Read Christmas at the Castle for Free Online Page B

compared to me; it’s weird knowing so much about the writer you, but not the real you! Hope you don’t think I’m being too nosy?’
    Smiling, Charlie said, ‘Not at all. I’m single, child-free, and thirty.’ She drank the remainder of her coffee, ‘I tell you what, I’ll drive you back to the castle when you’re ready, save you getting a bus or a taxi. I’ll give you a potted history on the way if you’d like me to.’
    â€˜I’d love that. Thank you.’ Kit picked up her bag, before suddenly recalling her reason for being in Banchory in the first place. ‘I can’t, though. I’m supposed to be sweet-talking the local newspaper editor for Alice.’
    Rolling her eyes, Charlie said, ‘He’ll be fine. All you have to do is be polite, kind, and honest. Don’t demand stuff and he’ll do anything that’s good for the region. Demand and he’ll pretend you don’t exist.’
    â€˜And Alice always tends to demand?’
    â€˜It’s a technique that works well with the big papers in the cities, but local places need a lighter touch.’
    â€˜Will the same thing work with the bookshop guy? I’m supposed to sweet-talk him too.’
    â€˜Oh, John’s alright. You’ll like him.’
    â€˜Do you know him then?’
    â€˜A bit. He’s been very kind to me with book signings in the past.’
    Kit studied her new friend carefully. Suddenly she was sure Charlie wasn’t ducking out of the festival because she wanted to. ‘I don’t suppose I could persuade you to talk to John for me? Alice has landed me with heaps of other stuff to do already as well.’
    Charlie stared at her hands for a moment, ‘Alright. To say thanks for coming all this way to save the day. But I can’t promise it will work.’
    Filled with relief that Charlie had been right, Kit emerged from the newspaper’s office with a promise of a pre-festival report in the paper the following week, including a copy of the programme, and a reporter had been detailed to cover the opening and closing of the event itself.
    â€˜I take it from your relieved expression that it went well?’ Charlie asked as they walked to her car.
    â€˜He was lovely. I didn’t even have to turn on my inner Katrina Penny.’
    Charlie laughed. ‘I sometimes use Erin when I need to be braver, but it must be nice to have an erotic alter ego to take over when you need it – much feistier!’
    Kit laughed. ‘It can be very useful, although as I don’t write that way anymore, I’m finding channelling her sexy “don’t mess with me” attitude harder these days.’
    Pleased she had something positive to report to Alice after her first mission, Kit suddenly felt tired as she slid into the passenger seat of Charlie’s little Nissan Micra. ‘I thought you all drove 4x4s up here?’
    â€˜Only the people who live in the serious countryside have those – plus the people who think it’s cool to be seen to own them, of course.’
    Kit nodded. ‘Bit like in London then.’
    â€˜Almost exactly the same, but with prettier views.’ Charlie pulled out of the car park, and within minutes they’d left the town and were winding their way past woodland and the remains of an old railway line that was now a cycle path. Every now and then, Kit would catch a glimpse of the River Dee glistening through the trees on her right-hand side, while the treeline thickened to her left.
    Trying to distract her thoughts as she drove, hoping she didn’t bump into Cameron once they arrived at the castle, and had to go through the humiliation of him not having a clue who she was again, Charlie gave Kit the promised potted history of the castle.
    â€˜The land Crathes sits on was given as a gift to the Burnett of Leys family by Robert the Bruce in 1323.’
    â€˜That’s an impressive