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Maisie lifted her fingers “Maybe just a little?”

“No, not even the tiniest a I quit So for a reply, she left the kitchen

“Poor Amelia,” Penelope said

“Oh, please,” Clara said, scrunching the paper bag in her hands “I have cleaned up her barf at least five times over the years This is just payback”

Maisie giggled “I better go check on her” She scooted out of the kitchen, and soon her footsteps could be heard thundering up the staircase

Penelope grabbed the bananas off the counter and hung them on the fruit basket, when Clara broke the silence “You seem to have a ith drunk people and entertain if you stick around”

Penelope’s mouth fell open before she sputtered, “I’m not…who said…I don’t knohy…”

Clara gave an easy s out at Darryl, who currently was getting a snowball in the gut “You were ripped away froed now, hasn’t it?”

Penelope searched for words, anything to try and declare that staying was the worst idea ever

But the words never came

Clara laughed softly, obviously liking Penelope speechlessness, before she strode away

“Didn’t you say that I had to make sure Christmas wasn’t full of drama this year?” Penelope called after her

“When have you ever listened to me?” Clara countered

Chapter Eight

Darkness faded away to light as Penelope peeled open her eyes It took her a moment to remember that she and Darryl had returned to Darryl’s place after dinner with her cousins She’d coether She recalled the two glasses of wine she ingested that apparently had given her enough liquid courage to rip Darryl’s clothes off the second they entered his house, and she’d very much remembered how he tasted when she took hi then pressed her up against the wall and gave her a asm