Holly's Christmas Gift

by Alex Brown

  ‘I was angry,’ Sam had told her. ‘And confused. And I felt like a failure. I wanted to do something, to show that I could take responsibility. But the blood results meant I wouldn’t even be able to step up if Holly really needed me.’

  ‘But don’t you see?’ Chrissie had said, taking both his hands in hers and drawing him to her. ‘You’ve given Holly another chance … she has two brand-new blood relatives who can’t wait to get tested.’

  Sam moved his arm around Chrissie’s shoulders. He could see the maypole up ahead – its red, gold and green rainbow of satin ribbons fluttering around in the warm breeze, the only clouds in the sky mere wisps of candy floss. The trees at the entrance to the Blackwood Farm Estate were festooned with paper lanterns, looped from one to the other like bunting. As they got nearer, the air became full with the heady scent of coconut and lime from the numerous pomanders hanging on lengths of yellow ribbon from tall metal hooks pushed into the ground. A band playing kettledrums gave the fair a carnival atmosphere. Morris dancers waved tasselled batons in the air. They spotted jugglers deftly flicking balls and clubs, a machine jetting a cascade of giant bubbles everywhere; all of it here to welcome them as they walked on into the magical wonderland. Past big pots of petunias, buckets ablaze with exotic lilies – pink, blue and red. And, from the corner of his eye, Sam spotted a crimson-breasted robin perched on a branch in the woodland nearby. He pondered on whether it was the same one he’d seen on the five-bar gate when he’d pulled over into the layby on his first day back home in Tindledale. Signifying a new beginning. Or was that just fanciful thinking? Either way, it made him feel as if anything was possible …

  *

  As Jude scooped Lulu up under her arm and stepped through the little Hobbit door, she gasped. It was just as she had imagined. And exactly as Myles had wanted. It was a veritable miracle that they had managed to pull it off in time. With a bit – well … a lot, to be fair – of help from Billy Randall’s Most Amazing Funfair and Theme Parks. The men had pulled out all the stops after Billy Randall’s wife, Jackie, had turned out to be Myles King’s Number 1 fan. She had even set up the fan club and everything back in the day. So Billy had had a word with Myles, and in exchange for an exclusive VIP performance by Myles of Jackie’s favourite songs, he had taken charge of the whole event. Showing Myles and Jude exactly what needed to be done, and in what order … there had been a lot of head shaking and muttering from Billy.

  But it had all worked out well in the end, and now the grass all around the entrance to the swimming pool was covered in sand. Real sand. And there were lots of gorgeous little pastel-coloured beach huts too, selling all kinds of fare – candy floss, ice creams, lollies, smoothies, cakes, candles, jams, chutneys, sticks of rock, driftwood ornaments, nets of seashells and an assortment of deliciously aromatic food.

  ‘I need one of those,’ Tony laughed, pointing to a pink beach hut. Cooper the butcher was outside it, carving a giant side of beef into generous slices for the villagers to wedge into a roll with an equally generous portion of fried onions and a dollop of horseradish sauce.

  ‘But what about this, Dad?’ Jude grinned, tucking her hand through his crooked arm and leading him over to the hog roast stall. Cooper’s wife, Molly, was supervising her four enormous sons in taking turns to rotate the spit over the hot coals. Sybs, from the haberdashery shop, was standing nearby with her husband, Dr Ben, and their adorable twin girls, each wearing blue polka-dot sundresses with cotton hats and flipflops. Coming to join them were Cher and Sonny from the Duck & Puddle pub, with their little boy, closely followed by a heavily pregnant Kitty from the Spotted Pig Café & Tearoom, and her partner, Mack, with little Teddie swinging on the end of his arm.

  ‘Well, whatever we go for, we had better be quick,’ Tony said, as he pointed to the sea of choristers heading over from the manor house, all wearing Hawaiian straw hula skirts and multicoloured lei garlands around their necks, singing ‘Here Comes The Sun’, creating a marvellous, tropical holiday feel. ‘There will be nothing left after they’ve sung their hearts out and worked up an appetite.’ Tony tilted his head up with an amused look on his face.

  ‘Good point. And you need to go and get changed soon into your Willy Wonka velvet suit and top hat if you’re to surprise all the children with your magic show.’ Jude nudged and winked at her dad.

  ‘Shuuushh, we don’t want them hearing you, and it spoiling the magic,’ Tony tapped the side of his nose.

  ‘Very true. Come on then …’ and she headed to the hog roast stall first.

  In the queue, and she turned to Tony and leaned into him to create a smidgen of privacy while they chatted. ‘Are you sure you’re OK with it all, Dad? Everything that came out when Linda turned up? I mean, it was a massive shock.’

  ‘Surprise, love! It’s a wonderful surprise,’ he confirmed resolutely, and smiled. ‘And I know that I have no right in taking any credit whatsoever, but Sam is a great bloke. He’s a kind, caring man that any dad would be proud to call his son.’

  ‘Oh Dad, you are so lovely. And Sam takes after you, obviously,’ she grinned, still trying to get her head around the revelation of finding out that she had a half-brother. And someone she had grown up with, to boot. Went to school with, even. And there had been a moment years ago when they were about fourteen years old and she had very nearly had a kiss with Sam. Eeeep! She had been tipsy on Lambrini and Chrissie had dared her to kiss the first boy who came through the door of the village hall where they were having a disco. Luckily, thinking about it all now with hindsight, Sam had appeared in the doorway and then scarpered, meaning his mate Matt, the farrier, had ended up being the boy Jude first kissed on the actual mouth. Thankfully. That would have just been very awkward otherwise.

  ‘I don’t think he does take after me, love. He’s very much like Rob. He was a great bloke too. Salt-of-the-earth type who would do anything for anyone, and I’m ashamed to this day for what I did … with my mate’s girlfriend.’ Tony shook his head as his voice faded.

  ‘But Dad, you mustn’t feel like that,’ Jude rubbed his arm, hating seeing him blame himself. ‘It was years ago. And you must have been very young. We all make mistakes when we’re that age. And you put a stop to it, right? … As soon as you knew that Rob was serious about Linda.’

  ‘I guess so. And I thought I had been careful, taken precautions. I never would have been deliberately irresponsible, we were just kids ourselves …’ He paused and looked away.

  ‘Of course you wouldn’t.’

  ‘Doesn’t stop me from feeling like the worst friend in the world now, though. Poor Rob never knew – and he would have hated me if he had.’ Tony bowed his head and let out a long sigh.

  ‘Then I think it’s a good thing … a blessing in disguise, Dad. You were a good friend to Rob and he died never knowing the pain that Linda’s bombshell would have caused him.’

  ‘I know, love. I know. And thank you for being so sensible about it all,’ Tony nodded, wistfully.

  ‘Well, I wasn’t going to be an idiot about it. What’s to be gained from that? You’re a decent bloke, Anthony Darling, and I’m proud to have you as my dad, and Sam had better be too,’ she laughed, ‘or he’ll have me to answer to. And I’m sure I could be a really annoying younger sister if I wanted to be.’ And they both laughed.

  ‘Ahh, surely not,’ Tony gave his daughter a squeeze. ‘And you know, I’m so pleased to have you home, love. Can’t tell you what a world of difference it makes to this old man.’

  ‘Stop that. You’re not old. And a good job too …’ Jude swapped Lulu onto her other hip, before straightening her little May Fair-themed Hawaiian shirt around her caramel-coloured curls. Lulu thanked Jude with a quick, cold, flyby lick on the cheek, which Jude instantly rubbed away with the back of a hand. She loved Lulu, but wasn’t about to have her doggy slobber all over her face. Yuk.

  ‘Why is that then?’ Tony asked his daughter. She leaned into him.

  ‘Well, Holly has got all of us now, but
in a completely different way from before. I’ve got a new niece, and you’ve got a new granddaughter!’

  *

  Dolly, having recovered from the initial shock of that night, was determined not to let it spoil her granddaughter’s upcoming birthday. Holly might not be related by blood, but that didn’t change a thing. She still loved her and that was that. Now, if only Linda would leave and let them all get on with having a lovely time at the May Fair, but the blasted woman was determined to hang around like a bad smell. Dolly could see her hovering over by the carousel. The lovely carousel that glittered and flashed red, gold and green as the painted wooden horses went up and down and around and around. The jolly piped organ music bringing back memories of when she was a girl.

  But enough was enough. Dolly knew that she needed to put this particular ghost to bed, for the sake of them all. Especially her dear Sam, who had been beside himself the day after Linda’s nasty announcement, even though she had assured him it didn’t change a thing between them. And when Colin had got home from the coach trip to Amsterdam, Dolly had let herself have a cry in her husband’s arms up in the privacy of their bedroom. And now she was getting on with it. For Dolly had endured far worse upsets in her lifetime than the likes of Linda.

  After taking a deep breath and adjusting her new lilac blouse, Dolly turned to Colin.

  ‘Shan’t be a moment, dear.’ And she made her way over to where Linda was standing eying up the man tending the carousel. ‘If I could tear you away for a moment?’ Dolly said, raising one eyebrow.

  ‘Hmm, I wondered when you were going to stick your oar in,’ Linda huffed, unravelling herself from the post she’d been wrapped around in what Dolly could only assume she had thought was a provocative pose.

  ‘Why do you insist on being so obnoxious? If cheating on my son wasn’t bad enough, you have to turn up here all these years later and cause yet more heartache for everyone.’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Linda said tartly, pushing her chin up in the air. ‘And it wasn’t like I was even married to your precious son, Rob, when I … err, um, had a bit of fun. Accidents happen, you know. I’m sure you’ve made a few in your lifetime …’

  ‘Well, Linda, I guess you’re never going to change. But thank God you did cheat on my dear son, Robert.’ Dolly gave her daughter-in-law a look of death before pushing her handbag further into the crook of her elbow.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Linda looked taken aback.

  ‘Don’t you see?’ Dolly smiled graciously. ‘Jude or Tony may turn out to be a blood match for my Holly. And yes, she’ll always be my great-granddaughter. And Sam my grandson. Because, do you know what, Linda …’ she paused for maximum impact, before saying, ‘Scraggen.’ Linda’s surname before she married her son. ‘Yes, that’s right, you aren’t worthy of using my son’s surname, Morgan, any more.’

  ‘Flaming cheek!’ Linda sniffed to interrupt.

  ‘Anyway, as I was saying,’ Dolly carried on regardless, ‘my grandson and great-granddaughter mean the world to me, and they always will.’

  ‘Good for you! But they’re still my family,’ Linda said nastily. ‘You’ve always thought you were better than me. Looking down your nose when I was married to Rob—’

  ‘No dear!’ A short silence followed. ‘That wasn’t superiority. That was pity. Pity that you couldn’t see what was right in front of you … and you still don’t!’ Dolly held her gaze.

  ‘What’s that then?’ Linda looked away.

  ‘Just how important family is.’

  ‘But, Sam and Holly … they aren’t really your family though, are they?’ Linda retorted, her top lip curling into a spiteful grimace.

  ‘Well, that’s where you’re wrong. Because blood isn’t thicker than water. Not at all. It’s just a different colour!’

  And with that Dolly walked away to rejoin Colin. They were meeting Sam, Chrissie, Holly, Tony and Jude over by the swimming pool in precisely ten minutes to watch Holly and her little friend splash around in the fountains together before going in for a swim. And then, later, they were all going back to her cottage to enjoy a wonderful, big, family dinner of roast lamb with all the trimmings followed by strawberry pavlova and cream.

  *

  Jude had just dispatched her dad to the back entrance of the main marquee, and put Lulu in her little playroom, when an actual wooden canoe on wheels came hurtling across the sand towards her, complete with two giant paddles and a sail hoisted up to the top of the mast. She jumped out of the way as the canoe swerved in a big U-turn before slowing to a halt right beside her.

  ‘Hop in!’ It was Myles, grinning from ear to ear, wearing a long, curly black wig. His bare chest adorned in tribal tattoos. A bunch of shells on a length of string at his neck. He even had a grass skirt on over black swimming shorts too.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Jude spluttered, dusting sand from her mouth and hair as she gawped at him. He was toned and tanned all over. And made a very impressive Polynesian demi-god – a fitter, hotter version of Maui from that film, Moana.

  ‘What does it look like?’ he said, patting the plastic bench seat he was sitting on. ‘I’ve come to rescue you!’

  ‘Rescue me? But I don’t need rescuing,’ she laughed, shaking her head and bobbing her shoulders up and down.

  ‘Well, not literally rescue you, as in … you know, properly rescue you,’ he said, rolling his eyes and pulling a pretend exasperated look. ‘I know you don’t need rescuing. Come on, get in … I’ve got a surprise to show you.’ And he patted the seat again. Jude, always up for a surprise, immediately put her foot inside the canoe and sat down beside him. Myles pressed two buttons – one to make the wheels spark into action, the other to spray a fine mist of salty-scented water all over them.

  As they gathered speed, Jude felt as if she was riding along on the crest of a wave. It was incredible. The hot air in her hair, the close proximity of Myles’s body pressed alongside hers as they surfed through the sand and into the forest surrounding the estate’s perimeter … it was sensational.

  ‘Whoa,’ Myles brought the canoe to a halt on the far side of the Blackwood Farm Estate. A section of ground that Jude hadn’t been to before. Ahead of them was a little densely shaded wooded area illuminated with fairy lights. ‘Follow me,’ Myles jumped out of the canoe, ran around it and held out his hand to Jude.

  ‘Where are we going?’ she asked, intrigued.

  ‘You’ll see.’ Moments later, and she was standing outside the door to a log cabin. Myles handed her a gold key with a scarlet ribbon looped through it.

  ‘Unlock the door,’ he prompted her, rubbing his hands together in glee. He really was like a big kid … Jude slipped the key into the lock and tentatively pushed open the door. Directly in front of her was a luxurious gold velvet curtain which Myles quickly swept aside.

  And she gasped.

  ‘A studio?’ She turned to look at him, unable to believe her own eyes – it was an exact replica of her workspace in LA. The base from where she had built her successful interior design business from scratch … and it was now right here in Tindledale.

  ‘It’s yours. You like it?’ he asked, eagerly.

  ‘Like it? I love it,’ she told him, taking in the luxurious décor, the sumptuous mink carpet, the creamy leather sofa, the walnut veneer-topped table on which she used to roll out her plan sheets to show clients. There was even a row of clocks on one wall for each of the different countries where her clients were based. ‘But why?’ she clasped her hands up under her chin.

  ‘Why not?’ Myles shrugged.

  ‘Because … because you can’t just copy my LA office like this. And then give it to me. It’s insane. And it must have cost you a fortune, for starters. And how did you even know about this?’ She slipped off her sandals and dashed into the middle of the space. After twirling on the carpet that was at least four inches thick, she sunk down onto the sofa and practically caressed it as she drew in the exquisite fragrance of antique leather.
r />   ‘I Googled it!’

  ‘What?’ she screamed, leaping up and laughing. ‘But of course you did … silly me.’

  ‘Seriously though, I did Google you and I found out where your office was in LA and I called them, and well … I figured that, seeing as that shop in the High Street of yours has kind of fizzled out …’ He paused and gave her a look, as if testing to see if he was overstepping the mark. She tilted her head and nodded to let him know that he had a point. She had already decided that closing the shop was going to be a necessity – her dream hadn’t really worked out in the way she had hoped. The warm-hearted villagers of Tindledale just weren’t that into antiques and high-end interiors and stuff. ‘And you’re working here on the estate most of the time … so I reckoned you’d like a proper space of your own. And you can resurrect your LA-based business from here too, if you like!’ He stared at her, as if hesitant he’d done the right thing. ‘No worries, if it’s too much. I can get it dismantled when you’ve finished, you know … helping me do up the estate.’ He ran a hand over his chin.

  Jude smiled as she stared back at him, thinking what a wonderful man he was. That night when she had arrived here to bring Holly home, Myles had been amazing. He had guessed right away what Holly’s intention had been, to run away, but he hadn’t panicked or taken over and called in the cavalry. He had figured it more important that Holly felt safe, that she had someone there for her in that moment. To understand and not judge. Instead he had listened and helped her come to the realisation that things might turn out all right in the end, if she could be brave enough to stick around and give it all a go.

  ‘But it’s too much, Myles. Honestly, you don’t need to do this.’

  ‘Yes I do. Call it an apology, and a thank you, all rolled into one.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘An apology for being so obnoxious when I first got in touch with you, for starters … Darling Antiques, what kind of a name is that, are you having a laugh? Remember?’ he grinned sheepishly. ‘I guess I was a bit nervous. And the thank you … is for all this,’ and he waved a hand towards the window to indicate the grounds and the manor house.