Cathy Kelly 3-Book Collection 2: The House on Willow Street, The Honey Queen, Christmas Magic, plus bonus short story: The Perfect Holiday

To my darling husband, John, and our wonderful sons, Dylan and Murray. And the Puplets of Loveliness, Dinky, Licky, Scamp, who were there for all of it.

Contents

Cover (#u763daab0-3688-56ed-b52d-1bf9b2c5e0a5)

Title Page (#u6ad74c56-7b34-59b4-b6a3-481bc41f9606)

Copyright (#u406f048c-4584-55a9-99b7-d212cb60daba)

Dedication (#u1efc2e0f-fb0a-5aca-9cb0-f550918c0f62)

Prologue (#u504220fc-dffc-500c-ba1d-a5ee2d93fdc1)

Autumn (#u3706790e-9a14-5e77-b2ad-a7d6150d4442)

Chapter One (#uefdcf989-75ac-5114-95d9-7c8d3506b7d1)

Chapter Two (#u3166dcb9-6461-5860-85b9-77998dee235d)

Chapter Three (#u086f91f3-7b66-53e1-8004-b59c2ef3bddc)

Chapter Four (#u1e5237a8-1132-5983-bf89-7da061155c99)

Winter (#udaac36c0-4fbe-5e81-93b7-a2419d4951e2)

Chapter Five (#u8051657e-0bd3-5c48-a7ac-faecb6e1aab6)

Chapter Six (#u02b0c9b1-9405-5095-92c1-95c806881269)

Chapter Seven (#u683a893b-b7aa-51cf-bfc0-720c315094f6)

Chapter Eight (#u9a8df034-5788-5313-bcfe-a0d48d41e274)

Chapter Nine (#u6b5c80ca-b715-51b4-b268-4ca948604b2e)

Chapter Ten (#ucf3baf16-2726-58b3-b940-d5faa31850eb)

Chapter Eleven (#uda8b659a-d86c-5e99-a88c-1c17553499d9)

Chapter Twelve (#ub99830d8-b469-5f25-8751-85541b2ddb84)

Chapter Thirteen (#u141ee5f4-9ab0-5154-a0c1-ee17131de184)

Chapter Fourteen (#ueb1dd96e-c0a8-598c-898b-abcc94b2cfa8)

Chapter Fifteen (#uc7b6d113-70bf-5999-ab73-cde257b16f53)

Chapter Sixteen (#udf375494-2bff-5a6a-87c9-0aeff6e4024a)

Chapter Seventeen (#u06cf00b1-95d9-5aed-8556-ed14088c2d66)

Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Two (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Three (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Spring (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)

Prologue (#ulink_070aec3f-fb98-5e84-a1bc-7e274968c214)

Danae Rahill had long since learned that a postmistress’s job in a small town had a lot more to it than the ability to speedily process pensions or organize money transfers.

She’d run Avalon Post Office for fifteen years and she saw everything. It was impossible not to. Without wishing to, the extremely private Danae found herself the holder of many of the town’s secrets.

She saw money sent to the Misses McGinty’s brother in London, who’d gone there fifty years ago to make his fortune and was now living in a hostel.

‘The building work has dried up, you know,’ said one of the little Miss McGintys, her tiny papery hands finishing writing the address she knew by heart.

Danae was aware the hostel was one where Irish men went when the drinking got out of control and they needed a bed to sleep in.

‘It must be terrible for such a good man not to have a job any more,’ she said kindly.

Danae saw widower Mr Dineen post endless parcels and letters to his children around the world, but never heard of him getting on a plane to visit any of them.

She saw registered letters to solicitors, tear-stained funeral cards, wedding invitations and, on two occasions, sad, hastily written notes informing guests that the wedding was cancelled. She saw savings accounts fall to nothing with job losses and saw lonely people for whom collecting their pension was a rare chance to speak to another human being.

People felt safe confiding in Danae because it was well known that she would never discuss their personal details with anyone else. And she wasn’t married. There was no Mr Rahill to tell stories to at night in the cottage at the top of Willow Street. Danae was never seen in coffee shops gossiping with a gaggle of friends. She was, everyone in Avalon agreed, discreet.

She might gently enquire as to whether some plan or ambition had worked out or not, but equally she could tell without asking when the person wanted that last conversation forgotten entirely.

Danae was kindness personified.