Read Online Christmas at Lilac Cottage: (#1 White Cliff Bay) by Holly Martin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Holly Martin
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wasn’t sure why Jill still came round once or twice a week to clean for her when Jill blatantly didn’t need the money and Penny didn’t need the help, but it was an arrangement that just seemed to have stuck over the years. Penny was beyond grateful for the company and the unwavering friendship so she wasn’t going to stop her coming any time soon.
Penny poured out two mugs of tea and sat down to watch Jill finish off the bacon. She was one of the most glamorous people that Penny knew. Even today, faced with a load of dusting and vacuuming, Jill was dressed in a pale blue trouser suit that would be more suitable for a high society wedding than a spot of cleaning. She had a deep blue satin scarf tied round her neck and a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings that Penny knew to be real. She was wearing an apron over her clothes but this did nothing to detract from her effortless grace and beauty. With her brown hair cut into a sleek bob, she hadn’t aged a single day in all the time Penny had known her.
Jill placed a bacon sandwich in front of Penny and sat down opposite her to eat her own.
‘How are the new neighbours? Henry and Daisy, was it?’
‘Fine, they seem nice, but Daisy is Henry’s daughter not his wife…’
‘Oh.’ Jill took a bite of her sandwich and chewed it thoughtfully, staring at Penny the whole time. She swallowed. ‘And what is Henry like?’
Penny blushed. ‘He’s… very big and, erm…’ Hot as hell, grumpy but kind and very, very flirty. She couldn’t say any of those things but it didn’t seem she needed to as Jill was smiling into her mug of tea. ‘Daisy is very sweet, I really like her.’
There was a knock at the connecting door behind Penny and she heard it open. Jill’s eyes lit up, indicating that it was most likely Henry standing there and not Daisy.
Penny turned around and eyed Henry standing in the doorway. He’d at least had the decency to put on a t-shirt since the night before, which covered his tight boxer shorts, but he hadn’t put on any jeans to cover up his fabulous muscular thighs.
‘Hi, sorry to bother you ladies. Penny, I was wondering if I could have my robe back?’
‘Yes of course, it’s in my room, I’ll just get it.’
She ignored the look of surprise from Jill that Henry’s robe was in her bedroom as she stood up and quickly ran upstairs. When she returned a moment later, Henry was sitting down at the table talking to Jill as if he had known her for years. Jill had even made him a mug of tea.
Penny held out Henry’s robe and he took it but didn’t get up. He was sitting right next to where Penny had been sitting moments before so when she sat down to resume eating, her thigh brushed against his momentarily. His touch zapped through her before she shuffled a few inches away.
‘I see you two have met,’ Penny said, half frowning at the new cosy family breakfast and half loving it too.
‘Yes, Jill was just asking me if I was single,’ Henry smirked and then in a theatrical whisper, ‘I think she fancies me.’
Jill laughed. ‘Maybe if I was twenty years younger, but I have been very happily married to my Thomas for nearly twenty-five years now, so I don’t think I’ll be running off to have an illicit affair any time soon, despite how gorgeous you are.’
Henry smiled at Jill then transferred his smile to Penny. ‘Besides, I don’t think we can see each other anyway, Jill. I’ve got a date with Penny on Tuesday.’
Penny glanced over at Jill to see her smile widen into a full-blown grin.
‘It’s not a proper date,’ Penny explained.
‘Isn’t it?’ Henry asked, his eyes alight with amusement.
‘No, you’re just doing it to piss Jade off.’
‘That’s one of the reasons but it’s not the only reason.’
She stared at him, his eyes not wavering from her face.
There was a movement behind them and, as they both turned round to see Daisy, Henry purposefully moved away from Penny.
‘Can I smell bacon?’ Daisy
Penny poured out two mugs of tea and sat down to watch Jill finish off the bacon. She was one of the most glamorous people that Penny knew. Even today, faced with a load of dusting and vacuuming, Jill was dressed in a pale blue trouser suit that would be more suitable for a high society wedding than a spot of cleaning. She had a deep blue satin scarf tied round her neck and a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings that Penny knew to be real. She was wearing an apron over her clothes but this did nothing to detract from her effortless grace and beauty. With her brown hair cut into a sleek bob, she hadn’t aged a single day in all the time Penny had known her.
Jill placed a bacon sandwich in front of Penny and sat down opposite her to eat her own.
‘How are the new neighbours? Henry and Daisy, was it?’
‘Fine, they seem nice, but Daisy is Henry’s daughter not his wife…’
‘Oh.’ Jill took a bite of her sandwich and chewed it thoughtfully, staring at Penny the whole time. She swallowed. ‘And what is Henry like?’
Penny blushed. ‘He’s… very big and, erm…’ Hot as hell, grumpy but kind and very, very flirty. She couldn’t say any of those things but it didn’t seem she needed to as Jill was smiling into her mug of tea. ‘Daisy is very sweet, I really like her.’
There was a knock at the connecting door behind Penny and she heard it open. Jill’s eyes lit up, indicating that it was most likely Henry standing there and not Daisy.
Penny turned around and eyed Henry standing in the doorway. He’d at least had the decency to put on a t-shirt since the night before, which covered his tight boxer shorts, but he hadn’t put on any jeans to cover up his fabulous muscular thighs.
‘Hi, sorry to bother you ladies. Penny, I was wondering if I could have my robe back?’
‘Yes of course, it’s in my room, I’ll just get it.’
She ignored the look of surprise from Jill that Henry’s robe was in her bedroom as she stood up and quickly ran upstairs. When she returned a moment later, Henry was sitting down at the table talking to Jill as if he had known her for years. Jill had even made him a mug of tea.
Penny held out Henry’s robe and he took it but didn’t get up. He was sitting right next to where Penny had been sitting moments before so when she sat down to resume eating, her thigh brushed against his momentarily. His touch zapped through her before she shuffled a few inches away.
‘I see you two have met,’ Penny said, half frowning at the new cosy family breakfast and half loving it too.
‘Yes, Jill was just asking me if I was single,’ Henry smirked and then in a theatrical whisper, ‘I think she fancies me.’
Jill laughed. ‘Maybe if I was twenty years younger, but I have been very happily married to my Thomas for nearly twenty-five years now, so I don’t think I’ll be running off to have an illicit affair any time soon, despite how gorgeous you are.’
Henry smiled at Jill then transferred his smile to Penny. ‘Besides, I don’t think we can see each other anyway, Jill. I’ve got a date with Penny on Tuesday.’
Penny glanced over at Jill to see her smile widen into a full-blown grin.
‘It’s not a proper date,’ Penny explained.
‘Isn’t it?’ Henry asked, his eyes alight with amusement.
‘No, you’re just doing it to piss Jade off.’
‘That’s one of the reasons but it’s not the only reason.’
She stared at him, his eyes not wavering from her face.
There was a movement behind them and, as they both turned round to see Daisy, Henry purposefully moved away from Penny.
‘Can I smell bacon?’ Daisy
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