Page 42 of Snowfall Over Halesmere House
‘Hey, that was once, and I didn’t break it.’ She resisted the urge to laugh at the tease in his eyes, noticing Ashley looking stiffly ahead. ‘If you’d refilled it like you said you would then it wouldn’t have run out of beans in the first place.’
Chapter Fourteen
They were a merry bunch and people began throwing out questions for Ella as their meals gradually disappeared. A few people changed seats, and she ended up next to Marcus with Sandy on her other side, learning more about his business as he ran her through a few brief ideas he’d already had for the website. Nearly everyone had dessert, glad to indulge in luxurious winter treats, and local sticky toffee pudding with warm caramel sauce and thick double cream proved the favourite. Sandy had to leave to join the parish council meeting in the next room and Marcus also left, along with Pete and his apprentice. Max settled the bill and Ella made sure she’d thanked everyone for coming and listening to her ideas.
‘You ready, Ella?’ Stan, nearby, nodded at the door. ‘Pearl’s got the car an’ we’re ’eadin’ back now.’
‘I’m going to walk, Stan, I could do with the exercise. But thanks for the offer.’ She hadn’t managed a run again today, other than the quick one to school. She really needed to sort her mornings out, find some sort of proper routine before she started work.
‘You sure?’ Stan sounded doubtful and he gave Max a look.
‘Of course, it’s not even twenty minutes, less if I run.’ Ella saw Stan taking in her boots. They were not designed for running on slippy roads; she’d be walking, unless she fancied Christmas in plaster with a broken ankle.
‘Max, would you mind dropping me home please?’ Ashley appeared at his side and he helped her into a coat. ‘The girls are staying with James tonight.’
‘I’m sorry, I can’t.’ Max put his own coat on, wrapped a scarf round his neck. ‘I walked down, the pickup’s at home. And I’ve had a couple of drinks.’
‘Oh.’ Undeterred, Ashley whipped out her phone. ‘Then I’ll call us a taxi, we can have another drink while we’re waiting.’
‘Actually, I thought I’d head back with Ella if you don’t mind. It would be a good opportunity to talk about decorating the house as I’m out tomorrow. But we’ll wait until your taxi arrives.’
‘There’s no need to do that, Max, not if you’re ready to leave.’ Ashley’s laugh was warmer than the glint in her eye. ‘I’m a big girl, I can wait here by myself.’
‘No need for that either, love,’ Stan piped up. ‘You can come with us, it’s only ten minutes down the road from ours.’
‘No, really, I’ll wait for the…’
‘Makes sense, Ash, save you waiting. I’ve heard taxis round here can take a while.’ Ashley’s face revealed her disappointment that her plans had gone awry, but eventually she nodded. He bent to kiss her cheek and she murmured something into his ear that clearly wasn’t meant for everybody.
‘See you in the morning, Ella. And I’ll see you at dinner tomorrow, Max,’ she called, following Stan and Pearl out of the pub.
Max turned to Ella. ‘Ready?’
‘Yep.’
She thanked Phil again as they passed the bar and he told her he was looking forward to supper and he’d deliver the beer she’d ordered to Halesmere on the day. Outside it was perishing and the cloudless night sky was glittering with thousands of stars blinking through the inky blackness. The outline of the woodland was ghostly and silent, and everything seemed suspended in the frigid air. Ice had formed over puddles, creating slippery patches Ella didn’t notice until she slithered on one, straight into Max.
‘Sorry.’ She grabbed his arm, and he clutched her shoulders, keeping her upright. ‘Maybe walking home wasn’t such a bright idea.’
‘I’m glad you wanted to.’ She saw his breath glisten in the dark, the quick gleam of a smile. ‘I don’t get many chances to walk without the kids, and I like it.’ He tucked her hand through his arm. ‘Don’t let go, you might slip again.’
‘Thanks. Maybe next time it’ll be my turn to save you from falling.’ She felt the solidity of his arm beneath her hand, the cool scrape of his coat against her bare fingers. ‘So do you have any thoughts on how you’d like the house to be decorated?’
‘Actually, that was just a ruse to get you alone.’
‘I’m sorry?’ Ella clutched his arm as surprise raced into her voice. She didn’t need the ice to make her feel unsteady this time.
‘Sorry, that came out a bit wrong,’ Max replied hastily. ‘I just wondered what you’re planning to do for Christmas, and I didn’t want to ask in front of everyone else. You mentioned your family is going away and you’d probably stay here.’
The reminder of Christmas Day and spending it without those she loved had Ella holding in a sigh. ‘I’ll probably take the kayak out and enjoy the peace and quiet. I’ve been pretty busy, so it’ll be nice to have some time to myself.’
‘Why do I get the feeling that’s not quite true? It’s obvious you love your family to bits; I can’t imagine you want to be alone if you’re apart from them.’
‘Are you suggesting what I think you are?’
She felt Max shrug. ‘Why not? The offer’s there. You don’t have to spend the day knee-deep in plastic and boxes building kids’ stuff, you can just join us for lunch if that’s all you want to do.’
‘Max, I…’ She hesitated. And then where would she be? And his children? What might they think of Ella joining them for Christmas when she would be leaving in a couple of months?
