‘We’ll keep you stocked up with hot chocolates and cakes, don’t you worry,’ Bella said, but she hoped he wasn’t going to come down with anything. Not only was he lovely, but he was also the only Santa they had. Of course they had a fake beard that had come with the costume, but Mr Tomlin resembled the real thing so much he’d be difficult to replace, and they were going to be busy. The Christmas fun was ramping up and everyone was feeling it. The choir were coming back today and would be there most weekends, raising money for a local charity. It added such a wonderful touch to those visiting to hear people singing Christmas carols. It was even better when they joined in too.

‘Is everyone ready for another exciting day?’ Bella asked.

‘Are you on drugs?’ asked Mr Whittaker.

‘You are very cheerful,’ added Hazel.

Perhaps she’d been overdoing the enthusiasm.

Matilda dropped her magazine into her lap. ‘I expected you to be in the doldrums still. Weren’t you and Evan together for five years? You can’t get over that in a few weeks.’

‘No, you can’t,’ Bella replied, internally rolling her eyes at the reminder, though she was getting on admirably in her opinion. Every day it felt like a little piece of her fell back into place. She was feeling more positive and able to look on the bright side, taking day-to-day problems in her stride and the situation with Amias and Freddie had taken up so much of her thoughts there wasn’t room for anything else. ‘And no, Mr Whittaker, I’m not on drugs—’

‘Shame,’ he replied. ‘I was going to ask you to get me some. Dr Gladstone keeps refusing to prescribe me any.’

‘That’s because you’ve only got mild arthritis,’ Hazel added. ‘You don’t need them. You just need to turn your heating up and keep a bit warmer. If you weren’t such a scrooge about your bills, your joints wouldn’t hurt so much. Oh, and take a cod liver oil. I swear by it.’

‘I’d rather eat—’

Fearful of what he was going to say, Bella interrupted and moved the conversation on. ‘I haven’t taken any drugs, I’m just excited and can’t wait to get started wrapping all the donations we’ve been given. Where are they by the way?’ she asked, pointing to the corner where they’d been the day before. Yesterday, when she’d dropped off the last few that had been presented to her at school, she brought them here and the pile had covered nearly the whole wall.

‘I moved them,’ said Mr Whittaker.

‘I suppose there were quite a few of them. Where did you put them?’

‘In the equipment shed at the back. They nearly fell down the other day and we could barely move in here.’