He carried the dog against his chest, his other arm around Hannah’s shoulders, pulling her close as they made their way back to the warmth and comfort of the hotel while the sea raged behind them. Hannah wanted to find out if the others had any more pieces to add to the ghostly jigsaw they were putting together.

Since arriving in Cornwall, her plans had been consistently derailed, but she’d begun to embrace all the weird and wonderful things that were happening unexpectedly. Well, nearly all of them: there were some things she shouldn’t be embracing, and she hoped she had the resolve to keep it that way.

But a dog had just shown her that answers were out there, often hiding in the least obvious places. It made her think that she should keep looking too; that she shouldn’t give up on trying to find out more about her own past simply because it wasn’t straightforward. As she went with Noah and Spirit back to the hotel, Hannah knew she had to make the most of the time she had left in Porthgolow. There might still be some secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Acknowledgements

I started The Cornish Cream Tea Christmas just before lockdown arrived, so most of it was written – not to mention all the edits, proofreading, and other stages that come after that initial first draft – in our altered world. This has made it more of a challenge but has also proved to be another reminder of all the incredible people who have helped make this book a reality.

Kate Bradley, my brilliant editor, has been a voice of reason, warmth and good humour throughout the whole thing. She took my first draft and showed me how to make it shine and sparkle, as all good Christmas books should.

My agent, Hannah Ferguson, has also been amazing and has supported and inspired me at a time when it was easy to feel isolated. The whole Hardman and Swainson team have adapted quickly, and I’ve found their guidance invaluable.

The HarperFiction team has been as dedicated as ever, ensuring my book is as polished as it can be, making it look beautiful and getting it into the hands of readers. Thank you to Penny Isaac for her copy-editing wisdom and attention to detail, and to designer Holly Macdonald and illustrator May Van Millingen for the stunning Christmassy covers. Thank you also to Katy Blott and Lara Stevenson, Kim Young and Fliss Denham.

I arrived at Book Camp on the 16th of March, which was the day the UK Government made its first daily statement on Coronavirus. It was a scary time, but being isolated in a large house in Somerset with my favourite writing friends felt right, somehow, and we managed to get words written despite what was happening. So a massive thank you to Cesca Major, Rachael Lucas, Holly Martin, Katy Colins, Emily Kerr, Pernille Hughes, Ali Harris, Tasmina Perry and Basia Martin – and also to Kirsty Greenwood, Isabelle Broom, Jo Quinn, Cathy Bramley and Liz Fenwick who were with us virtually. That week will always be woven into the fabric of The Cornish Cream Tea Christmas.