‘Love her, I bet she was relieved all the hag was over.’ Briony got off the bed and walked to the window. ‘Look at that weather. I’m looking forward to seeing Eileen tomorrow, I hope the weather don’t stop us.’

Kerry pushed herself painfully up on the pillows. ‘I shouldn’t think it’ll deter you, Briony. I like it to snow at Christmas. It’s fitting somehow.’

Briony agreed, glad the conversation had veered away from their mother.

Bernadette came in with her arms full of presents. Kerry gave the baby to her and she and Briony began opening theirs.

Briony picked up a small present wrapped in gold paper. She opened it carefully, a deep abhorrence of wasting anything stopped her tearing the paper apart. Inside was a small velvet box. She opened the lid and gasped.

Lying on plush red velvet was a choker. It was a large diamond-studded B with either side a thick black ribbon with which to tie it around her neck.

Kerry and Bernadette both gasped along with her.

‘Bloody hell, Bri, that’s some present! Who’s it from?’ Briony shook her head. ‘I don’t know, Kerry.’

Bernadette smiled then, taking a small envelope from her skirt pocket, gave it to Briony.

‘Marcus was asked to deliver it, here’s the card that went with it.’

Ripping open the envelope, Briony pulled out the card. It had a silhouette of a woman against a gold background. Opening it, she read: ‘Happy Christmas, Briony. I saw this and I had to buy it for you. Because you are a B, in the nicest sense of the word. Be happy, Tommy.’

Briony’s eyes burned with tears. He hadn’t forgotten her, and even if they weren’t together, as she wanted, he was saying he still cared about her. If he still cared enough to do this, there was hope for them yet.

Briony fingered the beautiful choker with wonder. What with the birth of Liselle, and the present from Tommy, a present that said though they were no longer a couple he still thought of her, still admired her, this was a better Christmas than she could ever have anticipated.

Chapter Thirty-one

Chapter Thirty-one

‘So what do you think then? It’s March now, we could have the opening night for the Manor in ten days. Make it a Friday night and we can cater to the clients for the weekend. Those who want to stay on, of course.’

Mariah watched Briony from under heavy lids. ‘If you want the opening then, that’s fine with me. It was you who delayed it to build a swimming pool.’

Mariah had been set against the pool, the conservatory to house it had cost a small fortune on its own. That was without getting the pool dug, and the mosaic tiling which Briony insisted had to be the best. She hoped it wasn’t going to be a big white elephant.