Page 1 of Christmas Spirit
Chapter One
“Itold you days ago you should have booked your cab.” Julia tutted, as she turned away and continued loading her luggage into her car.
Georgie bit back his retort, tingling on his tongue.I was hoping somebody could give me a lift, but I should have known better than to think anybody here might be willing to help me out. A cab from Pendleton Manor, to the train station in the nearest town, was almost twelve miles away. It would have cost a fortune, and a fortune was one thing he didn’t have, and never would, not on his meagre wages.
“I know, I know. But it slipped my mind because we’ve been so busy here.”
Georgie crossed his fingers behind his back, even though theslipped my mindpart was only a very small white lie. Butbusycertainly wasn’t.
The huge pile of redbrick Victorian Gothic that was Pendleton Manor was a top-class conference centre and blue-chip corporate events venue, with sumptuous rooms and suites exclusive to event attendees only. But what it was really known for was its multi-award winning kitchen. It had won every major gong, medal, rosette, star, and crown going, which meant they had been booked out solid for weeks in the run up to Christmas. Corporate weekends and parties had all the staff run ragged. The clients were wealthy and demanding and that put a strain on everybody, including him, at the very bottom of the rung as kitchen boy and all-round drudge. But now, three days before Christmas and just before noon, Pendleton Manor was closing its doors for the next couple of weeks, giving the army of live-in staff a chance to return home for a well earned rest with families and loved ones for the festive season.
Georgie gazed longingly at Julia’s car, which was small and dinky, a little like Julia herself. Surely she had enough room for him and his battered rucksack? And okay, she’d have to make a detour, but not much of one, to get to the train station…
Julia was the closest thing to a friend Georgie had at the Manor. As kitchen boy, and the lowest of the low, he was invisible, except when he was being berated by everybody from the bad-tempered and snotty Executive Chef all the way down to the most junior of the waiting staff, for not doing this, or not doing that. He’d tried to make friends, but nobody at the Manor had been remotely interested in getting to know him, and all his efforts had been rebuffed until he gave up trying. All except Julia, who had been nice to him from the first day.
As Head of Administration and Staffing, Georgie supposed it was part of her job. The thought made him feel a little mean. She had always tried to include him in the various social events she organised for the staff. He’d gone to a few when he first started but, ignored and cold shouldered by everybody, he’d stopped going, telling himself he wasn’t bothered, as he hunkered down in his tiny room with only a battered old radio for company until it, too, decided it couldn’t be bothered.
“I really wish you wouldn’t do that,” Julia said, her voice huffy and tinged with irritation as she turned and looked at him, planting her hands on her hips.
“Do what?”
Georgie knew exactly what she was talking about.
“You know what. Looking all big-eyed and droopy-faced, like some little puppy that’s just been kicked.”
Result!It was exactly what he wanted her to think.
“But you like puppies. You’re always telling me about the dogs your family have.”
“Yes, I do like puppies, but of the four-legged, furry, and cute variety.”
“I can do cute.”
Georgie widened his eyes, giving her his best doe-eyed gaze.
Julia tried to look fierce as she shook her head, but a small laugh bubbled from her lips.
“I can’t give you a lift Georgie. Look at all the stuff I’ve got. And besides it’s quite a detour, and with snow forecast for later, I really do have to make a move soon.”
“But look, there, I could squeeze in.”
Georgie pointed to the passenger seat, and the tiny, teeniest little bit of spare space.
“No, you couldn’t, because that’s where these are going.” Julia nodded to what was left of her packing, which included a heavily taped up cardboard box and a battered violin case. “I simply don’t have the room. Have you asked Bernardo, or Annabella? They’ve not yet left and I know their routes take them towards town.”
“I have, and they can’t.”
Georgie’s cheeks burned with the memory.
Bernardo, the head sommelier, had looked down his long and aquiline nose as if Georgie had been something he had stepped in. His snort, and curtno,before he’d turned and walked off, had left Georgie red-faced and humiliated, feeling like a beggar who had been scrounging for a few pennies to buy a cup of tea. Annabella, the restaurant maitre d’, had given him a watery smile, that looked more like a sneer, before shaking her head.
“Julia, my dear, I was hoping to catch you before you left…”
The Head of Housekeeping bowled across, greeting Julia in her booming voice. The two women began chatting and laughing, leaving Georgie standing on the sidelines, ignored and forgotten.
Georgie sighed as he ran through his options. Other than walking, there were none.
So much for the spirit of Christmas, he thought. Nobody was prepared to help him out, and the one bus a day that went anywhere near town had been cancelled. Admitting defeat, he had tried to book a cab, earlier in the day, but he was too late. There’d been none to be had — or not until long after his train had left. Twelve miles, with his rucksack. Not that it was heavy because he didn’t have much, and maybe twelve miles wasn’t so bad — on a warm and sunny summer’s day.
