‘Nonsense,’ said Carmen. ‘It’s winter here for about nine months. It’s never Christmas. I’m sure there is lots we can do. Also, forty per cent of business is done at Christmastime.’
‘Do you think?’
‘So I heard.’ She looked around. ‘Sorry, do you live here?’
‘Upstairs mostly,’ said Mr McCredie. ‘This is where I come to read.’
‘It’s lovely,’ said Carmen. ‘Like a little cave.’
‘I know but I’ve wasted so much time here when I should have—’
‘It’ll be fine,’ said Carmen severely, trying to head off another flourish of tears. Oh, for goodness’ sake. ‘Everything is going to be fine.’
‘But you’re going to leave! I heard you talking to your friend.’
‘Well, you shouldn’t eavesdrop.’
He sniffed and nodded then looked up at her meekly.
‘I’ll stay till Christmas,’ she said finally. ‘And you need to let me do what I want and stop telling me not to go in the stacks or move anything.’
He swallowed.
‘I’ll try.’
‘Are you going to take us on any outings or anything?’ said Jack, bouncing his ball on the floor the next day, which happened to be a Sunday, meaning the shop was closed, even though Carmen thought closing the shop several Sundays before Christmas was a dumb idea.
‘Like where?’ said Carmen. The children had more or less given up on expecting much of her. She didn’t seem at all impressed by Pippa’s gold stars, she didn’t care about football and she didn’t seem to notice Phoebe at all. She wasn’t like Federico’s brother, their uncle Julio, who played in goal and held skipping ropes and tickled Phoebe even though she pretended to hate it and bought them two ice creams a day whenever he swung in. That was a fun uncle to have. Carmen, Pippa loudly told Skylar, was not a good auntie at all, and Skylar said very firmly not to forget that we always had to Be Kind? and Carmen didn’t have a goal in life? And was very sad? Which would have been fine had Carmen not been just coming out of the shower at the time, and had to dig her fingers into her hands to pretend she hadn’t heard. She and Sofia were still not speaking which was very annoying as there was a delicious-smelling venison stew on the burner and Carmen was starving.
‘Like what?’ said Carmen shortly.
‘Like the zoo?’
‘Zoos are cruel,’ said Carmen. ‘It’s just animals in prison.’
Jack sighed.
‘Well, I’m just BORED.’
‘You and me both, kid.’
She had a sudden thought.
‘Can you clean?’
‘What, like clean my room?’
‘I’M NOT CLEANING MY ROOM,’ said Phoebe, appearing as she did out of nowhere, the frowzy head crosspatch as ever. ‘IT’S MY ROOM.’
‘I don’t mean your rooms,’ said Carmen. They looked at her, still suspicious. ‘Do you want to come with me and clean out the bookshop?’
‘What’s in it for us?’
‘I can’t get my new dress dirty,’ said Pippa, fastidiously patting down the purple pinafore.
‘Why not?’ said Phoebe. ‘It’s horrible. You look like two plums stuck together.’
‘Be kind, Phoebe,’ said Pippa primly.
‘Will I get a broom?’ said Jack.