‘We’re early, but I know a great little pub where we can get a good meal. It might be the last one we have for a couple of days,’ said Zach, with a grin. Emily suddenly wasn’t hungry any more.
Lottie ran through the back garden, clutching her coat to her, and came flying back into the manor in a similar style to how she had left – but the sight that greeted her was a pleasant surprise. The kitchen was tomato free. Joe put his head around the kitchen door from the hallway and gave her a timid wave. Why was he still here?
‘Thanks, but you really didn’t have to clean up,’ she said, taking her coat off.
‘Yeah, I think I did. I’ve bathed the dog and he’s asleep in the cat basket. The cat’s gone off in a huff.’
‘Thank you.’ She meant it. It was just such a struggle to look at him and not feel a torrent of emotions.
‘I found the Christmas tree in the garage and figured you’d need a hand …’ She followed him into the hall where the large real tree Nana had ordered was standing, majestic, if a little bare. The smell of fresh pine wafted over her – a wave of Christmas. They both stared at it for a moment, until Lottie noticed that Joe was now looking at her instead of the tree. ‘Do you still decorate the tree on Christmas Eve?’
‘Yep. Family tradition.’
‘I used to love all your funny traditions,’ said Joe, sounding like he was thinking out loud.
She adjusted her hair clip. ‘Can you help me move it into the drawing room?’
‘Sure,’ he said, already taking up the position.
Lottie got the other side and they inelegantly waddled their way down the hall and into the drawing room. ‘Any early arrivals?’ she asked.
He shook his head. ‘Nope.’ They positioned and repositioned the Christmas tree until Lottie was happy with it. There was a moment where they both eyed each otherat the same time and then looked away. This was a whole new level of awkward.
‘I should probably make a move.’ Joe pointed at the door. ‘I’m picking up a car. It’s an old Land Rover actually. Nothing special, but I’m collecting it in like …’ He checked his watch. ‘Nowish.’ He seemed startled to see it was almost two o’clock.
‘Of course.’
‘I’ll take the dog with me. Check if he’s got a microchip. Hopefully I can reunite him with his owners in time for Christmas.’
‘That’s a nice thought,’ said Lottie. Joe had always been thoughtful.Apart from—She banished the memory.
Joe paused in the doorway and turned slowly, making Lottie hold her breath. ‘Perhaps after Christmas we could catch up properly?’ he asked, his eyes barely meeting hers before they flitted away. Her mind buzzed with what he meant by that. ‘You know. Catch up over a coffee,’ he added.
‘Let’s get Christmas over first. Then, we’ll see.’ She couldn’t commit to anything more than that right now. She felt like her space had been well and truly invaded. He gave the briefest of nods, picked up the dog and walked through to the kitchen. Lottie followed. ‘Thanks for all your help today.’
‘It’s nothing.’ He sounded dejected.
‘Merry Christmas, Joe.’ She couldn’t hide the melancholy in her tone.
‘You too, Lottie.’ He gave a weak smile and ventured out into the blustery winter weather.
The pub had been lovely, but Emily’s two trips to the toilet had been accompanied by Jessie waiting outside thecubicle, humming ‘Baby Shark’, so she’d not been able to do the pregnancy test. An hour later, they were back in Henbourne on the Hill and turning into a large gated drive. ‘What the …?’ Emily started to pay attention.
The sound of tyres on gravel, as if announcing their arrival, seemed to add to the grandeur of the setting. This was not what she’d been expecting. Her head was almost spinning as she tried to take it all in. There was a large turning circle with an ornate fountain in the middle, and beyond that a grand house. Emily was thrown. She’d never set foot inside a house like this before; she had only driven by them or seen them on the telly. Her standard-sized family had lived in a small terrace. She wished Zach had warned her. Thinking back, he’d said something about ‘the estate’; but she’d automatically assumed he meantcouncilestate notcountry.
‘Wow,’ said Emily, trying hard to stop her mouth falling open. ‘It’s beautiful.’
‘Faded grandeur,’ said Zach, switching off the engine. ‘It needs a lot of updating. The new owners will have their work cut out.’ He pointed at the ‘For Sale’ sign being buffeted by the wind.
‘Has it been in your family for generations?’ she asked, her eyes scanning the many windows and grand steps up to a huge arched front door.
‘No, my grandfather bought it in the seventies. That was the last time it had a full makeover,’ he said, with an affectionate chuckle. ‘Come on.’
Emily checked her handbag was fully zipped up and tried not to think of the tester kit inside as she got out of the car. Time to make a good first impression.
Almost as soon as Joe had closed the back door, the sound of someone tugging the bell pull at the front door echoed through the house. Lottie took a deep breath. This was the start of what could be a very long Christmas.
She skidded into the hallway and wrenched open the heavy old door. Her brother strode in, giving her a perfunctory kiss on the cheek as he passed. ‘Hiya, sis. Have you got the dinner on yet? Those sprouts need to be boiled for at least a week.’
