Juliet needed some fresh air. The sun was still shining and it was so much warmer, yet Cinnamon was still curled up in front of the Aga where she'd gone as soon as the family went into the kitchen for lunch.

'I'm taking Cinnamon for a walk. Do you want anything from the shop, Mum?'

'No thank you, sweetheart. You got everything we needed yesterday.'

'D'you want some company?' Zoe looked up from the magazine she was reading and smiled.

'That'd be nice.'

They grabbed their coats from the hall and walked out into the sunshine on Mistletoe Row, both of them turning to look up at The Grange. They glanced at one another and laughed.

'God. We're so predictable,' Zoe said. 'I knew you'd do that, and then I go and do the same.' She shook her head and sighed. 'So much for me being over it.'

'I'm not sure any of us will ever be over leaving there. It was a part of who we are. It's been in the Bell family for centuries. Not that exact house, of course, but parts of it. Do you remember the old photos and paintings hanging on the walls in the Gallery? The ones of the house throughout the centuries, not the paintings of our ancestors, I mean.'

Zoe shook her head. 'Not really. But I've seen all the photos Mum and Dad took before we left. It must've felt awful for Dad, leaving all those paintings behind. It's a bit like us moving out of the cottage now and leaving our photo albums and digital photos for the new owners. It's weird, isn't it?'

'Not as weird as it must be for the Bows to have to walk around and look at them. Are they still there, I wonder? I mean, perhaps that old git sold them all. Or put them in storage. Or gave them away.'

'Don't get upset. Your voice was rising with each sentence. They're all still there.'

Juliet stopped and looked Zoe in the eyes. 'Are they? How do you know? Oh. I suppose Daphne told Mum, didn't she? They're quite friendly, aren't they?'

'Yes. She pops in for tea sometimes. She's invited Mum up to The Grange, but of course Mum says no. Not because it would upset her, although I think it might in spite of everything they said today. She doesn't go because if old Bow found out she was there, he'd probably sack Daphne on the spot.' Zoe bit her lower lip. 'But I know nothing's changed at the house, well nothing much anyway because Luke told me it hadn't. He said if I walked back in there tomorrow, it would be as if I'd never left. He's said I could go, if I want, but I've always said no because if it is still the same, that would make it feel weird and it'd bring it all back again.'

Juliet sighed. 'I'd love to see the place again. Even if it did break my heart to do so.'

'I thought your heart was still broken from all those years ago? Sorry. Bad joke.'

'It is. Or it was. Now I don't know what to feel. What Mum and Dad said today was a real surprise. I had no idea Dad had been thinking of selling for over a year, did you? Oh, sorry, of course you didn't. You were five. The only thing that interested you were your Barbie dolls.'

'Yeah. I had a big crush on Ken. I don't think I've ever got over it.'

'Oh very funny.' Juliet gave Zoe a playful shove. 'Seriously though. What Mum and Dad said does sort of change things a bit. All these years I've been blaming myself – and Harrison, and it turns out it was nothing to do with either of us.'

'Yep. And just think. All of this heartache could so easily have been resolved, if only we were the sort of family who told each other things. And gave other people a chance to explain. Or even to say hello, before jumping into a car and slouching behind the seats like a child.'

Juliet tutted. 'I suppose that's a dig at me for this morning, isn't it? But come on. In twenty years, has he ever tried to explain? Or even tried to write to me? Or, since the popularity of social media, tried to find me on there and send me a friend request? Or anything, in fact?'

Zoe tipped her head from side to side. She often did that when she was thinking and Juliet smiled at her, now really glad to be home and with her family.

'No. You're right. He's never made the slightest effort to explain. Or to try to be friends. But have you ever wondered if there might be a reason for that? Apart from the obvious one of you snapping his head off the moment he came near, of course.'

'Like what?'

'I don't know. I'm just saying. You've said you thought you and he both fell in love at first sight but that you then discovered he was a liar, et cetera and you told him to get lost, and to never darken your door again. Or something along those lines.'

'Yeah. So?'

'So. Maybe that just proves he's the perfect gentleman. That he's noble and kind. Or something. What I'm saying is, perhaps he was simply doing what you told him to. What he thought you wanted. And that's why he's stayed away. Perhaps the guy's too bloody nice and moral and stuff like that. Even though his own heart is broken, he'll die before he hurts you again. You know, like a real knight in shining armour. Perhaps he's your Romeo, and he'll die for you.'

'I think you need to reread your Shakespeare, Zoe. That's not quite the plot. Romeo drinks the poison because he thinks Juliet's dead and he can't live without her. Then she wakes up, sees he's dead, goes on a bit about how unfair life is and all that stuff, then stabs herself because she can't bear life without him either.'

'Whatever. Hmm. Shakespeare in three sentences. I like it. Perhaps we should put on a Christmas play. The Bells do Shakespeare. What do you think?'

'That you need to get a life.'

'Hey. Look who's talking.' Zoe bent down and picked up a handful of snow.

Juliet pointed a finger at her. 'Put that down right now. I mean it, Zoe. Don't even think about it. Oww!'

The snowball hit Juliet in the centre of her chest and Zoe roared with laughter, while Cinnamon barked and jumped around in little circles, kicking up showers of melting snow. Almost as if the dog was joining Zoe in a victory dance.

'Right. You asked for it.'

Juliet let go of Cinnamon's lead and shovelled up snow with her gloved hands. Zoe hurriedly did the same and snowballs careered back and forth for several minutes, some of which hit Cinnamon, who whimpered, ran away and then came pelting towards them, knocking each of them flying, in turn. Juliet and Zoe lay on the snow, both curled up with laughter.

'I think Cinnamon won.' A man's voice said.

Juliet sat bolt upright and looked directly up at Luke Bow, standing just a few metres away. Panic set in immediately and her eyes searched frantically for his brother. Thankfully, Harrison was nowhere to be seen.

'Cinnamon cheated,' Zoe said, sitting upright too and stretching out her hands towards Luke.

To Juliet's surprise, he rushed to Zoe to help her up, before offering a hand to Juliet. She hesitated for a second but saw the look on Zoe's face, and gave in.

'Thank you, Luke,' she said, brushing snow from her coat and grabbing Cinnamon's lead as it dragged by her feet.

'Anytime,' he replied. 'Er. And maybe now would be a good time to tell you how sorry I am about your wing mirror. Did Zoe tell you I'll happily pay for any damage?'

Juliet nodded. 'She did. Thank you. But to be honest, there isn't much. Just a scratch or two, and considering how many other scratches there are on my car, one or two more won't make much difference. I was worried the glass might be broken, but thankfully it wasn't.'

'Harrison gave me a real bollocking last night when I told him I'd hit someone's wing mirror, and when he found out this morning that it was your car – Whew! I thought I was dead meat. Listen. If you don't want me to pay for it, what else can I do to make amends?'

Juliet shook her head. 'There's no need.'

Luke laughed. 'Oh yes there is. Big bro says so.'

'You could let her skate on the lake,' Zoe said.

Luke glanced from Juliet to Zoe and back again. 'The lake? The one in the grounds?'

Zoe tutted. 'No. The one in Hyde Park. Of course the one in the grounds, genius.'

'Okay. No need to get all high and mighty. Juliet can skate on the lake whenever she wants. So can you.'

'Thanks. But I'm not a skater.'

'And thank you,' Juliet added. 'But I'm not sure your grandad would approve.'

'Who cares what he thinks? Besides, Harrison as good as runs the place these days, albeit from afar. And he'd be more than happy for you to do anything you want on the lake. Hey, Zoe. I can teach you if you want. I'm not very good though.'

'If I wanted someone to teach me, I'd ask Juliet. She's brilliant.'

Juliet laughed. 'Maybe when I was younger, but I haven't skated much since ... well, not for years. I'd probably spend more time on my backside than my blades.'

'Now's the time to find out,' Zoe said. 'What about tomorrow morning? Around ten, let's say.'

Luke shrugged. 'Sounds good to me. Tell you what. Why don't we all go?'

'No!' Zoe shot a look at Juliet before smiling at Luke. 'I think Juliet would prefer to be alone, wouldn't you?'

Juliet looked from her sister to Luke and back again. She longed to skate on the lake once more. That was one of the things she had missed. She'd skated on rinks in Bristol once or twice but it wasn't the same. Nowhere near. There was something about the lake at The Grange that was magical. It was large, for one thing. And it was sheltered by trees on two sides – the wood, and a small apple orchard, which would be filled with mistletoe at this time of year, just like the orchards either side of Mistletythe Lane. To feel the cold wind in her hair as she skated on the lake, after all these years, would be a dream come true.

 'If I were to take you up on the offer then yes, I'd rather skate alone. At least, for a little while.'

'Fine by me. I'll tell Daphne you'll be there. Just in case she looks out and thinks someone is trespassing. Not that you would be. But Grandfather is hot on that sort of thing and if Daphne knows you're there, it'll mean she can keep him at bay.'

'Oh. I don't want to cause any trouble.'

Luke smiled warmly. 'You won't be, I assure you. Far from it.'

'And Harrison?'

'What about him?'

'He may very well object.'

'Nah. Besides, I won't tell him. He's got Kiki with him so they'll be pretty busy anyway.'

That was not what Juliet wanted to hear. She could easily imagine how busy the man would be. And who could blame him? Kiki was the most beautiful woman in the world, after all. With a figure to match, from the brief look Juliet got of her that morning.

Not that she was jealous or anything.

Damn the woman.