Winter’s Fairytale

by Maxine Morrey

  ‘Hi Mum.’ he said, wrapping her in a big, warm hug.

  ‘Hello darling! How was the drive?’

  ‘Yeah, not bad. We were just about to come in.’

  ‘Izzy, Izzy, Izzy!’ Eleanor flung her arms out to me. I flicked a look to Rob. I’d had strict instructions not to move without hanging onto him and frankly I didn’t fancy the risk anyway. Not that it was an issue as Eleanor was in front of me before Rob could move, giving me a lovely welcoming hug. ‘I’m so glad you decided to come.’

  ‘Me too.’ I said, honestly.

  ‘Right, let’s get you in.’ she instructed and Rob quickly stepped beside me and held out an arm for me to hold on to. I’d like to say I was elegant and demure about it, but the truth was, after my escapades earlier, it probably had more a look of hanging on for grim death. He was right. Wellies would have been a good idea. Or at least flats. I did have a pair of the latter but being satin, they weren’t really made for trekking through the snow either. I’d not owned a pair of wellies since I was five years old. They didn’t really go with my aesthetic, not to mention I’d not had the need for them. I had to admit I felt a bit daft now for not bringing any. But then again, nobody had specifically mentioned I’d need them either. Oh well. I’d got the dress and my supplies. Everything else was a bonus anyway.

  ‘I can hear those cogs whirring again.’ Rob whispered as we walked up the path a few steps behind his mum.

  ‘I was just thinking how silly it was of me not to bring any boots. Walking boots.’ I corrected.

  ‘Don’t be daft. I think you can be forgiven for being rather preoccupied in making a wedding dress appear from thin air in a week! I should have mentioned something before about bringing some. We like to go out for walks, but you don’t have to come if you don’t want to anyway.’

  ‘No, I’d like to!’

  ‘Good. I’d like you to as well. As will Harold.’

  Rob handed me in over the front step into the warmth of the hall and followed, pushing the door closed for a moment.

  ‘Who’s Harold?’ I frowned.

  ‘Harold! No!’ Eleanor said a moment too late as a chocolate lab who weighed about the same as me bounded up to say hello in a wonderfully exuberant manner. So wonderful that I careered backwards into Rob who in turn careered backwards into the front door.

  ‘Harold. Lie.’ he instructed, standing us both back up. Harold dropped to the floor immediately, his tail thumping madly on the wood as he watched Rob for his next command.

  ‘Roll over.’

  He did. I laughed, already half in love with my latest introduction. I crouched down, and reached over to rub his tummy.

  ‘Wait!’ Rob cautioned.

  I snatched my hand back. ‘What?’

  ‘Just know that once you do that, you’ve got a job for life. He’ll expect it every time he sees you.’

  I grinned up at Rob. ‘That doesn’t sound too bad,’ I said and promptly gave Harold a good old tummy tickle. His tail thumped faster and faster and he wriggled with excitement.

  ‘Come on, boy. Up you get. Find Mike.’ Rob sent him off on a quest. The dog shot off as Rob lent me a hand and pulled me up from where I’d been kneeling on the floor. ‘I forgot to warn you about Harold too. I really should have checked you weren’t allergic or anything.’

  ‘No, I love dogs! We could never have one because we never knew where we would be sent next and obviously now it’s a bit difficult because of working.’

  ‘Yeah, I know what you mean. I love coming down here and walking with him. I’d love to move my office to home at some point. That way I wouldn’t have to go out in the middle of the night when I need to speak to my Asia Pacific clients. All the files would be right there. And it would mean I could get a dog then too.’

  ‘Can I come and play with it?’ I asked.

  ‘I’d be upset if you didn’t.’ He winked at me with a naughty glint in his eye.

  ‘Robert Winchester. Did you just proposition me?’

  ‘I don’t know. Did I?’ His face was all innocence but his eyes told a different story entirely, ‘Izzy, I–’

  ‘Hello you two!’ Jenny and Mike came up the corridor. Harold was walking beside Mike, looking thoroughly pleased with himself at having completed his latest task. He left Mike and came and sat by Rob, clearly expecting a treat for his good work. Rob bent and rubbed the dog’s chin.

  ‘I haven’t got anything, sorry boy.’

  Harold tilted his head in an unbelievably cute motion.

  ‘Oh, don’t look at me like that.’ Rob sounded pained.

  ‘Come here, Harold.’ Jenny called. We all looked over to see her holding a miniature bone shaped biscuit. Harold’s feet skidded about on the flooring, much like my own had done earlier on the pavement, as he tried to get a purchase and head off to fetch his reward. Inelegantly, he reached Jenny, and sat hurriedly in front of her chair.

  ‘Wait.’ she said, and balanced the treat on his nose. ‘Ok.’

  Harold flipped the biscuit and gobbled it down.

  ‘Good boy!’

  Once we’d all finished fussing with the dog, we exchanged our human greetings and Rob and Mike went out to the car to bring everything in.

  ‘Come on in. Mum’s saved you two some dinner. You must be starving!’

  I’d been so busy this week, I couldn’t remember eating a whole lot at all in the past few days but I wasn’t about to tell Jenny that. It wasn’t just her dress that had kept me busy but I knew she’d feel guilty anyway.

  ‘Yes, I am a bit hungry, I have to say!’

  ‘Journey ok?’

  I followed Jenny through the house to the kitchen where two places were set at the table and her dad was pouring wine into six glasses.

  ‘Hello Izzy love!’ John rushed over and gave me a big sweeping hug. His cheeks were a little flush and I guessed that the glass on the table wasn’t his first one of the evening.

  ‘Hello John! Yes, the journey was fine, thanks. I fell asleep though, which I feel a bit bad about! Sort of left Rob to it.’

  ‘Oh I’m sure he didn’t mind! You must have needed it. That’s all he would have thought.’ John said, handing Jenny and me a glass each.

  I smiled and took the wine.

  ‘Where do you want all this stuff?’ Rob’s voice came from the hallway.

  Placing our glasses back on the table, Jen, Eleanor and I headed out to the hallway and met the boys who were now loaded down with cases, boxes and garment carriers.

  ‘It’s not “stuff”,’ Jenny corrected, reaching up for her dress which I lifted off Rob’s pile and handed carefully to her, resting it so that it wouldn’t obstruct her movement, ‘it’s my beautiful dress!’

  Rob pulled a face that only a brother could. ‘Yeah. Ok. What about the rest of this stuff?’ He emphasised the last word just to be annoying to her.

  ‘Do you really want to know that?’ she replied, a twinkle in her eye.

  Rob laughed.

  ‘Come on,’ Eleanor took charge. ‘We’ll put all the wedding “stuff” in the conservatory, and Rob, would you take Izzy’s case up to the guest room for me?’

  ‘Oh I can do that!’ I offered.

  ‘No problem. I’m putting my things up there anyway.’

  There was a brief pause.

  ‘Not in the guest room though. Obviously. My room. I’m putting my things in my room.’

  Jenny and Mike exchanged a little look. Eleanor sailed on without missing a beat.

  ‘Of course you are, darling. Now off you go and do that. Wash your hands on the way back and you and Izzy can sit down for your dinner.’

  Rob nodded, took the other case from Mike and headed off up the stairs with them, his long legs taking the steps two at a time. A few minutes later, I was just coming out of the downstairs loo, having washed my hands, when I bumped into him.

  ‘Hi.’

  ‘Hi.’

  ‘All right?’

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘Rob?’
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br />   ‘Yes?’

  ‘You are ok with all this, aren’t you?’ My voice was dropped to a whisper. I didn’t want to alert anyone else to the fact that Rob was acting a teensy bit odd – although, judging by the look his sister had exchanged with her fiancé, I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed anyway. And I was pretty sure his mum didn’t miss a trick, however smoothly she carried on.

  Rob looked at me, smiled and wrapped an arm around my shoulders before kissing me on the temple. ‘I’m ok with this. Come on, let’s eat.’ He dropped his arm and shuffled me ahead of him into the kitchen.

  Weak winter sunshine was falling in long thin puddles onto the deep piled carpet of my bedroom when I woke the next day. The smell of English breakfast cooking drifted up the stairs and woke my stomach. I rolled over in the double bed and looked at the French style clock on the bedside. Half past nine? How did that happen? I never slept past six normally, even when I wasn’t going into the studio. Oh my goodness, what would my hosts think of me?

  Pushing back the covers, in the most reluctant of rushes, I pulled a towel from the pile left on the bedroom chair and headed into the little en-suite shower. Ten minutes later, I was showered, dressed and had made my face look a little less tired with a slick of BB blur cream, a swipe of mascara and soft pink lip gloss. I slipped on the hotel style slippers that had been left by the bed, and headed downstairs, to be greeted at the kitchen door by Harold who came up to me excitedly. Instead of charging into me, today he sat down, his tail still thumping an excitable rhythm on the tiles.

  ‘Morning Harold!’ I said, bending and giving him a good chin rub. He groaned and pushed his head down further into my hand.

  ‘You’ve got a friend for life there, you know.’ Jenny said, smiling and holding her arms out for a hug. ‘How did you sleep?’

  ‘Too well I think,’ I said, laughing, ‘I’m so sorry I’m late!’

  ‘Nonsense!’ Eleanor said, appearing from the larder cupboard, then coming over and giving me a squeeze. ‘You clearly needed the rest and anyway, neither Mike nor Rob are up yet either. Although, if they want any breakfast, they’ll need to hurry.’

  ‘I’m up.’ Mike padded in, barefoot and yawning and came up behind Jenny. Bending forward he gave her a kiss and cuddle.

  Eleanor caught me watching them, and patted my arm as she came to stand next to me at the counter. ‘We couldn’t have wished for a better man for her.’

  ‘He’s head over heels. It’s wonderful.’

  ‘They both are. Life can be so strange sometimes,’ she continued quietly. ‘Beautiful things can sometimes come out of the most difficult of circumstances. I mean, without the accident, Jenny might never have met Mike.’

  I took the punnet of mushrooms that she was carrying, pulled a knife from the holder on the counter and began chopping them.

  ‘I can do that, dear. You’re a guest!’

  ‘No really, please let me. Carry on with telling me about…’ I waved the knife towards where Mike and Jenny were now giggling together.

  Eleanor pulled up a bar stool for us each and we sat at the counter as she continued quietly with her story.

  ‘He wasn’t really the type of man she tended to go for. They were always these trendy, arty farty types – and they always let her down. And then the car accident happened. Poor Jenny. She was in a very dark place at one point. Rob knew Mike had done a lot of work with injured veterans so he thought maybe he’d have some suggestions or something. Well, I’m not sure what he thought to be honest, he was just trying everything he could. But the moment Mike walked in, she started smiling. And believe me, it had been a long time since we’d seen her do that. I mean, really smile. And he, Mr Professional Medical Doctor, was grinning like a loon. Bless him, Rob’s face was a picture! He’d had no idea of fixing either his friend or his sister up, he’d just been trying to help. Which is exactly what he did, just not in the way he imagined. Well, that’s not true. Mike got Jenny into some programmes and helped her himself with strength training, as well as introducing her to some other people in a similar situation. It all helped but falling in love, I think, was the biggest help of all. Rob was a bit wary of it to begin with. He’s always been so protective of Jenny. I mean, when the accident happened, he was devastated. He felt like he’d let her down. That he should have been able to protect her. We tried to tell him he couldn’t be there all the time for everyone but it’s just his nature. It always has been. It took him a long time to realise he couldn’t fix everything for everyone. But that’s never stopped him trying.’

  ‘You raised a good man.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘And you’re getting another good one there.’ I indicated Mike with a nod of my head.

  ‘We certainly are. Now we just need Rob to find someone lovely too.’

  ‘I’m sure he will, in time.’

  Eleanor pulled the boxes of eggs towards her and began putting some on a plate, ready to be cooked. ‘I’m not so sure. I don’t know what it is. He always goes for the same kind of girl. Beautiful, of course.’

  ‘I’d expect nothing less.’ I laughed.

  ‘Quite,’ his mum agreed, ‘I mean. They’re always these model types, but he’s never got really serious about any of them. And between you and me, I’m quite glad. I don’t think any of them have been good enough for him.’

  ‘That’s understandable.’

  ‘Oh no, I’m not one of these mothers who thinks nobody will ever be good enough. Just none of the ones he’s brought home as girlfriends so far. All a bit shallow if you ask me.’

  ‘I’m not sure Izzy was asking, was she?’ Rob’s voice made us both jump and made me drop the knife, missing his foot by an inch.

  ‘Bloody hell Rob!’ I said, and then clamped my hand over my mouth, ‘I’m so sorry!’ I mumbled through it.

  ‘Don’t worry, dear. I was about to say something much worse!’ Eleanor laughed, ‘You shouldn’t creep up on people!’ she scolded her son, offering her cheek for a greeting kiss.

  ‘He has a habit of doing that!’ I said, remembering the first time we’d bumped into each other again. Could it only have been a few weeks ago? I was having trouble remembering a time when Rob wasn’t part of my everyday life.

  He bent and retrieved the knife off the floor and moved to the sink to rinse it off before handing it back to me.

  ‘Thanks. And good morning.’

  ‘Morning,’ he smiled. ‘Thanks for missing my toes.’

  ‘You’re welcome. Don’t listen in on private conversations.’

  ‘It was about me. I’m entitled to.’

  ‘About you, being the operative phrase there.’

  ‘Go and sit at the table. I’ll bring you a coffee.’ his mum said.

  ‘It’s all right, I can do it. Anyone else want one?’ he called out and got a chorus of replies, including his dad who had just come in the back door, newspaper in hand.

  ‘Morning all!’ he called, ‘Ah everyone’s up! Marvellous. I can finally get my breakfast!’

  I must have looked a little horrified that I’d been instrumental in delaying my host’s breakfast because he began laughing.

  ‘Don’t tease the poor girl, John!’ Eleanor chided him before turning to me and taking the mushrooms I’d neatly sliced, ‘He was only up a few minutes before you anyway. He just headed straight out to get the paper.’

  I gave John a cheeky look and wagged my finger at him. He laughed even more, and took his place at the table next to where his son was now sitting with his hands wrapped around a large mug of coffee.

  ‘I ran into Clive Bennett at the shop.’

  ‘Oh, they’re still coming this evening?’

  ‘Yes, in fact it turns out Caroline is down with them for Christmas. He was asking if it was all right for her to come too.’

  Jenny groaned.

  ‘Jen.’ Rob cautioned.

  She looked at me and pulled a face.

  ‘What did you say?’ Eleanor asked.

 
‘What could I say? I said of course she was welcome.’

  ‘Welcome is a little bit of an overstatement, but yes, of course she has to be included.’

  I was, by now, completely lost as to who the mysterious Caroline was and nobody seemed inclined to say any more. I guessed that I would find out soon enough at the Winchesters’ Christmas Eve party tonight.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The day passed in a wonderfully relaxed manner. Eleanor had already prepared all the food for the evening so that she could spend the day relaxing rather than cooking. Rob disappeared after breakfast and came back a little while later with a box, which he handed to me.

  ‘What’s this?’

  ‘Open it and you’ll see.’

  ‘But it’s not Christmas until tomorrow.’

  ‘It’s not a Christmas present.’

  ‘But it is a present?’

  ‘I suppose. Look, just open the damn box, will you!’ he laughed.

  It was large so I sunk down onto the floor, my feet at my hips in that position that seemed to baffle Rob as to its comfort levels, and pulled the lid off of the box he’d handed me. Removing the top layer of tissue I looked up at him in surprise.

  ‘Do you like them?’

  ‘Yes! I love them!’

  The main reason I’d not had a pair of wellies since I was five was because I thought that they were, on the whole, not the most attractive of footwear. I know it seems shallow to worry about what you were wearing whilst tramping through muddy fields and it wasn’t that I was vain. It’s just that I liked pretty things. And wellies generally weren’t pretty. Except that on this occasion they were. Grape purple with a front placket of mock lacing, the boots were exactly what I’d have chosen myself. I held them up to show Jenny as she came in.

  ‘Oh my God, they’re gorgeous!’ She came over, took one from me and looked it over, ‘I’m totally getting a pair of these. I don’t care that I don’t need them!’ She grinned down at me on the floor. ‘We’ll be welly twins!’

  ‘Perfect!’

  ‘Try them on and make sure they fit before the shop closes. I can always swap them if not.’

  I slipped off my slippers and stuck my feet out in front of me, pulling the boots on one after the other. Jenny stuck out an arm to help me up and I stood in the living room wearing my favourite fifties style day dress and purple wellington boots, feeling ridiculously happy.