‘Not too bad thanks.’
‘What would you like?’ Harper asked, her long blonde hair partially hidden by a thick purple bobble hat.
‘I’ll take a mulled wine, please.’
‘One won’t hurt you, I’m sure,’ Audrey said. ‘It’s not too strong as there’s a lot of fruit juice and water in it too, and I used to have the odd drink when I was pregnant. Or was it when I was breastfeeding? Gosh, the years fly by and the memories often merge together. Anyway, I know there are guidelines about these things nowadays, but you know what you want to do and no one should tell you otherwise.’ Audrey blushed and a tiny muscle in her jaw twitched as if she felt she’d put her foot in it with Fran. ‘You do what’s right for you, Fran.’ Audrey smiled and Fran smiled in return, not wanting her friend to feel awkward.
‘Is Holly coming tonight?’ Harper asked.
‘I don’t think so. She hasn’t been feeling great what with the p…’ Fran bit her lip. ‘What with the baby, you know… Luke and her grandmother being a bit off colour and Holly’s tired with all the wedding planning and that.’ She avoided eye contact and feigned interest in a jar of candy canes on the counter.
‘Poor Glenda. I hope she feels better soon.’ Audrey handed Fran a steaming mug. ‘There you go, love, that will warm you up.’
‘Thanks.’ Fran went to pay for her drink but Audrey shook her head.
‘No you don’t, love. It’s all free for you this evening. You do enough for us.’
‘You pay me for the work I do.’ Fran held out the money again.
‘And it’s beautiful work, so I don’t want a penny from you. Just make sure you eat and stay warm because it’s freezing out there and… sit down when you need to. There’s plenty of food available, so help yourself. Ethan has baked up a storm today!’
‘It does smell incredible in here.’ Fran’s mouth watered.
‘Well get stuck in!’ Audrey pointed at the tables, which were positively groaning with food, so Fran headed over to them and loaded up a plate. She found herself a seat and made herself comfortable so she could enjoy the food and keep an eye on who came in. She intended on having a good evening and a plate of delicious treats along with a mug of spiced wine was a good place to start.
* * *
In the yard outside the tea shop, everyone gathered in the chilly evening air. People were holding mugs of steaming mulled wine and hot chocolate and some held plates of food that they’d brought from the tea shop. A small choir stood to one side of the tree singing a variety of Christmas carols and pop songs, filling the yard with festive joy.
Ethan held tightly onto Tilly’s hand, nervous about losing her in the crowd, and they went to the table that had been set up with boxes of tree decorations.
‘Pick the ones you want.’ Ethan gestured at the boxes.
She browsed for a while before deciding, then selected a fat red Santa Claus, a jolly snowman complete with a hat and scarf and a sparkly gold reindeer with a red nose.
‘Aren’t they pretty, Daddy?’ Tilly held them up in turn. ‘Can we get some like this for our tree?’
‘They’re very pretty and yes, we certainly can.’
Audrey clapped her hands and a hush fell over the yard.
‘Good evening, everyone, and thanks for joining us! We’re delighted to have so many of you here this year for our annual tree decorating. As you will be aware, there are plenty of decorations on the table over there for the children to choose from. We’d like them to line up and take it in turns to place their chosen decorations on the tree. Then it will be the turn of the adults, as you can reach the higher branches. Finally, the lights that my wonderful husband, Gary, has already wound around the tree along with the star at the top will be lit, and that will mean that Christmas at Rosewood tea shop will officially begin!’
A cheer spread through the crowd and Ethan smiled down at Tilly as she gasped with excitement. This was a truly fabulous way to start the festive season. He was enjoying it immensely, so for a young child it must be truly magical.
‘Please help yourselves to food from the buffet indoors and don’t forget that my daughters, Harper and Scarlett, will be serving mulled wine and hot chocolates all evening, so stay warm with our delicious beverages. There’s plenty for everyone. And while I’m here… I would like to say an official welcome to my nephew, Ethan Clarke, and his daughter, Tilly. They recently moved here from Bath and I hope with all my heart that they will fall in love with Penhallow Sands and choose to stay here. Ethan is a talented chef and over the next few weeks you will have the chance to sample plenty of his cooking, so please come to Rosewood to see us regularly.’ She smiled at the crowd. ‘One more thing… we have decided that this year we will open the doors of the tea shop to anyone who would otherwise be spending Christmas Day alone. So if that means you or someone you know, then come and join us for a free lunch this year and also, please spread the word. Christmas is a special time for many, but it can be difficult if you don’t have people around you, so we want to share our day with anyone who doesn’t have someone nearby.’
Cheers spread across the yard and people clapped and whistled their approval. Pride spread through Ethan; he was a part of this and he would be there to support this wonderful initiative over the festive season. Offering food and company was one of the simplest things a person could do, and also one of the most effective in boosting someone else’s mood. In his opinion, people needed to take better care of each other and Christmas was a good time to start showing some kindness and generosity.
‘Okay, children, let’s get this tree looking good, shall we?’ Audrey said, then the children started to line up.
The choir began to sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Ethan squeezed Tilly’s hand. ‘Go on then. Or do you want me to come with you?’
‘Don’t be silly, Daddy, it’s the children’s turn first. You’ll look funny standing there with all of us. Anyway, I can see Frankie!’
Tilly ran over to her friend and they bounced up and down as they queued, chatting excitedly with the anticipation of six-year-old children. He had a sudden vision of what his daughter would be like as an adult and it filled him with pride and love. He hoped he’d be around to watch her grow up and one day even to see her with children of her own if that was the path she chose to follow. A pang followed his elation as he remembered that his mother had missed out on meeting her granddaughter. Nothing was guaranteed; today was to be treasured.
‘Hello, Ethan.’
He turned to find Fran at his side. He did a double take because she was so wrapped up in her hat and scarf that he almost didn’t recognise her and it was only her voice that enabled him to identify her.
‘Hi, Fran.’
‘How are you today?’
‘I’m okay, thanks.’ He nodded slowly. ‘You?’
‘Yeah, can’t complain.’
‘Good.’ He exhaled and his breath puffed out like smoke and disappeared into the evening air.
‘The food is incredible. Did you make it all?’
‘The food?’
‘Inside.’
‘Oh… yes I did. Glad you like it. I’m trying out some new festive recipes and really enjoy experimenting with flavours and amounts of herbs and seasoning. It’s all about getting the balance right in order to create something mouth-watering.’
‘You’ve done well!’ She nodded. ‘And the spiced wine is delicious. The combination of fruit juice and spices is perfect.’
‘Sorry?’
‘The mulled wine.’ She held up her mug.
‘You’re drinking wine?’
‘Yes…’
He shook his head. ‘Fran… I know it’s not my place to say anything, but surely that’s not good for the baby.’
‘What?’ She tilted her head as if she were struggling to hear him.
‘Well… I know there are different views about safe limits of alcohol during pregnancy and all that, but isn’t it better not to take any chances at all?’
Fran peered up at him, her glasses reflecting the fairy lights above them, her hat and scarf creating a frame around her pretty face. The tip of her nose was red and her breath was visible in the cold air.
‘Ethan… thank you for your concern but I really don’t need it. I’m only having one mulled wine and I’m making it last. You do seem like a nice man but you don’t have the right to go around telling women what to do with their bodies.’
He winced. ‘No! No, sorry, Fran… I… uh… I didn’t mean to interfere, it’s just that…’ He rubbed a hand over his eyes. ‘I’m really sorry. It’s none of my business. I just don’t know if anyone is looking out for you and sometimes, a lot of the time, in fact, I feel bad because of how my ex behaved when she was pregnant and how she’s behaved since. She… uh… she did drink when she was pregnant and I’m fairly certain she was having the odd cigarette too, probably her way of rebelling because she didn’t really want the baby. And since then… well… she’s not exactly been Mum of the Year to Tilly. But… uh… that doesn’t give me the right to go around advising all mums-to-be or those with children. You are right about that. Absolutely right.’
Fran nodded but she didn’t reply.
‘Do you accept my apology?’
‘Sure. Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.’ She flashed a tight smile then looked into her mug. ‘See you later.’
As she walked away, Ethan’s heart sank into his boots. What was wrong with him? He had no right to push his views onto anyone else and normally, he never did. But there was something about Fran that made him care about her welfare and that of her baby. He still didn’t know if there was a man in her life and although it was none of his business either, he found that he wanted to look out for her. She seemed so strong and independent and was clearly capable of taking care of herself, but that didn’t mean that it wouldn’t be nice for her to have someone to lean on from time to time. Even if Ethan couldn’t offer her anything else, and despite their embrace over the clay Fran must know that he could still offer her friendship. He would like to be her friend. He wanted her in this new life that he was building. Christmas was coming and he wanted to see her enjoy the celebrations.
He scanned the yard, looking for her, but she had disappeared, then Tilly caught his attention as she called to him from the tree.
‘Look, Daddy! What do you think?’
He smiled and nodded his approval at where she’d placed the decorations she’d selected and she beamed back. He’d almost missed helping her decorate the tree because he’d been thinking about himself and Fran and about what he wanted. It wasn’t right; he couldn’t be distracted from being a good dad to Tilly.
Ethan had to focus on his daughter now and stop thinking about Fran; he couldn’t allow his mind to keep wandering and to indulge in daydreams about her.
He just wished that life had worked out differently so they could have been something more, but he had his priorities and they were what mattered the most.
* * *
Fran had hurried away from Ethan and into the tea shop. It was quiet inside with just a few elderly people discussing the Christmas dinner the tea shop was going to offer and one of Audrey’s daughters serving behind the counter.
Fran considered asking for another mulled wine but couldn’t face the possibility that someone else would comment on her drinking during pregnancy. Besides which, she also had to drive home and wasn’t sure how strong the spiced beverage was. Instead, she grabbed a paper plate and got some more food then went to sit down.
As she chewed a cheese straw, savouring the strong cheddar and buttery pastry, she thought about what had just happened. Ethan had been expressing his concern for her unborn child. It had sent her hurtling through a range of emotions: pleasure at his concern, confusion at his interference and anger, first at him for thinking he could tell her how to live her life, then at herself for deceiving him in the first place. There was no baby, not in her belly at least, and she hated how this lie was continuing. It made her want to hide away at home until the new year when Holly would announce her pregnancy to the world and Fran would be free of the fake pregnancy that was causing her so much stress. And most of that stress was centred around Ethan because she found that it was his opinion that was bothering her most. She didn’t want him thinking she was pregnant and she certainly didn’t want to lie to him any more. That was why she’d walked away rather than discussing the drinking of mulled wine during pregnancy with him. She’d felt terrible leaving him there after he’d apologised but staying would have meant continuing the conversation and she just couldn’t face it. It was far too uncomfortable, far too painful and lying went against everything that she’d always thought she was.
Perhaps it was better that she avoided Ethan over the next few weeks so she didn’t have to lie to him again. That thought wasn’t pleasant, as she really liked him, but neither was the idea of continuing the deception and getting deeper and deeper into the lie while she got closer to the truth being revealed. Whatever would Ethan think about her then? Would he understand her motivations for pretending to be pregnant or would he be outraged at how deceitful she had been? Would he even care either way?
The whole situation was exhausting, so she’d head on home, take a bubble bath and get an early night. Hopefully things would seem clearer in the morning, although until she was free of the fake pregnancy, she couldn’t imagine how anything could possibly seem better.
When she headed back out to the yard, she paused in the doorway. Just around the corner from the tea shop were two figures – a tall one and a very short one. As the tall one turned slightly to gaze at the Christmas tree, she could see that it was Ethan. If she left now, she’d have to pass him and Tilly to get to her car, so she’d wait in the cover of the doorway and hope that they moved on.
‘Daddy?’ Tilly’s sweet voice filled the night air.
‘Yes, my angel?’
‘I love you.’
‘I love you too.’
‘I’ve had fun this evening.’
‘Me too.’
Tilly raised her arms and Ethan lifted her and settled her on his arm. It made Fran’s heart melt to see how close they were, a real father-daughter team.
‘I was thinking about earlier and Mummy and… well… I like it with just us two.’
‘Like we’ve been since Mummy went to Dubai?’
‘Yes, Daddy.’
‘I know, Tilly, and I’m sorry that Mummy isn’t around for you.’
Tilly shook her head. ‘I don’t mind, Daddy. It’s just you and me and Aunty Audrey and her family now and that’s how I want it to be. I’m really happy here.’
‘I’m happy that you’re happy.’ Ethan kissed Tilly’s forehead.
‘Just us, Daddy.’
‘Time to get you home.’
‘One more hot chocolate?’ Tilly asked and Fran held her breath. If they came this way, she’d have no choice but to reveal her presence and to try to explain that she’d been there all along.
‘You can have another one tomorrow, Tilly. I think two is plenty for one evening.’
‘It was worth a try.’ Tilly giggled.
‘Let’s get back to the cottage and you can have a glass of milk as an alternative.’
‘Thanks, Daddy!’
Fran stepped out of the shadows of the doorway as Ethan carried Tilly across the yard to their cottage. He obviously loved his daughter and she him. They were a team of two and if Ethan were to become involved with someone like Fran, then that woman would – inadvertently – be taking some of his time and attention away from his daughter. Fran wouldn’t want to do that to the little girl as it sounded like she’d already been through enough with her absent mother.
Fran would never want to get between Ethan and Tilly in any way, shape or form. It was becoming clearer by the day that any romance between Fran and Ethan just wasn’t meant to be.
Chapter 11
A few days later, Fran and Holly walked into the bridal shop w
here Holly had come for a dress fitting. Fran hadn’t seen the dress yet, as when they’d initially gone dress shopping, Holly hadn’t been able to make up her mind, so she’d gone back the next day alone to decide upon her favourite. However, Holly had then seen a different dress in a different shop, so Fran had no idea what to expect. Fran’s stomach was filled with butterflies because she knew this would be an emotional experience. She’d loved Holly her whole life and they’d shared such a lot, so the idea of seeing her best friend in her wedding gown was overwhelming. She had stuffed plenty of tissues into her bag and was taking lots of deep, steadying breaths, but tears were already hovering behind her eyelids, threatening to fall.
A tiny old-fashioned bell on the shop door tinkled as it closed behind them and Fran looked around. The shop in Newquay was old and smelt of lavender and thyme and something else, a slightly musty aroma that hung in the air and presumably came from the heavy garments and dress bags. It wasn’t unpleasant but it made Fran feel as though she’d stepped back in time and that outside, at any moment, there could be an air raid warning or a Victorian barouche could pass drawn by two large blinkered horses. A shiver ran down her spine and she shook herself, amused at her thoughts triggered by the smell of the place.
The shop was empty, and Fran wasn’t surprised because it was tucked away on a side street. When she had asked how Holly had found it, her friend had told her that she’d seen a leaflet at the dry cleaners a few weeks before she’d gone looking for a dress, and something had drawn her there when she’d been trying to decide on what type of dress she wanted for her big day.
‘It’s very quiet, isn’t it?’ Fran asked.
Holly nodded. ‘It was like this last time. That’s a good thing, though, because it means they have a wider selection of dresses available. Some of them are quite retro.’
‘How retro?’
‘Vintage sixties and seventies.’
‘Wow!’ That impressed Fran, as she loved fashion from other decades. She wouldn’t have been at all surprised to find a regency frock on the rails, complete with demi train and short French sleeves edged with lace. ‘Do they have originals?’
The Christmas Tea Shop at Rosewood Page 13
