For a moment, there was nothing, and Sofia and Skylar breathed a sigh of relief. Then, there were pounding footsteps on the stairs.
‘Amazing,’ said Sofia. ‘They never hear me screaming my lungs out when it’s time to put their shoes on.’
‘ARE WE GOING TO EDINBURGH’S CHRISTMAS?!’
Jack looked cheery and excited; Phoebe suspicious, as if this was clearly a trick that couldn’t possibly be happening. Pippa was a couple of steps behind them, pretending she was above all this and was only down to supervise.
Sofia rolled her eyes.
‘You’ve done it now,’ she said.
‘I’ve done what now?’ said Carmen.
‘Please, Auntie Carmen! Please! Please take us! Will you take us?’
‘How much money do you have?’ said Sofia.
‘What, me?’ said Carmen, stung. ‘Enough.’
Sofia shook her head. ‘No, you don’t.’
‘We’ll pay! From our pocket money!’
The children were painfully begging now. Jack looked as if he might be about to throw himself writhing on the floor.
‘PLEASE just take me,’ said Phoebe desperately. ‘Skylar’s going to make me drink THAT STUFF.’
Skylar was making green juice and she smiled beatifically. ‘Because I want what’s best for you.’
‘You should drink it, Phoebe,’ said Pippa. ‘It’s very, very good for you.’
‘Please,’ said Phoebe.
‘But she can’t go if I can’t go!’ said Jack hotly. ‘How would that be fair? That wouldn’t be fair!’
Pippa sniffed.
‘Well, obviously I think it’s bad too, Mummy, but if they’re going to go I should probably go and make sure Phoebe doesn’t do any rides that are too scary for her.’
‘They’re not too scary for me!’
‘And that she doesn’t have too much candyfloss.’
‘They have candyfloss?!’ said Jack.
‘That stuff will kill you,’ said Skylar quickly.
‘It won’t!’ said Carmen. ‘Seriously, sis, how bad is it?’
‘I’ll send Skylar to pick you up at five.’
‘WE CAN GO?!’
The children’s eyes were wide.
‘For a little bit, seeing as your aunt is volunteering.’
‘Then you have your school concert rehearsal,’ said Skylar.
There was a collective groan.
‘Not much point in Phoebe going then,’ said Jack, sniggering. Phoebe would have kicked him but was worried Carmen might change her mind if she did.
It was loud. Very loud. There was screaming music, all different, on each ride, and every mulled wine stall and the many bars had live music. There were also doughnut stalls and candyfloss and fudge and everything was quite terrifying. Phoebe point-blank refused to go on the little train, which Carmen had rather liked the look of, because it was for babies, so Carmen ended up accompanying her on some terrifying thing that started off quite tame, then spun them round perpendicular to the ground, Phoebe pale white with fright, tears streaking down her cheeks. She had a full-blown meltdown when Carmen stalled at the rifle range （everything was indeed extortionately expensive） and there was a massive cacophonous row over who was making the Ferris wheel compartment wobble.
Which was a shame, as up there, next to the great dark Scott Monument, slowly lifting higher and higher, Carmen felt her own heart lift. The city, dark and exciting, full of light and people and movement, spread out at their feet with the lights of the fair, the great lit-up Christmas tree on the mount ahead, the twinkling stars, closer up here, the biting cold air and the feeling of Christmas right around the corner – two weeks to go now, as the children informed her daily, counting down every second.