Page 54 of Christmas at the Scottish Lodge
Her brother huffed and for a minute Mairi thought he’d refuse. But then he shrugged. ‘Aye. I suppose you can handle it,’ he said to Mairi, before following Kenna back into the larder.
A soft glow from the stash of candles Mairi had found flickered around the sitting room creating a warm and tranquil ambiance.She stood at the entrance, watching the guests for a moment, feeling content. It had been a long time since she’d felt such a sense of belonging.
They’d eaten stew earlier in the dining room wrapped in blankets and it had been a surprisingly fun affair. Adam had insisted on singing during most of the meal, Douglas had invented a game using the insides of the used crackers. Even Greer had cracked a smile – although Mairi wasn’t sure if that was due to happiness or the two hot toddies she’d consumed. Margo – who’d emerged from her bedroom late morning with two of the cats, had revelled in the Christmas frolics. The woman was so easy to be around and just seemed happy being in the company of Effie’s pets.
Now they were all enjoying mince pies and drinks around the fire. Adam was playing piano and Greer was making copious notes in her dreaded pad. Even Kenna and Quinn had called a truce so weren’t arguing.
‘Shall we do presents?’ Effie asked, suddenly jumping up from her chair. ‘I haven’t had a chance to buy anything, but I baked you all a special cupcake last night.’ She rushed from the sitting room without waiting for anyone to respond and returned moments later, carrying a large tray filled with cakes and a handful of festive napkins. ‘This is for you,’ she said to Mairi, angling the tray so the cupcake that had been iced and decorated with a picture of a romance novel was closest to her.
‘Thank you, that’s so pretty,’ Mairi said, taking a bite, watching as the older woman headed for Jed. His cupcake had an iced image of a trophy on it.
‘I’m sure it’s the first of many more,’ she said as he took it and nodded, his eyes meeting Mairi’s across the room.
Effie continued to deliver the cakes. Adam’s was decked with Elvis, Scott’s had a vacuum cleaner which made him laugh, Margo’s had multiple cats on it, Greer’s included a notepad,Quinn’s had a hero cape and Kenna’s, a manuscript. When Effie had finished dishing them out, there was one left and she took it to Douglas. He chuckled when he saw the tools and stood so he could give her a kiss on the cheek.
‘I’ve got something too, I just need to get it,’ Quinn said before heading for the hallway.
‘It’s probably a nanny cam kit,’ Kenna said wryly.
‘I’ve a gift for you too, Effie,’ Douglas said, whipping a small parcel from where he’d been keeping it by his feet. ‘I made it.’
Effie paled. ‘Oh Douggie, I wonder if that’s a good idea. I appreciate all your efforts, but…’
‘Just open it, lassie,’ he said, watching patiently as she undid the wrapping paper to reveal a framed picture with photos of all of her stray pets. ‘This means you can keep them with you wherever you are.’ He blinked. ‘And best of all, it works without any electricity at all.’
‘Ach, lad, it’s perfect,’ Effie said, hugging it to her chest before leaning in to give him a kiss on the lips, making the older man flush just as Quinn returned clutching three packages. He handed one to Jed, one to Effie and the other to Mairi.
‘It’s on a similar theme,’ he said, nodding at Effie’s frame. Then he watched, looking embarrassed as they all unwrapped their gifts. Mairi gazed at the silver frame with the picture of her, Quinn and Jed hugging in the centre. It was from three years ago, and she could still remember the sheer joy of having Jed’s arm around her shoulder, of how much she’d wanted to tell him how she felt.
Her stomach twisted. They looked so happy, so together – and suddenly she felt ashamed. They’d been a team, until she and Jed had married and started lying.
‘Is it okay?’ Quinn asked, taking a step forward. ‘You look upset.’
‘Of course I’m not,’ Mairi croaked. ‘It’s wonderful. So thoughtful of you.’ She swallowed.
‘It’s perfect,’ Effie gushed. ‘Three of my favourite people.’ She glanced at the frame Douglas had given her. ‘I’ll put it beside the rest of my family. It’s so rare I get to have you all together at the same time.’
When Mairi looked at Jed, he was staring at the picture, his mouth set in a grim line. Was he feeling guilty too?
‘I have something for Jed,’ Scott said, rising from the chair and handing him a parcel. ‘I’m sorry, apart from the present I gave Da this morning, I didn’t get anything for anyone else.’ He looked around.
‘That’s okay, lad,’ Effie said kindly. ‘No one expected anything.’
They all watched as Jed slowly unwrapped the gift to reveal a small notepad with a picture of a skier drawn on the front.
‘Open it,’ Scott ordered, sounding excited. Jed did as he was asked and his lips twitched. ‘Read it aloud,’ Scott said.
Jed sucked in a breath. ‘Courage is knowing it’s going to hurt and doing it anyway. After all, you’re not going to win if you don’t try.’ He sighed. ‘I said that, didn’t I?’ He rolled his eyes.
‘Aye – the book is filled with your quotations,’ the boy said excitedly. ‘I wrote them down. I thought it might help if you remembered them. You could read some tonight, think of it as training, preparation for tomorrow.’
‘Thanks, lad. I’ll do that,’ Jed said, his voice emotional as he put the book into the pocket of his jeans.
‘I’ve got a gift too,’ Greer said suddenly. She flipped her blanket aside to reveal a large, A4-sized package wrapped in white paper. ‘It’s for Kenna,’ she said grandly. ‘I printed it out last night.’
‘For me?’ Mairi’s friend’s eyes widened, and she looked worried. ‘But you don’t even know me,’ she said as the older woman presented her with the bundle.
‘Open it and you’ll understand,’ Greer said eagerly, wringing her hands.
