Christmas on Lily Pond Lane: A fabulously festive, heartwarming romance (a standalone in the Lily Pond Lane series)

by Emily Harvale

  But her heart was telling her it was so.

  Her heart was telling her she had fallen in love, probably at first sight. And that the feeling was reciprocated.

  Chapter Thirty

  The ride home to Little Pond Farm in the sleigh pulled by the reindeer, was magical. At least it would have been had Mia not been mulling over what had happened in the church.

  'I still can't believe it,' she said, as she, Jet, Ella, Gill, Lori and Franklin made the journey home. 'I can't believe that Leo is Hector's biological son. Or that Hector had an affair.'

  'Neither can I,' said Jet. 'And I really feel for Leo. He'd planned what he thought would be the perfect Christmas get-away and anniversary celebration and it's turned into a complete nightmare for him. I wonder what he's going to say to his mum.'

  'More importantly,' Ella said. 'I wonder if his other dad knows. If Mr Hardman knows the truth. That his first-born son is not his son. That's going to go down like a lead balloon if he doesn't.'

  'Goodness,' Lori said. 'What a complete and utter mess. I wouldn't want to be Elizabeth right now.'

  The bells on the reindeer harness jingled as they trotted through the snow. The evening air was clear and cold, the moon was almost full and the sky was filled with stars. It was a beautiful evening. The perfect evening for romance.

  'Did you hear what he said as he left?' Mia glanced at Jet, who was guiding the reindeer and the sleigh as if he had been born to do so.

  'About him being in love with Cathy?' Jet smiled at her and nodded.

  'I think they only met today but do you know what? I think it was obvious the moment he saw her. And he was so good with those kids. What's more, I could've sworn she felt the same for him. I may be wrong of course, but there was something in the way she looked at him. And I'll tell you what else was odd. She said that her husband has been dead for three years, but Daisy mentioned an uncle Keith and Cathy paled visibly. I got the feeling there was something going on. Something weird. And I think there's more to Cathy's story than meets the eye.'

  'Well, it did look as if she had a black eye that first day,' said Lori. 'And if that's the case, perhaps it was this uncle Keith who gave it to her. And he may not be an actual uncle of course. He may be someone she was seeing.'

  Jet shook his head. 'And I thought this was going to be a really happy Christmas. It seems that I was wrong. For some people it's going to be anything but.'

  Mia nodded. 'But it's definitely going to be a Christmas we'll all remember. And I did promise you that.'

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Jenny wasn't sure what she should do as she walked up the lane after leaving Corner Cottage. She'd just seen Mia and the others gliding by in the sleigh, no doubt going home to Little Pond Farm. She had waved but they clearly hadn't seen her. They would have stopped if they had. She could go home; or she could do what she had intended and go and talk to Glen in the pub.

  'Jenny?' She was surprised to hear her name. Especially as she immediately recognised the voice.

  'Glen?'

  'Hello,' he said, walking down the drive of Hettie and Fred's cottage. 'Where are you off to?'

  'I'm not completely sure. It's been a very strange night so far. The carols were beautiful, and the reindeer and the sleigh, complete with Father Christmas and his wife, not forgetting those adorable Huskies, were all pretty special, but the night took an unexpected turn.'

  'They were, weren't they? And you're right about it being a very strange night. I thought village life would be boring. It seems it couldn't be farther from the truth. I'm beginning to wish I could stay.'

  'Could stay?' Had she heard him correctly. 'You mean you're not?'

  He shook his head, somewhat sadly she was certain.

  'No. It was a temporary position, for which I was thankful when I came. I didn't want to be stuck in a village. But now. Now that I've been told the parish will be merging and this one will effectively close down, meaning I can move on, and to a city parish. Now I find I'm not as pleased to hear that as I thought I'd be.'

  'So you're leaving?'

  He nodded. 'In the New Year.'

  'And nothing can be done to make you stay?'

  He met her eyes and several seconds passed between them.

  'Do you want me to stay?' Glen finally asked, still looking into her eyes.

  She nodded, still looking into his. 'Yes, Glen. I think I do. In fact, I know I do. Is that possible?'

  He moved a step closer. 'If you'd asked me that this morning, I'd probably have said no, but now, tonight. I would say anything is possible. Anything at all. I know we haven't known each other long, and I know I'm no great catch, but if I were to ask you on a date, is there a chance you might say yes?'

  'There's a very good chance,' Jenny replied. 'In fact, I know I would. But I've been hurt badly, Glen, and I don't want to be hurt again. If you're moving miles away in the very near future, I'm not sure it's a good idea, are you?'

  He shook his head as he moved even closer. 'No. It's probably a very bad idea. And yet.'

  'And yet?'

  'And yet I want to ask you, Jenny. And I want to find a way to stay.'

  'And I want to say yes. And I want you to stay, Glen. I really, truly do. I know you won't believe in this, and I know I shouldn't either, but I've heard about a Wishing Tree, and I was going there tomorrow. Perhaps you'd like to come along. I mean, you never know, do you? There's no harm in wishing, is there?'

  He shook his head. He was now standing so close she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. 'No harm at all, as far as I can see. Although I shouldn't go there as a vicar, but I could go there as a man. A man who definitely has something to wish for.'

  'Then it's a date?' she said, her own breath coming short and sharp.

  'Yes, Jenny. It's a date. But I'd really like to kiss you now.'

  'I'd like that too,' she said.

  'You would?'

  She nodded. 'I would, Glen. I definitely would.'

  And she did. More than even she expected.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  It was stupid. Of course it was. Cathy shrugged on her coat, pulled on her gloves and sat her woolly hat firmly on her head.

  'Are we sure about this?' She glanced at Christy who was buttoning up Dylan's duffle coat.

  'Yes. We are. We'll go and make our wishes and then I'll put the dinner in the oven and get the kids to help make a trifle. That'll keep them entertained. And we'll wait and see what happens.'

  'Ready, Mummy,' Daisy said. 'Are we going to see that nice man today?'

  Cathy stiffened. 'No darling. We're going to see a very special tree. The one I told you about this morning. Have you written down your wish?'

  Daisy nodded and held out a piece of paper.

  'Oh I mustn't look,' said Cathy. 'Give it to Auntie Christy so that you don't lose it.'

  Daisy smiled excitedly and handed over her wish. It was folded in two and had a hole with a piece of red ribbon through it, ready to be tied to a branch of the tree.

  Cathy checked her own wish was in her pocket and sighed deeply as she did. She hadn't been at all sure what to wish for when they'd written them over breakfast this morning and it had taken her five attempts until she was sure what it was she wanted most. Like Daisy's, her wish was folded in two and had a ribbon running through a little hole.

  'Let's go and get Jenny then,' Christy said. 'She did say twelve, last night, didn't she?'

  Cathy nodded. 'She did. Come on Daisy and Dylan. Let's go and make our wishes.'

  Dylan's wish, which Cathy had, was longer than everyone else's, but then her writing was larger than theirs, and hers was mainly pictures. Cathy and Christy had agreed that they would read each other's child's wish, in case it was something they wanted for Christmas, or something Cathy or Christy could make happen. If it was something farfetched, they would simply say that not all wishes could come true. Dylan's drawings were all of toys, so it was clear what she was wishing for. Cathy and Christy had, thankful
ly, bought all the ones she'd drawn, along with one or two more, so Dylan would definitely get her wish. But Christy had refused to tell Cathy what it was that Daisy had wished for.

  'I'll tell you later,' she had said, and smiled oddly. 'It's not something we can buy, but it's something that, with a lot of luck and a little bit of magic, could definitely come true.'

  No matter how much Cathy coaxed her, Christy wouldn't say more.

  They walked across the lane, over the village green and rang the bell at Jenny's cottage.

  She answered within seconds, already wearing her hat and coat.

  'Good morning,' she beamed. 'Isn't it a lovely morning?'

  It was. The sky was clear and bright. It was cold, but not too cold that it took your breath away. Just cold enough to make one's breath mist the air, and everyone's cheeks turn red, and to not want to stand around for long.

  'You seem very happy this morning,' Cathy said. 'Did something happen last night after you left us?'

  Jenny nodded madly, grinning and glancing down at the children's rosy cheeks. 'I'll tell you all about it. I bumped into Glen when I left. He had been with Hettie and Fred. I'm not exactly sure what happened because as a vicar, Glen felt he couldn't tell me, but something went on last night concerning Hettie and also Leo.'

  'Leo? I heard him talking to an elderly woman at the bar and neither of them sounded happy. Was that Hettie? The one who was in the sleigh last night?'

  Jenny nodded. 'That was Hettie.'

  Cathy frowned. 'That's when he said he was leaving today. And when I got annoyed and upset. The vicar didn't say what it was about?'

  Jenny shook her head. 'No.' She lowered her voice as they walked. 'But he kissed me and we came back here and … talked.' She waved her hands around excitedly.

  'Talked? Or talked?' Christy asked, grinning.

  'The second one,' Jenny said, shaking her head and laughing gleefully. 'Don't ask me how because we hadn't intended to. But you know how it is. Candles and wine and music. A roaring fire and twinkling lights. A dark, cold winter's night.'

  'Oh yes,' Christy said. 'We know all about those. Although not for a while now. So did you talk all night?'

  Jenny nodded. 'All night. And this morning too before he had to leave for church.' She burst out laughing.

  'Jenny Lake,' Cathy said, laughing. 'You are a bad, bad girl.'

  'That's odd.' Jenny winked at her and Christy. 'That's exactly what the vicar said.'

  'Um. Girls.' Christy was suddenly serious and she nodded towards Sunbeam Cottage. 'There's no car in the drive.'

  'That means he's gone,' Cathy said. 'And he didn't even come to say goodbye. Not that there is any reason why he should have, of course. No reason at all.' She fought back the stupid tear that was prickling at her eye.

  'I really thought he would,' Jenny said.

  'Me too,' said Christy. 'Men. Who needs them?'

  They walked on for a while in silence, save for the giggles from Dylan and Daisy as they jumped and ran and fell in the deep, white snow. When Christy finally spoke, it was on a completely different subject.

  'We're going ice skating on the pond this afternoon,' she said. 'Apparently it's safe and lots of people do it. There's another pond up here, near this tree we're going to, and people skate on that one too. Do you want to join us, Jenny?'

  Jenny nodded. 'I'd like that very much. Glen was going to come to the tree with us today, but he's going to visit the Bishop instead. He wants to see if there is any way he could make this a permanent post. He doesn't hold out much hope, but anything is worth a try. He may come here to make a wish of his own if he doesn't get any joy with his uncle, even though he doesn't really believe in stuff like this.'

  'So he's leaving?' Cathy asked.

  'Yes. Unless we can find a way for him to stay.'

  'Then it's pretty clear what you'll be wishing for,' Christy said.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  'I can't believe it's Christmas Eve,' Mia said, over breakfast the following day. 'Where did Sunday go?'

  Jet finished his coffee and smiled. 'I think you and Ella spent most of it wrapping presents, didn't you? Before popping out to visit Hettie, or wherever it was you went. I can't believe it's snowing again. We're definitely going to have a white Christmas.'

  Mia grinned at him. 'What a good thing we've got the sleigh. It's so much easier than the car, and much more fun, too. I could get used to having reindeer, couldn't you?'

  Jet gave her an odd look. 'Possibly. They're no harder to look after than any other animal. They're cute and they could be an added draw, on the customer front. Especially at this time of year.'

  'You mean you might consider it?' She raised her brows at him over the rim of her coffee cup.

  'I'm considering a lot of things,' he said, getting up and kissing her on her cheek.

  'Oh? That sounds interesting.'

  'It is. But now I've got to go and help milk the cows.'

  'I'd come and help, but I have mince pies to make, and cook books to read.' Mia smiled at him and he glanced around the kitchen, sighing dramatically. 'What was that for?' she asked.

  'I'm simply trying to remember it as it is now before it turns into a war zone later.'

  Mia slapped him on the arm. 'Oh ye of little faith. You might be surprised.'

  'And so might you,' he said, winking and grinning at her as he strolled out the kitchen door with Little M scampering after him, her claws clicking across the tiled floor.

  'What did he mean by that?' Mia asked Ella as Ella came into the kitchen.

  'Who?'

  'Jet, of course.'

  'Oh. What did he say?'

  Mia tutted. 'He said I might be surprised by something.'

  'Perhaps he's getting you something special for Christmas and it'll surprise you. Have you made coffee?'

  'Yes. It's in the pot here on the table. Perhaps he has, but it sounded odd.'

  Ella poured herself a mug of coffee and sat beside Mia, leaning her elbows on the kitchen table. 'Well, you'll find out tomorrow, won't you? What are you doing today?'

  'I'm cooking, and so are you. Gill and Mum are helping too.'

  'Oh joy,' Ella said, yawning dramatically. 'I thought this was the season to be jolly.'

  'It is.'

  'Then why are we cooking?' Ella gulped her coffee and sighed as if she had really needed it.

  'Because it's about time we learnt how to. We're in our mid-thirties, Ella. We should know how to stuff a turkey, and make perfect roast potatoes.'

  'I do know how to make perfect roast potatoes. You open a bag of frozen ones and stick them in the oven.'

  Mia sighed. 'From scratch, I meant.'

  'Why would we want to do that?' Ella frowned at her.

  'Because we do. Because it's Christmas. We're going to make golden roast potatoes with butter, sage and rosemary, delicious Brussels sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts, and honey glazed carrots. Oh, and cranberry sauce. From fresh cranberries. To name but a few of the delights we'll be making today.'

  That was clearly a shock to Ella. 'Fresh cranberries? We don't have to go and pick them, do we?'

  Mia laughed. 'No. Mum bought them from the supermarket the other day.'

  'Thank God for that,' Ella said, looking genuinely relieved. 'So are we only having vegetables for Christmas dinner? You haven't mentioned those little sausages wrapped in bacon, or the turkey. If this is a trial run today, shouldn't we also do those?'

  'We're preparing those too. I didn't want to bombard you with too many things at once. I know you scare easily when it comes to cooking.' Mia grinned at her. 'Seriously though, Ella. I want to do this properly. I want this year to be really special. To be magical.'

  'Then I hope that's what you wished for at the Wishing Tree yesterday afternoon.'

  Mia laughed and nodded. 'I also asked Glen to pray for me. I need all the positive divine intervention I can get.'

  Ella grinned. 'Good luck with that. I was surprised to see Glen there,
weren't you?' She helped herself to a slice of toast from the rack on the table and spread it thickly with butter and marmalade. 'I didn't think he believed in the Wishing Tree.'

  'Yes. Especially when he told us why. I'm so pleased he and Jenny have got together.'

  'Ah, but the Bishop's about to tear them apart. Didn't you hear what Glen said. He'd been to see his uncle who told him that it would cost far too much to keep this as a separate parish, as much as he and the diocese would like to. So Glen will leave here early next year.' Ella bit into her toast.

  Mia's smile grew bigger and she topped up her coffee and Ella's too. 'Oh no he won't. I'm seeing to that this morning. I discussed it with Jet last night and he agreed. This village needs a church and a vicar. It wouldn't be the same without it.'

  'But hardly anyone goes to church these days and the place is falling down.'

  'Which is why I'm going to take a leaf out of Mattie's book and make a little donation. Well, a big donation actually, but only on one condition – that Glen stays on as vicar of St Michael and All Angels for the foreseeable future.'

  Ella was astonished. 'You can't do that. That's tantamount to blackmail. Or bribery, or something.'

  'It's called business, I believe, and I'm doing it, no matter what. I'm going to see Glen today and to sit with him while he calls his uncle. If I'd known about this yesterday morning, I would've gone with him on his visit. It's not the same doing things like this over the telephone. But I've got a feeling, the Bishop will agree.'

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  'The children are so excited,' Cathy said, as Jenny put several mince pies in a box. 'They're always hyper on Christmas Eve, of course, but this year it's completely different. They loved ice skating yesterday and today we're going tobogganing on Frog Hill. They don't usually get to do things like this, and they've never had snow at Christmas before. It's adding to the magic. What are your plans for Christmas Day? You're welcome to come and join us.'

  Jenny smiled. 'That's really kind, but Mia's asked me and Glen to dinner. We'd love to pop in sometime though. I've got a little present for each of the girls.'