Olivia watched, her smile starting to fade, as she tapped Simon on the shoulder, and then he turned, hurriedly putting down the drinks as the woman enveloped him in a tight embrace.

It wasn’t the usual side-arm hug of congratulations, but an emotional, intimate expression of affection that went on for several prolonged seconds. Olivia could see Simon’s face as he wrapped his arms around the woman, his eyes closed tightly, a look of naked emotion contorting his features. Watching them, she almost felt like a voyeur from across the crowded narthex.

Finally they separated, but even then the woman gripped Simon by the shoulders, talking to him earnestly while he listened with a similar intentness, their drinks—and Olivia—forgotten. Whatever was happening between them, it was important and intense and it served as a painful and perhaps timely reminder that Olivia still didn’t know him all that well, if at all.

It didn’t look as if the conversation was going to finish anytime soon, and so Olivia wound her way through the crowd, grabbing her coat from an empty pew and then heading out into the cold, dark night.

The air was so sharp it nearly stole her breath, and clouds had moved over the moon, making the blackness seem almost impenetrable. The Christmas tree and fairy lights spangling the high street were all turned off, awaiting the official Turning on the Lights ceremony, and just like they’d sung in the Advent carols, the world seemed hushed and expectant, waiting...but for what?

Nothing, Olivia couldn’t keep from thinking rather flatly as she walked in the dark towards home. Nothing but more of the same. And for the first time in a long while, that thought didn’t fill her with optimism or happiness.

Struggling against a terrible, towering disappointment that she knew was unwarranted considering the situation, she unlocked the door to Tea on the Lea and breathed in the faint scent of cinnamon and spice from her earlier baking. It looked like the evening was shaping up to be exactly what she’d thought it would be earlier—a lot of mince pies and the company of her ornery cat. With a sigh, Olivia closed the door and locked it, and then turned towards the kitchen.

Chapter Five

Tea on the Lea was filled with festive smells and sights as Olivia bustled around at five o’clock on Wednesday evening, in preparation for the village’s Turning on the Lights ceremony.

Mallory and Abby had offered to help, and were decked out in white T-shirts and black miniskirts, with red velvet bows in their hair as they assembled trays of various Christmas goodies—mince pies, shortbread, gingerbread, and Olivia’s red velvet cupcakes decorated with holly piped in green royal icing. A huge pot of mulled wine was simmering on the stove, along with spiced apple cider for children and teetotallers. Christmas carols blasted from the speakers stuck in the corner and the shop was awash with fairy lights, holly, and red velvet ribbon. It was as Christmassy as she could make it, and with the high street filling up with families intent on seeing the switch-on, Olivia was hopeful of generating some business.