Christmas

by Emily Harvale

  'I'd like that. I'd like to hear your voice. To see if it sounds as I imagine it does.'

  'And how do you imagine it sounds?'

  'Like you look. Strong, sexy, confident and caring.'

  'That's a lot to live up to. I hope you won't be disappointed.'

  'I won't. I know I won't.'

  'And I expect your voice will sound like you. Beautiful, sensual and sexy, confident, a hint of stubbornness, and a great deal of love.'

  She wasn't disappointed. And Ben said neither was he.

  But she was surprised by what he told her.

  Chapter Ten

  'You talked to Ben?'

  Mary seemed as astonished as Kyra, who had already said that she was surprised by how quickly their friendship had developed. Mary was now up-to-date with everything that had happened. Including the fact that it was Amias who had first uncovered Bailey Mitchell's identity.

  Cat nodded. 'Yes. And he sounds as lovely as he looks. But I now know what happened between Ivy, Bailey and Viola. There's a letter from Bailey coming in the post with a Christmas card, but Ben told me over the phone, most of what it says.'

  'What, Mum?' Kyra was clearly excited.

  'We know that Ivy and Bailey were engaged. What we didn't know is that they began dating almost as soon as he arrived at RAF Merriment. Apparently, everyone from the base frequented The Hope and Anchor and the Spitfire Café. Ivy worked as a waitress at the Spitfire, and it seems she was instantly attracted to Bailey and she was the one who asked him out. He said he was both astonished and flattered and immediately said yes.'

  Kyra smiled. 'I knew I liked the sound of Ivy. She was definitely a go-getter.'

  Cat smiled too. 'She was only sixteen at the time, but she told him she was eighteen. He says she definitely looked eighteen. And no one in the village told him any different. He thinks she was attracted to him because he was a pilot. She told him she longed to fly and was determined she would. Anyway, as we know, she did, and once Ivy became an Attagirl, they saw far less of one another. But they thought they were in love and he proposed. He says that times were different then. Especially if you were a pilot. Your life expectancy wasn't great. Every time you went up, you had no idea how you would be coming back down. Whether you would land safely on the airfield, or crash, and possibly burn, or drown, or both. He was often on missions, and Ivy was back and forth across the country delivering planes. But when Viola joined the WAAF, he saw Viola constantly. At first they were friends and talked about Ivy. Then, one day, they looked at one another and they knew they were so much more than friends. Suddenly, they couldn't keep their hands off one another.'

  'Are you telling me they had an affair?' Mary asked, disappointment etched across her face. 'Mother did that to her own sister?'

  'Yes. She did. It went on for a few weeks and they both told one another it was just a fling. But it wasn't. Bailey wanted to tell Ivy and break off the engagement. He wanted to marry Viola instead. But Viola wanted to be the one to tell her. In the end, they agreed to tell her together. And he now thinks that was the worst mistake they made.'

  'Bloody hell,' Kyra said. 'I should think so. One of them telling her they were cheating was bad enough. To have both of them stand in front of her as a couple and tell her that the two people she probably trusted most in the world had been lying and deceiving her behind her back. God. How awful.'

  'That's what he feels now. That's what he felt afterwards. But it was even worse than that. Ivy told them that their timing was wonderful because she had just discovered she was pregnant. She said she would bring the baby up alone. Quite something in those days. But Bailey couldn't walk away from her and his child and he was torn between his love for Viola and his sense of duty to Ivy. He says he's not proud of his behaviour, but he was young and foolish and in love. And there was a war on. Ivy and Viola were both terribly upset, of course. They all were. But Ivy insisted she would be fine and actually wished them well, refusing to discuss it further. Then she went off on her next flight to RAF Acklington. And on her return, her plane crashed into the hillside and she died.'

  'So Mother killed her. She killed her own sister. Ivy was clearly too upset to fly. They shouldn't have let her go.'

  'Which is exactly how they felt as soon as they heard the news. But they couldn't have stopped her. Viola ended things immediately and refused to see, or speak, or write to Bailey ever again. She applied for an immediate transfer and it was granted. He says they loved each other desperately. But neither of them could handle the guilt. The letters in the trunk were effectively begging her to reconsider. To grieve together. To see if they could assuage each other's guilt. They were sent here because this was the only address he had for her. But Viola never replied. He was told that she was now part of a team whose work was classified as 'Top Secret', so no information could be given. When the war ended, he assumed she would come back here, but she didn't. He heard she'd gone to stay with friends. He never saw her again and after a time, he had to return to Canada. And yet, even though he eventually married someone else, he never stopped loving Viola. His wife died many years ago, but he said she knew about Viola.'

  'But not about Ivy?' Kyra was clearly irritated by that.

  'I don't know. As I mentioned, he's sent a letter with a Christmas card and when that arrives, we can read exactly what he says.'

  'I'm not sure how I feel about this,' Mary said. 'It's ridiculous, I know. But I somehow feel as if Mother has let me down. I know that sounds rich coming from someone with my past. But we can't help how we feel, can we?'

  The Christmas card arrived a few days later and Bailey's letter said pretty much what Ben had said. There were a couple of extra paragraphs saying how Bailey wished he could turn back the clock. How he wished he'd met Viola first. How he wished he'd stayed and waited for Viola's eventual return, and tried yet again to persuade her to forgive herself and him. The only difference between the letter and what Ben had told her was the final paragraph.

  It said: 'We can't help who we fall in love with. Some loves last a lifetime. Nothing can end a love like that. Not guilt. Not distance. Not time. Some loves transcend all of that. It's as if that person is a part of us. Like a limb, or an organ. We might survive without them but that is all we will do. Survive. Only with that person will we ever find true happiness and be at peace with ourselves and feel whole. Some loves define us. They make us who we are. There's no escaping that sort of love. No matter how far we go or how hard we try. I have tried. Truly I have. But for me, there will only be one person I have ever truly loved with my entire heart and soul. And that person is Viola.'

  Ben's card had arrived the same day and Cat wasn't disappointed. Like her, he had bought a special card, but unlike her, he had gone much farther. He had admitted that what he felt was something stronger and deeper than merely friendship. And that even though they hadn't met, in his mind, they already had a bond.

  His card had a couple strolling hand in hand through a magical snow-laden forest, the woman's head leaning against the man's shoulder. And across the image the words: To Someone Very Special, said so much more than special friend, somehow.

  But what really made Cat's heart leap in her chest was what he had written inside.

  It read: 'I know we'll meet one day very soon and then I can say things that I probably shouldn't say to someone who, strictly speaking, I hadn't previously met. But I feel as if I know you, Cat, and as if this was meant to happen. I hope you feel the same. Love, Ben xx'

  After that, every time they spoke, there was a frisson of excitement. But neither mentioned meeting. It was as if to do so would break the spell between them. That's how Cat felt anyway.

  Apart from this, life went on much the same as it had been. More rain than ever had fallen in early December and throughout the month. The nearby village of Wyntersleap had actually flooded on the weekend before Christmas. Thankfully, no one was hurt and news soon spread that the villagers and some visitors were now staying at Wynter House u
ntil the River Wynter receded and the cottages could dry out.

  The river also passed through Merriment Bay, but there was no danger of the village flooding. Wyntersleap reservoir took most of the flood water and what it couldn't cope with would overflow onto fields long before it would reach the village. Cat wasn't concerned, and nor was anyone else in Merriment Bay, as far as flooding went, but they were all getting mightily sick of the weather. There were storms, showers, hailstones, more torrential rain and finally, the day before Christmas Eve, it actually began to snow.

  Chapter Eleven

  Snow started falling on Merriment Bay just before lunch on the day before Christmas Eve and Mary, Jeremy, and Kyra went with Cat early to the hospital that day. They had been invited to a party at Abigail and William Lester's house that night and as awful as Cat felt about it, they wanted to get to the hospital and back without being caught up in traffic jams caused by Christmas shoppers and now, by the weather.

  The hospital looked as cheery as any hospital can at Christmas. There were trees and decorations here and there. And the fake tree that Cat and Kyra had placed on the windowsill in Granny Viola's room gave it a little bit of festive feeling. Even if Granny Viola was seemingly unaware of it.

  They stayed for almost an hour, discussing their options yet again with doctors, and chatting amiably with the nurses about their holiday plans.

  'What's that commotion?' Kyra asked, popping her head around the open door of Granny Viola's private room shortly before they were about to leave. 'Oh. My. God. Mum. You will never guess who is walking towards this door.'

  'Amias?' That was the first name that popped into Cat's head.

  'Amias?' Kyra repeated, looking at Cat as if to ask where that had come from. 'Why would Amias be here?'

  Cat was flustered. 'I don't know. I have no idea why I said that.'

  'Well, prepare yourself for an even bigger surprise. Unless I'm very much mistaken. And I'm not. Bailey, Ben and Diana Mitchell have flown five thousand miles and are walking down the corridor.'

  'What?' Cat leapt to her feet. 'That's not possible. They can't be. Ben didn't mention this yesterday.'

  She dashed towards the door and peered into the corridor, only to be met by Ben's smiling face, certainly more handsome in the flesh.

  'Ben! Bailey! Diana! How? When? Why?' She didn't know where to start.

  'Hello, Cat,' Bailey said, holding out a shaking hand and offering a beaming smile. 'It's so good to be here. How is she?'

  'Viola?' Cat shook her head. 'No change. But it's wonderful to meet you. I can't believe you're here. Am I imagining this?'

  Ben smiled. 'You're not imagining it. It's a dream come true for us to visit. I probably should've let you know. But once Grandfather suggested it, we weren't sure whether it would actually come to pass and we didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. Including our own. Then we decided it would be a nice surprise. We were sure you would be here. Although we hadn't accurately calculated the time difference or the transport delays to get here.'

  'But we're here now,' Diana said. 'And that's what matters. It's lovely to meet you all. And may we wish you a Merry Christmas in spite of the situation?'

  'Yes.' Cat's eyes darted from her to Bailey to Ben and back and forth between them all. 'And you, Diana. And a Merry Christmas to all of you. Um. Do come in. This is my daughter, Kyra. My mum, Mary. And Jeremy, her fiancé. And this of course, is Granny Viola.' She nodded towards the bed where Viola lay, as if asleep, save for the tubes going to and from her frail body.

  Bailey smiled and said hello to everyone but it was clear he was impatient to get to Viola's bedside and they all moved aside to let him pass.

  'Hello, Viola, my angel.' His voice shook almost as much as his hand had done. 'It's been a long, long time, but you haven't changed one bit. You're still as beautiful as ever. I hope you won't mind if I hold your hand.'

  He gently took one hand in his and tears filled his eyes as he squeezed it softly and raised it to his lips.

  'Did you see that?' Kyra screamed, pointing to Viola's other hand which lay at her side. 'Her fingers moved. I swear they did. I only saw it from the corner of my eye. But they moved. They did. They really did.'

  Cat shook her head. 'We know that sometimes there are involuntary spasms.'

  'It wasn't that, Mum. It wasn't. She lifted her finger. I know she did.'

  'All right, sweetheart. We believe you. Mum and I will go and find a doctor and see if he can check on her condition.' She glanced at Ben. 'Is that OK, Ben? Do you mind if we leave you all here for a moment?'

  Ben smiled. 'Of course I don't. We'll be here when you get back.'

  The doctors confirmed that there did indeed appear to be a very slight improvement on Viola's score on the Glasgow Coma Scale. But they couldn't give any promises or reassurances. Sometimes, this could mean the person was coming out of the coma, but sometimes, they had seen this happen before the final gasp. Although they were a little more tactful than that.

  Cat, Kyra, Mary, Jeremy and the Mitchells remained at the hospital for several hours, none of them wanting to leave Viola, just in case.

  Eventually, Diana said that she needed to get some sleep. They had been travelling for several hours and owing to the time difference, she was suffering from jetlag. So was Ben it seemed. But Bailey was determined to stay as long as he could. When the situation was explained, although not all the details, merely that Bailey and Viola were once very much in love, the staff had pulled out all the stops and arranged for Bailey to stay for as long as he wanted. But they had been very flexible with visiting hours ever since Granny Viola had been moved to her private room.

  'We'll come back in a few hours,' Ben and Diana said.

  Mary wanted to stay too, but felt that in the circumstances, she and Jeremy would give Bailey and Viola some space.

  'We have a party to go to this evening,' Mary said, 'but of course we will simply show our faces, explain the situation and come back here as soon as we can.'

  'Should I ask Abigail if Ben and Diana can come to the party?' Cat asked Mary. 'Kyra wants to go to be with Lucas and also to see Marcus. He and his family will be there for Christmas.'

  'I don't think Ben and Diana will want to go to a party filled with strangers after a transatlantic flight, but if you want to, then I'm sure Abigail and William won't mind.'

  Cat wasn't sure what to do for the best.

  'I think perhaps, like you, Mum, I'll just show my face. Then I can spend time with Ben and Diana so that they're not alone in a strange town on the night before Christmas Eve. Perhaps we'll go out for dinner, or something.'

  'That sounds like a very good idea.'

  Ben and Diana seemed to think so too. Although they said they were fine if Cat and Kyra went to the party. The journey had been tiring and they were happy to simply catch up on some sleep. It was Cat who would rather they didn't. Ben was definitely even more gorgeous in real life and now that he was here, she wanted to spend as much time as she possibly could with him. She would be perfectly happy if Diana wanted to stay in her room and sleep, but she was hoping that like her, Ben would rather do other things with his time.

  Before he left, he managed to get her attention and they found a quiet corner. He smiled as he looked into her eyes.

  'You're even prettier in the flesh. When I told you we'd meet soon, I didn't know it would be this soon. But the minute Grandfather said he wanted to take one final trip to England, I was determined to make it happen. Not just for him. But also for us.'

  'For you and Diana, you mean?' She smiled up at him.

  He shook his head very, very slowly.

  'No. For you and me, Cat Devon. As I think you know.' He took her hand in his and moved closer.

  There were no butterflies. No doubts or fears or worries like she always had when she was close to Amias. Just the knowledge that Ben was going to kiss her and that she wanted him to. Still holding her hand, he pulled her close and bent his head towards her.

 
Their lips met in a soft and gentle kiss. No fireworks. No trumpets. No choirs of angels. Just a sweet and pleasant kiss. A kiss she would be happy to repeat.

  'That was nice,' she said, when they eased apart.

  'It was very nice,' Ben agreed.

  A cough interrupted their moment.

  'Mum? Gran says we're going to leave now. Are you ready? Sorry to interrupt, Ben, but patience isn't one of Gran's virtues.'

  'It's not a problem, Kyra. Your mum and I'll have plenty of time to talk again. Drive safe, now. I'll see you later, Cat.'

  'I'm looking forward to it already.'

  'Nice?' Kyra whispered as she and Cat walked towards Mary and Jeremy. 'Nice? What does that mean?'

  Cat tutted. 'It means exactly what it says. And it also means you shouldn't have been eavesdropping.'

  'You were in a corner of the hospital corridor, Mum. If you'd wanted privacy you should've got a room. Nice. Honestly. I bet a kiss from Amias would be a lot better than nice.'

  'Amias? Why would you bring him up at a time like this?'

  'Er. I hate to point this out, Mum, but you were the one who brought him up when I said that you'd be surprised who was walking down the corridor. Now, I may be young and I may be foolish, but if his name is the first one that pops into your head, I think that tells you all you need to know.'

  'If Ben hadn't lived half a world away, I would obviously have said Ben. But I was thinking of someone local. That's all.'

  'Yeah. You keep telling yourself that, Mum. But I for one, will never believe it.'

  'Well as you said, you're young and foolish.'

  'I'd rather be young and foolish than “nice” any day of the week.'

  Chapter Twelve

  Cat made an extra effort to look her best. Not for Abigail and Will's party, but for later, when she had arranged to see Ben and Diana for dinner in Eastbourne. But snow was now falling thick and fast. More so than it had been earlier and roads were becoming a bit of a problem in places, according to the traffic news. She texted Ben, not knowing if he was sleeping or not, and asked him to call her when he got a chance.