The Twelve Nights of Christmas. Sarah Morgan

and opened her mouth but no sound came out.

      Without a flicker of expression on his face, Rio opened the door wider. ‘That’s it,’ he said pleasantly. ‘You can go now. And on your way out ask someone to come and remove this Christmas tree. While I’m staying here, I don’t want to know it’s Christmas. Am I understood? No baubles, no berries, no tree, no tinsel.’

      One by one, they shot past him and Tina paused, clearly panicking about her future. ‘What about Evelyn? She’s the cause of all this. She should be removed from the premises.’

      Rio, who had been rapidly formulating a backup strategy since ‘whiter than white’ had exploded into the ether, sent her a look that had her scurrying out of the door.

      Strolling back to the bathroom, he stared with brooding concentration at the closed door.

       Wholesome.

      The problem might just turn out to be the solution, he mused.

      ‘All right, Sleeping Beauty. I’ve slain your dragon. You can come out now.’