Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage

by Lucy Daniels

‘I’ve had a text from Susan,’ she called out. ‘Jack is suffering from mild hypothermia, but he’s recovering well and should be allowed home today. She sends her love to Mandy and Jimmy, to all the members of the mountain rescue team and to everyone else who helped.’

  There was a wave of congratulatory noise. Glasses were raised. ‘A toast to Mandy and Jimmy!’

  Bev yelled that she had put a donation box on the bar for the Mountain Rescue service.

  It should have been wonderful, Mandy thought. She was steadily getting warm and dry. A second glass of mulled wine had been pressed into her hand. Everyone wanted to tell her how wonderful she was. But the one person she wanted to talk to was as out of reach as Jack had been at the bottom of the mineshaft.

  Mandy’s seat was almost opposite the door of the pub, so when it swung open, she saw immediately who had arrived. It was still snowing outside, but rushing in, pulling off her scarf, shaking snow from her flame red hair, came the person Mandy least wanted to see. It was Molly Future. Spotting Jimmy at the far side of the room, Molly rushed over, bending to give him a kiss on the cheek and hugging him. ‘Well done!’ Mandy saw her mouthing the words. She looked … Mandy searched for the word. Elated? Ecstatic? Jimmy was smiling. They looked so good together.

  She couldn’t take her eyes off them. A feeling of sadness welled up inside her. She had worked so hard to accept the fact that they were together, but for a short while this afternoon, she and Jimmy had been a team again. She wanted to be able to walk over and hug him, but it wasn’t her place.

  Molly was standing close to Jimmy, she was looking round the room as if searching for somebody. When her eyes reached Mandy, she smiled and waved. Mandy had the sensation of being crushed, bodies pressing around her, the walls of the pub closing in … Then she saw Molly again, pushing her way through the crowd. She was coming over.

  Mandy stood up, almost sending the table beside her flying. ‘Let me through, please.’ Her urgent request, three times repeated, was successful. A few moments later, she was outside the pub, stumbling through the churned snow at the side of the road. She had taken only a few steps when she heard the door open and close.

  ‘Mandy?’

  It was Molly’s voice. For a moment, Mandy contemplated ignoring her. But Molly had done nothing wrong, and Mandy had to face her sometime. Steeling herself, she turned and dredged up what she hoped would pass for a smile.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Molly was peering at her in the dimming light.

  Pressing her mouth together, feeling a prickling behind her eyes, Mandy was unable to answer.

  ‘I can see you’re not,’ Molly went on. ‘Come on, I’ll take you home.’

  Her voice was practical, yet sympathetic. How could Mandy tell her that she didn’t want her pity?

  Molly took her arm and started to steer her in the direction of Animal Ark. ‘I’m sorry if you’re not feeling well.’ Molly’s voice was inexorable. ‘Shouldn’t you have asked Jimmy to take you home? I know you and he are …’ Her eyes widened and she broke off. ‘Is that what’s wrong? Has something happened to you and Jimmy?’

  Mandy’s feet had stopped moving. Her mind was finding it hard to focus. ‘Me and Jimmy?’ She turned and looked straight into Molly’s eyes. ‘But I thought you and he … I saw you together. Out in the new bar in Walton.’

  There was snow settling on Molly’s hair. She shook it off and frowned. ‘You mean the Friday after we rode out together?’ She shook her head. ‘I passed my Senior Equitation and Coaching Exam. He promised me ages ago he’d treat me when I got it. I’m so glad we managed to stay friends after we broke up. Romantically, Jimmy and I are ancient history. Didn’t you know? You should have asked me if you were worried.’

  Why didn’t I, Mandy wondered. ‘You said …’ She was having trouble thinking. ‘You said you had a preference for men from the Lakes when we were out riding. I thought … I thought …’ She trailed off.

  ‘I’ve been seeing Aira. Aira Kirkbryde,’ Molly said. ‘We met the day of the Running Wild opening.’ Her face was still puzzled. ‘Didn’t Jimmy tell you that either?’

  The man from the Lake District, Mandy thought with a sense of shock. It was Aira Kirkbryde, not Jimmy at all.

  Molly was gazing at Mandy. ‘I know he meant to tell you he was taking me out, but then everything else took over, I guess …’ A wave of realisation passed over her face. ‘Something terrible happened at Running Wild. Didn’t you know that either?’

  Mandy shook her head. She was shivering again.

  ‘One of his clients died.’ Molly’s voice was bleak. ‘He was crazy busy that week with all the fallout. But I don’t understand why he wouldn’t have told you eventually.’ Her blue eyes were anxious.

  Mandy’s head was spinning slowly, as if snow had clogged the space behind her eyes. Someone had died? Helen had said someone had been taken to hospital from the Outward Bound Centre. But died? Dear God.

  Wait.

  Jimmy had come to talk to her that weekend. Rushed through the storm. And she had turned him away.

  She got her breathing under control. ‘I think it was my fault,’ she whispered. ‘Jimmy did come round, but I didn’t listen …’ she trailed off.

  Jimmy standing on the doormat with rain running down his face. She had shouted at him. Shame filled her.

  ‘Hey.’ Molly patted her arm and tugged her forwards. Mandy followed, feeling as if she had fallen down the mineshaft after all and was wading through an alternate universe.

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ Molly said. ‘Jimmy’ll listen if you talk to him. It didn’t work out with him and me, but he’s a nice guy. He’s playing his cards close to his chest, but I definitely get the feeling he’s into you. He kept on mentioning you, then changing the subject.’ She sent Mandy a gentle smile. ‘It’ll be fine, really it will.’ She stopped at the turn-off to Animal Ark. ‘You’ll be okay from here, will you?’ she checked. ‘I should be getting home.’

  ‘Of course I will.’ Mandy managed a weak smile.

  ‘Do talk to Jimmy,’ Molly urged. ‘He seemed kind of sad today.’

  Poor Jimmy, Mandy thought as she trudged under the old wooden Animal Ark sign. It was half obliterated by clinging snow, the words obscured. Someone had died at Running Wild. It must have been awful. Mandy should have been there for him, and instead she had jumped to all the wrong conclusions. Was there any way he would forgive her? Molly seemed to think she should try, but Molly had no idea how furious Mandy had been with Jimmy when he appeared on her doorstep.

  She would have to speak to him, she decided, mentally squaring her shoulders. Even if he wouldn’t forgive her, she needed to apologise. She couldn’t do it now, but she would do it as soon as she had the chance. Stamping the snow from her boots, she followed the familiar path down the side of the cottage and round to the back door.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Mandy dealt with the morning’s work on autopilot. As the professional parts of her mind concentrated on dental patients and heart murmurs, the knowledge that she was going to have to talk to Jimmy bubbled underneath. Her heart beat faster whenever she pictured his puzzled, hurt face in the rainstorm. She was glad she was no longer a new graduate. Even with only half her mind on the job, she was able to deal with the routine tasks she performed on an almost daily basis.

  Helen was sympathetic, but she encouraged Mandy to go ahead and clear the air. ‘He’ll understand, you just wait and see.’ The nurse was so positive, Mandy almost started to feel optimistic herself.

  But as she drove up to Upper Welford Hall in her lunchtime, all the doubts resurfaced. Those fateful few days replayed in her mind. Jimmy had told her he would ring after their dinner at the Fox and Goose. When he hadn’t, instead of calling him, she had waited and worried. She had thought she trusted him, but she hadn’t trusted him enough. When she had seen him with Molly, she had jumped to conclusions. He’d wanted to talk, wanted it so badly he had rushed out in the rain. And she had yelled at him and turned
him away.

  As she parked her car outside the steading and walked through the courtyard, she barely registered the festive shops and stalls. Was she asking too much of Jimmy? Helen didn’t seem to think so. Nor did Molly. She had to try.

  Jimmy was in his workshop, mending a net. For a moment, he didn’t notice Mandy. His strong hands were nimble as he spliced and knotted the ropes. His broad shoulders stretched the black material of the polo neck he was wearing: the same one he had worn that night in the Fox and Goose, when they had gone there together. Mandy could feel her heart beating almost painfully in her chest.

  ‘Jimmy?’

  Hearing her voice, he spun round. If he had looked tired yesterday, today his green eyes seemed exhausted and empty.

  ‘Mandy.’ His cheek twitched, as if he was about to smile, but then his features settled back into resignation. He looked so sad that Mandy wanted to reach out and hug him, but there were things she needed to say. Steadying herself, she took a deep, shuddering breath.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ she began. ‘When you didn’t phone me, I was worried, and then I saw you and Molly and I thought … I thought you were back together, only she told me you weren’t and that she’d passed an exam and she said something awful had happened and I … Oh, I don’t know, I’m just so sorry.’

  Jimmy blinked. His expression had changed. There was confusion in his eyes now, diluting the tiredness. The hint of a smile twisted his features. ‘I have no idea what you just said,’ he confessed, ‘but does this mean you’re willing to talk to me?’

  Mandy let out a strangled sound: half laugh, half sob. She pressed a hand to her mouth until the moment passed, then straightened up. ‘I’m willing to talk,’ she replied.

  Where to begin, she wondered? For the first time that day, her brain began to clear. ‘Molly said someone died?’ She blurted out the most pressing question.

  Jimmy’s face creased with pain. Pulling out a chair, he offered it to her and sat down himself. He pushed the unfinished net away to the far side of the bench. ‘I think you saw the man,’ he told her, ‘that day up on the ridge. An older gentleman with a beard?’

  Mandy could only vaguely remember, but she nodded. ‘We were up at the high-wire course, you know, where we rescued the deer?’ Mandy nodded again. She could see Jimmy was struggling to speak. He swiped a knuckle across one of his eyes. ‘He got ill really suddenly. Crushing sensation in his chest. Pain in his arm. He was sweating and clammy. I could tell it was something bad.’ His jaw clenched as he glanced down to the floor, then back up to Mandy’s face. ‘I had to decide what to do,’ he told her. ‘There was no way a helicopter could get to us in the trees. It would take ages for an ambulance crew to get there. So I decided we should try and walk out. He died on the way.’

  Jimmy’s eyes were on the ground again. Without thinking, Mandy reached out and took his hand. She had to deal with death at work, but not like this. A human being. A terrible situation beyond anyone’s control.

  ‘There was nothing else you could have done,’ she murmured. ‘If it was so quick, it would have happened anyway.’ She squeezed his fingers as another tear escaped from his eye and fell to the matting on the floor. ‘Nobody could blame you.’

  It wasn’t true. She knew it, even as the words left her lips. People who were grieving often looked for someone to hold responsible. It was one of the hardest things she had to face in her chosen career. ‘It wasn’t your fault,’ she insisted.

  ‘I know.’ Jimmy’s voice was so quiet, it was hard to hear. ‘They told me after that he had a heart condition. He hadn’t declared it on his form, so I couldn’t have taken it into account. There’s still going to be an inquest, though. So many people descended on me. I had the police and someone from his company. I visited his family. I should have called you, but there was so much to do …’ He trailed off, his tired eyes searching her face.

  Mandy shook her head. ‘It was my fault,’ she said. ‘When you didn’t get in touch, I should have called you. And then I jumped to all sorts of conclusions. Molly told me last night why you were out together. I’m so sorry I didn’t listen when you came round.’

  Jimmy let out a groan. ‘I shouldn’t have come that night,’ he said. His mouth twisted. ‘I came to your door and had no idea what to say.’

  Mandy felt tears prick her own eyes. Poor Jimmy. His hand was still in hers. He hadn’t let go. ‘Can we try again, please?’ she ventured. ‘I know I always jump into everything with both feet. But I really am sorry.’

  Jimmy found a smile, his green eyes gazing into hers. ‘It’s one of my favourite things about you,’ he admitted. ‘I just need to learn to manage it better. I think I can improve with practice.’

  ‘Are you sure you still want to?’ Mandy made a rueful face. ‘Practise, I mean?’

  The fingers holding hers tightened. He nodded. ‘Definitely.’

  The heavy lines around his brow had lifted. The old smile, the one that made her heart swoop, was back in place. He sat back with a sigh, but then he frowned. ‘There was something I wanted to ask you about,’ he said. ‘Some rumour I heard that Hope Meadows had been attacked. Did something happen?’

  Mandy had not meant to tell him about her strange battle with an unseen enemy, but once she started, everything came pouring out. As she spoke, some of her fear and loneliness began to lift. Sharing the information with Jimmy was enough to lighten the load.

  Jimmy, on the other hand, looked aghast. When he heard about the awful message on the wall in Lamb’s Wood Cottage, Mandy felt his fingers jerk against hers, then grip almost painfully. ‘You won’t go back on your own, will you?’ he asked her, his voice urgent.

  Mandy shook her head. ‘I won’t,’ she promised.

  ‘I’m glad the police are taking it seriously,’ he said, then in frustration, ‘I wish there was something I could do.’

  Mandy sighed. ‘Me too. I just don’t know what.’

  He looked at her, his eyes serious. ‘You will be very, very careful won’t you?’

  ‘Of course I will,’ she replied. ‘Trust me, Hope Meadows is battened down like a medieval fortress, thanks to my dad. It’s a miracle I can get in to feed the animals!’

  ‘I think we should do something to take your mind off it.’ Jimmy’s face brightened. ‘How about dinner tomorrow night. My place. Seven thirty?’

  His hand was warm, the fingers strong. The workshop was brightly lit. Mandy caught the scent of sawdust and aftershave. Taking a deep breath, she felt strength and comfort just from being close to him. He had rescued Jack. Perhaps he could rescue her from her troubles, too? ‘That would be wonderful,’ she said.

  It turned out to be a brilliant evening, uncomplicated, full of simple good food and shared humour. Jimmy had driven to Ripon and brought back mushroom paté and an asparagus quiche from Booths, which they had eaten with salad. As well as the food, he had bought a bottle of Wiston Estate Rosé 2011, an English sparkling wine. After two glasses, Mandy felt relaxed and more cheerful than she had done for days.

  Better still was the text that Mandy received at the end of the meal from Susan Collins.

  ‘Jack is allowed to come home today. He told me he had found the reindeers’ lair, but then he’d fallen and he doesn’t remember anything after that. I’ve told him he’s never to go hunting without me again. He seems fine thanks to you and Jimmy. Hope to see you at the nativity. Susan.’

  She showed it to Jimmy as they sat together in front of the fire, snuggling on the sofa.

  ‘What does it mean?’ Jimmy regarded the message with his head on one side. ‘About the reindeers’ lair?’

  Mandy smiled at his bewildered expression. ‘He was obsessed with Santa’s reindeer,’ she explained. ‘Susan and he were playing a game, trying to find them.’ A thought crossed her mind. ‘I hope Susan isn’t feeling bad. No one could have predicted he’d go looking on his own.’

  ‘I’m sure Susan is too sensible to be worrying now he’s safe.’ Jimmy’s voice was comfort
ing.

  ‘Safe, thanks to you.’ Mandy told him.

  ‘And you.’ Jimmy said with a grin.

  The three dogs were snoring in a pile before the blazing fire. Mandy felt like a teenager when he wrapped his arm around her. When he leaned in for a kiss, there were butterflies in her stomach.

  ‘I’ve got something to show you,’ he said a little later. He pulled away and stood up. He went out into the hall, returning a moment later with something that resembled a small camouflaged box with a number of lenses. ‘It’s a video camera,’ he explained as he sat back down, ‘with night vision.’ He handed it to her and Mandy inspected it, feeling a little puzzled. It was just a camera, right? If Jimmy had taken some film of wildlife, why not show her that? ‘I’ve used it before for otters and badgers,’ Jimmy went on. ‘It’s motion triggered. I’ve two of them and …’ he paused as if for a big announcement … ‘the other one is, at this very moment, attached to a tree up at Lamb’s Wood Cottage.’ He grinned. ‘If there’s anyone hanging about up there, there’s a good chance we might manage to get a picture of him.’

  Mandy felt her heart beginning to race. If they filmed the intruder, maybe someone would be able to identify him or her. What a great idea. She thought back to her evening there with Helen. There had been a lot of beer cans. Perhaps he or she had been coming and going quite often. ‘It might work,’ she said, feeling suddenly breathless. Reaching out, she put her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. ‘You really do think of everything,’ she said.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  For the next two days, there was nothing to report from Lamb’s Wood Cottage. Jimmy checked the camera each day and texted Mandy to keep her updated, among the flurry of other messages they pinged back and forth.

  They had talked a great deal during their evening together. Mandy had told Jimmy she wanted to take things slowly, but that she was committed. Jimmy had assured her they would take things at a pace where she was comfortable. He had also told her that for now, he didn’t feel ready to bring the twins over to Hope Meadows. They would meet officially when their relationship was more established. Mandy was more than a little relieved. There was so much going on that she didn’t think she could string a coherent sentence together when it came to spending time with Jimmy’s children.