by Heidi Swain
As far as Jamie was concerned, these days he and Archie were poles apart, but I wasn’t so sure.
‘He’s more interested in designer this and labelled that,’ he went on, picking up the pace again and slipping in the snow a little in the process.
‘Are you sure that isn’t just Elise’s influence you’re talking about?’ I called after him. ‘I reckon she’s the one pulling his strings and the one responsible for the changes in him. If he was left to work things out for himself, I think your brother might even come on board with the charity idea.’
Jamie looked back at me and shook his head. Clearly he thought I was barking up completely the wrong tree.
‘Come on,’ he said, ‘we’ve still got loads of stuff to do.’
He wasn’t wrong. I still had to make the trip to town.
‘Can I take the Land Rover out this morning?’ I asked when I caught him up. ‘I need to go to town and don’t think I fancy making the trip in my little Fiat.’
‘I’ll run you in if you like,’ Jamie offered.
‘No,’ I said, perhaps a little too quickly as I thought of the promise I’d made to keep the bracelet-mending a secret for Angus. ‘Thank you,’ I added, ‘but I can manage.’
‘You aren’t planning to meet your hunky fireman again, are you?’ Jamie asked, sounding a little sulky. ‘I don’t think I can give you permission to take a Wynthorpe vehicle if you’re planning a romantic liaison with another man.’
He wasn’t doing a very good job of trying to make out he didn’t care.
‘No,’ I told him. ‘I’ve no liaison planned, romantic or otherwise.’
‘That’s all right then,’ he said, stopping dead so I ran into him.
He caught me in his arms and lifted my chin so he could look down at me.
‘Your nose is as red as Rudolph’s,’ he smiled as he quickly lowered his mouth to mine.
The fireworks the warmth of his lips set off in my system cancelled out the cold and it was a struggle to pull myself away.
‘You shouldn’t have done that,’ I told him.
‘I know,’ he said, looking far from ashamed. ‘I know. I just can’t help myself.’
We walked back to the hall in silence and I found Elise hanging about in the corridor when I went up to get changed.
‘Everything all right?’ I asked when I caught up with her just a few steps from my bedroom door.
I had no idea what she had been up to, but whatever it was it certainly made her turn a shade pinker when she realised she’d been spotted.
‘Not really,’ she sniffed, her eyes filling with tears, which I couldn’t help wondering if she could summon on command. ‘I still can’t find Suki and I’m worried she’s going to get outside. She’s far too delicate to survive for long out in the snow.’
She was right about that – the tiny little thing wouldn’t stand a chance out in the chilly air.
‘I shouldn’t worry,’ I said, trying to rally her and set her mind at rest. ‘I’m sure she and Floss will turn up in the kitchen as soon as they’re hungry, and everyone’s being careful about keeping the doors closed.’
‘You’re right,’ she agreed, drying her eyes and sounding far more soothed than I would have expected. ‘Perhaps I should take some of her special food downstairs for Dorothy to put out to tempt her.’
‘That’s an excellent idea,’ I said, stepping neatly around her and wondering why she couldn’t put the doggy dish out herself. I didn’t mention the fact that Floss would probably wolf the lot before Suki so much as got a look-in. ‘Now if you don’t mind, I really must get on. I have to drive into Wynbridge this morning and from what I’ve seen so far, the roads are going to be a bit dicey.’
‘Then why don’t you take Jamie with you?’ she suggested. ‘Or Mick? Let one of them drive you in rather than risking it yourself.’
‘I can manage well enough,’ I told her, feeling more than a little put out that she had assumed I had no faith in my bad-weather driving skills. ‘And besides, I need to go on my own.’
I could have kicked myself for letting that slip, especially as I was supposed to be keeping my trip a secret.
‘Oh,’ said Elise, now sounding a little too intrigued about the purpose of my expedition for my liking, ‘you sound like you’re on a mission.’
I had no idea where her sudden interest had sprung from, or where her desire to engage me in conversation had come from either for that matter. Part of me wanted to ask outright what she was playing at, but the soft-hearted part was thinking it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep her onside, especially if we really were going to end up spending Christmas under the same roof. Most of the family had assumed she would disappear now she knew about the inheritance change of plan, but she still looked pretty settled to me.
‘Something like that,’ I said evasively, reaching for the door latch, but then my manners got the better of me. ‘But I won’t be long,’ I added. ‘If everything’s all set for the Fair when I get back, and providing Catherine can spare me, I’ll help you look for Suki if you like.’
‘Yes, please,’ she said. ‘I’d really appreciate that, Anna.’
The drive into Wynbridge was as tricky as I had predicted, but I was more preoccupied by thoughts of my room back at the hall than by the state of the roads.
There had definitely been something amiss in the Rose Room when I walked back into it after my shockingly friendly chat with Elise, but I couldn’t for the life of me fathom what it was or shake off the feeling that it was in some way connected to her.
Zoning into the final leg of my journey I parked as considerately as I could in the snow-covered car park and, hoping I had managed to squeeze between the designated white lines, went in search of the jeweller’s, for which Angus had given me only sketchy directions.
I eventually found the tiny shop tucked away down a dark side street at the furthest end of the market square and out of general sight of the bustling shoppers. The cobbles beneath my feet had been kept mostly free of snow thanks to the overhanging buildings on either side, and the peeling signage put me in mind of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter’s wizarding world. I half expected Mr Ollivander himself to come and serve me, and my expectations actually turned out not to be all that wide of the mark.
‘You must be Anna,’ smiled the octogenarian shopkeeper as he pulled a gold watch out of his waistcoat pocket and scrutinised the time. ‘Dear Angus said I should expect you to arrive about now. I’m Howard Dryden, at your service.’
‘I’m pleased to meet you, Mr Dryden,’ I said, taking in the ancient fixtures and fittings and the slightly fusty smell of the place. ‘Yes,’ I confirmed, ‘I’m Anna.’
‘As I understand it,’ he went on, his beetle eyes lighting up as he rubbed his hands together, ‘you have got something really rather special for me to work on today.’
‘Indeed I have,’ I said, reaching into my bag and reverently pulling out the classy, crimson case.
Mr Dryden held out his hands and took careful possession of the beautiful box. He gently placed it on a mat on the glass counter and opened it up. The gasp that escaped his lips made me jump and for a horrid moment I thought he had found the case was empty, but of course it wasn’t.
‘Oh my,’ he tutted, running a tender finger over the stones, which to my eyes still looked magnificent. ‘These diamonds should be dazzling,’ he told me seriously, ‘but they’ve lost practically all of their sparkle.’
‘Oh dear,’ I said, taking a closer look. They looked fine to me but I bowed to his far greater experience. ‘That’s terrible.’
‘It is,’ he sadly agreed, ‘but don’t you worry. I can mend this clasp in a heartbeat and by the time I’ve finished cleaning and polishing, Catherine will need to dig out her sunglasses before she can look at these beauties close to again.’
I was sure Angus would be thrilled and, having waited for Mr Dryden to write out an old-fashioned handwritten receipt and established that I would be coming back
on Friday to collect the case and its precious contents, I was in need of a quick caffeine fix before I collected some cash and headed back to the hall.
Parked just beyond The Cherry Tree Café gate was a tiny pink caravan bearing the same name and being carefully packed with boxes of mismatched teacups, saucers and side plates, along with dozens of Tupperware tubs.
‘Hey, Anna,’ said Lizzie as she hopped out of the caravan door and rubbed her hands on her apron.
‘Is this your mobile teashop?’ I smiled, pointing to the diminutive van and feeling completely besotted.
‘Sure is,’ she beamed proudly, her smile spreading. ‘This is Jemma’s third baby really.’
‘Fourth if you count Tom,’ said the woman herself as she carried out yet more tubs from the café.
‘Of course,’ guffawed Lizzie. ‘I was forgetting about Tom.’
I thought it was a bit mean to lump her husband Tom in with the children, but then I remembered how an elderly lady I had looked after a couple of summers before had told me to always keep in mind that the man in my life, no matter how old, would always be my biggest baby. Recalling how Jamie had sulked earlier when he thought I was coming to town to see Charlie, part of me thought she was probably right. Not that Jamie was necessarily the man in my life, of course.
‘And in some ways my most successful offspring,’ Jemma added with a wink. ‘This little beauty,’ she explained with an affectionate pat on the paintwork, ‘had practically paid for herself after the fifth time we’d taken her out.’
‘And you’re bringing her to Wynthorpe for the Fair this afternoon, aren’t you?’
‘We sure are,’ said Lizzie. ‘We’ve even fitted some fairy lights, although from what I’ve heard about town, Angus has already trumped us on the decoration front, hasn’t he?’
She was obviously talking about the sleigh and I thought of how beautiful the hall was going to look in the fading light with the Fair in full swing and everything set up.
‘Well,’ said Jemma, with a nudge. ‘Has he?’
‘You’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?’ I teased as I manoeuvred past the van and through the gate, ‘but I can promise you, you won’t be disappointed. No one will.’
After my restorative coffee, and a warm iced and spiced bun (but let’s keep that between us), I took out what cash I needed and headed back to the hall. No more snow had fallen but it was bitterly cold and quite simply the most exquisite backdrop imaginable for holding a Christmas Fair.
‘Any sign of Suki?’ I asked Elise, who was miraculously still out of bed and even more miraculously helping Dorothy set out and prepare the food, ready for when the hungry hordes of festive shoppers descended.
‘Yes,’ she laughed as Dorothy handed her another pile of plates. ‘She’s been hilarious, hasn’t she, Dorothy?’
The corners of Dorothy’s mouth began to twitch as she answered.
‘You can say that again,’ she agreed, with more gusto than I thought her capable of. ‘Although I’m not letting the little rascal get away with pinching any more of my sausage rolls.’ I couldn’t believe my ears.
If Floss had nabbed so much as a crumb, not that she would have done because she had impeccable manners, but if she had, Dorothy would have been furious. And yet, here she was laughing off Elise’s lap rat’s misdemeanour as if it was all some jolly joke. I didn’t know how Elise had done it but she had somehow managed to wrap Dorothy around her little finger.
I knew I shouldn’t have felt quite so put out about it. Catherine had wanted the family to come together for Christmas and now it looked as though they all had, but there was something about the sudden turnaround in Elise that rankled with me.
‘Anna,’ said Jamie, his head appearing around the doorframe at the far end of the kitchen. ‘I thought I heard your voice. Can I borrow you for a sec?’
He disappeared again, taking his frown and serious tone with him, and I quickly pulled off my boots so I could follow him. Elise shrugged and went back to her chores and I headed off towards the morning room, wondering what was behind both her suddenly chirpy demeanour and Jamie’s furrowed brow.
‘What’s up?’ I asked, unravelling my scarf.
He didn’t answer immediately, but stood staring into the fire.
‘Close the door, would you?’ he eventually asked. ‘I won’t keep you a minute.’
‘Whatever’s wrong?’ I demanded, feeling more than a little unnerved by his unusual formality. ‘Have I done something wrong?’
Chapter 29
Jamie took his time before answering, which only served to shift my trepidation up a gear.
‘No of course you haven’t done anything wrong,’ he said when he eventually came back from wherever the mental expedition and unexplained frown had tugged him off to. ‘This is nothing serious.’
‘Well, out with it then,’ I said, keen to hurry things along. ‘The Fair will be opening any minute and there are still things to do.’
He shuffled from one foot to the other, even then still reluctant to say whatever it was that was on his mind.
‘Jamie,’ I began again, but he cut me off.
‘It’s a bit awkward actually,’ he said finally, rubbing a hand around the back of his neck.
‘Then you’d better just say it and get it over with, hadn’t you?’
It wasn’t the way I would usually address someone I was working for but the Connellys and I were beyond formal and polite now. Our relationship had crossed over into something far more personal and significant, or so I thought.
‘It’s about your application to work here.’
‘What about it?’
‘Your references, to be precise.’
‘My references?’ I snapped, growing impatient. ‘What about them?’
‘You did supply some, didn’t you, Anna?’
‘Of course I did,’ I told him, feeling further nettled.
Who on earth would apply for such a prestigious position – any position, come to that – without supplying references, and more to the point why was he asking, when I’d heard Angus himself, on the morning Jamie had arrived home, stressing that I had furnished him with some very good ones?
‘And do you know if Dad pursued them?’
‘Of course I don’t,’ I hit back. ‘What business is it of mine whether he went through the usual channels or not?’
Thinking about how quickly Angus had offered me the job after my telephone interview I knew he probably hadn’t, but that was really nothing to do with me.
‘But knowing now how things happen around here,’ I continued, ‘I daresay he didn’t. You’ll have to ask him about it, won’t you? But tell me first, what’s the problem?’
‘There’s no problem,’ Jamie shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter, not really.’
I can’t say I believed him and I think he knew it.
‘It’s just that now I’m taking over,’ he added, ‘I want to keep everything up to date and accounted for – you know. Start as I mean to go on sort of thing.’
‘And that includes interrogating the staff, does it?’
‘Oh, Anna,’ he sighed. ‘You know you’re so much more than staff to me.’
‘No, I don’t,’ I said firmly. ‘Not right at this moment anyway. What on earth has made you ask me about this now, on such a busy day?’
‘Like I said,’ he shrugged again, ‘I’m just trying to get my house in order.’
‘Hall, you mean,’ I corrected, making a vague attempt to put us both in a better mood and lighten the atmosphere but failing. ‘Anyway,’ I said, ‘I have my portfolio upstairs and it’s bursting with references. I’ll bring it down.’
‘There’s really no need,’ he said, trying to reach for my hand but I moved away.
‘Clearly,’ I said, taking another step towards the door, ‘for some reason, there is.’
I had no idea what had prompted Jamie to start asking about applications and references but having quickly photocopied the relevant pape
rwork and slipped it under his bedroom door in an envelope marked ‘Private and Confidential’, I turned my attention back to the Fair, which was now in full swing, and tried to forget about any potential trouble that might have been looming on the horizon. Dorothy had kindly dismissed my offer to help in the kitchen.
‘You go and enjoy yourself,’ she had said. ‘There’s nothing much left to do here.’
And so I did.
Just as I had known it would, the hall lent itself beautifully to the occasion and as more people started to arrive and the air became filled with spices from the kitchen and voices from the choir, who had set themselves up next to the roaring fire, I gave into the festive feeling and delighted in the kind of shopping and present-buying I had never before indulged in as an adult.
‘Having fun?’ asked Hayley sometime later when she found me weighed down with a plethora of bags and pretty boxes.
I hadn’t purchased anything really extravagant, but there was so much on offer it would have been impossible to resist slipping in a few extra little things for myself.
‘Isn’t it wonderful?’ I beamed, looking around for anything I might have missed and feeling delighted that so many people had come.
Word had certainly got round about the change of venue and there wasn’t a wasted inch of space anywhere.
‘You really are a changed woman,’ Hayley teased, reminding me that on the night of the switch-on in town I hadn’t so much as considered buying a single thing and had snapped her head off when she pointed it out.
She was right, of course. I was changed. Jamie had promised to find a way to give me Christmas back and he had, and I hoped he felt as happy with what I had helped to give him in return. Up until our exchange in the morning room I had thought he was more than satisfied, but his words and demeanour had made me feel uncertain of everything.
