Once Upon a Winter: A totally perfect festive romantic comedy

by Tilly Tennant

‘Maybe…’ Gina replied. ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’

  ‘I just wish I knew what was happening. I hope things haven’t turned ugly.’

  ‘Or that he’s in bed with her right now?’ Gina asked.

  ‘I got the feeling bed was the last thing on his mind. What do you think it all means?’

  ‘She was definitely having an affair,’ Gina said sagely. It wasn’t the first time she’d aired that opinion since Hannah had told her about the man Martine had been with in the chip shop. Hannah was inclined to agree, but she wanted to be more rational and less judgmental about it than that. Everyone deserved the benefit of the doubt, didn’t they? Even Martine.

  Hannah glanced at her phone yet again. ‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘I don’t suppose he will call.’

  ‘Let him sort his head out. You never know. If he had strong feelings for you before he remembered, they came from somewhere, didn’t they? He wouldn’t just push those aside no matter what else came to light.’

  ‘Neither would he push his marriage aside for a woman he hardly knows.’

  ‘You don’t know that. Give him time.’

  From the corner of her eye, Hannah noticed Gina take another furtive look at her own phone. ‘Go to Ross,’ she said. ‘One of us deserves some happiness and I’ll take yours vicariously if I can’t have my own.’

  ‘You’re not having the orgasms,’ Gina grinned.

  ‘Ugh! Too much information!’

  ‘I’ll message him and tell him I’m staying over tonight. He might not be up now, but if he is and he wants to come and fetch me he can, can’t he? I know I just said I would stay with you –’

  ‘Honestly,’ Hannah said. ‘I want you to go. There’s no point in us both being miserable.’

  ‘But…’

  ‘Go!’

  ‘It would only be for ten minutes.’

  ‘I bloody hope not. If he only lasts for ten minutes at his age you’ve got no chance when he hits middle age.’

  Gina grinned. ‘You’re sure you’ll be okay?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Hannah said. ‘Jess will be fine with me.’

  ‘She won’t be asleep for hours, you know, even though she’s in bed.’

  ‘That’s okay. She can entertain me with YouTube videos to take my mind off my misery.’

  ‘I think it will probably be the opposite when she starts complaining about the fact I’ve gone off with Ross.’

  ‘Does she need to know where you’ve gone?’

  ‘Seriously? Where else am I going to be if I’m not here? Even Jess can work that out.’

  ‘Okay, you might have a point there.’

  Gina tapped out a message on her phone. Less than a minute later, it bleeped a return text. She gave a slow, broad smile.

  ‘He says he’ll be here as soon as he can.’

  ‘He’s keen,’ Hannah said. ‘I think it must be love.’

  ‘Lust is probably more like it, but if it means I can have him I don’t mind.’

  ‘No…’ Hannah sipped at her tea. ‘Ross isn’t like that. I think he’s an all or nothing kind of guy.’

  ‘That’s what I thought about Howard.’

  ‘Yeah, well… we were all fooled by him,’ Hannah replied.

  As promised, Ross’s Land Rover was outside Hannah’s gate less than ten minutes later. Gina had been waiting at the front door, ready for him. She turned to give Hannah a brief kiss on the cheek.

  ‘Are you sure you’ll be alright?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes!’ Hannah said, forcing her reply to be as cheerful as possible. ‘I have Jess to keep me company and I doubt I’ll hear anything from Mitchell tonight. Go!’

  Gina’s expression was bright and full of expectation and Hannah couldn’t help but absorb some of her excitement. Ross really was making her very happy and that made Hannah happy too. Jess had refused to come downstairs, and Hannah thought it was a pity; if she could see this look on Gina’s face, perhaps she would find it hard to be so churlish about the relationship.

  ‘Don’t wait up!’ Gina cried as she skipped down the path.

  ‘I have to!’ Hannah laughed. ‘You don’t have a key!’

  She caught a snatch of Gina’s answering giggle as the car door slammed shut. Ross leaned across and gave Hannah a brief wave before pulling out onto the lane.

  But Hannah’s broad smile faded. No sooner had Ross’s car left, than headlights appeared across the lane. A car that had been hidden in the shadows now started its engine and pulled away in the same direction Gina had just taken. Hannah’s heart almost stopped. She hadn’t seen it – nobody had – but she was sure it was the same car she’d chased earlier. She craned for a look inside, but it was going too fast and there wasn’t enough light for her to make out anything about the driver, other than that it was a dark-haired man. Mitchell had denied it being anything to do with him every time she had asked. But if it wasn’t him, then who the hell was it?

  The sofa wasn’t exactly the comfiest bed. Hannah woke with a crick in her neck at the sound of a soft knock at the front door. Her phone lay on the floor next to her. She reached for it. One missed call from Gina. It looked as though she had tried to call ahead and warn her she was coming back and would need to be let in. That was at five-forty, twenty minutes ago.

  She pushed herself from the sofa. It was amazing that she had been able to sleep at all, considering that added to her worries about Mitchell were new worries about Gina. Perhaps she had been seeing danger where there was none, her nerves already frayed and her senses on red-alert with everything else that had been going on, but she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the car in the shadows. Somehow, though, she’d drifted off, even though she had been trying to wait up for Gina’s return. Looking at the time now it was a good job she hadn’t managed to wait up – she’d have been exhausted and very crabby.

  Gina, on the other hand, looked as fresh as the morning that came with her as Hannah opened the front door. Hannah was relieved to see her looking so well and carefree – obviously none of the disasters she had imagined befalling her had come to pass.

  ‘Morning!’ she exclaimed as Ross drove off. ‘Time for a quick coffee and then I’d better get to the station. It’s lucky I don’t have my first meeting until midday today, isn’t it?’

  Hannah moved back to let her in before closing the door. ‘So you had a good night?’

  ‘That would be telling, wouldn’t it? Is Jess okay? She didn’t cause you too much aggro?’

  ‘Actually, I went up to see if she wanted a hot chocolate and she was asleep, so I was pretty much left to my own devices,’ Hannah said, recalling that she had felt so wretched and worried that she had almost woken Jess, just for the company to take her mind off things.

  ‘No more word from Mitchell?’ Gina asked, taking her coat off and draping it over the back of an armchair before plonking herself down.

  ‘No,’ Hannah replied. ‘Everything was okay with you? Nothing weird happened… no strange incidents?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Oh.’

  Gina narrowed her eyes. ‘That’s a bit of an odd question. Should I have been involved in a strange incident?’

  ‘No. It’s nothing.’

  ‘I know that look. That’s not nothing. That’s your something look. What’s happened now?’

  Hannah sighed. ‘You’ll probably say I’m paranoid, but you know how everyone keeps seeing a mystery car hanging around here?’

  Gina gave a slow nod.

  ‘Well,’ Hannah continued, ‘I think it was outside when you left with Ross. And I could have sworn it followed you.’

  Gina shrugged. ‘There might have been a car parked out there and it might have left when we did, but I never saw anyone follow us. I think you’re probably over sensitive and worrying over nothing.’

  ‘Yeah, you’re probably right,’ Hannah admitted. ‘I’m so worked up over this Mitchell thing. I mean, who would be following us around? We’re not that interesting.’

  ‘
Speak for yourself.’ Gina let out a huge yawn, followed by a sheepish grin. ‘Midday meeting… I just hope I can get through it without falling asleep.’

  ‘You’ve only got yourself to blame. I hope he was worth it.’

  ‘Boy… was he worth it! I don’t know where he learned them, but the things that man can do with his hands…’

  Hannah held up her own hands to halt Gina’s flow. ‘Enough… We share everything, but please not that.’

  Gina pushed herself up from the chair. ‘I’d better get some coffee and a slice of toast. I’m ravenous. Are you able to run us to the station early?’

  ‘I’ve got nothing better to do,’ Hannah said, following Gina through to the kitchen. ‘So where did you go last night?’

  ‘Ross sneaked me into his place. It was late anyway – too late for farming folk – and his parents were asleep in the main house so it wasn’t that difficult. It was a lot more difficult to get away this morning, though. It’s quite exciting; I feel like a teenager again.’ Gina shook the kettle at Hannah. ‘Want one?’

  ‘I might as well.’ Hannah pulled a loaf of bread from a crock and dropped a couple of slices into a candy pink toaster.

  ‘So, what are you going to do about Mitchell?’

  Hannah turned to her. ‘Nothing.’

  ‘You could call him. I’d say he’s had enough space now.’

  ‘Perhaps tonight,’ Hannah agreed. ‘But right now I’m more concerned about this guy who keeps parking outside the house. I’m going to take his registration down if I see it again.’

  ‘Good idea. That way, when you’ve been murdered in your bed at least we’ll have the reg of the man who did it.’

  ‘Charming,’ Hannah replied. ‘Don’t forget it was you he drove off after.’

  ‘But he’s always outside your house.’

  ‘Actually…’ Hannah was thoughtful for a moment. ‘I can’t honestly say that I’ve seen him outside at any other time except when you’re here.’

  ‘George did, though.’

  ‘Oh yeah…’ Hannah replied slowly, trying to place when it was George had seen the car. Then she remembered that it was while she’d been out on her date with Chris. Bloody hell… another problem she still had to sort. She’d almost forgotten Chris in all the drama.

  ‘If it bothers you that much, why don’t you set up a camera in your front window? Leave it running to see who comes and goes when you’re not looking.’

  The toast popped up and Hannah dropped it onto a plate to butter. ‘That’s not a bad idea. I don’t have a video camera, though.’

  ‘I’ll ask Ross if he can get hold of one and pop it round for you. I’m sure he’d be happy to help, especially if I tell him you’re worried. In fact, he’ll probably want to stake your place out himself to catch them…’

  ‘God, no! I can’t have him doing that; he has enough to do already. It’s probably nothing, but a video camera would be good. At least I’ll have something to show the police if I need to.’

  ‘Absolutely. So I’ll text him later.’

  ‘I can do it. I’ve been promising to see his mum for ages anyway, so today is as good a day as any. It’ll take my mind off things.’

  Gina gave a wry smile. ‘I can’t help thinking it should be me sitting with Briony and making the effort to get to know her.’

  ‘Might be a bit awkward round about now, though.’

  ‘Han… what if she hates me when she finds out? What if everyone thinks I’m some scheming cougar?’

  ‘You like him, and I can tell he adores you. In the end, isn’t that all that matters?’

  ‘You’ve changed your tune. Before, you were telling me it was the most disastrous pairing since Romeo wolf-whistled Juliet.’

  ‘That was before I saw how happy you both seem. If it helps, I’ll do my best to talk you up to Briony, so that when she finally finds out she’ll already like you. And Paul… well, I think he’s a big pussycat. I reckon he’ll be fine with it.’

  ‘That would be good.’

  ‘In fact…’ Hannah said, the cogs beginning to creak in her sleep-deprived brain, ‘I know that she’s looking for recruits for next year’s WI calendar. If you helped out she’d love you forever.’

  ‘Me? On a calendar?’

  ‘Why not? She asked me, but you’re a lot more photogenic than I am. It’d be a great way to get into her good books and it would be fun too. Besides that, it would also be a good way to meet people here, especially if you’re moving back to the area.’

  The kettle clicked off, and Gina was thoughtful as she filled two mugs with hot water. ‘Maybe. It depends on what they wanted me to do.’

  ‘Oh, it’s just posing with country props, I think. Hoes and sheaves of wheat and that sort of thing.’

  ‘With clothes on?’

  Hannah laughed. ‘That’s just what I said when she asked me.’

  ‘Right… but if I do it you have to do it with me.’

  ‘Gina –’

  ‘No arguments. Both or none at all.’

  ‘Well then, we might as well rope Jess in too.’

  Gina handed Hannah a steaming mug. ‘Yeah? Good luck with that – you’re braver than I am.’

  Hannah considered going back to bed for an hour once she had seen Gina and Jess off, but by the time she had arrived back home, she was well and truly awake – if a little groggy. There was too much going on in her head to sleep anyway. Gina’s idea of getting a video camera had been a good one, and Ross had texted back almost immediately to say that they had one at the farm. He apologised that it was a little on the old side, probably a bit clunky, but they were welcome to borrow it for as long as they needed.

  In the absence of sleep and the ability to concentrate on the ever-growing pile of work on her desk, Hannah decided to call in at Holly Farm instead. She could pick up the camera, keep that date she had been promising Briony for tea and cake, and do some gentle introductory work on the brilliance of her sister all at the same time – all in all a productive morning, and one that would put Mitchell and his baggage firmly out of her mind. She had to admit to being vexed that he hadn’t at least sent her a text to let her know he was okay, but perhaps it was unreasonable to have any expectations of him.

  Ross was clearing the guttering along the extension roof when Hannah’s little Citroen pulled up in their vast driveway. He scampered down the ladders with surprising agility for a man who had been up all night, but Hannah couldn’t help a knowing smile when he crossed the gravel to her car and she saw the dark circles beneath his eyes.

  ‘Come for the camera?’ he asked as Hannah clambered out of her car.

  ‘I thought I’d pop in to see your mum too,’ Hannah said. ‘A promise is a promise.’

  ‘Good thing too – keep her out of the way.’

  ‘So you can have a crafty snooze?’ Hannah grinned.

  Ross shot back a soppy grin of his own. ‘Not likely. I’ve got this guttering to clear out and then straight down to the big field. Lambing’s come early this year and I’ve got to get to them before the cold does. Bloody nuisance.’

  ‘How’s it come early? Don’t you control when they lamb?’

  ‘Aye, as long as the randy old daddy doesn’t get out of his pen and ravish the flock.’

  Hannah giggled. ‘You’ll have to be more careful next time.’

  ‘Too late for that now.’ He pulled off his cap and mussed his hair before clamping it back onto his head. ‘Mum’s in the kitchen. Just go on and knock; she knows you’re coming.’

  Hannah nodded and began to make her way to the house, but Ross called her back.

  ‘Is everything alright?’ Hannah turned to him. ‘It’s just that… well… are you worried? About this car, I mean? That’s why you want the camera, isn’t it?’

  ‘I’m not worried exactly; just concerned. If anything does happen – you know, damage to my house or something – I’d feel better if I had some evidence to take to the police. You see it all the time, don’t you, on
crime programmes? People have cameras set up in their windows and they catch the criminal easily.’

  ‘So, I don’t need to come to your place and keep an eye on things?’

  ‘That’s very sweet of you, but I think it will be alright. I have an alarm in the house and good locks on the doors and all he seems to be doing is sitting in his car at the moment. Perhaps there’s an innocent explanation. That’s what the camera will show us, I suppose.’

  ‘Tell me if you change your mind.’

  ‘I will.’ Hannah smiled. ‘Thank you.’

  She made her way up to the house and knocked on the door, leaving Ross to get back to his guttering. Briony opened up with a broad smile.

  ‘Come in, come in…’ She stepped back and Hannah followed her into the kitchen. There was a wonderful cosiness in here – not the dry heat of radiators and gas fires, but the cocooning warmth of bricks constantly heated by the Aga. There was a sharp tang of stewed fruit, and Hannah glanced across to see a large pan on the boil.

  ‘It smells wonderful in here,’ Hannah said.

  ‘I’m doing Paul’s apple crumble,’ Briony said. ‘He gets crotchety if he doesn’t have it at least once a month.’

  ‘If it tastes as good as it smells I can see why.’

  Briony waved away the compliment, though she was beaming. ‘Sit down; let me get the kettle on.’

  As Hannah did as she was bid, her phone bleeped in her coat pocket. She pulled it out, biting back the groan in her throat. Mitchell wanted to see her. He picked his bloody moments, and now she would be stuck with Briony for at least a couple of hours. Not that it should matter anyway – it wasn’t her style to be at his beck and call – on the other hand, she was desperate to hear what news he had to tell her. She sent a reply, as short and discreet as she could, while Briony fussed at the stove, telling him that it would have to be later because she was tied up. She didn’t tell him what with, and she half expected him to ask, but he simply said okay, and left it at that.

  ‘Now then,’ Briony began as she returned to the table with a plate of homemade cookies, ‘are you going to tell me what happened to you at the salsa evening?’