‘He’s planning to catch a flight to Glasgow as soon as the thaw comes,’ she explains. ‘And if there’s a delay, he said his friend Harry from the farm down the road can take care of things here. So that’s not a problem.’
‘So, we’re all sorted then?’ Frida looks hopeful.
‘Not really,’ Lena starts, frowning. ‘There’s a huge amount of snow out there, Frida. There’s no guarantee it’ll melt away overnight?—’
‘But it’s Christmas Eve tomorrow!’ she exclaims.
‘Yes, but the weather doesn’t know that,’ Lena says. ‘We can’twishit away, much as we’d love to?—’
‘I do realise that,’ Frida snaps, grey eyes flashing. Lena’s heart rate quickens as she quells her urge to snap back. She is unused to dealing with this kind of lack of logic.
‘I’m just saying,’ she says, trying to remain patient, ‘that if there’s no thaw overnight, and no gritters or snowploughs come up this way, then it’s likely that we’re all going to be here for Christmas…’
‘Oh, God, Leen.’ Shelley looks at her. ‘Let’s not even go there.’
‘How would Joel react, if you’re stuck here?’
Shelley shakes her head. ‘I don’t even want to think about it. You know he wasn’t best pleased about me going away so close to Christmas.’
‘How about you, Pearl?’ Niall asks. ‘How would your crew manage without you?’
‘Brandon and Abi?’ Her heart seems to squeeze at the thought of spending Christmas apart from her son. ‘I’m sure they’d cope. But…’ She breaks off as her eyes mist. ‘I feel soresponsible, suggesting this trip in the first place. Coming up to the Highlands in winter…’ She looks at her friends. ‘Of course it could snow! Why didn’t I think of that?’
‘Hey, we wereallin on this,’ Shelley says, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. ‘We’re all responsible.’
‘…Or irresponsible,’ Pearl mutters, focusing now on making teas and coffees for everyone, because Niall is right. Lamenting their situation isn’t helping.
It’s only Lena who isn’t exactly feeling desolate at the prospect of spending Christmas at Shore Cottage. In fact, she decides, as she takes herself off to their bedroom, it’s becoming more appealing by the hour. Here in the stillness of their airy room, she perches on the chair at the window and looks out over the silvery loch.
If they’re snowed in for Christmas, she reflects, there’ll be no William and Annabelle making barbed comments about her ‘background’ and peering around her flat in disdain. (She once heard Annabelle telling Tommy that she ‘couldneverlive in a flat’). And there’ll be no stressing over how to cram a turkey, a joint of beef and a trough of roast potatoes into her poky little oven. In his gamely fashion, Tommy has assured her that things can be ‘kept warm under foil’ and then ‘given another hot blast near the finish’. But the logistics are still making Lena’s head spin. And managing to serve up a piping hot meal to her future in-laws isn’t really the issue. It’s about their disdain and judgement of her.
‘And what does your fatherdo, Lena?’ Who even asks that, in this day and age? She knew what Annabelle was getting at. That she expected Lena to say he ran a corner shop.
‘He’s an accountant,’ she replied.
‘Oh!’ Annabelle hadn’t known what to say after that. And now Lena stands up at the window, gripping her phone, wanting to call Tommy, but alsonotwanting to. They spoke first thing andshe broke the news about the snowfall. ‘Let’s just hope it thaws,’ he said. ‘There’s still time, isn’t there? And then you’ll still be able to catch your flight?’
She agreed that there was, and told him a little about the snow-covered hills and the cosiness of Shore Cottage. ‘That sounds lovely!’ he enthused. Yet there was an awkwardness there, as if there was more than physical distance between them. As if he was holding something back. She didn’t mention seeing Daisy’s photo of the festive family lunch. It didn’t matter, she told herself. Tommy was only having pizza with his family. What was wrong with that?
She calls him again now, wanting to reassure herself that everything is okay. ‘Snow still bad, darling?’ he asks.
‘Just the same,’ she replies. ‘It’s freezing out there and the forecast isn’t looking good…’
‘Oh God, really?’
‘Yeah. I do feel a bit stupid coming up here the week before Christmas. What was I thinking?’
‘Honey, you needed a break with your friends,’ he insists. ‘You’ve been working so hard. And you weren’t to know this would happen…’
‘I guess you’re right. Anyway, I haven’t asked about you,’ she adds.
‘Oh, all’s good here. I’m missing you of course. Can’t wait to see you. But I saw Daisy yesterday?—’
‘And Catherine,’ Lena blurts out before she can stop herself.
She feels him take a breath. ‘Yes, um… she came for lunch too. Bit of a surprise. But Daisy wanted her to join us and I couldn’t really say no?—’
‘No, there was no reason to,’ Lena says quickly, feeling ridiculous to be so rattled by a casual photo on Daisy’s social media. What’s wrong with her? It’s not Catherine who’s the problem. It’s Tommy’s parents – and the way he bends to theirwishes every time. And now Lena wonders if it might be easier for him to entertain his parents on Christmas Day at her place without her being there.
