Driving Home for Christmas

by Emma Hannigan

  A short time later, he was pushing open the door to go out of his apartment complex. He decided to take the car, and was surprised by how quickly he got to work. Still, he mused, if he got up at five each morning and made it in here for six, it’d probably be like this every day.

  Once he’d made a cup of coffee and settled at his desk his concentration went straight to the job in hand. By the time the rest of the building began to fill and lights flickered on across his floor he’d flown through a decent amount of work.

  ‘Did you sleep here?’ Clive asked, as he came through the door with wet hair.

  ‘Nah. I was awake at an ungodly hour so I decided to schlep straight in. Were you at the gym?’ he said, indicating his boss’s hair.

  ‘Yeah. We had that swim session, remember?’

  ‘Oh, damn!’ Joey said, bashing his head with the heel of his hand. ‘I totally forgot. How was it?’

  ‘Tough. That new trainer really knows his stuff. He was helpful, though. I’d say if we get a few months in with him before racing starts we’ll be in a much better position in the water.’

  ‘Sounds good. I’ll definitely be at the next one,’ Joey said. Irritation bubbled inside him. It was Sophia’s fault he’d missed this morning’s coaching. If she hadn’t been so bloody selfish he would’ve been up at his normal time and into his usual routine.

  When her name flashed up on the screen of his mobile phone at just after ten that morning he was sorely tempted not to answer. ‘Hello,’ he said evenly. He wasn’t going to sound snotty but he’d no intention of being all airy-fairy either.

  ‘Hi,’ she shouted, above the din of traffic in the background. ‘I’m just calling to remind you to get the money for Lanzarote, okay? I’ve been to the credit union to get mine.’

  ‘Right,’ was all he said.

  ‘See you later.’

  Joey was tapping his phone against his teeth when Jemima brought him a cup of coffee. ‘Would you like a toasted sambo or anything with it?’ she asked.

  ‘No, thanks,’ he said.

  ‘Everything okay? You look kind of odd.’

  ‘I’m fine, thanks, just deep in thought. Numbers whizzing around my brain, the usual.’ Even his secretary had noticed he was pissed off. Joey was aware that some men’s secretaries knew more about them than their wives did, but he shared Jemima with someone else and they had little contact other than general pleasantries.

  He and Sophia needed to sit down and figure out where their relationship was going. He’d a fair idea where he thought it should go, but he was interested to know what she was thinking.

  13

  O Christmas Tree

  Dear Maggie

  I will certainly send you another box of Tayto crisps. It’s no trouble at all. It gave Mrs Brennan in the post office something to talk about the last time. She’s terribly nosy but she means no harm. Still, I did point out that I was glad there was nothing personal in the box seeing as she’d gone ahead and opened it.

  Lainey loved her birthday present and I know she appreciated it. I’m sorry to hear she hasn’t been in touch. All I can say is that you still come up in conversation all the time. Just because they’re not talking to you doesn’t mean they don’t miss or love you.

  Joey is like a muscle with eyes. All he does is train and work. I know triathlon is the new golf these days, and he has to be seen to be in with the lads in his job, but he’s taken it all to extremes, Maggie. He was here with Sophia for the night the other week. Well, the girl was barely inside the house. She went off running and cycling for hours on end.

  She eats nothing but pasta. Of all the things in the world I could pick to eat non-stop pasta wouldn’t be it. I think it’s like rubber. But that’s just me. She turned her nose up at my stew. She acted like she’d been offered heroin when I produced a brown soda loaf from the oven. The worst part is that she’s diminishing poor Joey’s spirit. I don’t like to see the lad being treated like she treats him. The dogs get more attention than he does. They say love is blind. Well, if you ask me the poor boy should sign up for a Labrador and his own white stick. I wouldn’t mind if I felt she was worth it, but from what I can make out Joey would have more fun with a dead duck.

  There hasn’t been a sniff of Pippa. She was in New York with the girls and she’s been on the phone all right but we haven’t seen her for weeks. Holly tells me she’s got another new job. You know I told you she was doing promotions? Well, she’s now in Boutique Belle of all places. Maybe she’ll stay there a while. She always loved her fashion so perhaps this is the right job for her now. Please, God. No doubt she’ll be down when she gets herself into hot water again. If I know Pippa, that won’t be too far away.

  Lainey is off to see Michael Bublé at the weekend. Not for a date now, just the concert. Bridey from Moneystown went with her daughter last June twelve months. Sure you’ll remember her gaffing on about it. Said she felt like he was singing to her alone. Silly old bat, weren’t there forty thousand at it? Lainey’s going with her new friend from the job. She’s a great girl by all accounts. I’ll get a look at her soon enough. Seems Lainey’s bringing her to Huntersbrook for Christmas.

  Holly is getting the decorations out, and although she’s still excited, the sparkle’s missing this year, Maggie. I can’t help feeling there’s something she’s not telling me. She’s being very snappy with poor Paddy too. He was out the back barrowing the fresh straw down to the livery yard yesterday and she nearly tore the head off him for no reason.

  I could see he was trying to work out what he’d done wrong. If I’d known I’d have tipped him off afterwards but I’m as much in the dark as he is. Maybe it’s the change.

  There’s a Christmas market starting up in Delia’s field. Apparently there’ll be loads of homemade goods on the stalls. If you were here you could’ve had a pudding stall. There’s nothing like your Christmas puds.

  I’ll get going and post you the crisps. Let me know if there’s anything else you need. If I figure out what’s ailing Holly I’ll be sure to let you know.

  Bye for now,

  Sadie

  ‘Paddy!’ Holly called from inside the house. She’d been wandering around the rooms, shouting like a mad woman, for what felt like the entire morning looking for him. Normally by the second week in December the whole house would be decorated and ready for Christmas. This year little was getting done. Holly’s heart just wasn’t in it. She’d get up in the morning, full of great plans and intentions, and before she knew it, the day would end and she’d have achieved nothing. Her lacklustre mood was sapping her energy and stifling her creativity, and she hadn’t the faintest idea of what she could do about it.

  ‘Out here!’ he answered.

  ‘There you are!’ she barked. ‘I’ve a list of jobs I need doing. Can you get Scott to come and do a few hours with us today?’

  ‘I’ll give him a shout.’

  ‘Can you get the tree this morning? I feel like we’ve nothing ready,’ she said, irritated.

  ‘Yup, I’ll get hold of Scott. Sure if I’d chopped one down before now it’d only be dead by Christmas Day. They tend to smell like cat pee when they die off.’

  ‘Well, I’ll hardly let that happen,’ Holly said, moving back towards the house. ‘I have that special spray I use to keep the wreath fresh. I’ll put the tree in a bucket, which I’ll top up with water every day. I’ve managed to keep all the greenery alive for the last number of years and I reckon I’ll manage it again this year. Let me know when you’re going to get it because I want to come. I saw a good one while I was walking with the dogs the other day.’

  ‘Holly,’ Paddy said hesitantly.

  ‘What?’

  ‘What’s up?’

  ‘I think you know very well,’ she said. ‘There’s no point in harping on about it constantly. What will be will be, and there’s nothing we can do now.’

  ‘Why don’t you contact Maggie and see if she can help?’ he asked.

  ‘No.’ Holly’s ton
e was icy. ‘Mum made her position clear. Leave her out of this.’

  Holly had thought she knew her mother well, that Maggie would’ve done anything for her. She’d adored and lived for her grandchildren. Until she’d left them all without a backward glance. Well, if that was the way she wanted to play it, Holly would just have to accept it and do her best.

  While she waited for the men to help her get the Christmas tree, Holly decided to make a start on the main living room. This was where the presents would be opened on Christmas morning and where they’d play games, drink wine and relax before and after dinner. Holly adored the fireplace with the intricately carved marble and gold leaf, which mirrored the etching in the ceiling. Each year she decorated it so that it glistened and shone in the warm glow of the log fire.

  All her Christmas decorations were carefully boxed away at the end of each season and labelled so she could find them the following year. She knew Joey had taken everything out of the attic for her when he was last at home so it was just a matter of putting her hand on the right box.

  The familiarity of the red crate in which she’d always laid the swathes to surround the fireplace gave her a warm feeling inside. She peeled off the clingfilm that covered it (Paddy’s brainwave to keep the dust out), opened the lid and gazed at the contents.

  ‘Can I help at all?’ Sadie’s voice made her jump.

  ‘Good morning, Sadie. I didn’t know you were here. I’d love a hand, thank you.’

  ‘Oh, look! It’s the birds Maggie bought in Liberty of London many moons ago,’ Sadie said, getting choked up. ‘They cost a small fortune at the time, but she just had to have them.’ As they carefully unwrapped the tissue paper, Holly couldn’t hide her tears.

  ‘Oh, would you look at the two of us?’ Sadie said, laughing. ‘Getting all soft over a pile of fake birds and a box of pretend greenery. What are we like?’

  ‘I miss Mum terribly. It’s going to be so strange not having her here this Christmas. I still keep expecting her to walk in the door.’ Holly sniffed.

  ‘We all do. But once you have the usual decorations up, so much of her will still be with us. Let’s get these birds sorted for starters,’ Sadie said, practicality kicking in once more. ‘Why don’t you phone Maggie?’ she suggested.

  ‘We both know I’m not going to do that,’ Holly said firmly. ‘She made her choice when she abandoned us all.’

  As the main colour in the living room was sea green, Holly had always decorated to complement it. Sadie helped her attach the thick fuzzy artificial swag to the top of the mantelpiece. Once upon a time, they’d only used real foliage, but the central heating and indeed the fire meant it dried up and died far too quickly. Holly had gone to Dublin one year and invested in some good-quality artificial.

  ‘I’ll do the lights if you want to start attaching the birds?’ Holly suggested.

  ‘Right you are, love,’ Sadie said, and began to clip each little bird to a perch she deemed suitable.

  ‘Well, I’ll be damned!’ Holly said. ‘The lights are working! That’s nearly against the rules, isn’t it?’

  ‘It does seem a bit smooth.’ Sadie’s eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘Maybe they’ll blow up later on and give us all heart failure.’

  ‘Don’t say that!’ Holly laughed. Flinging the lights on top of the swag, she negotiated the wire until it reached the socket. ‘If Paddy were doing this he’d leave them strewn on top like that,’ she said. ‘He has a knack of making them look like he threw them from the doorway!’ she said. ‘I like to wind them carefully in and out of the branches so they look like they’re meant to be there.’

  Sadie continued to position the little birds. ‘Paddy’s argument is that none of this makes sense anyway. He’s forever saying he’s never seen a tree in the woods with pale green sparkly birds and twinkling lights attached to it.’ Sadie giggled.

  ‘Yes, he does say that,’ Holly said. ‘Men are very black and white about things, aren’t they? I can see his point but it’s lovely to use a bit of imagination every now and again. Instil a bit of magic in our often mundane existence.’ She felt more cheerful now. ‘And Paddy knows full well that if he does a shoddy job on the lights I’ll run him out of the place and let him off the hook.’

  ‘Ah, sure you can’t blame him for that,’ Sadie said diplomatically. ‘If he was elbowing you out of the way and wanting to do everything you’d be even crosser. He’s a good man, your Paddy.’

  ‘I know he is,’ Holly said pensively.

  ‘Any news from Joey and the girls?’ Sadie enquired.

  ‘Nothing,’ Holly said. ‘I’m glad Lainey’s getting out and about a bit. At times she makes me feel young, she’s so intense and strait-laced. Still, she seems to have found a good pal in this Jules girl. Did I tell you she’s joining us for Christmas?’

  ‘That’s good. I’ll be able to have a chat with her,’ Sadie said. ‘What about Joey and Sophia? Are they gracing us with their presence?’

  ‘I assume so,’ Holly said. ‘I haven’t heard anything to the contrary.’

  ‘It’s awfully cold in here, Holly. Did you not bother turning the heating on today?’ Sadie wondered.

  ‘I thought it was on the timer,’ Holly said. ‘I know Paddy turned the radiators off upstairs. We figured there was no point in heating empty bedrooms.’

  ‘Understandable,’ Sadie said, zipping up her fleece jacket. ‘Let me go and have a look at the heating controls.’

  As she went to the panel, which was in the kitchen, she met Paddy coming in the back door.

  ‘Is Holly ready to go for the tree?’ he asked. ‘Scott’s on the way now. What are you looking at there?’

  ‘The heating didn’t come on and it’s freezing. I’m just looking to see if the timer switch was changed by mistake,’ Sadie explained.

  ‘I’ll check for you,’ Paddy said, and Sadie went to give Holly a shout.

  ‘That’s odd,’ he said, as the women joined him in the kitchen. ‘The heating should be on. I’ll go and dip the oil tank. Ready to get this tree?’ he said to Holly.

  ‘Certainly am,’ she said. ‘Sadie and I have nearly finished the fireplace. It’s like a scene from Fairy Land!’

  ‘Meet me out the back, will you?’ Paddy said, going on ahead.

  ‘Right you are.’

  Holly found a hat and her jacket, then wound a scarf around her neck. ‘Are you staying here, Sadie?’ she asked.

  ‘Indeed I am. Whatever about decorating the tree, I’m not hiking up those freezing fields, thank you very much.’

  By the time Holly joined Paddy he’d climbed up the ladder on the side of the big old oil tank and dipped a stick inside. ‘We’re out of oil,’ he concluded. ‘I’ll get on to the oil company immediately before we head out and see if they can come today.’

  ‘No!’ Holly yelped.

  ‘What do you mean, no?’ Paddy asked, concerned. He climbed down the ladder and put a hand on her arm. ‘What’s going on, Holly?’

  ‘We can’t afford to fill the tank,’ she said simply. ‘We’re broke.’

  ‘What?’ Paddy whispered. ‘I knew things were bad, especially seeing as Jacob next door has had to stop renting the fields and we’ve lost two livery horses in the last month, but I didn’t think we were in quite such dire straits,’ he said, pulling her towards him. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? We’ll be all right, though, won’t we?’

  ‘Quite honestly, Paddy, I don’t know.’ She sighed heavily.

  She’d always controlled the purse strings. Paddy did more than his fair share of chores. He brought plenty of business their way, too, by engaging with farmers and working the land. But he’d never entered into the finances of Huntersbrook House. That had been Maggie’s affair. Now it was Holly’s.

  ‘Oh, Holly, I’d noticed a change in you over the last while. But I put it down to Maggie’s departure or women’s troubles.’ They stood holding one another for what felt like the longest time. ‘We need to have a serious talk,’ Paddy said finally.<
br />
  ‘I know we do,’ Holly said, rubbing her temples. ‘Not right now, though. I’ll go inside and order a quarter-tank of oil. We should be able to cover that. Then let’s just go ahead and get the tree.’

  ‘Whatever you say, love.’ Paddy kissed her tenderly.

  Ever since the fateful day when Paddy had lain injured on the hunting field and Holly had brought him back to Huntersbrook, nearly thirty-two years ago, Paddy had been the man of the house. He could run the farming end of things with his eyes shut. He did the lion’s share of the maintenance and was a loving husband and father, but he wasn’t a number-cruncher.

  They’d had their fair share of ups and downs over the years and managed to come out relatively unscathed. But this time, Holly thought, their financial situation was on a different level altogether. It was so bleak she couldn’t see any way they could dig their way out.

  She’d always adored Paddy. She’d never questioned their relationship. She’d accepted their roles within the marriage. Now, for the first time ever, she wished he had the capacity to click into businessman mode. She longed for him to take her in his arms and tell her to stop worrying about the future. That he had a cunning plan to save Huntersbrook from ruin. But that wasn’t going to happen.

  Kicking off her boots, she went into the kitchen feeling more defeated than she’d ever thought possible.

  ‘Did you forget something?’ Sadie asked.

  ‘No, I just need to make a phone call,’ Holly answered. She loved Sadie, but the last thing she wanted was for the older woman to know what was happening. She didn’t want anyone to know. Not yet, at least. If they could have one more Christmas at Huntersbrook when everyone was happy and blissfully unaware of what might lie ahead, that was good enough for Holly.

  Ducking into the small study at the front of the house, Holly called the oil company and asked for a leaner order than usual.

  Both she and Paddy were glad of the commotion the dogs were making as she went back outside to the jeep. ‘All right, Jess and Millie,’ she said. ‘Take it easy now. In you hop.’ She opened the back door and let them jump in, with much hysterical tail wagging and licking.