Chapter 75: Kirstie's Christmas, Part 15

I poke my head around the kitchen door. James is there ahead of me at his workspace, be-aproned, sleeves rolled up on the Christmas sweater, trimming the rind from bacon.

At the table, Charlotte sits peeling carrots. Beside her, Mitch wraps bacon around sausages. Between them on a thick furry blanket, Cara burbles and blows bubbles.

"Can I help?" I say.

James looks up, smiling. "Absolutely you can help. You can peel the chestnuts for the stuffing."

I eye the contents of a bowl close by, already containing onions, breadcrumbs and judging by the smell, garlic. "Isn't that the stuffing?"

"Yes, it is, but since this is a special occasion and we have plenty of people here to eat the results, I thought we would have more than one kind. This is going to be sage and onion. Those are for the chestnut and cranberry." He waves across to a cupboard. "Aprons in there. Find something that fits."

As I tie the bow on my apron, "I see you have another helper already?"