The Magic of Christmas Read Online Free Page A

far-away look in her eyes. Her cheeks were pale and the skin beneath her eyes was shadowed, as if she wasn’t sleeping well. And she was far too quiet, as she so often was these days.
    Tension ripped through him.
    Could he have changed things? Could he have done things differently?
    â€˜Have you made a list? I’ve made my list.’Aggie danced on the spot, her hand curled tightly around the piece of paper she’d been clutching since he’d collected her from school. ‘It’s a bit long but I’vebeen good this year.’ She peeped cautiously up at her father. ‘Sort of…a lot of the time…’
    Christian lifted an eyebrow. ‘You mean, if I ignore the flooded bathroom, the fire in the kitchen and the ketchup stains on your bedroom carpet?’
    â€˜They were accidents .’
    â€˜I know they were accidents.’ And he’d been working. He shuddered when he thought how much worse the ‘accidents’ could have been. ‘It doesn’t matter, sweetheart.’
    â€˜It wasn’t exactly my fault, was it?’ Aggie frowned. ‘She should have been keeping an eye on me. Nanny TV.’
    â€˜Nanny asleep-on-the-sofa,’ Chloe murmured, and Christian felt the tension increase dramatically.
    Nanny TV. It was only after his daughters had started using that nickname that he’d realised just what the nanny had been doing all day. And it hadn’t been looking after his children.
    â€˜She’s gone,’ he said grimly, a flash of anger exploding through his body. ‘The new nanny starts tomorrow.’
    â€˜Another nanny?’ Aggie glanced at her sister. ‘What if she doesn’t like us?’
    â€˜Of course she’ll like you.’ Christian frowned. ‘All nannies like children. That’s why they’re nannies.’
    â€˜Nanny TV didn’t like children. She told me that I was more trouble than I was worth.’ Aggie smoothed her coat. ‘Do we have to have another nanny? We’re at school all day. Can’t we just come home with you in the evening?’
    Chloe shook her head. ‘You know we can’t do that. Daddy has to work. He has a very important job. He can’t always leave at the same time every day. And then there are the nights and the holidays and all the things to be done around the house, like picking up the clothes you drop everywhere.’
    Christian let out a long breath. ‘Chloe’s right, sweetheart. And, at the moment, my work is very busy.’ He didn’t even want to think about it. Even taking two hours off to take his daughters to see Father Christmas pricked at his conscience. His colleagues in the emergency department would be stretched to breaking point. But there was no way he was disappointing his children.
    They’d had the year from hell.
    He glanced at his watch again and then at the queue, which just didn’t seem to be moving.
    Aggie tilted her head to one side. ‘Are there lots of broken people at the moment?’
    Christian blinked at her description. ‘Yes—I suppose so. People have accidents—’
    â€˜And you stick them back together again.’Aggie gave an understanding smile. ‘I know. I know you’re very clever. And you need to work, otherwise we wouldn’t have any money. Would we have to go to the workhouse?’
    â€˜The workhouse?’
    â€˜We’re learning about it in history. In Victorian times poor children sometimes went into the workhouse. I hope we don’t do that. I really like our new house and I love my bedroom. Will we be able to unpack soon?’
    Christian opened his mouth and closed it again. Keeping up with the speed of his daughter’s conversation required a decent night’s sleep and he hadn’t had one of those for months. ‘We’re not poor, Aggie, and you won’t go into the workhouse. Workhouses were abolished a long time