‘Hey, hey… now then, girl, what’s going on here?’
‘GEORGE!’ Mitchell shouted.
Silence.
Mitchell felt along the wall for the switch and the hallway was flooded with light. Hannah followed as he began to walk towards the sitting room door, and she almost skidded on a wet patch. It took a moment for her to realise that Trixie must have been forced to pee in the hall. ‘Oh, you poor thing,’ she whispered as Trixie looked up at her and wagged her tail regretfully, as if she was waiting for a telling off.
Everything was neat and ordered in the living room. The television flickered in the corner, the sound down low, as if George had been trying to watch but his heart hadn’t really been in it. And George was in his favourite armchair, facing it, eyes closed.
‘George?’ Hannah whispered. Instinctively, she scooped Trixie into her arms.
Mitchell crossed quickly to the armchair. He pressed his fingers gently onto George’s wrist. Then he turned to Hannah.
‘I’m so sorry,’ he said.
Hannah’s world was blurred by tears as she buried her face in Trixie’s fur.
Spring had issued a reminder to winter that it was time to go, and a gentle sun skimmed the windowsills of the kitchen at Holly Farm. The vast wooden table had been pushed up against a wall and was piled with savoury snacks, and a kitchen unit was stocked with various bottles of alcohol and soft drinks, while Briony fussed at the kettle for those who wanted something hot. Hannah stood and sipped the wine Briony had just handed her and cast her gaze around the black-clad gathering that filled the room. As she spotted a forlorn looking Trixie lying in a basket under the table, it was all she could do not to cry again. George’s little dog had been living at Holly Farm for the past two weeks, but she still looked as lost as she had when she first arrived. It seemed it was going to take a long time for her to get used to being without her old owner.
‘Penny for them…’ Mitchell’s voice broke in on Hannah’s thoughts. She looked up at him and gave a watery smile.
‘They’re not even worth that.’
‘Oh, I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind a peek to see what goes on in there.’
‘You’d be disappointed. It’s mostly what I’m going to have for tea and whether I’ve set the recorder for Coronation Street.’
Mitchell rubbed her arm. ‘Are you okay?’
She nodded. ‘Yes. I can’t help feeling that I could somehow have prevented it, though.’
‘You need to stop that. You couldn’t have been there all the time and he wouldn’t have wanted you to either. Besides, you aren’t his only neighbour.’
‘I know. But I ought to have called more often than I did. Especially in his last week.’
‘He was a good age, Hannah, and he had a wonderful life surrounded by good people. That’s a lot more than many of us get and if he could tell us now I’m sure he’d say he was thankful for it.’
Hannah was thoughtful for a moment. ‘I suppose he’s with Hilda now. Perhaps he’s happier after all.’
‘He must have loved her very much.’
‘He did. They were devoted to each other. I wish I’d known her, but she died before I arrived on Holly Way. He talked about her all the time; she must have been a lovely woman.’
‘He was lucky to have had her then.’
‘He was lonely for ten years without her after she died. That must have been very hard.’
Mitchell took Hannah’s wine from her and placed it on the worktop beside her. He stroked a gentle hand over her cheek. ‘If all this has done one thing, it’s made me realise that I’m jealous of what George had, even if he was lonely for the last ten years without Hilda. At least he had her, no matter how long it was for. To find a true soulmate is so rare. And it’s a lucky person who does. Han… I think I’ve found mine. If you’ll have me.’
‘If I’ll have you?’ Hannah gave a shaky laugh. ‘Surely that should be the other way around.’
‘Not a chance. I’ve been thinking. It’s time I bought a new place to live. Would you like to come and look at some houses with me?’
‘Well, of course, but I’m not sure how useful my opinion would be.’
‘I think if you’re going to live there too, then you do need to look.’
Hannah stared at him. ‘Me?’
‘I’d love it. What do you say?’
She hesitated. ‘I don’t know… this is all a bit sudden.’
‘Oh… well you don’t have to give me your answer now. Say you’ll think about it?’
‘I will, but I need time. You must understand that I love my house and independence, right? It’s a lot to give up without being sure.’
Mitchell’s face fell, the bright hope dulled in his eyes.
‘I don’t mean never,’ Hannah said, pulling him into a kiss. ‘I just need time. It doesn’t mean that I don’t want you.’
He nodded. ‘I want to do something for you though. I want to show you just how important you are to me.’
‘You have already. The fact that you’re here today tells me that.’
‘How about we go away? A long holiday – Mauritius, Barbados, Mexico… Wherever you like. And don’t start arguing about the cost because it’s my treat.’
‘I don’t really have time for a holiday and I couldn’t have you pay for it all.’
‘I have to do something! I want to treat you, to show you you’re loved like mad.’
Hannah smiled. ‘You still haven’t got it, have you? I don’t need big houses, fur coats and posh holidays. I just need you.’
He pulled her into his arms. ‘I suppose I’ve got a lot to learn about real women.’
Hannah laughed. ‘As opposed to the pot plant you put a wig on and talk to in the mornings?’
‘As opposed to my so-called ex-wife who clearly only wanted to screw me for anything she could get.’
‘It can’t always have been like that.’
‘I suppose not, but I’m struggling to remember the last time it wasn’t.’
Hannah was about to reply, but perhaps now wasn’t the time to go into all that. She glanced to her left to see Ross and Gina making their way over. Despite the sombre occasion, they both looked blissfully happy, Gina with her arm linked through his and her head leaning on his shoulder.
‘Good service, wasn’t it?’ Ross said, extending his hand for Mitchell to shake.
‘It was,’ Mitchell replied. ‘He sounded like a real character in his youth. Is there much in the way of family here? It seems like almost everyone is a neighbour.’
‘There are a few old friends and some distant cousins. I don’t think he had much family left. They lost their son, you know. He was only about five. They never had any more children and very rarely spoke about it.’
‘I didn’t know that,’ Hannah said, fresh tears springing to her eyes. ‘How sad.’
‘Come on, now,’ Gina said, sniffing herself, ‘stop that crying and cheer up. George wouldn’t want us all standing around sobbing into our drinks.’ She turned to Ross. ‘Although you had better cry when I go because I’ll haunt you if you don’t.’
Ross chuckled and pulled her close. ‘I’ll be inconsolable. Although you’re a morbid sod, bringing that up already.’
‘I’m just getting you used to the idea. I am a lot older than you.’
‘I’m a man and we wear out quicker.’
Gina reached up to give him a peck on the cheek. ‘True.’
Hannah gave an indulgent smile. ‘My sister’s weird sense of humour will take some getting used to, Ross.’
‘Don’t I know it,’ he replied. ‘But I think I’m going to have a lot of fun in the process.’
In the end, Hannah was earmarked for May and Gina was allotted November. Jess had been roped in to do January, much to her chagrin, although Gina reminded her that she owed Ross and his family big time and despite her complaints, there was no choice over whether she did it or not.
The day of the calendar shoot had arrived. All
three were now standing next to Briony as the bright June sun slanted into the church hall. Tables at the far end were piled with props of all kinds, including pumpkins, sleigh bells, a large glittery heart and even a full-sized rowing boat. Costumes hung on racks along the opposite wall, giving off that strange musty smell of clothes that hadn’t seen the light of day for a very long time, next to another table stacked with biscuits, cakes and a tea urn. Clusters of other women were dotted around the hall, greeting each other or already deep in juicy gossip or comparing outfits. Jess’s eyes roved the room and settled on the hangers with a look of disdain. Gina caught Hannah’s eye and grinned.
Briony nibbled a digestive biscuit as she balanced a tea cup and saucer in her other hand. ‘Do you feel a bit more settled in the new house now?’ she asked Gina.
‘Oh, yes, it didn’t take long. I think I just needed to give it a good clean. Once everything was spick and span and my stuff put away in its right place it felt much more like home.’
‘I couldn’t agree more. There’s something quite unsavoury about living in someone else’s dirt. A house never feels like yours until you’ve cleaned it to your own standards.’
Hannah wasn’t entirely sure how Briony knew this, considering she had lived at Holly Farm since she married Paul, who had inherited it from his father. Perhaps she had moved around a bit in her youth. Hannah resolved to ask her about it next time they met up for an idle afternoon of chat. Briony turned to Jess.
‘And how are you liking Millrise now that you’re here?’
Jess gave a noncommittal shrug, but was then spurred into a reply by a sharp look from her mother. ‘It’s okay,’ she said. ‘It’s just different to what I’m used to.’
‘You’ll be fine once you get settled in at college,’ Gina said.
‘I suppose,’ Jess replied, though she didn’t sound convinced.
‘And you’re enjoying covering your new sales territory?’ Briony asked Gina.
‘It’s not that different from the old one, really. In fact, I managed to keep some of my old customers, which is good because although the new area is a little more relaxed and has a smaller client base, they spend less too. It means that the commissions from my lower spenders are evened out by the bigger commissions from my old customers – handy when you have a huge mortgage to pay.’
‘We would have been happy for you to move in with Ross,’ Briony said. ‘He did speak to us about it.’
‘I know, and it’s so kind, but I really couldn’t take advantage of you.’ Gina exchanged the briefest glance with Hannah, who knew the real reason Gina had refused the offer. They had discussed it at length since Ross had put it to Gina, but she’d decided that it was just a little too close to Ross’s parents, nice as they were. It was still early days for her and Ross, not to mention that Jess would have had to live there too, and Gina understood it would all be too much for her daughter on top of the other upheavals in her life. The three of them squished into an annexe with a family she barely knew wasn’t going to help her adjust.
‘Perhaps, when George’s estate is settled and Ross can put in an offer on his place, you’ll all be able to live there,’ Briony said mildly.
‘Perhaps…’ Gina began, but her reply was cut short by a woman calling Briony’s name from across the room.
‘Oh, would you excuse me?’ Briony said as she dashed off.
‘She’s not letting that house thing go, is she?’ Hannah said with a wry smile. ‘And there was you worrying that she wouldn’t like you. I’m sure she’d have you and Jess living in the farmhouse with them if she could get away with it.’
‘Imagine that. Exactly why there was no way we could move into that annexe, no matter how lovely and rent free it was.’
Hannah sipped her tea and grimaced. It was nice and stewed – the opposite to how she liked it. ‘I suppose it would be ideal if Ross did buy George’s old place. You could all live there and I’d have you as a neighbour.’
‘That’s still a big if. There’s a lot to be done before we could even think about that. And I suspect others might try to get their hands on it.’ Gina gave Hannah a knowing look.
‘You mean Mitchell? He’s already got a house.’
‘You know he’s desperate to find a place nearer to you since you refuse to move in with him and there’s nowhere closer than George’s house.’
‘Hmmm, as much as I love Mitchell and I love being with him, that’s just a bit too close right now.’
‘You’re so cruel!’ Gina laughed. ‘The man is obviously besotted with you.’
‘I know. I suppose I’m just too used to pleasing myself and it’s going to take some time to get used to the idea of sharing a home with someone else. We’ll get there, eventually.’
Gina nodded. ‘I get that.’ She turned to Jess. ‘Have you seen your costume yet?’
‘Yes,’ Jess pouted. ‘It’s ridiculous.’
‘Awww, I bet you look lovely in it,’ Hannah smiled.
‘It’s one of those shower things that you use on kids to stop shampoo getting in their eyes with a snowflake stuck to it. I don’t think anyone could look lovely in that,’ Jess replied.
‘No, but there won’t be any tears if anyone does decide to sneak up behind you and start washing your hair,’ Gina quipped.
‘You’re soooo funny,’ Jess said. ‘You’ll be laughing on the other side of your face when you see your outfit.’
‘I’ve seen it,’ Gina replied serenely. ‘I’m going to be a firework.’
‘In some knackered old Christmas tinsel.’
‘I’ll look majestic,’ Gina grinned.
‘At least neither of you have to be done up like a maypole,’ Hannah cut in. ‘I’m going to look utterly ridiculous.’
‘Yes, but we can’t let Briony down, can we?’ Gina asked.
‘You’re only saying that because you have the best costume.’
‘And because you have to stay in her good books,’ Jess added.
‘Yes, and you have to stay in mine,’ Gina replied. ‘So suck it up, snowflake girl.’
‘Ha ha,’ Jess said, and stuck her tongue out. Gina pulled her into a hug. ‘You think I’m hilarious really.’
‘That’s the problem,’ Jess said with a grin as Gina let go.
‘You must admit that you might find it a teensy bit fun to dress up and have photos taken? You used to love it when you were little.’ Gina gave a fond smile. ‘Seems like only yesterday that you were demanding to be taken to the supermarket dressed as Snow White. I kinda miss those days.’
‘I’m sure I could dress as Snow White for you next time you want to go to Sainsbury’s,’ Hannah laughed.
‘It’s not quite the same,’ Gina said.
‘Yeah,’ Jess agreed, ‘all that will do is get you going viral on YouTube.’
Hannah chuckled. ‘Wouldn’t you be proud of your aunt then?’
Rainbow, the photographer whose apparel was every bit as colourful as her name, came over and tapped Jess on the shoulder. ‘You’re my January, aren’t you?’
Jess nodded.
‘Fantastic. You’re going to look divine. Why don’t we go and get your costume sorted? We’ve got Beryl in from the market stall to do make up. She’ll do a lovely job with cheekbones like yours to work with.’
‘Great…’ Jess said in a voice that suggested nothing had ever been less great, and as she followed Rainbow, she turned and mouthed to Gina, ‘help me,’ but Gina only laughed.
‘She’s never going to forgive you,’ Hannah said.
‘I know. But being humiliated once in a while is a valuable life lesson, don’t you think?’
The door to the church hall opened, and Ross sidled in, a sheepish grin on his face as he spotted Gina.
‘I knew he wouldn’t be able to stay away,’ Gina said as she watched him walk across the hall. ‘He’s been threatening to come all week.’
‘Have you been photographed yet?’ he asked, kissing her.
‘No. Why are yo
u here?’
‘Mum asked me to bring some cakes over…’
Gina raised her eyebrows. ‘So where are they?’
‘In the car.’
‘A likely story.’
Ross made the sign of a cross over his heart with a huge grin. Hannah started laughing, but Gina nudged her and pointed to the entrance.
‘I don’t know what you’re laughing about,’ she said, ‘look who else is here.’
Hannah flicked her head around to see Mitchell come in. She glanced at Ross. ‘Have you cooked this up between you?’
Ross placed a hand to his chest. ‘Of course not! I just happened to mention that I was coming over and he said he would give me a hand carrying the cakes.’
‘Oh of course… those non-existent cakes!’ Hannah said.
‘Have you had your photos taken yet?’ Mitchell asked as he kissed Hannah.
‘No.’
‘Great. I didn’t want to miss it.’
‘Bad luck then, because you’re both leaving,’ Gina said.
‘What?’ Ross and Mitchell cried in unison.
‘If you think you’re having a laugh at our expense, you’re sadly mistaken.’
‘We weren’t going to laugh,’ Mitchell said. ‘We were just wanted to show our support.’
‘Hmmmm…’ Hannah replied. But her attention was distracted by Briony racing over.
‘Ross!’ she called, ‘Thank goodness! You’ve timed it perfectly.’
‘I have?’ Ross asked, his face losing a shade. ‘What for?’
‘Our July has shingles!’ she panted as she reached the group. ‘Rainbow is desperate. You’ll have to replace her.’
Ross held his hands in the air. ‘No way!’
‘You’ll be perfect!’ Briony insisted. ‘With your lovely sunny blond hair. It’s wonderful that you can help us out of a spot.’
‘Mum, no –’
‘Nonsense…’ she replied, grabbing him by the wrist to guide him away to the costumes. ‘You’ll be so covered in flowers that nobody need know it’s you anyway.’ Ross looked horrified, and Mitchell burst out laughing. But then Briony turned to him. ‘Our August hasn’t turned up yet either. What size feet are you?’
Once Upon a Winter: A totally perfect festive romantic comedy Page 32
