Chapter 9: The Most Dangerous Time of the Year

As Louisa returned home with James and Mary, she could see Agatha Higgins waiting on the stone terrace.

"Good morning, Agatha. I'm afraid the surgery isn't open till after Christmas now."

"Oh no, I've come to see you, official parish council business."

"Oh right, okay, of course," Louisa said, pulling the baby buggy up the steps and wondering what this was about.

Inside the house, she took off her coat and settled the children, then offered her visitor some tea.

Agatha was pale and blonde, middle aged and officious, with watery blue eyes and a perpetually slightly anxious look. "Oh no thank you," she said. "I understand you're planning a lantern parade this evening."

"It's a bit last minute, but it's all coming together, touch wood." Louisa jokingly touched her head and knocked on the kitchen table.

"How wonderful," Agatha chuckled. "Although, you know the rules. You haven't lodged your event notification form with the council, 60 days prior to the event, and had it ratified."

Louisa shrugged. "No, I thought it's just a few people walking down the street."

"A few people walking down the street is a bit like saying a rock concert is a few people in a field," Agatha reprimanded her.

"Look, James is really looking forward to this. I know the village feels the same, and it really will be just a few people with lanterns."

At that moment, Martin and Janice came in and Louisa introduced the visitor. "This is Agatha, she's with the parish council."

"Apologies if I look a little flustered," Janice said. "I've just been attacked by some birds."

"Oh my!" Agatha was shocked.

"It was nothing," Martin assured her, leaving them to check his messages.

"Oh sure," Janice retorted sarcastically. "Lose one eye get another."

Agatha was genuinely disturbed. "That must have been horrible, those awful things with their mean little beaks and lifeless black eyes."

"I know!" Janice agreed.

Louisa tried to placate them both. "Thankfully Janice survived. I know she's really looking forward to the parade as well."

"Oh, I'm not really that bothered," Janice said, but seeing Louisa eyeing her, added, "but yes, very much so."

"Janice, can you go check on Mary please?" Louisa needed to get the conversation with Agatha back on track. "Is there any way we can get the event signed off by this evening?"

However, Agatha was clearly still disturbed. "This isn't about paperwork, this is about the safety of the village during the most dangerous time of the year."

Louisa had to wonder what Christmas must have been like for her as a kid. "Oh, I'm not sure Christmas is that dangerous."

"Oh really?" Agatha would not be deterred. "Overeating, people drinking too much alcohol."

"I suppose there is a little bit of that, yeah."

"And there's injuries from putting up decorations, injuries from taking them down, candles, fires, indigestion, food poisoning, allergies, choking, slipping on snow, slipping on ice." Agatha was just getting warmed up when Martin came back in the kitchen, clearly agreeing with her to Louisa's dismay.

"Ever seen a Christmas tree catch alight?" he chimed in. "I don't know why people have them in their homes, they're incendiary devices."

Agatha looked shocked that she hadn't even thought of that.

"And don't forget batteries," Martin continued, "which children seem to swallow all day long during the Christmas holidays, and leaking a corrosive acid into their stomachs and destroying its lining. They're quite lethal." He took his box of medical supplies and went into the hall toward his office.

"I did forget them, thank you doctor!" Agatha called after him.

"Yes, thank you Martin," Louisa said, trying to tone down her sarcasm. She turned back to Agatha. "You know, we've got a meeting now about the parade. Why don't you come along and see that there's nothing to worry about."

Agatha considered this. "I suppose I could."

Martin came back into the kitchen to put something away. "Great. Martin, try and speak to James, make sure that he's okay," Louisa said, then to Agatha, "come along, we should get going."

To be continued…