Page 52 of A Merry Irish Christmas
‘Evan, are you any good at putting together train sets?’ James asked.
Evan shrugged. ‘I’m not sure how much help I’ll be, but I’ll give it a go.’ He seemed relieved to have something to do.
‘I hope you don’t mind,’ Carmel said to him, ‘but it’s all hands on deck.’
‘Not at all. Happy to help.’
‘Great,’ Hilary said, handing him the sheet of instructions. ‘I’ll help Mum in the kitchen then, because this was giving me a headache.’
Mary didn’t know Hilary O’Sullivan well. She was four years older, so they hadn’t hung out together as kids, and she’d movedto Dublin for college and lived there since. But she was as friendly and easy-going as all the O’Sullivans, and Mary felt completely at home helping out with her and Carmel in the kitchen, gossiping and drinking champagne as they worked.
When everything was ready and they returned to the living room, the new train set was complete and Evan was sitting on the floor playing trains with Charlie and James.
‘Right, drinks, everyone!’ Sean said, rubbing his hands. ‘Mary, what’ll you have? Glass of bubbly?’
‘Yes, please.’
He poured six glasses of champagne and a Coke for Charlie.
‘Happy Christmas, everyone!’ Carmel said when everyone had a drink in their hand.
‘Happy Christmas.’ They all made eye contact as they clinked glasses.
‘You okay?’ Mary mouthed at Evan as Carmel and Sean turned away. Now that they were here, she felt responsible for him and she was worried about him feeling awkward and out of place. Maybe she should have come on her own and lied to her mother. She hoped he wasn’t finding it a drag.
He nodded, giving her a grateful smile.
‘I’m really glad you two are here,’ Carmel said as they all sat down and she passed around a plate of smoked salmon canapés. ‘The house feels very empty without Ciara and Alex this year.’
She watched Evan as he chatted easily with everyone. He was so friendly and interested in people, she couldn’t understand why he’d been so reluctant to come. He asked Carmel about her books, talked sports with James, who was a big baseball fan, and even fussed over Chuckles, who was already smitten. He seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. But maybe he was just a good actor.
‘Right, I’ll go and carve the turkey,’ Sean said, standing when they’d finished the canapés.
‘Grab a seat, everyone,’ Carmel said. ‘It’s almost ready.’
She led the way through to the large sunroom. It was similar to the one in Mary’s parents’ house, with one glass wall overlooking Dingle Bay. The long dining table was decorated with a white linen cloth, and a golden runner ran down the centre. Glittering crystal glasses and shining silverware glinted in the candlelight, and at each place setting there was a napkin tied with gold ribbon, embellished with a sprig of holly, and a handmade bauble filled with snow and tinsel, with each person’s name inside printed on a piece of red ribbon.
‘Oh, Carmel, this looks gorgeous!’ Mary breathed. ‘It’s like something out of a magazine.’
‘YouTube, actually,’ Carmel said, evidently proud of her handiwork.
‘Mum spends ages watching tablescaping tutorials on YouTube,’ Hilary said, taking a seat beside Mary.
‘I’m a huge fan of Helen O’Neill,’ Carmel said. Helen O’Neill was Ireland’s answer to Martha Stewart.
‘Everything looks amazing!’ Mary breathed in the delicious aromas as Carmel lifted the lids on dishes of stuffing, glazed carrots and golden roast potatoes with ragged, crunchy edges.
‘To the founder of the feast!’ Carmel said, raising a glass when they were all seated.
‘The Duke of Bowfield,’ they all chorused, lifting their glasses.
Evan turned to Mary, eyebrows raised quizzically. ‘That’s Carmel’s cash cow, the hero of her best-selling series,’ she leaned over to whisper in his ear. ‘The duke has made her a fortune.’
‘Well, don’t stand on ceremony,’ Carmel said, taking a seat at the head of the table. ‘Dig in!’
Carmel was a marvellous cook – the only person in the worldwho could come close for Mary to her mother’s cooking. Dinner was divine, the conversation flowed and they all ate far too much. Later they flopped on the couch in a food coma to watchE.T.Charlie sat beside Evan, then turned to his mother, cupped his hand around her ear and whispered something to her. When he pulled back, he was giggling, his shoulders hunched in delight as he nodded at her. Then he leapt off the sofa and ran from the room.
He stopped at the door and looked back at Hilary. ‘Don’t forget, it’s a surprise,’ he hissed.
