A Way Back Home

by Alison Sherlock

  It had become an easy joke between them. Too easy, he knew, after his offer to give it all to Skye. He had been deadly serious, but she was adamant that the split should be fair.

  The sitting room was still being used as Skye’s wedding planner room and was stuffed full of candles, sprayed branches and jam jars. But Skye went past all of that to draw out a large shape, wrapped in Christmas paper. She blushed as she held it out in front of her. ‘This is for you,’ she told him softly.

  Will was shocked. ‘For me? I thought that our presents this morning were enough.’

  They had each hung a stocking on the fireplace in the lodge and he had chosen Skye’s presents with care, including expensive sketching pencils, notepads and some crafting tools.

  She, in turn, had filled his with various new screwdrivers, some chocolate and a Matchbox version of his broken Aston Martin. ‘To keep you going until you manage to get your next one,’ she had told him.

  He had waited for the pang of disappointment at not having the fancy sports car any more, but to his surprise it hadn’t come.

  He blinked back to life as he realised that Skye was still holding out the present for him.

  ‘I don’t know what to say,’ he said.

  ‘Then just open it,’ she replied.

  So he took it from her and was at once surprised that it was much heavier than he had been expecting. As he ripped off the Christmas paper, he discovered black metal. And then the realisation hit him. It was a telescope. His telescope from his old bedroom that he had thought long gone. The telescope that his parents had given him so many birthdays ago.

  ‘As you can see, I didn’t technically buy it for you,’ said Skye. ‘I found it when I was hunting through the garage a week or so ago. It must have been placed there for safekeeping at some point during the renovation.’

  He looked over the telescope in amazement, so many memories rushing through him, threatening to knock him off balance. He stared down at it for a few more seconds before looking up at Skye. At some point, the purple dye had worn off, he realised, and her hair was now pale blonde. He didn’t know if it was the light in the room or the fact that he was literally seeing stars that made him feel more mesmerised than he had ever felt.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said, finally finding the power of speech.

  ‘You’re welcome,’ she told him.

  They continued to stare at each other and he couldn’t have looked away even if he’d tried. Or wanted to.

  But it was Skye who finally broke eye contact. ‘I’d better get going on those sandwiches,’ she said, starting to walk away.

  ‘Wait a minute,’ said Will, grabbing her arm as she went to go past him.

  ‘What is it?’ she asked, searching his face. ‘I haven’t upset you with the present, have I? I didn’t mean to bring back bad memories. If I have, I’m truly sorry.’

  He smiled and shook his head. ‘You’ve got nothing to apologise for. I’m touched. Really touched. But, you see, there’s an old tradition in these parts…’ His voice trailed off as he pointed upwards to where someone, he suspected Annie, had hung a bunch of mistletoe above them.

  He heard her sharp intake of breath before saying, ‘I thought you were more of a modern man,’ in a soft voice.

  ‘Turns out I’m a hybrid mix of both modern and traditional,’ said Will, reaching out to gently hold her soft cheek. ‘And who’s to say that the old ways can’t be enjoyed as well.’

  ‘I have always liked a bit of vintage style myself,’ murmured Skye.

  His senses were reeling, filled with her perfume and the skin that was so soft beneath his hand. Before he could talk himself out of it, his head was dropping down of its own accord and his lips were touching hers.

  It was a soft, gentle kiss. The kind of kiss that he had never come across before. A kiss that he never wanted to end. He wanted more. So much more.

  Before it could develop further, he found all the inner strength that he could muster and pulled away.

  They stared at each other for a moment, both breathless and wide-eyed, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

  ‘Happy Christmas,’ he said, his voice hoarse with passion.

  ‘Happy Christmas,’ whispered Skye, still staring up at him.

  She reached out tentatively to touch his cheek but stopped just before her hand reached his skin. She smiled at him, still looking confused, and walked out of the room.

  He would have followed her but decided to remain in the sitting room for a while longer.

  The moment was lost.

  What on earth had he been thinking? He had probably ruined what had become a very important friendship to him. They could move on from this, couldn’t they? They could forget one kiss, surely?

  But Will didn’t want to forget it. He didn’t want to lose one of the best memories he knew he would ever have.

  46

  After Christmas Day, Skye was swept up into the final flurry of wedding preparations. The huge Christmas tree in the entrance hall had to come down to make way for all the fairy lights and branches to be placed up the grand staircase. The tables borrowed from the stricken village hall were laid out, along with all the chairs. Day by day, each chair was decorated with a soft gauze bow fixed in place with a tiny sprig of lavender from Eleanor. Eleanor’s mother had proved a whiz with the sewing machine and had made beautiful pale gold table runners which went over pure white tablecloths. There were also matching napkins, rolled and also tied with a smaller bow in the same material. In the middle of each four table settings, there were a trio of bottles sprayed in pale and rose gold, each holding a slim pale branch.

  On each step of the grand staircase there was a jam jar with a scented tealight waiting to be lit. At the bottom of the stairs there was a large tree stump on either side, into which Skye had placed two large branches to frame the staircase. Both branches were entwined with fairy lights, as were the balustrades.

  Skye stood in the entrance hall on the eve of the wedding and couldn’t wait to see it all lit the following evening. She gave a satisfied sigh. It really had come together even better than she had hoped for.

  ‘It’s amazing,’ said Summer, coming to stand next to her and giving her a hug.

  Skye put her arm around her sister. ‘Yeah? You think it’s okay?’

  ‘Sis, it’s better than okay.’

  Skye gave her a squeeze, so grateful to the family that they had invited her sister to the wedding. She had arrived that morning straight from her holiday in the Alps and had already been swept into the wedding preparations and the family.

  ‘I can see why you didn’t want to leave,’ said Summer.

  ‘I was desperate to come and see you,’ Skye reminded her.

  ‘I don’t know why,’ murmured Summer as Will appeared at the entrance to the east wing carrying a small table.

  ‘Wedding cake table?’ he called across.

  ‘In the curve of the staircase,’ Skye told him, pointing at the right place.

  He nodded and put it down.

  ‘Thank you!’ she called out as he left once more.

  It was all so polite. So different to how it had been.

  Their kiss on Christmas day had muddled everything. Why had she let him kiss her?

  He hadn’t even come to the lodge in the evenings. Whenever she saw him up at the main house, he would be his usual, laid back self. But he was too eager to emphasise how much work he had to do for the wedding. Skye knew that he was deliberately avoiding her, embarrassed about their kiss. Which, in itself, was unusual. Just how many other women had he kissed over the years? Hundreds? Thousands? Why would kissing her make him any more uncomfortable?

  For her, of course, it had been special. Magical. A kiss that she never wanted to end. She had known as soon as his lips had touched hers that she was in love. She hadn’t meant to fall in love with Will. That was the absolute last thing she needed at that moment in time. He was at the other end of the spectrum to her usual boyfriends. And i
t wasn’t as if they were ever likely to date anyway. Will was a commitment-phobe and she needed security in her life.

  She had to get a grip on herself. They had kissed under the mistletoe. Surely, as adults, they could cope with that? Anyway, she would be leaving the day after the wedding with Summer and that would be that. But the thought of leaving made her feel even more miserable.

  Now that Summer had arrived, she had spent her last night in the lodge, choosing to finally sleep in the Hall itself in the guest bedroom next to Summer’s.

  She had let herself say a sad little goodbye to their gorgeous lodge earlier in the day when she had been alone. It was now finished and looked even better than she had first imagined. The bedrooms were luxurious and stylish, the revamped furniture suiting the oak beams and charm of the place. The new kitchen had all the mod cons, including a brand new Aga. But her favourite piece was the dresser, which she had lovingly sanded and repainted in duck egg blue. With mismatched crockery and jugs placed on its shelves, it looked right at home.

  But the lounge was her favourite. The little Christmas tree was still in the corner, but the pale pink walls still shone out against the beams and refurbished furniture. Hints of silver, green and steel grey gave it a modern feel but the fireplace made it feel like home. She thought Norman would have thoroughly approved.

  ‘Who’s for a little drinkie?’ said Rose, coming down the stairs.

  ‘Yes, please,’ said Summer.

  Skye shook her head. ‘I must check the ballroom.’

  ‘Come and join us afterwards, darling,’ called out Rose as she and Summer headed towards the drawing room.

  Skye went down the corridor and into the ballroom. She admired her work one last time before the place would be filled with guests the following evening. She had to force herself to feel proud of what she had achieved. The ballroom looked spectacular. The gold of the painting frames gleamed and the colours shone out from each individual piece of art. A large branch sprayed rose gold stood in each corner, strung with fairy lights. Along with the fairy lights carefully placed around the French doors, the room was as grand as it should always have been.

  At the sound of footsteps, Skye turned round and saw Annie standing there with tears shining in her eyes.

  ‘It’s perfect!’ she said, coming over to give Skye a large hug. ‘Thank you so, so much.’

  ‘It really has been an absolute pleasure,’ said Skye. ‘You’ll be off on your honeymoon the day after the wedding, so if I don’t get to say so before then, thank you for letting me stay.’

  ‘Look what we got in return!’ said Annie, gesturing around the ballroom. ‘It’s so me! So us! All of your beautiful decorations.’

  Skye smiled, grateful that it had all turned out all right.

  ‘But most important of all,’ said Annie, turning to look back at her, ‘I gained a new friend.’

  Skye gulped back the tears. ‘So did I.’

  They gave each other another teary hug before laughing at themselves.

  ‘Come on,’ said Annie. ‘Rose has promised me a large drink.’

  They joined Rose and Summer in the drawing room where there was a small present waiting for Annie.

  ‘What is it?’ she said, unwrapping the delicate paper.

  ‘Something for your honeymoon,’ Rose told her, with a wink.

  It turned out to be a beautiful silk nightdress and matching dressing gown.

  ‘Oh, Rose!’ said Annie. ‘It’s gorgeous.’

  ‘Where are you going?’ asked Summer.

  Annie was still blushing. ‘As our wedding present, Eleanor and Tom have paid for us to go to Finland to stay in a snowy lodge.’

  ‘How lovely,’ said Summer, nodding with approval.

  ‘Indeed,’ said Rose. ‘A lodge in winter. A roaring fire. You know how romantic they can be, don’t you, Skye?’

  Skye choked on her Martini before shaking her head at Rose.

  ‘Leave her be,’ said Annie.

  As the others chatted, Skye knew that she too was looking forward to seeing Annie and Sam get married the following day. If all went to plan, it would be a pleasure to be a part of such a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception.

  But she also knew that it meant that her time at Willow Tree Hall was coming to an end and how sad she would be to finally say goodbye to everyone. Especially Will.

  She would just try to enjoy their last day together and hoped that the memories would last her sad heart forever.

  47

  On New Year’s Eve, just after the midwinter sun had sunk below the horizon, Skye sat on the chilly pews of St Barnabas’ Church. It was a small but very pretty little church, lit up with many candles.

  Tom, or rather superstar Tommy King, was providing the music. It was only him and his guitar, but his soulful voice was perfect for the choice of song, ‘The Way You Look Tonight’. On the floor next to him was Dylan, wearing his best doggy bow tie and thumping his tail on the floor with approval.

  All heads turned to the entrance as he began to sing.

  First of all came Annie’s bridesmaids, Megan and Eleanor. They both looked lovely in their long, silver dresses which matched perfectly with the rest of the theming. Both were also wearing a fluffy silver jacket to counter the chilly temperature outside.

  Skye, sitting next to Rose and Summer, spotted Eleanor give Tom a wink as she and Megan went to stand next to the altar. Neal, Megan’s husband, was sitting behind them with their three children, who were behaving beautifully. Probably because Megan had told Skye that each were promised an enormous new toy if they did.

  She glanced over to where Will stood next to Sam in the front pew, ready for Annie’s appearance. They both looked very glamorous in their dark navy suits, Will especially so.

  Skye gulped away the pain in her heart as she looked at him. It was their last evening together and she was determined to enjoy it and not be sad. Soon she would be a very long way away, living with Summer and making a new life for herself without the Harris family. Or Will.

  She forced herself to focus back on the wedding. Alongside the groom and best man were his ushers, the members of Hazy Memory. They actually scrubbed up pretty well in their dark suits, rather than their usual leather.

  Skye saw Mick wink at Bronte who was sitting in the row behind them. An unexpected outcome of the drunken hen and stag night had been another marriage for Mick.

  ‘I’m planning on making it an unhappy four,’ he had announced to them all, talking of his many marriages.

  But Bronte didn’t appear to mind too much. In fact, she was racing ahead and planning the wedding for Valentine’s Day. Presumably just in case Mick changed his mind.

  It was time for the bride’s entrance.

  Skye watched as Annie beamed a wide grin as she held onto Arthur for her short walk down the aisle. She looked absolutely stunning, her long hair pinned up in a soft bun and held in place by a tiara which had belonged to Rose’s grandmother. It perfectly complemented the long, white delicate dress that Annie was wearing. Also vintage, it had belonged to Rose’s mother. It was dotted with pearls and subtle sequins that glittered in the soft light of the chandelier above and fairy lights dotted everywhere. Over the top, she wore a fluffy white jacket, similar to the bridesmaids’ ones.

  Arthur stood straight, with pride on his face as he held on tightly to Annie. He looked very debonair in his new navy suit.

  They walked slowly down the aisle, Annie giving her own mother a wide smile as she went by. Skye had only met her briefly but thought that Annie’s mother was a very gentle person. She had brought along her new partner, Miguel, whom she had met in Spain where she now lived.

  Skye was temporarily distracted by sniffing nearby and realised it was Alex, who was sitting on the other side of Rose.

  ‘She looks stunning,’ he said, between muffled sobs. ‘Look at Sam’s face.’

  Skye looked across at Sam and realised what Alex was getting at. Sam’s eyes stared at his fiancée with pri
de mixed with immense love. It was a look of such true adoration that Skye caught her breath and wished that one day someone could look at her like that.

  Her eyes automatically drifted beyond Sam to where Will stood, but he was smiling at Annie.

  Skye deliberately moved her eyes away from him. Arthur stopped, took Annie’s hand and placed it in Sam’s. Then he went to stand next to Will, with a smile as wide as Willow Tree Hall itself as Sam and Annie were led through the marriage ceremony.

  They exchanged vows and rings whilst Rose and Alex dabbed their eyes from tears of happiness. Skye thought that a happier couple in a more magical setting would never be found.

  Finally, the vicar announced, ‘I now declare you to be husband and wife!’

  And a huge cheer went up as Sam took a step forward and swept his new wife into a kiss, whilst everyone stood up, applauded and shed a few more tears as well.

  *

  Having always been cynical about marriage, Will had actually enjoyed the wedding ceremony. In fact, he thought he would be hard pushed to find anyone who could sneer when faced with a happy, loving couple such as Sam and Annie. He couldn’t remember ever seeing his brother as happy. And for the first time in his life, he found himself wanting that kind of happiness too.

  As they all returned to Willow Tree Hall in their cars, the fairy lights had now come on and twinkled all the way down the driveway, as well as around the willow tree itself.

  The Hall was looking at its most splendid, both lit from within as well as by all the strings of fairy lights around every window and the front door.

  The wedding breakfast had passed by in a whirl of laughter and smiles. The love and warmth that Sam and Annie shared seemed to have spread out across the tables in the entrance hall and it was one of the most joyful events to ever occur at Willow Tree Hall.

  It was also looking more beautiful than Will could ever remember. The banister had been delicately wrapped with a mixture of flowers and fairy lights. All around them candles glowed, and branches glittered with yet more lights. Skye had truly done a tremendous job with the decorations.