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There had been one s the horsehair friendship bracelet on her wrist She’d found it when she’d been foraging in the attic for Christmas decorations Chico had made it for her She should throw it away, but as she turned it round and round she rely woven it for her so she would never forget hi a rueful smile

Shaking her head with regret at the way things had turned out, she slipped the bracelet into the pocket of her jeans, intending to throw it in the bin when she got downstairs She was halfway down the stairs when she heard a knock at the door

Her heart soared and plu to realise that Chico was in Brazil, and that he had no intention of travelling to Scotland?

Annie answered the door, and when Annie started giving orders in a confident voice as if she knew their visitors Lizzie took that as her cue to go downstairs

She was just in time to witness a second hillies fro it in the hall It touched her to think they had rerandhts for you,’ one of the ghillies said, bea smiles at Lizzie as she continued on downstairs

‘And decorations,’ Annie reive you a nice cup of tea, and a piece of my freshly baked cake–with your permission, Miss Lizzie’

‘Of course’ Lizzie couldn’t stop sht that she would soon come to believe in miracles at this rate

Keep that thought, she reflected tensely as someone else knocked at the door

But it was the local fars

‘I’m afraid I can’t pay you,’ Lizzie admitted with embarrassment

‘Please don’t insult me,’ the farift to you and to everyone orks here’

‘I hope you’ll join us here to celebrate oodbye?’

‘We’ll never say goodbye to your grandruffly, and while Lizzie was still taking this in, Annie reest miracle of all

‘Did Hamish tell you about the new ponies, Lizzie?’

Lizzie frowned ‘No What new ponies?’

‘Your grandmother called in a favour from a friend of hers ns a stud She wanted it to be a surprise for you Ha after them in the far field Well out of the way,’ Annie added with a suspiciously innocent look

‘No wonder I haven’t seen them,’ Lizzie said with a sdean could survive after all The ponies were a last gift froift at that, if she could find some way to keep them

‘Chin up, Miss Lizzie,’ the farmer said on his way out of the door

Her chin was definitely up, Lizzie concluded How could it not be with such an abundance of miracles?

The generosity of everyone in the village was the best tribute her grand The baker’s boy carried in a tray loaded with more bread and cake than an army could eat, and finally the florist called round with several buckets of flowers ‘Left over fro Christmas order,’ she explained ‘They’ll only die if you don’t take them’

‘Well, if you’re sure?’ They looked very fresh to Lizzie

‘I’randood friend to me’

And that wasn’t the end of it, and one of the s froo to waste,’ the head ranger told Lizzie as he supervised the unloading ‘A big place like this takes soine’

‘Yes, it does,’ Lizzie confir for the first tirandood people If they all pulled together, who knehat they could achieve?

‘Your grandmother was much loved,’ Annie confirmed ‘She did so many little acts of kindness that people want to repay her now’

This was borne out by a steady streahout that day, carrying an assorth to the kitchen