A Christmas Candle
Page 30
You’d not recognise the place, Eve dear. Not a farm at all any more, but a vineyard, would you believe …
Eve turned and started to make her way back to the road, fishing around in her handbag for her mobile phone. She grimaced. Five missed calls. She was going to get an earful when her daughter caught up with her, but no matter. Eve knew there’d have been a fearful row if Lily had known she was in Devonshire walking down an old sunken lane, but it was her life and she must live it as she saw fit. However, she stopped, scrolled through to her daughter’s name and sent a text.
Sorry, won’t be long, got caught up in one or two things. I’ll be home later on today and I promise I’ll ring first thing tomorrow! Love to you all, Mum xxx
She then rang the taxi and asked the driver if he could meet her where he had dropped her off. Slipping her phone back into her bag, she continued on her way.
When she reached the bottom of the lane she saw that the man who had driven her here earlier was holding the back door of his cab open so that she might get in.
‘Hello again,’ he said, as she plonked herself into the back seat. He closed her door and hurried round to get in the driver’s side. Glancing at Eve over his shoulder, he chuckled. ‘I thought you’d been and gone off with the fairy folk.’
Eve raised her brows. ‘Fairy folk indeed!’ This time it was her turn to chuckle. ‘I’m afraid I’ve not been anywhere as exciting as that.’
Bert started the engine and glanced sheepishly at his passenger in his rear-view mirror. ‘Do you mind me askin’ where you have been? Only it seemed like a road to nowhere. Tell me to mind my own business if I’ve overstepped the mark.’
Eve smiled, but it seemed to Bert, watching her, that the smile was not directed at him.
‘I’ve been to the best place someone of my age can go,’ she said mysteriously.
Bert raised his eyebrows. ‘Where’s that, then?’ he asked.
Eve smiled again as she looked back at the sunken lane. ‘I’ve been for a trip into the past.’
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Epub ISBN: 9781473537279
Version 1.0
Published by Century 2017
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Copyright © Katie Flynn 2017
Cover photography: girl © Arcangel, train © Getty, boy © Getty
Katie Flynn has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this Work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in Great Britain by Century in 2017
Century
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 9781780895758