Page 114 of A Christmas Celebration
‘Everything all right?’ I asked when Brodie opened the cottage door as I let Bran out of the Land Rover. ‘I thought you’d be in the studio by now.’
He beckoned me into the house and I rushed to follow him inside.
‘I should be down there really,’ he said, after closing the door and giving me a tender kiss. ‘Your nose is cold,’ he added, kissing the end of it.
‘I know,’ I said, giving it a rub. ‘So, why aren’t you then?’ I asked. ‘In the studio, I mean.’
Brodie pointed towards the ceiling.
‘It’s Albert,’ he said. ‘I can’t get him out of the bath.’
‘Oh, no,’ I gasped. ‘Is he stuck? I thought with that new chair…’
‘Let me rephrase that,’ Brodie said quickly. ‘The chair is set up and Albertcanget himself in and out now, but hewon’t.’
I had to laugh at that.
‘He keeps saying he’ll just have another quick top up and the water must be almost over the side!’
‘So, why haven’t you left him to it?’ I asked, laughing again.
‘I didn’t like to,’ he said. ‘He told me he’d be fine and that I should go, but I just couldn’t.’
‘I tell you what,’ I said, because I could see he was itching to get started. ‘You go down there now and I’ll wait here and listen out for him.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Go on.’
‘You’re bloody brilliant, you are. Do you know that?’
‘I did hear a rumour,’ I said, reaching for the front of his jumper and pulling him close. ‘Now go on,’ I said, after giving him another lingering kiss. ‘Go now, or it won’t be worth it.’
I busied myself in the kitchen, keeping an eye on the ceiling to make sure there were no drips or damp patches starting to show, and it was getting on for an hour later before Albert finally came down the stairs looking dapper and smelling of cologne.
‘Paige,’ he said, sounding blissed out. ‘I didn’t know you were here.’
I looked up from the paper I had been reading in lieu of anything else to do.
‘Hello, Albert,’ I smiled, looking him up and down. ‘You look taller than I expected you to.’
‘Taller?’ He frowned.
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘you’ve been in the bath so long I thought you were bound to have shrunk.’
‘Oh, you,’ he said, his face splitting into a smile. ‘That chair’s a godsend. It’s so easy to use.’
‘You’ll be cursing it when your water bill arrives,’ I warned him.
‘No, I won’t,’ he said cheekily. ‘I’m like you and Brodie. I’ve got a lot of time to make up for, only on the bath front. I’m only using the water now that I haven’t over the last goodness knows how long.’
‘It’s funny you should mention time, Albert,’ I told him. ‘Because I’ve worked out that it’s a month tomorrow since I arrived at the hall.’
‘A month?’ Albert frowned again, sounding disbelieving. ‘That can’t be right.’
‘It is,’ I said. ‘I’ve just checked. It was the fourteenth of November.’
‘So how long is it since you scared me witless by knocking on my door?’ he asked, lowering himself into his armchair.
