has been crazy – I’ve hardly been able to see more than ten metres. I’ve practically been hallucinating – I was half-expecting to come across Santa’s cottage and find him tending his reindeers and filling up his sleigh…’
They all went back through to the lounge. After they had plied James with wine and he’d warmed up a bit, he explained, ‘I called your mum and dad, as I actually fancied a beautiful French Christmas, and that’s when they told me you’d locked yourself away in the wilderness up here with nothing but a toddler and a list of things to do for company – oh, and a minx of a sister…’ he added, looking across at Annabel.
Annabel pretended to punch his arm. ‘Bet they didn’t tell you she’s got a hottie helping her with the cottage.’
‘Which is probably the only reason Annabel’s actually staying here,’ Grace put in, ‘since
‘Now, now, ladies,’ James said, settling back on the sofa with his wine, ‘I can see I arrived just in time to stop you two from pulling each other’s hair out.’
‘How’s Natasha?’ Annabel asked.
James’s face fell. ‘It’s over.’ Resignation propped up his smile as he added, ‘Drifted apart.’
Grace moved towards him, but he held a hand up. ‘No sympathy needed. I knew she wasn’t “the one”.’ He leaned back. ‘So, what’s the plan for Christmas then? Aside from Millie getting her Santa stash’ – his smile was genuine now – ‘I can’t wait to see her.’ He reached for Grace’s hand and gave it a squeeze.
Unaccountably, Grace felt herself begin to well up. ‘You’ll be amazed. She’s changed so much.’
‘She tries to bite you now if you annoy her, so watch out,’ Annabel added.
‘Really?’ James looked at Grace in amusement.
‘It’s a recent phase, sadly. Anyway, how long are you planning to stay?’
‘Just a few days. My boss wants me back straight after New Year.’
‘That’s great. But you do know I haven’t got a spare room?’ Grace glanced worriedly about the place. ‘We’re a bit cramped here.’
James patted the sofa. ‘Seems comfy enough. Unless this is your domain, Bel?’
Grace snorted. ‘Not likely. She’s practically pushed me out of my own bed, the amount of space she takes up.’
‘Yeah, yeah,’ Annabel said. ‘Who’s for more wine?’ She got up and plucked the bottle from the side, refilling their glasses without waiting for a response. ‘Now you’re here, perhaps we can get you into tomorrow’s excitement,’ she told James.
‘And what might that be?’
‘A ball!’ Annabel squeaked with delight.
‘Where?’ James queried, the corner of his mouth turning up. ‘The local cow shed? And with who? There’s no one here, guys, just miles of empty space. Is it just us and a herd of sheep ready to party?’
‘There’s a local hall,’ Annabel replied knowingly. Grace sat back and listened, sipping her drink, well aware that she was unlikely to get a word in. ‘A very posh hall, by all accounts. And the local riffraff have a Christmas Eve ball – it’s a tradition that started a decade ago, and everyone loved it so much that they’ve done it every year since. A rich aristocrat owns the place, and lets them use it. They raise quite a bit for charity.’
‘How long have you lived here, Annabel?’ James said, a twinkle in his eye as he looked at Grace. ‘You really are in the right profession, aren’t you. Is there anything you don’t know after you’ve been somewhere for five minutes?’
Grace laughed, while Annabel feigned indignance. ‘Well, it’s a ticketed event, so I don’t know if we’ll get you in.’
‘Ignore her,’ Grace chuckled. ‘We’ll get you a ticket. I’ll call Meredith in the morning.’
‘But I haven’t got a suit, let alone a tux…’ James said. ‘Presuming I can come, of course,’ he added sarcastically to Annabel.
‘There’s probably a shop in the next town.’ Annabel looked thoughtful. ‘We’ll check it out tomorrow when we go and get the supplies for Christmas dinner.’
‘What would I do without you, Bel?’ James replied, raising an eyebrow at Grace, before he settled back onto the sofa and closed his eyes.
Grace smiled as she watched him, thinking that it had made her Christmas simply to have him here.
As Grace made her way downstairs with Millie the next morning, she expected to find James still asleep. However, he was up and fully dressed, seated at the small dining table with a coffee, looking over some papers.
‘Hi,’ he said on seeing her. And then, ‘Hello Millie. Wow, you’ve grown so much!’
Millie whipped around and hid her face in her mother’s neck.
‘She’s always a bit shy,’ Grace explained apologetically.
‘Understood. Not to worry,’ James replied. ‘Actually, I’ve got a present for her.’ He went across and pulled a large brown teddy out of his bag, jiggling it around, trying to coax Millie to play, but she gripped on to Grace even more tightly. Grace took the teddy and attempted to give it to Millie, but the little girl snatched it and threw it on the floor.
Grace was embarrassed. ‘She takes time to respond to new people and new toys,’ she reassured James, noticing that he was crestfallen despite his efforts to hide it. ‘Ask Annabel, she’s had the same treatment.’ Yet she couldn’t help but remember Millie holding her arms out to Ben, and kneeling by his side.
James sat down again, and Grace strapped her daughter into her high chair, then went to put Millie’s morning milk into the microwave. Once it was ready she shook the drink before giving it to the child, who used it as a security barrier from which she could inspect James further.
‘My god she’s like you,’ James said.
‘Really?’ Grace smiled. ‘In what way?’
‘Well, big eyes and long legs for a start,’ he replied immediately.
Grace laughed. ‘Most people tend to see Adam in her, since she’s got his colouring and his curly hair.’
‘Yes, well, perhaps it’s more indefinable than hair colour, but I definitely recognise something in those baby blues peeping at me.’ He stuck his tongue out playfully at Millie, but she looked worriedly at Grace.
Grace moved over and stroked her hair. ‘Well, you’re probably the only person who sees it.’
‘Perhaps it’s because I know you a lot better than most,’ James replied.
Millie broke the charged silence that followed by dropping her cup on the floor, and they both laughed. ‘I’ll get it,’ James said. And when he bobbed his head up above the table again, things were back to normal.
‘Shall I make you scrambled eggs for breakfast?’ Grace asked as she flicked the kettle on.
‘That would be great, I’ll help you in a sec.’ He glanced once more at the papers in front of him. ‘I hope you don’t mind – these were lying here, so I was taking a look at your plans.’
‘Of course I don’t mind.’ Grace sat down opposite him. ‘So, what do you think?’
‘It’s a really good idea. But it could be a lot of work. Are you all right out here, really? Because this might take quite a while.’
‘I’ll be okay. Besides, I’ve got Ben helping me out, so hopefully that will speed things up.’
‘Ah, yes. Ben.’ James put the papers down. ‘Tell me about Annabel’s hottie – has she seduced him yet?’
Grace ignored the unease she felt at the question. ‘I doubt it. He’s very reserved. He’s been a godsend to me, though, as I was worried it would take weeks for me to find someone to work on the cottage. Although Annabel has been monopolising him a bit of late, for her “story”.’ Grace made speech marks in the air and James chuckled. ‘They’ve been roving all over the moors with him telling her spooky tales. But that’s all, I think.’
‘How romantic,’ James commented dryly. ‘Trust Annabel.’
‘Trust Annabel what?’ said the woman herself, appearing at the door.
‘I was admiring your dedication to getting a good story,’ James laughed, then spluttered on his coffee as Annabel clipped his head with her hand as she went past. ‘Ow.’
‘You deserved it.’
‘So, what’s the plan for today then?’ James asked. ‘There appear to be all sorts of exciting possibilities around here.’ He got up and gestured out at the white sky and the bare expanse of the moors, now pockmarked with last
