Mrs Barnes’s face reddened with appreciation. ‘Thank you so much, Bella. I can’t tell you what a difference this’ll make. We could never have afforded the main present she wanted. We were so worried about disappointing her on Christmas Day.’ The tears she’d been holding back began to escape and Bella found herself crying too. If the day was going to go on like this, she’d be a blubbering mess by the end of it.

‘Now you’ve set me off,’ joked Bella, wiping her eyes.

Mrs Barnes put the present down and dived forwards, giving her a hug. ‘I’m sorry. Hang on before you go.’ She darted into the house and came back with two large gingerbread men she and Leonie had clearly baked that morning. Leonie had decorated them with chocolate chip eyes and wiggly iced smiles.

‘These look delicious, thank you. They’ll definitely keep our energy levels up, especially if the snow continues to fall.’

‘Be careful out there,’ Mrs Barnes replied, waving as she closed the door.

Despite the snow, excitement kept Bella warm, and they delivered gifts to neighbouring houses and down the nearby lanes. By the time they had finished handing over a huge box containing a hamper stuffed with Christmas food to Mrs Malvern and a beautifully wrapped parcel to Mr Binet, the snow was growing heavier and around the village, chimney smoke drifted into the cold air where fires were being lit inside. Shaking the snow from her hair and brushing down her elf costume, she headed back to the safety of the car. Before she drove to the next house, she held her coffee to warm her fingers and Freddie did the same with his hot chocolate. As soon as she could feel them again, Bella slid the car into gear.

‘Right onto the next one,’ she said to Freddie with a smile.

More deliveries were made, leaving joyful recipients smiling on their doorsteps. Recently bereaved Winston almost cried when she handed over the stack of books wrapped in red paper and tied with a gold ribbon. He had no idea what they were and was just happy to be thought of, and it brought tears to Bella’s eyes to think about him opening his gift in a few days’ time. But in just half an hour the ferocity of the snowfall had grown. Tiny, delicate flakes had given way to giant splodges on the windscreen, and she turned the wipers up. Nerves built in her stomach as she focused in the dense white light on the road. Meadowbank had never looked more magical as the snow settled on low flint walls and gates and dressed the hedgerows in a shroud of white. The Christmas tree on the green was even more beautiful as its bright, shining star glittered under the powdery covering it had already received.