Page 59 of It Always Snows on Mistletoe Square
Estelle slowly, but expertly, lifts up the two hands of cards that are still left on the table, and one by one takes a look at them, before carefully placing them back down again. She then heads over to a tall, narrow chest of drawers and opens the top drawer. I see her sorting through something in the drawer and then she takes out a playing card. Silently she moves back over to the table, removes one of her father’s cards and slips the new card in between the others. Then she moves back closer to the men as if she’s been there all the time.
The speech ends and the men all sit silently in their chairs.
Stephen turns off the wireless.
‘Quite some speech,’ he says.
The men murmur their agreement.
‘Perhaps it will be the fresh start this country needs?’ Michael says optimistically.
‘Not if Hitler carries on the way he is over in Germany,’ Tannon says, lighting another cigar. ‘I can see that ending in another war for this country.’
‘Baldwin won’t let that happen,’ Stephen says confidently. ‘Not again. We’ve barely got over the last one.’
‘Let’s not think about that now,’ Winter says sensibly. ‘Haven’t you chaps got a game to finish?’
‘Yes, indeed,’ Tannon says. ‘Come, Stephen, old boy!’ As he passes Estelle standing innocently by the drinks cabinet, he smiles. ‘My dear! It’s a shame my son couldn’t make it tonight – he’s back from Eton for Christmas, you know? I’m sure you and Teddy would get along famously together. We’ll have to arrange for you to pop round sometime for drinks.’
‘If you’re still our neighbour after tonight then I’m certain I’d be delighted to make Teddy’s acquaintance.’ Estelle smiles demurely.
‘Are you still here?’ Stephen snaps at Estelle. ‘You’ve heard the speech, now please leave.’
‘As you wish, Father,’ Estelle says, backing away as the men take their places again around the table.
Estelle pretends to leave the room, but then sneaks back in and stands on the other side of the partially pulled curtain, listening.
‘So, Stephen, ready to show your hand?’ Tannon asks eagerly.
Stephen nods and I notice some beads of sweat beginning to appear on his forehead. ‘I have two pairs,’ he says, his voice shaking a little. ‘A pair of kings and a pair of tens.’ He turns the cards over on the table while keeping eye contact with Tannon.
‘Oh dear,’ Tannon says, smirking at Stephen. ‘Oh dear, oh dear. I have two pairs also. But mine are two tens … and two aces!’
He turns his hand of cards over triumphantly on the table.
There’s a joint groan from Michael and Winter.
Stephen stares despondently down at the table, his face full of despair as he realises what he’s done. What he’s lost. He angrily throws his fifth card down on top of the others.
‘Looks like you win, Tannon,’ he says. ‘Perhaps we can talk about––’
‘Wait!’ Michael says, staring at the table. ‘Look!’
They all look at what Michael is pointing to. ‘Your last card, Stephen!’ he says excitedly. ‘It’s another king. You have three kings, that means you win!’
Sixteen
Bloomsbury,London
22 December 2018
‘You changed the card!’ Ben exclaims, grinning at Estelle. The Art Deco furnishings of 1936 have now disappeared, along with Stephen and his friends, and we are back in Estelle’s modern-day sitting room once more. ‘You changed the card to a king so your father would win the game!’
Estelle nods as she sits wearily down in her favourite chair.
‘I did,’ she admits. ‘Luckily, I knew where Father kept his spare packs of cards. I also knew, thanks to Rudy, how to play poker. I simply made sure he had a winning hand so I could save the house for Mother.’
‘Did Tannon give up his house next door?’ Ben asks.
