A Christingle Christmas

By Elizabeth Mae Player

The last thing Beth expects to find in Cornwall is romance. Her Mum has taken a fall and ended up in hospital. With just three weeks to go before Christmas everything has been thrown into disarray and the plan to spend the holidays in Scotland with her sister now looks like an impossible dream. As a leading light in the local church Beth's Mum has a very detailed itinerary of activities and duties that she's involved with, running up to the festivities. Keen to fulfill all those obligations she suggests that Beth might be able to step into her shoes and help out a little. That little turns out to be quite a lot and Beth feels a just a tad miffed, until she meets the Vicar of St Piran's. Suddenly, singing in the choir, baking for the Christmas Bazaar and helping out at the Christingle festival don't seem to be quite the chore that she'd initially thought.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elizabeth Mae Player
• Release date: Nov 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005587413

Elizabeth Mae Player

BiographyTen years ago, once the children had flown the nest Elizabeth moved to the glorious county of Cornwall with her husband and now divides her time between dog grooming and writing. Her working life within education now seems a million miles away and she's loved the past few years writing short stories/plays for local radio and theatre. Carina UK published her first romantic short, and this year her first romantic thriller, Sun, Sea and Treachery. Also check out her Christmas romance, just in time for the festive season, A Christingle Christmas.

Book preview

A christingle Christmas

A Christmas Story From Cornwall

By Elizabeth Player

When I smiled saying that I’d see him later my heart sank. Mum had gone on about the new Vicar when he’d first arrived at St. Piran’s. I clearly hadn’t been paying attention. She’d failed to mention he looked like a Norse God, tall, very tall with shoulder length light brown hair, chocolate brown eyes and well… I could go on. But it seems every cloud has a great crack in it; Children, a wife and a cosy little life in Cornwall with his perfect family. Darn it! Even though my Norse God appered to be out of bounds, I could fantasize… a bit.

A Christingle Christmas

COPYRIGHT

A Christingle Christmas

Copyright © Elizabeth Player 2020

Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Cover Design by Elizabeth Player

A Christingle Christmas

The rain lashed down as I drove home from work on that dark December evening. At the traffic lights, I adjusted the radio station and Neil Diamond singing ‘love on the rocks’ burst out of the speakers. I left it on, the sentiment seemed apt given my current romantic situation or lack of. The usual forty-minute journey took almost an hour and I ran from my car to the apartment block as fast as my high heels would allow. With dripping hair and soggy shopping bags I opened my front door relieved to finally be in the warm and out of the winter night. I dumped all my bags in the middle of the kitchen floor and heard the central heating system gurgling away. That was a bonus, the timer had been playing up lately. When I opened the bathroom door the blast from the stainless-steel towel rail hit me like a wall of tropical heat. I’d always thought the big, ugly, elaborate rail better suited to a much larger space. However, that day, I welcomed the cloying heat as I hung my pure new wool coat on a wooden hanger and hooked it onto the shower rail over the bathtub. Within minutes my lovely green coat began to steam giving off the distinct odour of wet dog. I picked up a towel and began rubbing my hair vigorously. The flashing light on the answer machine caught my eye as I walked into my tiny lounge area and I pressed the play button. Kicking off my shoes I flopped down onto the sofa enjoying that luxurious feeling of being fully stretched out and off my feet. That didn’t last long. An unfamiliar voice pierced the silence,

Beth! Beth! Are you there love? Soon as you get in call me. This is Tina, your Mum’s next-door neighbour. Your Mum’s had an accident and she’s on her way to hospital.

My heart spiked and I began to imagine the absolute worst. With my mind spinning and my stomach in knots I immediately dialled the number that Tina had left. The ring ring seemed to last an eternity. Finally, she picked up and, in a voice, filled with panic I said,

It’s Beth. What’s happened to my Mum Tina?

Thank God you called. I’m just on my way to Treliske Hospital now. They took her about an hour ago by ambulance and. Tina was over seventy and under normal circumstances astute and on the ball but not today. She must have talked for a full minute before I interrupted her.

What’s happened Tina? There must have been enough of a plea in my voice to stop her from any further babbling.

She slipped at the bottom of the garden. Stan said the paving slabs are thick with moss and greasy looking. He’s going to fix that.

Did she break something? I asked.

"They’re not sure Beth, but her knee took the brunt of