also dressed as an elf.’ She paused for laughter before going on. ‘Demos will take place beneath the gazebo. Mark’s constructing a balsawood sleigh at eleven, Teo making chocolate truffles at noon, Daintree—’

‘Ah. Here you are. Good morning,’ boomed a voice.

Hannah swung round to see Christopher and Cassie Carlysle striding down the large room towards them, Christopher beaming, Cassie pinched and apprehensive. Behind trailed a dreamy-looking man with untidy dark hair, reminding Hannah of a taller, better-looking Mr Bean. Beside her Mark muttered, ‘Oh, shit.’

Daintree groaned. ‘Just what we didn’t need.’

Hannah looked sharply from dismayed face to dismayed face. ‘What?’

Before anyone could enlighten her, Christopher drew the dark man forward. ‘Look who’s here!’

A couple of the traders muttered, ‘Hello, Simeon.’

Shock flaring, Hannah stared. ‘Simeon?’

‘Of course! You probably haven’t met our son, have you, Hannah?’ Christopher rubbed his hands together as people did when trying not to betray how uncomfortable they were.

‘No,’ Hannah agreed hollowly. She should get up and shake hands, not sit here thinking someone had swapped her legs for cooked spaghetti.

‘Christopher,’ Cassie said tentatively. ‘I really feel—’

But Christopher ploughed on with the air of someone intending to get a difficult job over with. ‘Simeon’s back now,’ he pointed out. Then he smiled apologetically at Hannah as if waiting for her to join up the dots.

Feeling sick, Hannah looked at a pale Cassie. ‘What does this mean?’

Christopher answered. ‘It means Simeon can manage Carlysle Courtyard again.’ He didn’t add ‘of course’ but his blustery tone implied it.

Hannah ignored him. ‘Cassie?’ Cassie looked as if she might cry. Simeon, as crimson as his father but less leathery, stared over everybody’s heads.

Christopher snapped, ‘If you need it spelling out, Miss Goodbody, Simeon’s returned to take this project back. I’d like you to hand over to him this morning.’

Hannah’s heart thundered in her ears. ‘Cassie employed me so I’m afraid you can’t sack me.’

Christopher sucked in a huge, indignant breath. ‘Cassie, tell her!’ he barked. Then, before she could, ‘Miss Goodbody, I hold the purse strings here.’

Under the gazes of everybody in the room Hannah rose, forcing her knees not to buckle. ‘Cassie?’

Cassie swallowed audibly. ‘You’ve got every right to be upset, Hannah. Every right.’ Her eyes pleaded for understanding. ‘But Simeon’s our son.’

‘I see.’ Hannah wondered why, at times of shock, your mouth went dry. Squaring her shoulders, she said, ‘If you make the second payment, which is due today, I’ll hand over everything to Simeon—’