Having completed their exploration of the little courtyard area and making sure to stop to wave to the two girls selling the raffle tickets, they headed back out into the main ground of the ruined castle and continued their journey up the path of stalls, stopping every now and then for a closer look if one caught their eye but considering it very much a “first look” to get a sense of everything that was there and planning to come back and look in more detail at the stalls that interested them later. At the end of this row, back near where they had come in, they followed the path round into the space between the two rows of stalls which was easily as big as their school playing field and had been where the jousting had taken place at the Medieval event.

Here there were a lot more entertainers, spaced out carefully so as not to interfere with each other’s performances or distract each other’s audiences. In between these were more log cabin stalls but containing games rather than merchandise, such as coconut shies and hook-a-duck. The games were one pound each to play so Josh gave each of the girls ten pound coins and agreed to meet them back by the entrance to the courtyard in half an hour. Holding onto the bag from Santa’s photo cabin, the only things they had bought so far apart from the raffle tickets and the snacks while in the queue, although he was sure that was soon to chance, he went and found a bench to sit on from which he could enjoy some of the festive entertainment but also check in with Laura.

“Looks like they’re having a great time!” she exclaimed once they had greeted each other. He gave her a quick run-down of their activities so far, told her about the raffle, the hog-roast they would likely be revisiting once the girls were done with the games and the special Santa session the organisers had arranged last minute in response to the public demand. “Oh my!” she chuckled. “Well make sure you get lots of pictures from that! Try to get one with Sammie hugging Santa, showing her meat-stamp!”

“Will do!” Josh laughed, already able to imagine the scene. “So how’s your day going? Anything exciting been going on so far?”

“Well your parents finally replied!” she told him with that slightly exasperated tone she often had when discussing her in-laws. It was not that she did not get on with them, or even that she didn’t like them, they were actually quite close, but they did have a habit of making everything just a little harder than it needed to be, a habit that Josh was well aware of and never made any attempt to defend or excuse.

“They are coming, right?” he asked, knowing how sad Samantha would be if they declined the invitation.

“Oh yes, they’re coming.” she chuckled. “Apparently they had roast girl on one of their holidays not long ago, on the last night at the hotel, and they are quite keen to enjoy some more!”

“I’m sensing a but?” Josh asked hesitantly. “Are they not happy about it being Sam on the menu?”

“Oh no,” she assured him, “they’re just as besotted and indulgent as my parents in their own way and they want for her whatever is going to make her happy.”

“So what’s the issue?” he pressed. “They worried about the journey?”

“Well yeah, a bit,” she admitted, “they say they won’t be staying too late and they certainly won’t be sleeping over.”

“That’s fair.” Josh nodded, looking up to see if he could spot the girls and seeing that Samantha seemed to have won herself a big cuddly Christmas pudding while Amelia was holding a smaller but no less cute snowman.

“Their main concern was about missing the King’s speech!” she laughed. “William’s first, you know!”

“Is it now!” Josh chuckled. “So what did you tell them?”

“I don’t them they could sneak away from the dinner table and watch it on their phones if they really wanted,” she explained a little tartly, “but I strongly recommended they save it to watch on catch-up when they get home!”

“Good for you!” Josh couldn’t help but be amused at the thought of his wife telling his parents off, although it would certainly not have been the first time! “Well Sam will definitely be happy to hear they’re coming. So that’s everyone replied now?”

“It certainly is!” Laura grinned on the other end of the line. “And most people seem up for the sleep-over idea too! Can you find out from Aaron on Monday?”

“Of course!” Josh smiled. “I guess it will depend on his daughter, how comfortable she feels. But I will definitely find out.”

“Well I’m just heading out to the shops now,” Laura told him, “you go have fun! And don’t forget to get lots of pictures!”


To be continued...