Page 65 of Snowfall Over Halesmere House
It was a cheery morning with all seven of them in the house, a playlist of party music in every room. Noelle opened champagne and sketched the children as they played with their new toys in the drawing room, the guinea pigs chasing each other around their run. Arlo had named his guinea pig Herdy, after his favourite breed of sheep.
Everyone else was in the kitchen, helping with the lunch and trying not to get under each other’s feet. A very different morning to the ones Ella had been used to with her family, but it felt lovely all the same. She teased Max about the amount of Toblerone he was scoffing whenever he thought no one was looking. She’d made a simple mushroom pâté for the starter, and it was all she could do to prevent Stan from finishing the lot when he tried it and declared it the best pâté he’d ever had. Pearl was busy with the vegetables and Lily’s leek and mushroom strudels, and Ella was looking after the gravy.
They were a merry bunch when they sat down to eat, and the house was filled with noise as they talked and laughed their way through a fabulous lunch. Ella assured Pearl she had never tasted stuffing so good, and Pearl promised to email the recipe. Ella was suddenly glad her mum and dad had made the decision to do something different and force them all to find a way to create new traditions for the future. Had she gone home then she would have clung to the loss of Lauren instead of carrying her adored sister into this new life.
Ella’s mum’s Christmas pudding was a hit and Stan said it was even better than his beloved sticky toffee one. Ella snapped him on her phone tucking into his second helping and sent it to her mum with a laughing emoji. She only remembered to save a scrap for Dylan at the last minute.
Lily and Arlo had been given gifts by Stan and Pearl and, after dessert, escaped from the table to play as it was time for Secret Santa. Max turned down the Christmas playlist and their own gifts were handed round. Ella couldn’t wait to see Stan open his. Max could only shake his head and laugh when he unwrapped a plain white mug with THE BOSS splashed across it and a single sachet of instant coffee for ‘if you ever get a notion to visit me in me workshop, boss’, from Stan, who was guffawing. He’d rolled up, not in fancy dress again as Ella had expected, but neat and tidy in a shirt and tie. She loved the tie. It was bright red, covered in white sheep with a single black sheep in the centre, and she’d told him it suited him more than he knew. Pearl received a ceramic yarn bowl, and Noelle roared with laughter when she opened her gift to discover a colouring book and pencils.
So it was just her and Stan left, and he persuaded Ella to go first. She opened her gift, and stared in wonder. It was a small paperback and, turning it over, she saw it was a collection of poetry and prose, a reminder to celebrate and live in the moment and to look at what was around her. It was beautiful, profound, and she was certain it could only have come from Max. She raised her head to find his eyes waiting, understanding, sharing the moment almost as though they were alone together. But it was Stan’s turn now and she would thank Max properly later. She dragged her gaze away.
‘Now then, oo’s got me?’ Stan tore at the paper, and it was his turn to be astonished as he removed the present from its wrapping. ‘It’s a pencil,’ he muttered eventually. ‘Never seen one like it. It’s got a spirit level in it. Look Pearl, look at the level.’ He sat back in his chair, holding the pencil in his hands as though it were a gold clock. ‘’Spose I’ve got you to thank for this, young Ella,’ he said gruffly. ‘I were expectin’ a clean mug.’
‘I couldn’t possibly say, Stan, it’s meant to be a secret,’ she replied casually. ‘But I’m sure whoever’s chosen it for you is very glad you’re pleased.’
‘Aye, I am. I’ll be usin’ it later.’ And for now, he tucked it lovingly behind his ear.
They gathered around the piano in the hall to sing carols and afterwards Noelle disappeared to catch up over Zoom with friends in France – or, as Max called it, have a couple more sneaky glasses of champagne before a snooze. He persuaded Stan and Pearl to stay longer, and they insisted on doing the very last bits of clearing away. He and Ella settled in the drawing room to watch a family movie, and she gave the children the gifts she’d bought for them. Lily was thrilled with her tiny pink handbag shaped like a dog’s face, and Arlo was over the moon with a toy tractor and trailer he could build and take apart with a little drill. They were already starting to tire from the excitement, flopped on cushions on the floor with Prim nearby.
‘So how was your day? I know it won’t make up for not being with your family, but I hope you’re enjoying it.’ Max’s arm was behind Ella on the back of the sofa, and she smiled as she felt the touch of his fingers.
‘I have, it’s been different but really wonderful.’ She covered his other hand with hers, raising her knees so the children couldn’t see if they happened to turn round. ‘Thank you for including me today.’
‘My pleasure. Our first Christmas at Halesmere. And it’s been good – better than good.’ Max was trailing a finger along her neck. ‘Stan was over the moon with his gift. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy – or stumped for something to say.’
‘Bless him, he and Pearl are brilliant. They’ve gone out of their way to help and make me feel at home. You might want to think about offering Pearl a part-time role if she’ll take it, managing your social media. She’s ace at it. Better than anything I could do.’
‘I’ll talk to her in the New Year. I’m too full of Christmas lunch and Toblerone to think about it now.’
Already the end of the holidays was in Ella’s mind. Tomorrow Max and the children would head off to his parents-in-law and when he came back it would be New Year’s Eve and the fundraising ball, then their charity swim in the tarn the morning after. The days were hurrying by, and she wanted to hold them still, draw out these last few hours before they went away to see her through the coming ones without them, despite the prospect of Dylan’s merry company.
‘Will you be okay, while we’re gone?’ Max’s voice was soft, and she appreciated his concern.
‘I’ll be fine; I’ve got lots I can do, and my friend will be here for a bit.’ Arlo and Lily were giggling at something from the movie and Ella and Max were smiling at the sound. ‘We’ve had so many enquiries about the house and Pete’s threatening to go on holiday in January – apparently his mate has a place in Tenerife, and he’s said he’ll book a flight if I find him any more work. He was laughing when he told me, but I do need to persuade him to hang back until February. I need to be in the flat by then so we can officially welcome our first guests.’
Lily jumped to her feet and Ella quickly removed her hand from Max’s. ‘Daddy, we forgot the mistletoe.’ She darted from the room and returned moments later with a few stems fastened together with a red ribbon. ‘Mamie brought it earlier, she said it would be nice to have in the house.’
‘And what do we need with mistletoe, Lily? I’ve already hugged and kissed you both a million times today.’
‘Not me, Daddy.’ She shook her head very slowly, as though explaining something so simple that even her father ought to be able to understand. ‘It’s for you and Ella.’
‘We don’t need that,’ Ella said hastily, inching away from him. ‘Thanks all the same, Lily.’
‘But Ella, it’s Christmas and people always kiss at Christmas, don’t they? That’s what mistletoe is for, Mamie told me. She told me not to forget it and I nearly did.’
‘Oh, did she?’ Max was amused. He turned to Ella with a shrug. ‘I don’t mind if you don’t?’
‘I guess not. As it’s Christmas.’
Arlo was oblivious, watching the movie, and Lily skipped across to hold the mistletoe over Max and Ella. He was holding back a grin as he tilted his head and his lips made contact with hers. She’d been expecting him to kiss her cheek and had to resist the urge to open her mouth beneath his, let the kiss linger. Instead, she smiled and drew back as Lily dropped the mistletoe and it fell to the floor, mission accomplished. Pearl and Stan came back into the room, and Pearl started unpacking her knitting from a bag she’d left beside a sofa.
‘That’s good news about the college, Ella,’ she remarked, laying a ball of wool on her lap. ‘I was down at the farm yesterday to pick up our order and Marta told me about you planning on being a teacher and them offering you a placement to get your hours in.’
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ella froze, feeling the weight of Max’s stare suddenly fixed on her, anxiety running through her limbs. ‘Marta said that?’
‘Something along those lines, I think. She did say the college is very pleased to be getting you.’
