Free 12 Days At Silver Bells House by Jennie Jones Page A

Kookaburra’s.’
    Kate glanced to her right, at the closed-up pub.
    â€˜Wouldn’t do you any harm to move into town,’ Grandy said.
    Kate laughed. The townspeople were quaint and inquisitive. Curious and cautionary. No way would Kate become number ninety. ‘Is there a quicker way back to Silver Bells House?’ she asked. ‘It took me almost two hours to walk here.’
    â€˜I imagine it did. I heard that your car’s wrecked. Apparently you were doing a hundred down All Seasons Road.’
    â€˜I was not,’ Kate said, aghast.
    â€˜And that you’d scared the wings off two dozen parrots, crashed through Ethan’s gate and let ten of his horses loose.’
    Kate sighed. ‘How do stories get out so fast anyway?’ she asked. ‘Nobody knows I’m here.’
    â€˜Jamie was in town earlier. Told me you were here.’
    Jamie had spoken of her? Kate wondered what he’d said. How he’d explained. Whether or not he’d described her.
    â€˜Since Ted and Mr Penman were around, all ears, I suppose that’s how the news spread,’ Grandy said.
    â€˜Spread? It’s like greased lightning.’
    â€˜So what does bring you to town?’
    â€˜A greedy scumbag, a quest to get something right inside me, and a shooting star.’ Kate smirked. Work that one out, Swallow’s Fall. Hang on. If they tried, God only knew what sort of stories they’d make up.
    Grandy said nothing but he placed his hands on the handle of his cane, as though he were waiting for Kate to say more. The old man had light and depth. Made Kate want to sit and talk to him. Maybe tell him her problems with Fat Jacques, The Decision and her dilemma about that quest to get something right. Tell him she’d lost her raison d’être . He might have some answers. She’d come to the country to get away from it all, desperate to find something or anything that would make her feel worthwhile in her own skin. Talk about torn. Talk about a messed up life. Talk about…
    â€˜Shooting star, huh?’ Grandy said, lifting his chin and gazing across the street as though he had some inner knowledge. ‘Now that’s what I call interesting.’
    â€˜Why?’ Kate asked, wanting to know why he’d said that. Did the man have second sight? Could he see into her future?
    â€˜Ask Jamie.’
    Jamie?
    â€˜Funny how Sammy forgot to tell you the house was no longer available for holiday lets, isn’t it?’
    â€˜Isn’t it?’ Kate agreed.
    â€˜And she’s normally such an organised woman, too. Makes you wonder what she’s up to.’
    No. Sammy wouldn’t have arranged this. Would she?
    â€˜Are you going to help us with the town’s decorations at the weekend?’ Grandy asked. ‘Feud should be settled by then.’
    â€˜I won’t, if you don’t mind,’ Kate said, taking her leg from beneath her bottom. Sitting on a hot wellie wasn’t pleasant. ‘I’m here to get away from all things Christmas.’
    â€˜Too much jolliness for you?’
    â€˜I’m turning a certain age and I’ve currently got nothing jolly going on.’
    â€˜So you’re here to review your life then, are you?’ he asked, then nodded, pursing his mouth in contemplation. ‘Good idea. Spit it out, chart it out and sort it out.’ He shifted on the bench. ‘Some people do the hardest things first.’
    â€˜Like what?’ Holy polony, the man must be a wizard.
    â€˜Like not making the list before they start throwing things out of their lives.’ He turned to look at her. ‘If you’ve got stuff going on in your life, and you’re not sure how to handle it, make your list and identify the things about yourself you disguise from others.’ He nodded, with a smile. ‘Got to see yourself, Katie, before you can be seen by others.’
    Hot dog! Bang on. Where did he get this