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best seats in the house.’
    ‘I thought Holly got us those,’ said Maggie in amazement.
    ‘She’s an amateur,’ said Zoe jokingly. ‘Call Holly and let’s get this mission underway.’
    Maggie pulled out her phone and, with slightly shaking hands, dialed Holly’s number. She waited for her to answer.
    ‘Oh, Holly, I’ve left my coat behind at the hotel and its freezing. Could you possibly bring it to me? There’s also a note for Jack, if you can hand it to him on your way out? Thanks a million, Holly.’
    She put her phone away and made a face at Zoe. ‘Christ, I hope this works.’
    ‘You can ask him yourself when you’re inside,’ said Zoe, grabbing Maggie’s hand and pulling her through Security and up the aisle.
    ‘Where are we going?’ Maggie hissed to Zoe as a man in long, elaborate white robes came towards them.
    ‘How lovely to meet you, Ms Hall,’ the man gushed. ‘My wife is such a fan and I must admit I am also.’
    ‘Maggie, this is the archbishop, he’s going to let us sing up the back with the choir.’
    ‘Are you serious?’ Maggie spluttered.
    ‘Your manager said it was a dream of yours, and Christmas is all about miracles, isn’t it?’ He beamed and Maggie smiled in shock and embarrassment.
    ‘Okay then, let’s do this!’ she said excitedly.
    The archbishop walked them to the back of the church and out to an antechamber, where a woman handed them two white robes. ‘This is for the general choir, the boys wear the red ones,’ she explained to them. Maggie and Zoe pulled them over their heads and giggled at each other. Songbooks were pressed into their hands.
    ‘Just mouth the words if you don’t know the tune,’ said the woman. ‘The congregation will be very loud. They really get into the sprit of it all.’
    Zoe smoothed down her robe. ‘Okay. God, I’m nervous, Jesus, I have to stop taking the Lord’s name in vain.’
    ‘Yeah, you better or you’ll be smote with a huge bolt of lightening by the third carol,’ said Maggie as the choir began to assemble in their pews.
    ‘Smote, how do you even know that word?’ Zoe whispered.
    ‘I know lots of words you don’t know about,’ whispered Maggie in return.
    They had a perfect view of the church and the congregation and Maggie glanced to where Jack and Holly’s seats were. They were still empty, of course, but there were still a few other empty ones around. Then she saw Jack walk into the church.
    ‘He’s here,’ she said to Zoe. ‘How can he have got here before Holly?’
    They watched as he looked at his ticket and walked up the aisle and to the seats. He glanced around and then sat down, smoothing his hair down and adjusting his tie.
    ‘He’s nervous,’ whispered Zoe.
    ‘I thought Holly would be here first,’ said Maggie with a frown. The rest of the seats were filling up and more people stood around the outside and at the back.
    The organ started to play and the choirmaster motioned for the choir to stand.
    ‘She’s not coming, she knows it’s a set-up,’ whispered Maggie, eyes fixed on the empty seat next to Jack.
    Before Zoe could say anything, the choir burst into ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ and the rest of the congregation joined in with spirit. The sound was joyful and Maggie felt her eyes prick with tears at the sound and the energy in the church, and then she felt Zoe grab her hand.
    There was Holly, clutching Maggie’s coat, standing in the aisle, staring in shock at Jack. He reached out his hand and guided her to his side and, taking the coat, he placed it around her shoulders, opened the songbook and pointed at the page.
    Maggie thought she might burst from happiness at the sight. She decided that their tender awkwardness was the most beautiful sight she had seen since she had arrived in London. She wiped away a tear discreetly, then turned to Zoe, who was also dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
    ‘God, we’re hopeless,’ Zoe whispered as the last words of the hymn faded