by Heidi Swain
It would have been so easy to tell him that it had been Dolly’s idea, but I didn’t think it would go any way to improving their relationship. It was all very well chatting on the phone and Jonathan sending lavish gifts, but I needed the pair to get along in real life too and if he knew of the part my friend had played in the disaster then that was never going to happen.
‘Me neither,’ I whispered.
‘But that’s neither here nor there now, is it?’ he carried on. ‘And if it’s gone, it’s gone.’
‘But aren’t you angry?’
‘Well I’m not best pleased,’ he said, the disappointment in his voice making me feel even worse, ‘but there’s no point blowing up about it, is there?’
I felt another rush of guilt as I realised that was exactly what I had been expecting him to do.
‘I really am so sorry,’ I said, apologising for more than an errant card, even though he didn’t realise it.
‘I know,’ he said, ‘you sound utterly miserable and I daresay you’re feeling even worse because your parents haven’t bothered to respond.’
I hadn’t really thought about that, assuming delivery was most likely delayed, but I was relieved that he had taken the news so well.
‘Let’s just forget about it,’ he said. ‘You’ve got more to be thinking about than that.’
‘Thank you for being so understanding,’ I told him. ‘I know it was a silly thing to do and Beamish did try his very best to get it back. He even tried to convince the postman to take it out of the box and give it back to him.’
‘Who’s Beamish?’
‘Sorry,’ I said. ‘What?’
‘You did say Beamish, didn’t you? Who’s that? It’s an unusual name.’
‘Oh,’ I said, chewing my lip. ‘He’s a friend of Dolly’s. She told him what had happened and as he knew the local postman, he thought he might be able to help.’
I was talking ninety to the dozen.
‘But he couldn’t?’
‘No,’ I sighed, purposefully slowing my chatter down. ‘Unfortunately, not.’
‘Oh well,’ said Jonathan, ‘I daresay it was worth a try. Is this friend of Dolly’s an old acquaintance? I don’t think I’ve heard her mention him before. You wouldn’t forget an unusual name like that, would you?’
‘I think she’s known him a while.’ I told him, then added, ‘he’s the school caretaker.’
It wasn’t the sort of job Jonathan would have thought particularly highly of and I was certain he couldn’t imagine a very young man in the role.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘Well, like I said before, there’s really nothing to be done about it now, so please don’t worry. You’ll be here with me before you know it and you’ll forget all about your life back in the chilly UK when you see these blue skies again.’
‘I’m really looking forward to it,’ I told him.
Some blue sky would be wonderful, but I didn’t think I was going to forget about my life in the UK, especially the Wynbridge part of it.
‘Look,’ he said, ‘I have to go. I need to get back to work, but I’ll be in touch again soon, OK?’
‘OK,’ I said, ‘I am sorry, you know.’
‘I know,’ he said back, ‘but let’s just forget about it now. Give my love to Dolly.’
‘I will, love you.’
‘I love you too, more than anything.’
I put the phone back in the cradle as Dolly came slowly down the stairs.
‘I wasn’t eavesdropping,’ was the first thing she said.
‘I know you weren’t,’ I smiled. ‘I didn’t wake you, did I?’
‘No, no,’ she said, ‘I was already awake. How did he take it?’
I knew then that even though she hadn’t been purposefully listening in, she’d heard my side of the conversation.
‘Very well,’ I said, letting out a sigh of relief. ‘He was very good about it, considering.’
‘Well that’s a relief,’ she nodded. ‘Perhaps he is a changed man after all.’
‘Yes,’ I said, smiling, ‘perhaps he is.’
Chapter 15
Throughout the rest of the day, the snow showers continued to sweep across Wynbridge topping up the earlier covering just enough to look picturesque, but not enough to cause widespread panic. I knew that if the temperature dipped overnight it would be a different story in the morning, but for now it was picture perfect.
‘It’s not as cold as you might think,’ I said, stamping my feet on Dolly’s back doormat to shake off the snow having made an intrepid trip into the garden to replenish the bird table, ‘and it’s lovely and quiet.’
The blanket of snow had muffled everything and I watched on, smiling, as Dolly hastily added snow to the Wish List, safe in the knowledge that she could tick it straight off again. The list was looking a little idyllic to my eyes now and I couldn’t deny that, with the help of the white stuff, some of its charm was beginning to rub off on me.
Thinking over the outcome of my conversation with Jonathan further lifted my spirits and I couldn’t wait for the end of the school day when Beamish would be collecting us for our tour of Wynthorpe Hall.
In fact, I was feeling so much better for coming clean – albeit partially – that I thought the trip might be the perfect opportunity to tell him a little more about my imminent move, as well as who I was going to be making it with. If he knew about Jonathan, I reasoned, then he would be even more inclined to believe that our near-kiss really had been a figment of his imagination.
‘He’s late,’ said Dolly, peering around the curtain the second Beamish was due, ‘and he’s never late. You don’t suppose he’s forgotten, do you?’
‘Of course not,’ I said. ‘He was the one who arranged it so that’s hardly likely, is it? And,’ I quickly added preempting her next question. ‘I’m sure there’s nothing wrong at school either. You said yourself that, given the change in the weather, he’d have extra jobs to do. I daresay he’s just checking the boiler or something.’
When Beamish did arrive, barely fifteen minutes later than his ETA, I could see that my soothing words to Dolly had been right; there was obviously nothing wrong at school because he had found the time to go home and change. Watching him walk down the path, I rather wished he hadn’t.
‘My goodness,’ said Dolly, opening the door to let him in. ‘Don’t you look smart.’
‘Thank you, Dolly,’ he grinned, ducking his head, only on this occasion not to avoid the low doorframe.
I didn’t say anything, but I did give him a surreptitious once-over as I pulled on my coat. He looked for all the world as if he’d stepped off the set of some photo shoot for supersized blokes. He certainly wasn’t groomed to the max like Jonathan. Beamish was too rough around the edges to pull off that look, but the chunky jumper his broad chest was encased in would have certainly been comforting to cuddle up against.
I breathed him in, inwardly acknowledging that the woody scent of his aftershave ensured he was a treat for all the senses before realising that my silly crush was springing up again, leaping around my feet like an over-excited puppy demanding a fuss. I pushed it away before it stood to attention.
‘Right then,’ he said, clapping his hands together and helpfully breaking the spell, ‘are we all set?’
‘Absolutely,’ said Dolly, gathering up her handbag and a Christmas bag with a card and a couple of presents in it. ‘I’ve been wishing the time away all day.’
The lights covering the hall were already lit and as Beamish drove slowly along the drive, Dolly found it hard to contain her excitement. Beamish smiled at me in the rearview mirror and I smiled back. It was impossible not to.
‘Here’s Gabe,’ said Beamish, his eyes returning to the view ahead.
‘And what’s that he’s got with him?’ Dolly gasped. ‘Some sort of bear!’
I leant forward to get a clearer look. Given what I’d heard about the hall, I wouldn’t have been at all surprised.
‘That’s his dog, Bra
n,’ Beamish laughed. ‘He’s an Irish wolfhound and the most placid creature on the planet.’
Both the man, Gabe, and his dog, were of impressive stature and given Beamish’s bulk I was beginning to think there was something in the Wynbridge air or water which bred big, broad blokes.
‘You can park right in front of the courtyard gate,’ Gabe told Beamish as he pulled alongside him. ‘And I’ve salted the path to the kitchen door so it’s not slippery.’
‘Thank you, young man,’ said Dolly regally and I had to stave off a giggle.
The Wynthorpe Hall kitchen was like nothing I had ever encountered. It was vast, high ceilinged, warm, cluttered and full of smiling people, not all of whom I soon realised were family.
‘We might not all be related,’ said Catherine once she had introduced us to two of her sons and their partners, including Molly who actually was giving off a very witchy vibe, along with the cook, handyman and housekeeper, Hayley (the young woman responsible for designing that ill-fated Christmas card), ‘but we’re family nonetheless. Angus is about somewhere . . .’ she added, doing a quick head count.
‘I think he’s roped Gabe into doing something,’ said Hayley, shaking her head.
Gabe was her partner and from what I could make out, Angus was forever getting him, and Mick, the handyman, into all sorts of capers.
‘I’m sure he’ll catch you up at some point,’ said Dorothy, pointing at the clock. ‘Now, would you like your tea before or after you’ve shown Dolly and Hattie around?’
It was decided we should have it after, even though it would be a little late, with Catherine in the morning room. Beamish went off with Mick to see if they could track down Angus and Gabe and Dolly and I went out the other end of the kitchen with Catherine and her soon to be daughter-in-law, Anna.
‘Catherine tells me you’re staying with Dolly for a few weeks,’ she said to me as the two older ladies took the lead into the great hall.
‘That’s right,’ I told her, gazing around at the beautiful wood panelling and vast tree which Dolly was making a beeline for. ‘I’m moving to Abu Dhabi in the new year and wanted to spend some time with Dolly before I left. I’m going to miss her.’
‘Well,’ Anna nudged, ‘you haven’t gone yet.’
‘What do you mean?’ I frowned.
‘I came here a few Christmases ago,’ she explained, ‘as a sort of companion to Catherine who was recovering from knee surgery. My contract was only for a few weeks . . .’
‘But you’re still here.’
‘I am,’ she laughed. ‘Within weeks my life was turned upside down by the Connelly clan. I had fallen head over heels in love with Jamie, given up my job and moved in for good. There’s something in these Wynthorpe walls which draws folk in,’ she said mysteriously.
‘In that case,’ I told her, ‘it’s probably just as well I’m staying in town.’
‘Oh, I’m pretty certain it’s in the Wynbridge air too,’ she said seriously. ‘You mark my words, Hattie, the longer you’re here the harder you’ll find it to leave. You’re bound to fall in love with it.’
‘But I have stayed before,’ I told her, thinking that she was perhaps a little too besotted with it all. ‘I’ve holidayed with Dolly at the cottage plenty of times and always managed to leave.’
‘Something tells me that this time there’s an added attraction.’
This hadn’t come from Anna, but Molly who had swept in behind us, her feet making not a sound on the ancient wooden floor.
‘Before there was a missing ingredient,’ she said dreamily as Anna nodded in agreement. ‘But it’s here now.’
There was a sudden blast of freezing air as the huge door at the end of the hall was pulled open and Beamish wandered in, giving me a hundred-watt smile with Mick, the handyman, trailing behind him.
‘Oh,’ laughed Anna, as Molly drifted back in the direction of the kitchen again. ‘Right on cue!’
I didn’t have the chance to tell either of the two friends that I was already well and truly spoken for, and that I would be moving to Abu Dhabi with the love of my life, because Dolly was beckoning me over to admire the tree and the family decorations adorning it.
All of the decorations throughout the hall were every bit as outstanding as the impressive building and Catherine was kind enough to let us see it all, even the family rooms. The sitting room was my favourite with its squishy sofas, huge open fire and piles of magazines. The whole place was like a National Trust or English Heritage property, but one that was very much lived in. There were layers upon layers of Connelly family life and I loved it.
‘Isn’t it beautiful?’ said Dolly, who had been in awe of everything.
‘It is,’ I agreed yet again to what had fast become her stock response to every new door that opened.
‘It’s like a fairy tale,’ she told Catherine, who was delighted to have the opportunity to share her home.
‘We’re very lucky to have it,’ Catherine told her, ‘and it’s such a pleasure to have found ways to let everyone else enjoy it.’
The Winter Wonderland wasn’t the only event that happened here. There were other things going on throughout the year and Anna and Jamie ran a charity for bereaved under eighteens from the converted stable block. It didn’t seem to matter where I turned in this part of the Fens, there were entrepreneurial folk reviving both the town and the countryside.
A gong sounded somewhere and Catherine cocked her head to listen.
‘That’ll be Dorothy,’ she told us. ‘It must be time for tea.’
Back in the morning room the table in front of the fire had been laid with a lavish tea. There were tiny smoked salmon, egg and cress and cucumber sandwiches on the softest home-baked brown bread, exquisite cakes in pretty cases as well as warm scones and fragrant loose-leaf tea served from a silver pot which had its own little burner underneath.
A couple more dogs had joined the party, a spaniel and a chihuahua, and although the spaniel was giving the illusion of being asleep, the rapid darting of its eyebrows suggested otherwise. Any dropped crumb wouldn’t besmear the carpet for many seconds.
‘I really can’t thank you enough for this wonderful experience,’ said Dolly to both Catherine and Anna, once we had eaten and drunk our fill. ‘It’s been even lovelier than I imagined it would be.’
‘I can’t believe you’ve never been before,’ said Catherine. ‘It was a shame you missed coming with the Women’s Institute. Dorothy laid on a wonderful lunch.’
Dolly shifted a little in her seat as I looked at her. I was surprised she’d missed the opportunity too.
‘You were poorly, weren’t you?’ said Anna, sounding concerned.
‘It was just a cold,’ Dolly said dismissively. ‘It’s long gone now and to tell you the truth, I’m much happier having seen the hall dressed for Christmas.’
‘Well, you are welcome to come anytime,’ said Catherine, ‘and please don’t wait for an invitation. People are always dropping in here. It’s how we like it, isn’t it, Anna?’
‘Definitely,’ she agreed.
The sound of talking on the other side of the door stopped the conversation and Anna looked at me and smiled as she picked out Beamish’s voice. I pretended I hadn’t seen the look she gave me and focused my attention on the inside of my beautifully patterned teacup.
‘So how are we getting on in here?’ asked a man who strode purposefully into the room, and could only be Angus. ‘Have you left a morsel for poor old half-starved me?’
He practically jumped out of his skin as Dorothy bustled in behind him.
‘Poor old half-starved you nothing,’ she tutted, ‘you’ve just had yours with the boys in the kitchen!’
‘Ah Dorothy,’ he said, pushing his thumbs behind his braces, ‘I didn’t see you there.’
‘Are you suggesting I haven’t filled you up?’ She frowned, ‘When you almost couldn’t manage that last sandwich.’
‘No,’ he blundered, ‘no, of course not.’
> ‘I should think not,’ said Dorothy, winking at me before she rushed out again, ‘half-starved indeed. The very idea.’
I couldn’t help but laugh along as Catherine introduced me to her husband properly.
‘Beamish tells me you and Dolly have created a Christmas Wish List,’ he said after vigorously pumping my hand in greeting.
His eyes were shining and I could tell he was enthralled by the idea.
‘That’s right,’ said Dolly before I had a chance. ‘We’ve filled it with things Hattie would like to do before she heads off to sunnier climes in the new year.’
‘What a wonderful idea,’ he said wistfully. ‘Catherine,’ he added, turning to his wife, ‘I wonder . . .’
‘Well I’d rather you didn’t,’ she cut in, not unkindly. ‘Your wondering generally leads to something monumental, Angus, and I think we’ve got enough on our plates at the moment, don’t you?’
‘Perhaps,’ he relented. ‘Was your visit here today on your Wish List, Hattie?’
‘It was,’ I said, ‘but it was Dolly’s addition actually. She was secretly hoping for a private tour.’
‘And Beamish arranged it,’ smiled Angus as the man himself, Gabe and Jamie filed in followed closely by Bran.
The ample room suddenly felt fit to burst.
‘I was hoping to end the visit with a sleigh ride for you,’ said Angus, ‘but it’s still being serviced ahead of the Wonderland. You’re more than welcome to take a turn through the woods and around the trail though.’
‘That’s very kind,’ said Dolly, ‘but I don’t think I will today. It’s a bit too cold out there for me and most likely slippery underfoot.’
‘How about you then?’ Angus asked me hopefully. ‘Beamish knows his way around and I’m sure Anna will have some wellington boots you could borrow.’
‘Of course,’ said Anna, jumping up. ‘Come with me,’ she commanded, pulling me out of the chair. ‘I daresay we’re the same size and if we’re not there’ll be some here that’ll more or less fit with a pair of boot socks.’
By the time Beamish and I set off it was rather dark, but it didn’t matter as everywhere was so prettily lit. It was freezing though and I was grateful for the loan of a country tweed coat and thick gloves.
