Page 50 of Winter Magic on Railway Lane

Libby gasped, which brought on a further bout of coughing. She had made such a mess of things.

‘But the pantry wall is inches thick and pretty air-tight,’ carried on Katy. ‘So it seems as if the truffles that you’ve made already are safe. You’ll have to check them, but fingers crossed, it looks okay.’

It was a small consolation considering she’d almost ruined Ethan’s kitchen, thought Libby with a grimace.

‘Don’t worry about anything for now,’ carried on Katy, watching her closely. ‘Remember what the doctor said.’ She sighed heavily. ‘You were so lucky that it’s just the effects from the smoke inhalation for you to deal with. Now there’s cough drops there on the side, next to the water, to help soothe your throat. For now, you just need to rest.’

‘But…’ began Libby, her mind thinking through everything that wouldn’t happen if she had enforced rest.

‘No buts,’ said Katy, standing up. ‘Just try to get some sleep tonight. Everything else can be sorted out tomorrow.’ She hesitated. ‘Your dad wants to see you, but he said Ethan could visit you first.’

‘Ethan’s here?’ Libby was shocked. ‘In my house?’

‘He wanted to know what the doctor said. But he also wants to speak with you briefly.’ Katy leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. ‘I’m so glad you’re okay,’ she said, tears filling her eyes.‘Harriet and Flora send their love too. As well as everyone else in the village.’

‘Everyone?’ Libby’s red eyes clicked wide.

Katy nodded. ‘No secrets in Cranfield,’ she said with a soft smile. ‘Get some rest.’

As she went outside, Libby closed her eyes briefly. They felt gritty and sore, but Katy had rustled up some eye drops from somewhere which would help.

Hearing the creak of the floorboard, she looked up from her prone position in the bed and there was Ethan. He still looked sooty and grubby but, most of all, he looked extremely tired.

‘You look worse than I do,’ she croaked.

He appeared to try to smile at her joke but failed. Instead, he sighed and shook his head. ‘Libs,’ he began, with a groan.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘You were already worried about your grandad and now this! I hope I haven’t completely ruined your lovely house.’

‘To hell with the house!’ snapped Ethan, before sinking down on the bed. ‘I don’t care about that! I care about you! When I think what might have happened if Ryan hadn’t seen the smoke…’ He ran a hand through his hair which was more black than blonde and a shower of sooty dust landed on the duvet cover. He tried to brush it off but ended up making it worse.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ she told him, reaching out to take his hand in hers. ‘I’m okay.’

He looked down at her hand, so pink compared to his, and squeezed it. ‘You so nearly weren’t okay though. I should have checked the batteries on that fire alarm. It’s my fault.’

‘It’s not,’ she told him. ‘Anyway, I’m alright. So shut up.’

‘Well, I’m not going to shut up,’ he told her. ‘I told you that you needed to ask for help.’

‘I don’t need any help,’ she said automatically.

This at least raised a small smile from him. ‘Sweetheart, you nearly burnt my house down,’ he reminded her.

She looked so sheepish suddenly that he burst out laughing.

‘Okay. So I have my faults,’ she told him.

He raised his eyebrows. ‘Am I allowed to list them?’ he drawled.

‘No. Not tonight.’ She sighed. ‘But yeah, maybe I can finally admit that I need help.’

‘Do you know what your problem is?’ he asked.

‘I’m sure you’re about to tell me,’ she said.

He shook his head and finally looked into her eyes. ‘You keep telling me that you’re fine. And don’t say that you are because tonight has proven spectacularly that you most definitely are not managing, are you?’

The tears welled up and made her eyes even more sore, but she didn’t care. ‘Nobody else can make the chocolate and we need the money, okay?’ she said, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks.