CHAPTER TWO
I’m so excited to see Rob again, I’m convinced I won’t be able to eat a single morsel of the feast I’ve been helping Mum to conjure up.
Ellie and Zak arrive first, bringing an excited Maisie in her brand new dress and party shoes. Jaz, Harry and ten-year-old Summer – who’s just like a daughter to Jaz – arrive minutes later.
When Zak and Harry start talking football, Ellie takes the opportunity to drag Jaz and me into the cloakroom on the pretext of hanging up Maisie’s coat.
Her face is positively gleaming with excitement. ‘I’ve got some news but you need to keep it to yourselves for now!’ she says, grabbing both our arms.
Jaz and I both yelp, ‘What?’ at exactly the same time.
‘Well - ’ She leans in closer.
At that moment, the door bursts open and Maisie runs in. ‘Lellie, I left my new doll in the car. Can we go and get her? I want to show her to Fen’s mummy.’
Ellie smiles down at her. ‘Of course, my love.’ Taking Maisie’s hand, she grins back at us on the way out and says, ‘Later!’
Seconds later, we hear voices and emerge from the cloakroom to find Sylvia and Mick standing in the hall, chatting to Mum.
‘Girls! How lovely to see you. It’s been so long,’ cries Sylvia with a mischievous smile, and we laugh, because actually, we were all together at The Little Duck Pond Café party only the night before.
‘The house looks lovely, Marjery,’ says Mick to Mum. ‘I ordered the snow specially.’
Sylvia nods. ‘It’s so beautiful out there, like a setting for a Christmas episode of Midsomer Murders.’
Zak laughs and gives his aunt’s shoulders a squeeze. ‘Well, let’s hope no bodies turn up – at least before we’ve eaten your wonderful lunch, Marjery.’
As everyone starts walking through to the drawing room for pre-lunch drinks, Sylvia whispers in my ear, ‘Rob’s outside. His car engine’s playing up.’ She winks. ‘It’s not, actually. I made that up. I just thought the two of you might like some time alone together before joining us old farts.’
I laugh. Sylvia’s got the energy and spirit of a much younger woman. It’s hard to believe she turned seventy-four last month. ‘I’d better go and – um - make sure his engine is in tip-top order.’
‘You do that.’ She gives a little wave and hurries after the rest.
Rob is waiting for me just outside. He’s looking so sexy in dark trousers and blue striped shirt, and his handsome face lights up when he sees me. As for me, I can’t stop smiling.
‘You look gorgeous,’ he murmurs, coming closer, which makes me very glad I decided to wear the holly berry red dress that fits like a glove and the black patent heels.
‘Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself,’ I tell him shyly. The scent of his musky cologne is making my head spin and bringing back glorious memories of standing in the snow by the frozen duck pond with him last night. He pulls me close for a long, lingering kiss before we finally go inside.
Mum always pushes the boat out for Christmas lunch at Brambleberry Manor, and today is no exception.
She’s really done us proud. The table is beautiful, decked out in festive red and gold with tall candles glowing in pots filled with Christmas greenery, which Mum and I gathered yesterday. Christmas carols are playing gently in the background and the rich aroma of butter-basted turkey and herbs fills the house.
There are even little place cards for everyone, our names written in silver pen. We all wander round finding our seats and commenting on the glorious table.
Mum comes in and clears her throat. ‘If you’re all settled, I’ll bring in the starter.’
‘Smoked salmon, I think,’ I say in response to my brother, Richard’s question from the other side of the table.
‘Not exactly,’ says a familiar voice.
I spin round and there’s Dad, walking in on Mum’s arm, looking a little weak still but smiling broadly.
‘The doctor told me yesterday that Will could come home today,’ says Mum, her eyes brimming with happy tears. ‘We thought we’d surprise everyone. I collected him earlier while you were getting ready, Fen, and he’s been resting upstairs.’
Dad catches my eye and I go over to kiss him, my heart leaping with joy that he’s actually here. He wraps me in one of his big bear hugs that lasts a little longer than usual. And everyone starts talking and laughing at once.
I catch Rob’s eye and my heart melts all over again.
This really is going to be a fabulous Christmas . . .
*****
‘So what’s the big secret, then?’ Jaz grins at Ellie, who looks as if she might actually explode with excitement if she doesn’t reveal all soon.
It’s mid-afternoon and the three of us have sneaked out of the celebrations on the pretext of having a go on the zip wire. We’re standing on the platform, resting on the rail, Ellie in the middle with her shining face and glowing eyes. Her blonde hair glints in the sun. She’s drawing out the suspense, making us suffer, hugging the secret to herself for a little while longer.
‘I know. You’re engaged but you’re keeping it a secret,’ I squeak. ‘Zak proposed after the Christmas Eve party last night!’
Ellie shakes her head, smiling fondly at the thought. ‘It’s almost as good as that, though.’
Jaz groans, running her hands through her short, coppery red hair. ‘Do we have to keep guessing, then? My brain can’t take all this excitement. We’ve only just got over the brilliant news of Fen finally getting together with Rob.’ She beams at me. ‘And high time, too. It’s so obvious you were meant for him and not that good-for-nothing waste of space Ethan Fox.’
I blush with pleasure, hardly unsettled at all by her mention of the ‘waste of space’ in question. Finding out what Ethan was really like made getting over my crush on him very easy indeed!
Last night, getting together with Rob, still seems like a dream.
But right now, it seems it’s Ellie’s turn to burst with Christmas joy.
‘Okay, this is your final warning,’ Jaz tells her, a grave look on her face. ‘If you don’t tell us immediately, we’ll be forced to take action. Won’t we, Fen?’
‘The tickling thing?’ I grin. Ellie is the most ticklish person I’ve ever met.
Jaz nods. ‘No other way.’
We draw closer, poised to attack her pits, but she pulls her arms in tightly and squeals, ‘No, stop! I’ll talk! I’m going to open a bakery!’ She gives a funny little grimace of horror at her own madness, and starts bouncing up and down with excitement, so that the platform starts shaking alarmingly, flakes of snow drifting down.
I cast a nervous glance at the ground and steady Ellie’s arm. ‘Wow, that’s amazing. Let’s hope we live to see it.’
Jaz frowns. ‘I knew Monster Madge was closing the bakery in the village but I thought it was already rented out to another retailer?’
I nod. ‘It’s going to be a hardware store.’
Ellie shakes her head. ‘I’m not moving. I’m going to extend The Little Duck Pond Café and open a bakery right alongside it!’
Jaz and I exchange a look of surprise.
‘Wow, sounds like a great idea,’ I murmur. ‘People will really miss the bakery when Madge goes, so you’ll be filling the gap.’
Jaz nods her approval. ‘Except your cakes and breads will be so much more delicious than the factory stuff Madge buys in.’
‘Well, thank you.’ Ellie draws us in, an arm around each of us, beaming from ear to ear. ‘I’m going to need your support to make it happen. I’m sure Zak thinks I’m mad.’
‘You’re passionate about the café and you’ve made a huge success of it,’ Jaz says staunchly. ‘There’s no reason why you can’t do the same with a bakery as well.’
‘You’ll need to take on more staff, though, if you don’t want to be working round the clock,’ I warn, thinking of how important family time is to her, with Zak and his six-year-old daughter, Maisie, who Ellie absolutely adores.
She laughs. ‘Don’t worry, I will. First things first, though. I need to get my planning application approved before I do anything else. And persuade the bank manager to increase my loan. But if all goes according to plan, I’ll get the extension built in the spring for an early summer opening!’
‘You do realise what this means?’ says Jaz, pulling a comical face. ‘All three of us would appear to be happy at once.’
I frown. ‘Spooky.’
Ellie nudges Jaz. ‘It’s true, though. If last night is anything to go by, it looks as if Harry has finally come to his senses, thank goodness.’
Jaz nods happily. ‘I couldn’t believe it when he went down on one knee at the party last night.’
‘Right, let’s do some celebratory zipping,’ says Ellie, preparing to go first.
‘Here’s to Harry, who’s grown up at last!’ she yells into the clear, icy air as she flies down the zip wire.
I follow suit, catching the wire on its return and plunging through the trees, calling, ‘And here’s to The Little Duck Pond Café Bakery!’
Out of breath, I wait with Ellie at the other end, and moments later, Jaz comes hurtling down, her shout echoing all across the parkland.
‘Fen and Rob! Love rules okay!’