Page 104 of It Always Snows on Mistletoe Square
‘Please keep reading, Ben.’
‘“You may have noticed that all the people in Estelle’s stories had names related to Christmas, all except a few. Each of those few were your relatives.”’
‘No … ’ I whisper, my eyes wide.
‘“You will remember seeing your mother tell Fred that it was a tradition that each generation of her family had to be named after the letters in the word Christmas. You now know why you were named Ebenezer, why your mother was Sarah and why I was Angela. My father, your great-grandfather, was called Michael – you met him in the 1936 story.”’ Ben looks up at me.
‘Yes,’ I say excitedly. Remembering. ‘Michael was the doctor, wasn’t he? He said his wife was due to give birth soon. The baby must have been Angela.’
‘But Angela said her father was a gambling addict,’ Ben says, looking confused.
‘You can be both.’
‘True. Okay … “Tabitha, your great-great grandmother, was in Estelle’s story of 1918. You will recall she was the midwife at Estelle’s birth. You may remember me mentioning my grandmother was a midwife. We then go back further to her mother, Sally, and before that to Sally’s mother, Iris. Iris, you might remember, was going to be taught to read in 1842 by Mrs Bow, the cook. Ronnie was her father before that, and his father was Harry. Finally, we go right back to the beginning of Estelle’s stories in 1755, not long after Christmas House was built.”’ Ben frowns. ‘But I didn’t see that one. It was only you that saw that one, Elle. Oh, wait. She does mention that.’ He continues to read.
‘“I know you didn’t hear that story, Ben. But I’m sure Elle will fill in the gaps for you when you’ve finished reading my letter. The baby, who Elle will tell you about, was eventually named Cromwell, after Oliver Cromwell, who history will tell you was the man who tried to ban Christmas. The name seemed most fitting for a child who was banned from his home at Christmastime.”’
I gasp. ‘The foundling! They must have got him back! Come on, tell me what she says next.’
‘“Celeste was never going to allow a grandchild of hers to go permanently to a foundling hospital, even if that’s what her new husband wanted. So she arranged with Edith, her maid, for him to be secretly looked after by Edith’s sister, Merri, who already had a small family, in return for financial assistance from Celeste. It wasn’t easy, but Celeste managed to keep the child’s existence a secret and Jasper never found out. But what was truly incredible, and the most marvellous story, was the way Cromwell’s descendants always found their way back to Christmas House over the years. Sometimes they were in the form of staff or employees, sometimes as friends or acquaintances, but they were always treated as family, and they always felt at home here – just as I did with Estelle, and I know you will do with Elle.
‘“And that, Ben, is why Estelle and I wish for you to inherit Christmas House. Your seven times great grandfather, Cromwell, was the firstborn grandchild of Joseph Christmas, your nine times great grandfather. Joseph built this house and Mistletoe Square, and you, as his direct descendant, are the rightful person to both own and live in the house your ancestor was not allowed to.
‘“Both Estelle and I know that you and Elle will question not only this decision, but the way in which you have both been led to it, and that’s perfectly understandable. But try not to think too hard about how this happened, or worry too much about what would seem to be impossible.
‘“Some things in life just can’t be explained, and that’s perfectly all right.
‘“But this house was built by a Christmas, and if there’s one time you can believe in magic, it’s at Christmas time.
‘“Now, I send you both all my love always and for ever, Angela xxx”’
As I wipe a tear from my cheek. Ben just stares at the letter in his hand, then slowly he shakes his head.
‘What on earth just happened?’ he says, looking up at me with a completely bewildered expression.
‘I think you’ll find you’ve not only just inherited this house, but a whole new family too. What Angela writes is incredible. All those descendants of that little boy, they all found their way back here to Christmas House, but didn’t know their link with it.’
‘That is pretty amazing. But there must be lots of descendants of this Cromwell chap dotted about. Over the decades, no, make that centuries, so many babies would have been born that would have just as much right to this house as I do.’
‘Probably, but Angela and Estelle wanted you to have it. That counts for something, doesn’t it? Apparently I’ve just inherited Holly House and the decorations on the tree – and I’m not even family!’
‘Just as well really, eh?’ Ben says, smiling for the first time in hours.
‘What do you mean … Oh, you mean me and you? Yes, at least we’re not related – even distantly! But now I realise Estelle and Angela actually were distantly – through Nora’s children.’
‘Angela said to ask you about that first story. Can you tell me everything that happened again?’
‘Sure, I mean, I told you most of it the other day, but I can tell you it again if you think it will help?’
‘Yes, please.’
I tell Ben all about the first time Estelle told me one of her stories of Christmas House. All about Celeste, Edith, Beth and Nora. How horrible Jasper had been, and how it had broken Celeste’s heart to part with her grandson.
‘And there was the token. Celeste presented a token to take with the baby, so he could be identified in the future. That’s what they did then apparently, before records.’
‘What token? You never mentioned that before?’
‘Didn’t I? It was a tiny little embroidery of mistletoe, holly and ivy on a red velvet heart. It also had the words “St Nicholas” stitched on it, if I remember. Celeste said it was so the baby would always know where he came from. It was really lovely.’
