A Villain for Christmas (The Holyoake Christmas Series, Book 2)

Miming the Cues

Have you noticed that all chapters are titled with TV tropes and cinema terms? I might be showing off a tad, but I do hope it makes it more entertaining :)

Thank you for being patient with my irregular updates! The busiest time of the year for my work (I work in a company supplying childcare facilities, and it's the end of a budget year) is almost over. I've been struggling with the lack of time for writing - and it's such a relief to finally find a quiet hour (or two) for Billie and Eric <3

I hope you enjoy! 

Cheers,

K. xx

***

"I know you, Sybs," Phee said. "You've got the same face right now that you had when you sneaked into the Duck Pond Cottage to peek into the Holyoakes' library, got caught, and ended up having tea with the family because their Mum insisted." Phee giggled. "You look just as freaked out."

Billie groaned, pulled up her knees, and dropped her forehead on them.

"I think I might have gotten in a bit of an aggro," she muttered. She obviously wouldn't tell her sister everything, but maybe she could get a tinge of sympathy for her misadventures. "Ms. Roel has gotten me this temporary job in the Hall," Billie continued, "to help out some sort of film crew, and when I went to the library–"

"A film crew?!" Phee exclaimed. "What film crew?! Are they going to film something in Fleckney?! It's brilliant, Sybs! Tell me everything!"

There goes Billie's shoulder to cry on.

"I don't know, Phee," Billie grumbled. "I haven't checked the papers yet."

She nodded towards the folder on her desk, and Phee leaped to it, grabbed it, and shoved it into Billie's hands.

"C'mon, don't just sit there! Open, open, read! Tell me everything!"

Billie cringed. "Seriously, Phee, I've got a headache, and I want a shower."

"Oh, c'mon, Sy-y-ybs."

Billie sighed. She could never resist Phee's pout. No one could resist the youngest Harewicke. Or any Harewicke, for that matter. Well, except for Billie. Pretty much everyone finds resisting Billie is the hackneyed piece of cake.

"Well, OK, let's have a look." She sat up in the armchair and opened the folder. "I need to look through this for tomorrow anyroad. They're all coming tomorrow, and I'm supposed to be there, among the greeting committee, unrolling the red carpet, I assume," she added venomously.

Telling her sister that at least one of the thespians had already arrived at Fleckney would be unwise.

Billie flipped through the first few pages, and her gaze ran down the list of the guests.

"Oh..." she exhaled.

"What? What? What?!" Phee was bobbing on her spot on Billie's bed.

"The star of the film is going to be Archie Billingsley," Billie exhaled and slowly lifted her eyes at her sister. "That's what it says here. Archie Billingsley."

"Oh wow!" Phee pressed her hands over her mouth. "I mean, he's not my type, but that's big, Sybs! The Archie Billingsley! Didn't he just get an Oscar for that film about CIA operatives in Afghanistan?"

"I don't watch this sort of rubbish," Billie gave her usual haughty answer. "But he's not... bad. At least he's had an actual theatrical training, and he did plenty of stage work, and not just those ridiculous blockbusters. And he does a lot of charity work. And he's eloquent, and well-mannered, and he was... electrifying in Julius Caesar!"