A Winter's Wedding by Sharon Owens Read Free Book Online Page A

that you really ought to be working in a much better place than this. I know you said you were helping Sylvia out for a while, but I think you enjoy being here. You could probably have paid a carpenter to put up the shelves, after all.’
    ‘That’s amazing,’ Dylan breathed slowly. ‘It’s all true. I have three sisters. My parents are dairy farmers with a bit of land around Appleton. My surname is Shawcross, by the way. And I still play rugby back home with the village team. I’m the skipper. Anyway, you’re very clever.’
    ‘Thank you,’ Emily said, taking a little bow. ‘I told you we were a nosy bunch in Northern Ireland. I also feel duty-bound to tell you I was baptized a Catholic, but I’m not religious any more. And I have no interest in politics – they’re all as bad as each other in my book.’
    ‘Okay,’ he laughed. ‘And I’m C of E. And I did once vote Tory, but only because the local candidate promised to save our village post office.’
    ‘And did he?’
    ‘Yes, he did, to give the guy his dues. But then there was an armed robbery. The owner of the post office had a nervous breakdown and moved to Cyprus. And now the post office is a branch of Cath Kidston.’
    ‘Ah well, at least you’ll never be stuck for a floral tea towel. Listen, I hope you don’t think I’m neurotic mentioning religion like that? I just don’t care for labels, you see. And I like to get all that sort of thing over and done with, when I meet a new person. Otherwise I’ll only worry about saying the wrong thing. Or they might worry about saying the wrong thing to me. I’m pretty okay with most people – unless they’re about to stab me.’
    ‘Same here. So tell me about your family. Are you from a big Irish clan? Are there ten more of you back home – all girls, and all as gorgeous as you?’
    ‘I’m very flattered, but how dare you suggest I have ten siblings,’ Emily said mock-indignantly. ‘There haven’t been any really big Irish families since the 1940s. Believe it or not, we have heard of family planning these days. All those stories about cutting up flour sacks to make sheets were not an urban myth. I’m an only child, as it happens.’
    ‘Are you, really? How unusual. I don’t think I know very many only children.’
    ‘Well, that’s the situation. And I can’t do anything about it now, I’m afraid.’
    ‘It would have been nice to know there were some more girls like you in the world,’ he said gallantly. ‘You know, a few spares.’
    ‘Very funny,’ Emily said dryly. ‘They certainly are getting their money’s worth from whatever charm school they sent you to.’
    ‘I’m joking,’ Dylan laughed. ‘So what do your parents do for a living?’
    ‘They’re retired,’ Emily said quickly, helping herself to another broken biscuit.
    ‘I’m sorry. Did I speak out of turn?’ Dylan asked at once.
    ‘No, please don’t worry about it.’
    ‘Only they must be far too young to be retired, surely? You’re only, what, twenty-five?’
    ‘I wish I was twenty-five. I’m thirty!’
    ‘Well, you only look twenty-five to me. I’m thirty-two. It’s just that I really like you, Emily. And I’m just dying to know everything about you. I take it you went home to Belfast for the holidays?’
    Both Dylan and Emily were blushing furiously now. Dylan was wondering if he was coming on too strong to a girl he had just met. And how could Emily possibly tell Dylan she had spent Christmas Day on her own watching television, eating ready meals from M&S, and making ten phone calls to her parents that went unanswered?
    ‘Look, my parents are a bit eccentric, that’s all. Even by Belfast standards. And believe me, the acceptable standard for eccentricity is quite high over there.’
    ‘So tell me about them. Please?’
    ‘My mum left school at sixteen and worked in a sweet shop until she married my father when she was twenty. My dad worked for a bookmaker for a number of years, and after that he