Small Town Christmas (Some Very English Murders Book 6) by Issy Brooke Page B

her at the best of times, and even Penny felt under
scrutiny.
    Ginni’s eyes came to rest on
Penny. Penny squirmed but Ginni gave her a small smile before addressing the
group.
    “We’ve made a few changes to
the responsibilities of committee members,” she said. “I shall be overseeing
the health and safety role going forward.”
    Everyone looked at Penny and she sat up straight, fighting the
urge to slump into her seat and pull her scarf over her face. She already knew,
but it was unpleasant to have it announced in front of everyone else.
    “Now, we’re got something
wonderful to show you all. Shaun, will you help me with the reindeer, please,”
Ginni said, standing up and dragging everyone’s attention back to her.
    “Are we having an actual
reindeer?” Mary squealed in delight, clapping her pudgy hands together.
    But it was not to be. Ginni
and Shaun, the diminutive butcher, went to the back of the hall and disappeared
behind a screen. There was a scraping sound, and they emerged carrying an
enormous, life-size model of a reindeer.
    It looked to Penny as if it
had been woven from willow and then spray-painted white with added glitter and
sparkles. It looked amazing.
    “The pupils at The Acorns
have made it,” Ginni said as they placed it in the centre of the circle.
Everyone ooh’d and aah’d.
    Obviously Linda couldn’t let
a bunch of talented school children take the glory. She said, loudly,
interrupting the chorus of praise: “But is it flammable?”
    Ginni stared at Linda. “I am
sure that the school and the staff have taken all the necessary precautions.”
    “It will blow over.” Linda
got up and prowled around the sculpture, a sour look on her face. She prodded
it and it rocked.
    “We will weight it down from
the inside, once it’s in situ.”
     “I had thought we were
having a Nativity scene as the centrepiece,” Linda said. “My ladies’ circle has
nearly finished it. All that hard work can’t possibly go to waste. But that’s
the way of the world, I suppose. I should have expected to be pushed to one
side. I’m always overruled.”
    Penny nearly laughed out
loud at that.
    “Of course, as usual, the
Nativity scene will be central to the whole display,” Ginni said. She smiled
grimly. “The reindeer is going to be placed outside the grotto.”
    “That’s where the Nativity
scene needs to be.”
    “There is plenty of space
for both.”
    The two formidable women
faced off. Linda was wider, but Ginni was taller. Penny found it amusing that
these were the last two women in the country who still wore shoulder pads,
although at least Ginni’s went well with her tailored trouser suit. Linda was wearing
a cardigan with a butterfly motif picked out in sequins on it, and the addition
of shoulder pads under that was particularly inexplicable.
    Cath rose to her feet. Penny
tugged at her sleeve, but Cath pulled free and frowned back at her.
    “I want to see what they’ll
do,” Penny whispered.
    “Fight, probably.”
    “I’m putting money on Ginni.
A fiver says she wins.”
    “No, you are not,” Cath
hissed. “Stop it.” She turned to the two women in the Mexican standoff. “Ginni,
Linda, I am sure that there will be lots of space and don’t we have more to
organise right now? Ginni, that’s a marvellous reindeer. Linda, I remember your
Nativity scene from last year and we are all looking forward to seeing the
latest creation, I’m sure. Let’s sit down and move on with the meeting.”
    Both Ginni and Linda’s faces
showed the same thought process which ended with “…but she’s a police officer.”
    They both went to sit down
again.
    “Next on the agenda,” Ginni
said, pulling out a sheet of paper. “Next up … we still need a volunteer to be
the stand-in for Father Christmas.”
    Every person in the room
went from looking around, to staring fixedly at their hands. Penny could hear
the hum of frantic thoughts: not me not me not me.
    Jared had been sitting
quietly at the