Page 54 of The Christmas Star

A roll top bath took centre stage and there was a double shower with a clear glass screen in the corner. A circular blue and white floral sink sat on a wooden drawered vanity unit. I ran my fingers across its bronze tap. ‘I want to live here,’ I said.

Checking out the stable’s sleeping quarter, my smile immediately froze.

‘How gorgeous is this?’ As Theo glanced around the room, he clearly didn’t see the obvious.

‘It’s a double bed,’ I said, pointing it out.

‘King-size more like. And look at this wardrobe.’ He stepped towards it for a closer look. ‘How did they get it in here? It’s massive.’

‘There’s always the sofa, I suppose.’

Theo sat on the edge of the mattress. ‘I don’t know what you’re worried about.’ He bounced up and down as if testing its quality. ‘Keep your hands to yourself and we’ll be fine.’

Not in the habit of sharing a bed with strangers, I flashed him a look.

He shrugged. ‘Well you obviously don’t trust yourself.’

* * *

I turned off the taps, undressed and climbed into the bath. Lowering myself down, I slid right under the water and resurfacing, stared up at the ceiling. Enjoying the solace, it was the first proper calm I’d experienced since landing at Mum’s house only to find she’d disappeared. I breathed deep and letting the water warm my body and comfort my soul, it felt good to decompress.

I wondered what Mum was up to in that moment. Being a day ahead of us in their travels, she and Jackson would have landed at their destination and were, no doubt, enjoying a stay at another fancy boutique hotel. Like Theo and I, they were probably about to experience their first Réveillon de Noël, except theirs would be with Gisèle’s family.

I tried to imagine Mum’s first meeting with her pen friend. Knowing Mum, she’d have cried multiple tears of joy and thrown herself into la Bise. Whereas some people were uncomfortable with all the kissing, Mum was somewhat less reserved. She’d have greeted Gisèle and her family with open arms and thrown a few bear hugs into the mix. I sighed, wishing I’d been there to see it.

I wondered if I’d been wrong in my desire to intercept Mum. If I’d succeeded, I could have robbed her of her only chance to meet Gisèle. I pictured Mum with her grey hair, storytelling wrinkles and liver-spotted skin. As much as I hated to think it, time wasn’t on hers or Gisèle’s side. Just like Dad, they could be alive in one minute and, without warning, dead in the next.

My driving force might have been to save Mum, but from what? Herself? I scoffed. She wasn’t the one who’d sat on a branch waiting for the cavalry to arrive. Thinking about the day’s events, I was clearly my mother’s daughter. Mum jumping behind the wheel of Dad’s old Volvo for the first time in years was no different to my antics climbing that ruddy tree. I cringed at the thought. Had Theo not been there to guide me down, I’d have either frozen to death or broke my neck from falling as I tried to get down.

I could still feel Theo’s hands on my hips and hear the calmness in his voice as he steered me from one branch to the next until we reached the ground. Even then there’d been no ridiculing or reprimanding on his part for putting myself in harm’s way. Recalling the number of times I’d cursed Mum those last few days for her foolishness, I told myself I could learn a lot from Theo.

I pictured his expression; how his eyes bored into my soul when he told me I was safe with him. He wasn’t just talking about our predicament. What was strange was the fact I believed him. My heart didn’t call bullshit and fold in on itself.

Of course, after years of being shut down, hearts don’t suddenly heal. Knowing there had to be a rational explanation, I recalled a documentary I’d seen about transference, a condition where people develop a crush on their rescuers. That’s what it is, I told myself. Has to be. My cardiovascular’s a bit confused.

A knock at the door interrupted my musings.

‘Are you okay in there?’ Theo asked.

‘I’m almost done,’ I replied.

‘If you’re tired or don’t fancy it, we can give tonight a miss.’

Tempted as I was to jump at the chance of a relaxing evening, the last thing I wanted to do was throw Lucas’s and Sophia’s invitation back in their faces. I hauled myself into a seated position. ‘No. I’m happy to go.’ I grabbed the bar of soap and dunking it under the now cool water, hastily lathered it up. ‘I’ll be out in a minute.’

CHAPTER 35

‘Do Lucas and Sophia know why we’re in France?’ Theo held up my coat and I slipped my arms in.

‘Lucas raised the question,’ Theo replied. ‘But I kept things simple. My French isn’t bad, but if I tried to explain how my seventeen-year-old son has run off with your seventy-nine-year-old mum and something got lost in translation… I wasn’t going to risk it.’

We exited the stable, closing the door behind us.

‘So what did you say?’

‘That we’re on a last-minute road trip. I asked about local hotels because the petrol situation meant we were going to miss our room reservation. That’s when he offered for us to stay here. I hated lying, but it was better than the alternative.’

‘Good to know should the subject come up again,’ I said as we approached the manor house.