Babushka and Emilia’s present was opened first because it was the smallest. They were all gathered in the big living room, variously sprawled on sofas or lying on the floor. Molly, centre of attention, sitting on Ben’s lap on the floor, with Radulf on one side and PB the other, was carefully peeling away some tape on the corner of the box.
Aleksey was watching Emilia’s expression, and before he could look away, she glanced to him and they shared a private smile. Finally, it was open, and Molly held up a Matryoshka Russian stacking doll. This had clearly been bought as plain wood, because it had been subsequently hand-painted, presumably the part of the present that was Emilia’s contribution.
Molly turned the solid doll around in her hand, frowning deeply. There was a moment of tension; Aleksey could tell Ben was about to intervene and explain the present to her, when she whispered, entirely awed, ‘You, papa. It’s you!’ And indeed, the largest doll was fearsomely scarred from cheekbone to mouth, had yellow hair and luminous, amber eyes. She excitedly tried to pull that one apart, and with some help from Ben revealed the next one. Predictable to everyone else in the room, but not apparently to her, she realised who it was and cried out, ‘Daddy! Daddy! You’re inside Papa!’ Squeezy immediately had to leave the room, but Ben took refuge by burying his face into her hair and examining the prized doll with her. It was obviously him. Emilia hadn’t had to work too hard with his features either. The eyes were a bit of a giveaway.
The next doll was immediately shown to Radulf, who didn’t recognise himself at all. But everyone else thought the raised muzzle, glimpse of teeth and the topknot were hilarious. It even had a collar with little notches painted on. Predictably the next one, now getting considerably smaller, was black and white and had piercing blue eyes. It appeared to be scowling. No guesses needed.
Next there was a very small doll, which Aleksey assumed was the last. Molly held this one with reverence in her hand. ‘It’s me.’
Emilia said happily, ‘It’sfour-year-oldyou. Happy birthday, sweetheart.’ The little wooden doll had black hair and green eyes and if put side-by-side with the other doll with the same colouring was almost identical, as they were in life in so many ways.
Surprising to Aleksey, the tiny wooden baby had a split around the middle where she could be opened, just as with the other dolls. In his experience, the final Matryoshka was always solid. Molly, with some help, got it open, but there was nothing inside. Ben made nothing of it and suggested she put them all together again.
But she wanted to open the extremely large present that Enid and Miles had given her. Aleksey consequently had the pieces of dolls thrust at him, and he quite enjoyed himself putting Ben nicely back inside him where he belonged, especially when he got a private smirk from his other half as he was doing it.
The big present was so large that Squeezy and Tim had been co-opted to retrieve it from Enid’s cottage and bring it over. It was almost as tall as Tim and as big as the fireplace.
Molly ripped off the paper and everyone was slightly stunned. It was a dolls’ house, but clearly an antique one. It was a large manor house, with kitchens and a scullery at the bottom, rising to attics at the top. There were little people, some preparing food in the kitchen, some sweeping, some sitting in armchairs, some children playing in a nursery, and a baby in a cot. It was exquisite. Molly was entirely speechless, which wasn’t helped when Miles declared triumphantly, whilst fiddling with something at the back, ‘It’s getting dark outside.’ The whole house suddenly lit up. He flicked another switch and only the attics were illuminated. Molly scrambled up and wanted to see what he was doing and she began to turn all the little lamps on and off. Each tiny lamp had tiffany shades of coloured glass, so the effect was as magical as the fairy village at the bottom of the pond the night before.
This impression was cemented when Miles said hesitantly, as Aleksey knew he was not a child who dwelt much in fantasy, ‘They used to live here, Molly, the little folk. This was their home before they went to the stream.’
While everyone was enjoying the house, Miles slumped next to Aleksey on the sofa, clearly slightly dejected by his betrayal of his scientist credentials. He flicked the boy’s ear, which made him smile. ‘I did the house first. That’s how I got the idea for the pool. I really don’t think it’s a good idea to encourage children to believe in fairies.’
‘I give everyone nicknames, many I cannot repeat to you, but yours is not ironic—you are myresident genius.’
Miles smiled happily. ‘It’s granny’s house. It was her great granny’s or something. It’s very old.’
It genuinely did not seem to occur to children that adults discussed things behind their backs. He and Enid had already had many conversations about the retrieval of this precious object from the bungalow in Scotland, its transportation to London and restoration where needed, and then its onward trip to its final resting place in Devon. Miles subsequently rigging it with lights, however, had been a complete surprise to Aleksey.
He said a little slyly, ‘Did you not want to keep it? It’s yours by rights…’
Miles frowned deeply. ‘I do need to keep an eye on the lighting system. I might have to come over and check it sometimes. She’ll probably break it.’
‘Well, okay. I think we’ll take it to Guillemot. You could do your checks there.’
‘Oh, yes. That is a good idea. Shadowfax would love it.’
The boy seemed entirely unaware of his contrary beliefs and Aleksey just flicked his ear again, highly amused.
Tim and Squeezy’s present had to come last for some reason, so it was finally time for their present to Molly. Aleksey was more than a little intrigued himself. For someone who had tended to buy his own presents, just to be sure he liked them, not even buying them now for someone else was extremely stressful.
Squeezy, who had gotten over his fit and had returned, now shifted out of an armchair and sat down between the dogs. He casually rested one hand on each collar.
Ben came in with a box.
Aleksey said cheerily to Molly, ‘We have bought you a microwave.’
Her face fell.
‘It is pink though.’
The lower lip quivered, so as Ben passed him, carrying the box high, he slapped him across the head. Everyone else seemed to find this hilarious.
Ben put the box down.
Molly came away from the dolls’ house and squatted down alongside him.
Squeezy surreptitiously now took a noticeably tight hold of the dogs’ collars.
