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But what if he hadn’t? What if he was all alone, hungry, and outside in this dreadful winter weather?

What would he do?

‘But tomorrow’s Christmas Eve,’ she whispered

‘Very observant of you, madam,’ Henri said, crisply

‘But you run ferries on Christmas Eve?’ It wasn’t ideal, but if

it got them back to Claude …

‘One ferry,’ he corrected her ‘At 830 am’

‘Well, can you book us onto that one?’

‘Of course!’ This time, Daisy knew better than to let her spirits rise ‘Usually’

‘Usually,’ Daisy echoed ‘But not today’

‘But not today,’ Henri confir is very popular – and fully booked’

‘Is there a waiting list?’

‘A long one’

‘Can you put us on it?’

‘I suppose so,’ he agreed, grudgingly ‘But personally, I don’t think you stand a chance’

‘It’s Christmas,’ Daisy said ‘The season of miracles’

‘Forgive e? Unless you’re planning on walking on water, of course …’

‘Just put us on the list,’ Daisy snapped

Henri obliged, taking down her parents’ phone number in France – which Daisy fortunately had scrawled on the back of a receipt in her purse fro them if places became available on the ferry

‘Now, if I can be of no further assistance …’

‘I think we’re done here,’ Daisy agreed, but before she could step away, she heard Bella’s voice

‘Muet us on the ferry?’

‘No, she did not,’ Henri answered, before Daisy could find a gentle way to break the news to her daughter She scowled at hiue of Christmas tree needles somewhere very uncomfortable

Bella frowned, and shook her head ‘In that case, we need to get Find Claude up and running as soon as possible If we’re not going to be back tonight—’

‘Excuse me Find Claude?’ Henri asked

‘It’s a social ,’ Bella explained