Coming Home For Christmas

by Julia Williams

  There was a shout from the far end of the field. The Muddlers had made it through the first hurdle, and were heading back through the field, to go over the hill and through the woods, leading back to the finish line.

  ‘Muddle!’ came the roar. A crowd of muddy men had jumped on top of one another, in a desperate attempt to get the ball. Suddenly one was kicking and pulling his way out. With superhuman strength, he pushed his way from the scrum, got up and streaked across the field.

  ‘Good god,’ said Pippa, suddenly recognising him. ‘It isn’t. It can’t be— Oh my god, I’d better warn Marianne.’

  ‘Why?’ asked Cat.

  ‘It’s someone I haven’t seen in Hope Christmas for a very long time,’ said Pippa, as the crowd cheered the new leader on.

  ‘Who is it?’

  ‘It’s Luke Nicholas, Marianne’s ex-fiancé,’ said Pippa. ‘He’s back in town. And that can only be very bad news.’

  My Broken Brain

  Day Seventy Five 9pm

  I think we need to bow to the inevitable. The farm is barely making any money at the moment. Certainly not enough that either of us could buy the other out.

  And there is a way out, if we sell to LK Holdings. We can’t go on like this. I don’t know about Pippa, but it’s crucifying me …

  I feel like I am trapped in my old life yoked to the farm I’ve loved and worked for all these years. And it’s confusing for the children. Nathan and George have both asked me separately when we’ve been working together on the farm, if everything’s going to be ok. And the answer is, I just don’t know.

  I wanted to give Pippa a chance to sort things out. I know she’s got some great ideas. But I think we have to face facts. The farm is making a loss, and I don’t think we can turn it round. Not this time.

  Pippa doesn’t agree of course. I might have known she wouldn’t; always fighting to the very last – one of the many reasons I love her

  But this time, I don’t think it’s a fight she can win …

  May

  Chapter Thirteen

  ‘This is the life,’ said Cat, sipping Prosecco on a sun lounger, wearing a soft dressing gown and feeling very relaxed. She’d already had a head massage and was looking forward to a body wrap in another hour or so. Cat was still pinching herself that the three of them had managed their night away, and only feeling marginally guilty about abandoning her offspring, which was good going for her. ‘One lovely family-free day in a posh hotel with spa treatments and Prosecco. What’s not to like?’

  ‘Don’t forget we’re here as spies,’ warned Pippa. ‘And we’re in enemy territory, don’t forget.’

  ‘I’m not quite sure what we’re going to accomplish,’ said Marianne, doubtfully.

  ‘Oh ye of little faith,’ said Pippa. ‘I’ve already befriended one of the waitresses, and she’s been telling me some very interesting stuff about the employment practices here.’

  ‘Oh?’ said Cat. ‘Like what?’

  ‘Well they tend to hire very young staff for a start, and pay them a pittance, so if they do the same in Hope Christmas, it’s hardly going to help local people get jobs.’

  Hope Christmas was the sort of place where people came with young families, and when those families were grown, they left and went away, only returning when they had families of their own. Paige was already moaning about how little there was to do in Hope Christmas, Cat had no doubt she’d be off at the first opportunity. So if LK Holdings thought they’d find their staff from the local population, they’d be sadly mistaken. There was a dearth of young people crying out for jobs in the hotel industry; those looking for work tended to be older, so this new hotel wouldn’t help them.

  ‘They also tend to work on zero hour contracts,’ continued Pippa, ‘so the turnover of staff is massive. Again something we don’t want. We need businesses that bring stability to the area.’

  ‘So who do they get working for them?’ said Cat.

  ‘Foreigners, mostly,’ said Pippa, ‘and people who don’t have much choice.’

  ‘That doesn’t tie in with their so called ethical stance,’ snorted Cat, who’d been doing some research into LK Holdings. ‘According to their mission statement, they want to provide twenty-first century leisure solutions in an ethical, sustainable way.’

  ‘Yeah, right,’ said Marianne. She looked around her. ‘Still, it is rather lovely here. And I can’t tell you what a relief it is to have some downtime.’

  ‘How’s your dad?’ enquired Pippa.

  ‘Oh he’s much better, thanks,’ said Marianne. ‘Matt and Marcus are still there, but I shall go and see him in a couple of weeks when Mum’s on her own again. At the moment, it’s not really Dad I’m worrying about.’

  ‘Things no better with Eve, then?’ asked Cat sympathetically.

  ‘Nope,’ said Marianne. ‘She keeps making noises about going back to work, but then I find her staring into space, or lying on her bed, saying she’s too ill to get up. And of course, that’s where she gets me every time. She isn’t well enough to work yet.’

  ‘Oh Marianne,’ said Pippa. ‘I’m sure it’s only temporary.’

  ‘I just wish …’ Marianne looked wistful.

  ‘What?’

  ‘I just wish Gabe wasn’t quite so protective of Eve,’ she said. ‘I’m probably being silly to mind, it’s not like he wants her back …’

  ‘I don’t think that’s silly at all,’ said Cat. ‘He should take more care of you.’

  ‘Only say the word and I’ll bash my stupid cousin over the head,’ said Pippa.

  ‘It’s fine, really,’ Marianne attempted to sound unconcerned. ‘I’m probably fretting about nothing. Anyway. What are we planning to do while we’re here?’

  ‘One of us could break into their filing cabinets while they’re hosting their meet and greet thing,’ suggested Cat. Having found out that LK Holdings were planning the first of several open evenings for interested parties in the Hope Christmas project for this weekend, they had coincided their spa treat.

  ‘I doubt we’ll need to do that,’ laughed Pippa. ‘But if we can sneak into the evening thing, I believe the plans are going to be up there, so we can take a look at them. Besides, Felix Macintyre, the CEO of LK Holdings is definitely here on a special visit, I overheard the reception staff talking about it. He wants to see how things are going. I intend to accidentally bump into him and sound him out – see how wedded he is to the project.’

  ‘Is he likely to change his mind?’ asked Marianne. ‘I mean, look at this place? I can see why they want to build more like it. But it doesn’t exactly fit in with concerns about the environment.’

  ‘Ah, that’s where you’re wrong,’ said Cat. ‘Felix Macintyre, from what I’ve read about him, is quite keen on being seen as one of the good guys. He’s invested in a lot of educational projects, and he’s passionate about wildlife.’

  ‘So maybe we can persuade him that instead of a hotel, what the area needs is a wildlife sanctuary, with an educational slant. It’s a much more suitable tourist attraction for the area than what he’s proposing,’ said Marianne

  ‘It’s worth a try,’ said Cat, sipping her Prosecco. ‘Though I doubt he’d think that was commercial enough, to be honest. In the meantime, I have to say this was a splendid idea. A whole weekend away from being granny and overseeing fraught teens as they prepare for exams. Bliss!’

  She sank back into her sun lounger and shut her eyes. She was so tired. Lou Lou had been up half the night, and as Mel was revising like a demon at the moment, Cat had her granddaughter in bed with them. Small children in a bed did not a good night’s sleep make. She’d forgotten how exhausting it was.

  Dimly aware she should be following Pippa’s conversation, Cat drifted off into a pleasant reverie instead. She was awoken by a strangled gasp from Marianne.

  ‘Oh my god,’ she said, ‘it’s him.’

  Marianne took a deep quaff of her Prosecco. Apart from three weeks ago, when she’d spotted him from afar h
olding the Muddle Trophy high, covered in mud, being triumphantly carried through the crowds to the pub, she’d last seen Luke Nicholas over seven years ago. He’d broken her heart. And now here he was. Back in Hope Christmas. Back in her life. She was shocked by how much it rattled her.

  He was still fit and lithe, even after all this time. She watched, mesmerised as he dived into the plunge pool, and swam back and forth with swift clean strokes. Boy, he could still cut it. There was something compelling about the way he swam, ploughing effortlessly through the water, as if he were born to it.

  Stop it! Marianne said to herself. It must be the Prosecco talking, and her latent insecurities about Gabriel. Luke Nicholas might still be good looking, with a body to die for, but he was an uncaring, heartless bastard who hadn’t loved her enough to marry her. Whereas Gabriel … isn’t paying you much attention at the moment, the thought popped into her head, unbidden.

  She brought up Gabriel’s reassuring face in front of her. Gabriel with his lovely dark curly hair, beautiful eyes and kind face. Gabriel who would never treat her badly.

  Are you sure? A sneaky little voice in her head said. What about Eve? Should you have left them alone again? And Gabe did want you to go … in fact he’d seemed so keen for her to leave the house they’d actually had an argument about it. Which was ridiculous. Gabe’s last words had been ‘I only want you to have a nice time, I can’t think what the problem is,’ which made her feel stupid and irrational.

  Which was pretty much how Marianne felt most of the time these days. She hated the little paranoid voice in her head which had showed up repeatedly since she’d got back from London. There was nothing going on with Eve and Gabriel, she was just stressed and tired and imagining things.

  Marianne gripped her glass fiercely and took another deep sip. Thinking like this was the way madness lay … Gabriel loved her. He felt he should look after Eve that was all. And he’d only wanted her to go away because he said she deserved the break. She was being silly.

  ‘Who?’ said Pippa, responding to Marianne’s shriek.

  ‘Luke Nicholas,’ Marianne gulped. ‘What on earth is he doing here?’

  ‘Heaven knows,’ said Pippa. ‘Try and ignore him.’

  ‘I’ll do my best,’ Marianne said and tried to concentrate on what Pippa was saying instead. She was talking about trying to make contact with Felix Macintyre, who apparently had a soft side.

  ‘You know he’s got this thing about birds, particularly birds of prey?’ Cat was saying. ‘I was wondering if we could use that, somehow. Are there any special birds in the woods which need protecting? I’ve been trying to work out a way of making that an issue.’

  ‘Oh yes!’ said Pippa. ‘Ralph Nicholas tells me there are merlins living in the woods. I looked them up and they’re quite rare. Maybe if Felix Macintyre were to find out about them, he’d think again about building on the woods at least.’

  ‘Bit of a long shot,’ said Marianne sceptically, ‘but I suppose it’s worth a try.’

  Out of the corner of her eye, Marianne saw that Luke was getting out of the pool. He shook the water off his magnificent body, flung on a towelling robe, and strode confidently and arrogantly around the pool. She swallowed hard, her palms felt sweaty and her heart was racing.

  Oh god, had he spotted her? No, please, no.

  ‘Marianne?’ The smile was as wide and welcoming as she remembered. The eyes as bright and warm. ‘I can’t believe it’s you. You look fabulous.’

  Marianne felt herself squirm. She wanted the ground to swallow her up. Even after all this time, he could have an effect on her. It was infuriating. Most of her was thinking, don’t be daft, I’m wearing a dressing gown, am without make up, and my hair is straggling down my neck, but a small disloyal part of her felt thrilled, particularly when he said, ‘I can’t believe you’ve got two kids. You don’t look a day older than when we last met—’ (remind yourself of that Marianne, he was a bastard, remember?) ‘—Gabriel’s a very lucky man. I was a fool to let you go.’

  Despite herself, Marianne melted a little. There was something satisfying in thinking that Luke Nicholas still found her attractive, and might actually realise he’d made a mistake.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked.

  ‘Oh a boring work thing,’ Luke mentioned casually. ‘We’re planning a new hotel complex in Hope Christmas, had you heard?’

  ‘It might have been mentioned,’ squeaked Marianne. She might have known Luke Nicholas was involved.

  ‘Drink? In the bar? Later? For old time’s sake?’ he said, and before she knew it, she found herself agreeing. And he’d disappeared in a wave of manliness.

  ‘What?’ she asked as Pippa and Cat dissolved into hysterics.

  ‘Nothing,’ they replied in unison.

  ‘It’s only a drink in the bar,’ she said, feeling defensive. ‘And I can try and see if I can get him to spill the beans about the development.’

  ‘Good idea,’ said Pippa. ‘You can be our very own Mata Hari.’

  It was only a drink. She was married. Luke knew that. But her pulse was racing, and a part of her felt ridiculously excited.

  ‘Right, girls, so we all know what to do?’ asked Pippa as the three of them snuck past reception in their glad rags and made their way to the ballroom where the meet and greet was taking place.

  ‘I have my dictaphone switched on, and my smartphone at the ready to take snaps,’ said Cat.

  ‘I’m going to make a beeline for Luke and see if I can sweet talk any information out of him,’ said Marianne.

  ‘Excellent,’ said Pippa. ‘And I am going to nobble Felix Macintyre and entice him with the rare birds angle. Maybe it will help stall things a little if we can persuade him they need protecting.’

  Their first hurdle came in the form of the supercilious waiter, handing out champagne.

  ‘Your invitation, madam?’ he said.

  Pippa had been expecting this. Taking a deep breath and confidently grabbing a glass of champagne, she waved her invite in front of him.

  ‘Is this invitation valid for today?’

  Oh dear, Mr Supercilious wasn’t going to be put off easily.

  ‘I think there’s been some kind of mistake,’ said Cat smoothly, waving a press pass in front of him. ‘We all got sent the wrong invites. But it’s ok because I’ve set up an interview with Felix Macintyre for the Sunday Times, and I know he’s very excited about it.’

  ‘Oh look, is that Luke Nicholas? Haven’t seen him in ages,’ said Marianne, smiling sweetly, grabbing a drink and slipping past the waiter.

  ‘Must dash, got to mingle,’ said Pippa, brightly. She slugged her drink and strode through the doors as if she belonged here, while Cat darted off in a different direction, leaving Mr Supercilious open-mouthed but unsure which of the three to follow.

  Luckily it was easy to get lost in the crowd, so Pippa made her way to the far end of the room, where a huge display was proudly taking up space.

  Hope Christmas Developments. A Leisure Plan for the Future.

  Pippa gasped with shock.

  ‘Jeez, it’s enormous,’ said Cat who’d just joined her. They both stared at the plans in disbelief.

  There was Pippa’s farm, and Gabriel’s, and all the land between theirs and Old Joe’s, and the woods beyond. And it was transformed on the map into golf courses and driving ranges, with a massive set of buildings, comprising of a huge hotel, and several holiday houses.

  Cat swiftly took some photos, and excused herself, ‘I’m going to send these to Noel, so he and Ralph can see what we’re up against.’

  Pippa stood for some moments in front of the display, feeling a sense of overwhelming despair. How could they even begin to fight against this?

  ‘Magnificent, isn’t it? It will bring Hope Christmas into the twenty first century,’ declared a plump middle aged man with an American accent. ‘I gather it’s a cute little place in the middle of nowhere in need of a shake up.’

  Gritting her
teeth, and trying to play the part, Pippa smiled sweetly, and said, ‘Yes, it is. So you think your development is really going to help the town? It looks rather large.’

  ‘Sure it is,’ said her new friend, putting an avuncular arm on her shoulder. ‘See, they get leisure, we bring jobs to the town, there’re new holiday lets. It’s a win win.’

  ‘Not for the people of Hope Christmas,’ muttered Pippa, but out loud she said, ‘My name’s Pippa Holliday. I’m a local resident, I’d love to hear more about your plans.’

  ‘Felix Macintyre, CEO of LK Holdings,’ the man said, confirming Pippa’s suspicions. ‘I’d be delighted to tell you more about what we’re proposing.’

  ‘And you have no opposition to the development?’

  ‘No serious stuff,’ said the man confidently. ‘You always get a few looney tunes, wanting to save the planet, but when they see the benefits, they’ll soon come round.’

  ‘What about the wildlife?’ asked Pippa. ‘You do realise there are badgers and all sorts in those woods.’

  ‘Which is why we’ve promised to create a wildlife sanctuary further up the valley,’ he said. ‘We’ll just move them.’

  ‘Move them?’ Pippa was gobsmacked.

  ‘Sure it’s easy,’ said Felix. ‘There’s plenty of space.’

  Pippa was so nonplussed for a moment, she couldn’t think of anything to say.

  ‘Ok,’ she said eventually, ‘but what if I were to tell you there were birds of prey breeding in the woods? You might find it not so easy to move them, particularly in nesting season.’

  ‘Birds?’ Felix’s interest immediately piqued. ‘What birds? No one said anything about any birds.’

  ‘I have heard,’ said Pippa, ‘that this year we even have merlins nesting in the woods. Our local bird twitchers are getting very excited about it.’

  ‘Merlins?’ said Felix. ‘That would be great. I’ve always wanted to see merlins in the wild. Do you really think they’re there?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ said Pippa, crossing her fingers behind her back and hoping Ralph was right. ‘And their habitat is right in the area you’re planning to build on.’