‘I couldn’t believe it back there when you said you didn’t go in for it. What on earth were you thinking? I don’t know where your festive spirit has slunk off to Hattie, but just one week working with our excited lot and you’d be as mad keen on Christmas again as the rest of us!’

She was almost bouncing up and down at the thought.

‘Well,’ I said feebly, ‘I really don’t know.’

‘We have so much coming up,’ she went dreamily on, ‘what with the fair and the carol concert and the play. We’re really swamped. An extra pair of hands would be a godsend right now.’

‘But what about health and safety and all the checks?’ I gabbled, giving voice to the first excuse I could come up with. ‘By the time all the relevant paperwork comes back it would be the end of term. Wouldn’t it?’ I hopefully added.

I wasn’t sure why I was so set against the idea, but my head was telling me it was something I should avoid doing at all costs.

‘Not at all,’ said Rose, shaking her head. ‘There’s a check we can apply for which comes back almost straight away and besides, you renewed your DBS the last time you were going to volunteer with us, didn’t you? I know your boss at the hotel was desperately under-staffed and you had to cut your visit short, but the paperwork had been sent off by then and it came back almost as soon as you’d gone back to work.’

So that was the line Dolly had taken – I had arrived because of man trouble, but rather than tell everyone I had gone again because Jonathan and I had worked things out, she’d said I’d left to go back to the hotel. I didn’t want to think too deeply about why she had done that and I certainly wouldn’t be asking her. Clearly, Jonathan’s flat key, honeyed words and heartfelt promises at the time had soothed me, but not my friend.

‘Oh yes,’ I swallowed, ‘of course. I seem to remember Dolly did mention it.’

‘Well there you are then! I’m sure we’ll still have it all on file,’ Rose rushed on, ‘so there’s really nothing stopping you, is there?’

Our conversation was interrupted by a sudden fanfare at the far end of the square in front of the towering tree. It was time for the lights to go on.

‘Promise me you’ll at least think about it,’ said Rose as the first of the celebratory fireworks rocketed into the air and the crowd began to cheer.