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‘Come on, Toby, wake up!’ Charlie dived on his older brother to help rouse him properly. ‘He’s been!’
‘What?’ Toby murmured tiredly.
‘He’s been. Father Christmas has been!’
Toby leapt out of bed – it was actually Charlie’s. He’d let Toby use it on his first night in the house. Charlie hadn’t wanted to sleep next door, so his father had brought in a mattress to put beside Toby.
‘Look! Look!’ Charlie said as he pointed at the fireplace. Above it hung two bright, red stockings. Another two were on the floor. The twins were pulling out their contents with glee and chattering to one another. A bounty of small gifts spilled around them.
‘There’s one for me?’
‘Of course there is. He never misses a good child.’
‘But how did he manage it so fast? We only saw him last night.’
‘
