Preparing for her first Christmas in France was, Jodie found, exhausting. Food shopping. Card shopping. Making cakes and mince pies. Present shopping. So many people to buy for: Annette. Thierry. Nicola and Gilles. Ben. She’d left it too late to post anything to Tina; she’d have to wait until the New Year when she was here. Slowly she began to tick things off her list.
For Jodie the village fete marked the real start of the Christmas holiday. To her delight Ben had taken little persuading to accompany her. ‘The fete traditionally marks the beginning of Christmas for me. Wouldn’t dream of missing it,’ he said. ‘In fact, this year I shall stop working as of today until the New Year.’
The plane trees around the village square had twinkling lights wound around their trunks, and more fairy lights were looped between each tree. The tall Christmas tree in the centre of the square had make-believe snowmen, reindeers, pixies and elves grouped around it. A roast-chestnut stall was doing a roaring trade alongside the mulled wine stand when she and Ben arrived mid-afternoon and stopped to listen to an accordion player encouraging everyone to sing along to the carols he was playing.
Standing there holding Ben’s hand, Jodie looked around and decided the scene in front of her, with the background of blue sky and the snow-capped mountains behind the village, was picturebook perfect. She sighed with contentment. She was so lucky to have met Ben.
Wandering around with Ben, Jodie was surprised by the number of people she knew who stopped to wish her and Ben a Happy Christmas. Nicola and Gilles were there with the twins, of course, Gilles able to relax and enjoy the event now his duties as chairman of the organising committee were over.
As they passed the decorated entrance to the hotel Ben said, ‘I need to go in and book a table for our anniversary dinner tomorrow.’
‘Can we celebrate at home instead?’ Jodie said. ‘Cook a special meal together? Our first big celebration in our own home.’
‘I’d prefer that too,’ Ben said. ‘But as it’s our first anniversary I thought you might like to go out.’
‘Maybe next year. Can we have a look at the patisserie stall? I’m hoping they might have some ginger biscuits. The supermarché doesn’t seem to stock them and I really fancy a packet.’
But Jodie was disappointed. The pale, large, pastry-type gingembre biscuits she was offered didn’t look anything like the ones she was craving – dark and spicy and lots of them.
The next evening, as promised, the two of them cooked a celebratory dinner together. Well, Ben insisted on doing most of it, which left Jodie free to talk to Tina without feeling guilty when she Skyped to wish them Happy Anniversary.
‘I can’t believe how quickly the last year has gone,’ Tina said. ‘So much has happened. Glad to see you looking better – pregnancy suits you.’
‘It does now the morning sickness seems to have finished,’ Jodie said. ‘How’s things with you? You’re looking good too. Any news on the Luc front? And I don’t mean his book.’
‘Penny is adorable and his parents are lovely. They’ve invited me for Christmas but Maisie and I have made plans so I’m going…’
‘Hold it. Who is Penny?’ Jodie interrupted.
‘Luc’s daughter,’ Tina said. ‘Oh hell, I haven’t spoken to you for so long I haven’t told you about Penny. She’s the past problem that Fiona sort of half-warned me about, but really she’s not a problem at all. And there’s no wife to worry about either.’ Tina quickly gave Jodie an outline of what had happened between her and Luc, promising to fill her in on the details when she came for New Year.
‘I’m so pleased about you and Luc,’ Jodie said. ‘You deserve someone as lovely as he sounds.’
‘About New Year – can I bring him and Penny? I’m dying for you to meet them. Or would that be too much in your condition?’
‘Hey, I’m only three months pregnant,’ Jodie protested. ‘Yes to bringing both of them.’
‘I haven’t asked Luc yet but fingers crossed he’ll want to come. I’ll confirm what’s happening after Christmas. Right, I’d better go and let you get on with celebrating. Before I forget, is there anything I can bring you?’
‘Packets and packets of ginger biscuits, please,’ Jodie said without having to think. ‘I can’t find them over here and I keep craving them.’
Tina laughed. ‘OK, will do. Happy Anniversary for today and Happy Christmas. Love to Ben. See you soon.’ And Tina was gone.
The celebration meal Ben cooked – maigret of duck, caramelised onions and sauté potatoes – was delicious and Jodie put her cutlery down afterwards with a sigh. Ben looked at her.
‘What’s the matter?’
Jodie shook her head. ‘There’s going to be so much food around for the next week, if I’m not careful I’m going to end up looking six months pregnant before I am. Christmas Day I’m doing Christmas lunch here for us all, English-style – turkey and all the trimmings, which will be followed by Christmas pudding and brandy butter. And that’s before we start on the cake, the chocolate log and the mince pies I’ve made.’
‘We’ll take Tess for some long walks over the next few days,’ Ben said, followed by, ‘Now what’s the matter?’ as Jodie suddenly swore and smacked her forehead with her hand in frustration.
‘I’ve heard about women suffering from “baby brain” but I didn’t realise it could strike this early. I’ve completely forgotten to buy a Christmas tree and it’s Christmas Eve tomorrow.’
‘No problem. I’ll pick one up in the village tomorrow,’ Ben said.
‘I hope it’s not too late,’ Jodie said, crossing her fingers.
The next morning Ben drove down to the village and returned with a Christmas tree already in a pot, and while Jodie decorated it with the baubles she’d inherited from her mum, Ben disappeared first out into the garden and then into the garage, where Jodie could hear him banging away at something.
When he came back in he was carrying a huge bundle of holly and ivy, and a wooden, box-like framework, which he set on the small table by the fireplace. ‘You’ve made us a crib for a nativity scene,’ Jodie said.
‘I’ll make a better one in time for next year,’ Ben said as he started to decorate it with lengths of ivy and holly. ‘One we can keep forever. I’ve also raided Mama’s collection of santons. I did ask her first, though,’ he added.
An hour later and the crib was decorated and several figurines in place. Ben fixed a small length of fairy lights around the open front of the crib while Jodie picked up the greenery Ben hadn’t needed and pinned it around the doorframe.
Jodie sighed contentedly as she stood next to Ben with her arm around him and studied the sitting room. ‘It feels a lot like Christmas now,’ she said.