Page 14 of It Always Snows on Mistletoe Square
But instead of my eyes being dazzled by colourful Christmas tree lights, I see a bright white light dart from the plug, at the same time as I feel a sharp pain shoot up my arm and through my body. The force of it strong enough to propel me away from the switch, a little way across the floor.
The last thing I see before everything goes black is Estelle and Angela’s stunned-looking faces.Which is odd, I think, as I pass out into oblivion,because it’s very clear to me just who has had the biggest shock here.
Four
I open my eyes and see Angela’s concerned face looking down into mine.
‘She’s alive!’ she cries jubilantly as Alvie licks my cheek.
‘Of course she’s alive.’ I hear Estelle’s down-to-earth tone behind her. ‘She’s had a shock from the lights, that’s all. The plug must need rewiring.’
‘What happened?’ I ask, sitting up, feeling a bit woozy. ‘That must have been some electric shock to throw me across the floor.’
‘That’s the trouble with these old buildings,’ Estelle says, lifting Alvie onto her lap while Angela helps me up and into the chair by the fireplace. ‘The current does have a tendency to surge occasionally.’
‘It does if you won’t pay an electrician to come and fix it properly,’ Angela grumbles.
‘Electricians cost money,’ Estelle says while Angela pours me a glass of water. ‘The last one said the whole house needed rewiring, and in the short time I have here I’m not paying for that. Now, are you all right, Elle?’ she asks, looking at me with concern. ‘Any damage done?’
‘I don’t think so,’ I reply, moving my head and arms around. ‘I feel much the same as usual.’
Estelle and Angela glance briefly at each other.
‘Good. Good,’ Estelle says. ‘We’ll leave the lights for now. Maybe that nice barrister chap from next door will come in and take a look at them for us if we ask him nicely?’
Angela sighs. ‘Ben is a solicitor, not a barrister. And he’s definitely not an electrician.’
‘They probably charge similar amounts if the last electrician we had here is anything to go by.’
The large brass knocker rattles on the front door.
‘I’ll go, shall I?’ Angela says when Estelle and I don’t move.
‘That is part of your duties,’ Estelle reminds her.
‘Duties … ’ Angela mutters, heading towards the door. ‘I’m sure this wasn’t what I agreed to … ’
Estelle rolls her eyes at me and quietly shakes her head.
‘Hello there! Come in! Come in!’ we hear Angela say with an unusually enthusiastic tone. ‘Yes, they’re just through here.’ She reappears at the sitting-room door. ‘It’s Ben … I mean Mr Harris from next door,’ she announces.
‘Ben is just fine,’ Ben says amiably, walking into the room. ‘I hope I’m not intruding, but I was just on my way out when I couldn’t help but notice what looked like a rather large electrical spark shoot across your room. It lit up your whole front window. Is everything all right?’
He glances at me and half smiles.
‘How kind of you to call and check on us,’ Estelle says, her green eyes looking even brighter as she speaks to Ben. ‘I’m pleased to say we’re all absolutely fine. Elle here was just finishing off our tree. As you can see, we’ve got it decorated now.’ She gestures to the Christmas tree.
‘Wow, that looks great,’ Ben says approvingly. ‘I did wonder when I was lifting it in yesterday why you were getting such a big tree, but now it’s all decorated I can see why – it’s quite the statement with all your vintage decorations. So, just your lights now, is it?’
Estelle nods. ‘That is the problem, I’m afraid. Our lights seem to have malfunctioned. That was the spark you witnessed. It caught poor Elle here quite unawares.’
‘Crikey, are you all right?’ Ben looks quite concerned. ‘That looked like a nasty electric shock.’
‘I’m fine – really,’ I tell him. ‘It was the shock more than anything – I mean, obviously it was a shock … oh, you know what I mean.’ My cheeks flush.
‘Yes.’ Ben smiles properly at me this time, and to my annoyance my stomach does a little somersault of pleasure while he holds my gaze. ‘I know exactly what you mean. Shall I take a look? I’m not much of a sparky, but my dad was, and I learnt a little from him.’
‘That would be most kind of you,’ Estelle says, her sharp eyes clearly noticing the plug socket isn’t the only thing in the room where there’s a spark.
