Last Christmas

by Lily Greene

  Fergus nodded and gestured to Ella to follow Libby through the front door first. Ella walked over the threshold, her cheeks now blushing after the abrupt interruption and stopped in the hallway. As Libby closed the door behind them, Fergus brushed past Ella. As he did so, he lightly placed his hand on her hip so that he could pass through the narrow hallway and into the kitchen without bumping into her. Her skin tingled. She watched him go and thought about what Libby had just said.

  So Fergus is a friend of Libby’s brother, Toby?

  Ella turned to Libby who was shaking her mane of golden hair from side to side trying to add volume to it.

  “How has it been so far? Is he here?” Ella asked.

  “Yes, and the new girlfriend Jessica is so beautiful and so frickin’ nice, I can’t actually hate the bloody girl.”

  Ella chuckled. “Oh Libby, it’s always hard seeing your ex with someone new. At least you look incredible.” Libby was dressed in a short black velvet dress that showed off her long legs. Libby had sun-kissed skin all year round and adorable freckles which clustered around her nose. She flashed Ella a smile with her naturally red lips.

  “Thanks darling!”

  “Pleasure. Now I know you don’t want to like her, but it will be much easier for you if she is nice.” Libby frowned but Ella continued. “You and Marcus were best friends for years before you dated and your families are good friends, so you want to keep a great friendship with him. If he is happy with someone who is genuinely nice then you can all be friends.”

  “Eugh, I guess you’re right Ell.”

  “And it must have taken real guts for her to come here and meet all his friends and his stunning ex-girlfriend at her house; I admire her. Also, Marcus must have told her how important you are to him if she has agreed to coming here and walking straight into the lion’s den!”

  “Haha. I guess she is pretty brave to come here. She’s also not really a threat because Marcus and I left it on good terms and we broke up because we grew apart not because one of us hurt each other. But it will just take time to get used to seeing him with someone else.” Libby paused to think. “As much as I want to despise her, she really is lovely! She’s a microbiologist or something sickeningly clever! Ha! I just hope she’s good enough for him,” she smirked.

  “Haha, that’s the spirit Libs! Could you imagine if she was a real terror? It would ruin your friendship and be a disaster. Now, introduce me to her and give me some of your Champagne.”

  Libby was in a brighter mood as she linked arms with her best friend and reentered the party. As soon as Ella stepped into the kitchen she was hit by the familiar smell of mulled wine. The room was filled with clusters of overexcited people, the clinking of glasses and wafts of cinnamon. The two girls sauntered to the kitchen table dodging festively plump individuals who stood in their paths. They poured themselves a drink and toasted to new beginnings. Ella spotted Libby’s mother standing by the Aga and gestured to Libby she was going to say hello. Libby nodded and moved off to greet new guests arriving at the front door.

  Elisabeth Crosley was an exceedingly glamorous woman who oozed charm. She was larger than life with enormous golden tresses, a huge bosom and long spidery eyelashes. Libby was a clone of her mother. Elisabeth Crosley had a soft spot for Ella and had taken her under her wing since her parents passed away, since they had been Elisabeth’s oldest friends.

  “Darling, hello! I am so glad you are here. I can see you’ve already lifted Liberty’s spirits – well done! It’s more than I can do. Honestly, she’s been sulking all day.”

  Ella smiled and kissed Elisabeth on each cheek.

  “Well I’m glad I was able to cheer Libby up a little. She was even able to praise the new girlfriend; she’s quite accomplished apparently,” Ella said.

  “Quite right my lovely. Apparently, she’s a quantum physicist or something. So long as she’s good enough for him.”

  Ella chuckled at how similar Libby and Elisabeth were. She wondered if Jessica was a microbiologist or quantum physicist or if both the Crosley women’s penchant for exaggeration had exceeded itself.

  “Ella, have you seen my husband yet? Where is he?” Elisabeth asked wobbling her head as she always did when she talked.

  “He’s probably ignoring all our guests.” Just as Elisabeth finished her sentence, William Crosley appeared at the other end of the kitchen in a green v-neck cashmere jumper and brown corduroys.

  “William! Come here and help me, you keep running off!” Mrs Crosley echoed down the kitchen in her high-pitched authoritative voice.

  William was a small man. He was much smaller than his wife who he was completely in awe of. He had rather large ears, red cheeks and rare royal blue eyes with fantastic streaks of light blue marbled through them. Ella could see that William must have been a handsome man in his youth.

  “Oh hello Ella. It’s lovely to see you. How are you?” William croaked as he hugged her.

  “I am fine, thank you William. And you?” William adored Ella every bit as much as his wife did and he thought that she was a good influence on his fashion-conscious-party-attending rebel of a daughter.

  “Wonderful thank you, but I’m afraid I can’t chat now. Elisabeth is just about to tell me to fetch some fire wood from the stables, so I shall go!” William threw his hands up in the air comically in mock exasperation and grinned cheekily at his wife before shuffling off to perform his unspoken orders. She smiled back and turned to Ella.

  “I must go and see to the guests. Keep your drink topped up and do go on down into the drawing room. I think the younger contingent are in there.”

  “Thank you Elisabeth. I have some puddings I brought for you but I left them in the car. I’ll bring them in later,” Ella said.

  “Oh you needn’t have my child! But thank you. You are staying here tonight? And you’re coming to us on Christmas Day?” she asked as she walked off into the throng of the party.

  Ella nodded enthusiastically and leant back against the Aga. She recognized most people in the room but she was most anxious to say hello to her school friends. Harry Pomeroy, Lara Allsopp and Charlie Bellamy, Ella and Libby’s closest friends from school, were all crowded around the fridge at the other end of the kitchen. Ella stood up straight and went over to them.

  “Ella!” cried Lara. There was a cacophony of hellos and how are yous as Ella greeted her friends.

  “How are you Ell?” asked Charlie. “Did you just drive down from London?”

  Charlie Bellamy was exceeding tall and had to crouch down to fit into the Crosley’s low-ceiling kitchen. The Crosley’s old country house was an obstacle course for the not so vertically challenged people of party. The taller contingent had to watch out for the lethal beams that often appeared out of nowhere.

  “Yes, I did. Don’t tell me you just did too?”

  “Yes! Oh we could have come down together and I could have driven you back tomorrow morning,” Charlie replied as he put his arm affectionately around Ella’s shoulder. Charlie was so tall, Ella always enjoyed leaning into her old friend. There was something so comforting and safe about him.

  “Oh are you all staying the night too?” she asked as she squeezed Charlie’s hand around her neck in a friendly way.

  As all her friends nodded and started firing questions about how they were each spending their holidays, Fergus passed by in front of Ella. Ella saw him looking at Charlie’s arm around her neck as he went over to the table to fill up his drink. Neither one of them broke their stare until he brought the glass up to his lips, tilted his head back to down his glass of champagne and filled it up once more.

  “Isn’t that right eh Ella?” Charlie joked as he pulled her in closer to his chest.

  “Huh?” she said distractedly turning back to face her friends.

  “Your New Year’s Eve party is themed,” Harry confirmed in his low unassuming voice.

  “Oh yes, yes it is themed. Arabian Nights. It’ll bring some warmth to London! Don’t forget. You don�
�t want to be running around London trying to pull a belly dancing costume together in that awfully miserable time between Christmas and New Year. I hate those days after Boxing Day, don’t you?” Ella asked.

  “Absolutely, they’re so dreary. I’m going as Jasmine obviously. What are you going as?” Lara had a peculiar tendency to emphasize all the wrong words in a sentence. Ella thought it must stem from the time Lara had spent floating in and out of different international schools in her early teens as her parents jobs had taken them across the globe. It took a while to get used to but it was endearing.

  The boys started to discuss how much they disdained fancy dress just as Ella pulled herself from out of Charlie’s heavy grip. Flustered, she moved towards Lara.

  “I’m so hot, are you? It’s like an oven in here,” Ella complained.

  “I know. It so hot because there are so many people in here and because the Aga’s on. And Beth keeps insisting William tops up the fire in the drawing room with logs every three minutes!” The two girls chuckled and commented on William’s devotion to his wife. Elisabeth was clearly the boss of the Crosley household but everybody knew that William secretly loved being told what to do after years of commanding others in the Army.

  “Have you met Jessica yet?” Lara asked changing the subject. “She’s my new best friend! I need to go and tell her the name of my brother’s company. We were talking about it earlier as they are both in the same field; I forgot earlier but I’ve remembered now. Come through with me,” Lara said as she moved towards the drawing room.

  Turning to Harry and Charlie, Ella said, “Boys I must go and say hello to Toby and Emily.” She picked up a few entrees from the table, filled up her glass and followed Lara into the drawing room hoping to find Toby and his pregnant wife. She spotted them on a scarlet sofa in the corner of the large drawing room and sat down next to them.

  Ella hadn’t seen Toby since he had come back from his latest tour in Afghanistan and she hadn’t seen Emily since she had fallen pregnant; after such a long time they had lots to talk about and they somehow managed to condense a year’s worth of gossip, war anecdotes, painting disasters and baby anxieties into a lively twenty minute chat. Ella learnt that they were having a girl and she was due on Christmas Day. Toby and Emily were oscillating between the name Holly or Ivy for the yuletide baby.

  Ella couldn’t help but think that it was a bit quaint to give the child such an obviously festive name but she soon realised she was being too cynical and that actually, both names were lovely. She welcomed a new glass of champagne that was presented to her on an ornate silver tray by one of the waiters that the Crosley’s had hired for the party.

  “Ivy.” She tested out the name, with her head tilted in deliberation. “Ivy. I think you should name her Ivy; it’s more rare and somehow more feminine. And less linked to Christmas, I think.” Ella couldn’t help but add the last bit. Emily began to nod in agreement when Charlie and Harry joined them at the sofa. Ella tried to squeeze up but with the heavily pregnant Emily and broad muscular Toby, there wasn’t room for all five of them on the sofa. She stood up and offered the boys the place which they took, but not without pulling Ella down onto their laps.

  “Oh Harry, Charlie, I can stand!” Ella protested as she tried to force her way to her feet.

  “No,” Charlie said cheekily. “If there’s no room for us on the sofa, there’s no room for you to stand!”

  Ella rolled her eyes and pouted at the boys in feigned anger. She shifted herself over to Charlie’s lap so she could lean against the arm of the sofa for support. The conversation darted between the Migrant Crisis, Strictly Come Dancing and the quality of snow in Val-d’Isère this season as the waiters brought them trays and trays of hors d’oeurves. Ella observed that Emily was having some strong pregnancy cravings as she looked ready to gag when the salmon entrees were wafted around, but greedily grabbed a whole platter of the cocktail sausages when they were passed her way. She balanced the large tray on her lap which made the sofa seem even smaller.

  Ella was starting to feel the effects of the champagne she had been drinking. She had hardly been at the party an hour but had managed to drink four glasses already. She couldn’t tell if it was just the alcohol she had consumed or if it was also the room, but she was incredibly hot.

  She stood up, excused herself and went to the large window at the back of the drawing room. She took it off the latch and opened it. It was a large bay window with a cushion built into it. She opened the window even wider and sat as close to the frame as she could with her cheek touching the cold glass. Once she had cooled down, Ella surveyed the room. She could see the beautiful Spencers, the rather dull Posenbys, the wild Cuthberts, the apologetic Brandons and her favourite of them all, the infectiously happy Brewers. Then there was Charlie, Harry, Lara, Libby, Toby, Emily, Marcus and his girlfriend Jessica and Fergus … he was talking to all of her friends and had taken her spot. He must have walked over just after she had left.

  Does he not like me? she thought as she watched him. She crossed her legs and signaled to a waiter, asked for some sparking water and rested her hand on her chin.

  Who is this man? He was incredibly well dressed yet he looked nothing like the people at this party. His suede jacket was out of place amongst all the pink coloured chinos and dusty blue blazers. He was wearing a black poloneck. Not only did he look like he didn’t belonged at this party, but he looked like he didn’t belong in this era. Ella looked at his deep brown hair and red-flecked silvery beard. She thought of James Dean again. A brunette James Dean …

  “He’s called Fergus.”

  Mrs Crosley sat down next to Ella and the surprise and force of Mrs Crosley’s voluptuous body meeting the cushion beside her almost made her spill her drink.

  “Ohh he he he,” she laughed. “I didn’t mean to startle you Ella. It’s just I thought I’d bring you a napkin. I could see you dribbling from the other side of the room.”

  Ella regained her composure, embarrassed that Elisabeth had caught her mid hypnosis. “Oh gosh, was I really that obvious? Subtlety has never been my strong point.” She paused. “He’s absolutely gorgeous.”

  “I know Ella. Sadly, I’m not looking for a lover right now – naturally he was very disappointed when I told him.”

  Mrs Crosley had a wicked wit.

  “How do you know him? Is he a friend of Toby’s? From school?” she inquired.

  “Army friend, my dear.”

  “Really?” Ella replied, shocked that this delicate and artistic looking man could be the product of military training.

  “Oh quite so. They are very good friends. Obviously, they are nothing like each other, but doesn’t that make the best of friendships sometimes?”

  Ella reflected upon what Elisabeth had said.

  “Right, now it’s time I introduced you! You will get on like a house on fire, I don’t know why I haven’t thought of it before!” Elisabeth exclaimed while getting up.

  “Oh, we did meet earlier very briefly, so you don’t need to introduce.”

  But Elisabeth was already at the sofa crammed full of Ella’s friends. By the time Ella had got to the sofa, it seemed as if Elisabeth was giving a treatise on all Ella’s merits. Elisabeth gestured to Ella introducing her to her best friends as if it was the first time they had all met her. She felt like her cheeks were reaching an unnatural shade of purple. Her alcohol consumption and the ungodly heat of the room were not helping her embarrassment dissipate.

  “I’ve pulled her away from the window because we want her company! It’s not a party without Ella around,” Mrs Crosley said with a knowing smile and tilt of the head.

  “Thanks Beth,” Ella said with a slight hint of sarcasm.

  “Well, we were just talking about the new exhibition at the V and A,” Lara stated. “I would love to go but it seems no one is interested.”

  “I am,” Fergus and Ella replied simultaneously.

  There was a slight chuckle from the group and Ella felt li
ke she was back in the school playground where everybody was dying with laughter because a boy had touched a girl’s hand. ‘Accidentally’ of course.

  “Are you interested in art Ella?” Fergus asked. Aha! Here was a question she could answer, a chance for a proper conversation devoid of awkward silences, regrettable eavesdropping and clumsiness.

  “Ye—”

  “Of course she is! She’s a painter,” Mrs Crosley cried. Fergus’ face lit up and Ella noticed.

  “A marvelous one. I want to get her to do a family portrait of us but then that’s not your type of art is it darling Ella?” Elisabeth’s voice bellowed around the whole room and made Ella feel like she had to address the entire room’s guests in return. She coughed slightly and paused briefly to reflect on the Crosley’s love of volume.

  “Yes, I’d happily paint you a family portrait but it wouldn’t be any good and you’d be incredibly disappointed, because, as you say, I am not a portrait painter,” Ella replied modestly with a smile. Elisabeth, distracted by the waiter and the new flavour of canopees he offered her, turned her attention from Ella.

  Hoping that Fergus’ slightly raised eyebrows were a show of his interest in art or her art, Ella addressed him alone.

  “I am more of an abstract artist. I help run a gallery in London but I am also an artist too.”

  “Oh great. Have you always painted? What sort of thing to you paint?” Fergus asked coolly.

  The rest of the group had resumed their own conversations and Fergus stepped closer to Ella at the edge of the sofa, waiting for her reply.

  “Yes, I’ve always been a painter. I studied fine art at university and went on to work in advertising for a few years. But after realising it was not in the least bit satisfying, I took up painting professionally and plunged into the art world again. I mainly paint natural scenes but abstract stuff.” Abstract stuff? Did I really just say that? Years of studying art, its terminology and movements and all you can muster to describe your style is ‘abstract stuff’.

  Fergus nodded with what looked like enthusiasm. Was he genuinely interested in art or was he feigning politeness? Ella wasn’t sure but she continued anyway.