So this was Julius. Surreptitiously Anna studied him as he came into the hall, shutting the door behind him. He was tall with dark hair blown by the wind, and clear blue eyes that searched round the place as if to check all was in order and she hadn’t trashed it.
‘Of course… come in,’ she said, though wishing she’d thought of an excuse to postpone their meeting. ‘I’m sure you know the way to the living room, I just want to check on my son who’s asleep in bed. We’ve been with Colin and Lucy and he’s crashed out.’
‘Fine,’ Julius made for the living room, telling Felix to settle down and not to be a nuisance. ‘He’s very fond of Philly and Sidney,’ he explained. ‘He can’t understand why they are not here.’
‘Difficult to explain to him, I suppose,’ Anna said, ‘I understand from Simon and Marian it was decided not to spoil their holiday and tell them about the flood. There’s not much they can do about it in Boston anyway and luckily it hasn’t come near the castle.’
‘They are right; there’s no point in upsetting them. Sidney’s father is in his nineties now so they need to spend precious time with him, and whatever can they do about it, being so far away?’ Julius said.
She felt as if he were scolding her for mentioning such a thing and left him to go into Freddie’s room.
The soft glow from his night-light shone on to him; he was fast asleep, cuddled up with one of his teddy bears. If they’d been alone, she’d have undressed him and put on his pyjamas, but she wouldn’t now. She’d better go and see her visitor and hear what he had to say.
Julius was prowling round the living room as though he were caged up, which perhaps was how he felt coming back here after spending days skiing free on the vast mountains in the fresh, clean air.
‘Sorry you had to come back early,’ she said, ‘was the skiing good?’ She wondered if she should offer him a drink, but she sat down on an armchair beside the fireplace, sinking back into its velvet cushions, wishing she were tucked up in bed asleep like Freddie. It had been a troubled night and a horrific day. She hoped Mattie had settled in her room in the castle, but it was too late to try and find out now.
‘It was,’ he sat down opposite her, ‘but I came back as soon as I could. I was skiing with friends quite off piste and didn’t get Simon’s call for some time, so he made the arrangements he did.’ He threw her a petulant glance. ‘I’m sure he meant well, but using rooms in the castle is not as easy as it might appear.’
‘As there are so many empty rooms in the castle, it seemed like the best idea in the circumstances. Those poor people had nowhere else to go. People like Mattie are a bit old to camp out in the church hall for the whole of Christmas or even one night; I’d have had her here, used the other bed in Freddie’s room, but it’s not fun for anyone is it?’ She regarded him sternly.
‘None of this is fun,’ He said wearily. ‘But I suppose I understand that people didn’t want to stay miles away from their homes, over Christmas. Unfortunately I’ve just moved into a house that needs a lot of work done on it, so I can’t be of any help putting people up.’
‘Simon knew that, but as no one could get in touch with you and everyone was traumatised with the destruction of their shops and cottages, their homes,’ she emphasised the word, ‘with all those rooms sitting begging in the castle, which is part of the village, I’d have thought it’s an obvious place in an emergency.’ Anna felt grumpy and rather homesick now. ‘Besides, they wanted to stay near their homes to keep an eye on them in case they are vandalised or even flooded again.’
Julius looked exhausted and she felt guilty giving him a hard time; he had hurried back as fast as he could from his holiday to cope with this disaster.
‘But what if we have a problem in the castle…?’ he said.
‘Simon did his best; he and Luke are sleeping there to make sure everything is safe,’ Anna went on, determined to support Simon.
Felix, obviously bored of this conversation, got up and made for the door. Anna, afraid he might frighten Freddie, got up to field him back into the room.
‘He’s always a bit restless when I get back.’ Julius called him to heel or rather to lie down again. ‘He stays with my brother, who lives a few miles away. Couldn’t take him skiing this time as I didn’t drive there which I often do.’
‘Well I’m sure everyone’s relieved you’re back,’ she said. ‘Simon… and Luke coped wonderfully and it was a terrible shock for everybody,’ she said, realising she sounded bad-tempered, but she too was tired and emotional from everything that had happened and missing her family and Gary at this festive time.
He got up. ‘I know that, but he… well let’s not say any more about it. Seeing your door open and Felix go in, I thought I’d introduce myself.’ Felix hovered round him in case he might be forgotten. ‘I understand you were very helpful, especially with Mattie. It’s tragic her cottage, and indeed the others, were affected, but knowing Mattie she’ll get over it. Is her cottage ruined?’ He faced her, watching for her reaction and she saw now how tired and concerned Julius was and she very nearly put out her hand to touch him. She clasped her hands tightly together as if they might take on a life of their own and stroke his face or his arm in comfort. It must be this place, she thought, causing her to reach out and touch people she hardly knew.
‘Mattie’s cottage is ruined,’ she said more gently, ‘at least downstairs, the water came right through the ground floor, and it smells dreadful.’
‘Poor Mattie and the others,’ he sighed, ‘I’ll see what I can do tomorrow. I’ll leave you in peace now, goodnight. I’ll see myself out.’
‘Goodnight,’ she said, staying there in the middle of the room while he went into the hall. Felix, taking one more look round for Philly and Sidney, followed him.
The door opened, letting in a gust of icy air, and then it shut and she was alone in the living room feeling homesick again and wishing she hadn’t taken on this job, spending Christmas among strangers, however nice they were, instead of being in the bosom of her family as she’d always been before.