Page 115 of A Christmas Celebration
He was never going to let me forget how we met.
‘Um…’ I said as I worked it out. ‘It’ll be three weeks on Thursday.’ Albert shook his head. ‘Three weeks the day after tomorrow.’
‘I don’t believe it,’ he said.
‘I know,’ I said. ‘I can’t believe it either to be honest. I’ve known Brodie just a week longer than I’ve known you, Albert.’
‘It doesn’t seem possible, does it?’ he said, staring into space. ‘How can so much have happened in such a short space of time?’
‘I’ve no idea.’ I shrugged.
‘My goodness,’ he added. ‘It makes you wonder what the next three weeks is going to bring, doesn’t it?’
‘That it does, Albert,’ I said, letting out a breath as I wondered what else was in store for us. ‘That it does.’
Why was it that ever since I’d told myself I would focus on the present and not think about the future, it had become impossible to do anything else?
Chapter 27
If I thought I had been achieving a lot before, it was nothing compared to what I managed to get through during the next few days. Thankfully, I wasn’t asked to step into the cherry picker as Archie and Mick had finished setting up the hall lights in the time I was visiting Albert’s cottage.
As well as my cleaning and delivery duties, I had helped set up the Winter Wonderland areas in and around the woods which would house the visiting wildlife. We would be playing host to both local rescue owls and reindeer from further afield and there had also been a discovery trail through the trees to prepare, along with Santa’s grotto in the walled garden and summerhouse.
That was the smallest part of the whole event, but it had taken the longest to create because it was the most detailed. There were multiple strands of lights to arrange, life-size emperor penguins and smaller polar bear figurines to position among the shrubbery, a faux fire for the grotto itself and an armchair – and, of course, a huge sack of presents.
On Thursday evening, Jemma and Lizzie arrived to set up the pretty Cherry Tree Café vintage caravan and there were other food and drink suppliers coming too, but they would arrive ahead of opening early on Saturday morning.
Hot chestnuts, along with a hog roast and apple-based drinks from Skylark Farm had proved popular the year before so they were coming back and Jack from Brambles, ably assisted by Tilly, would be providing mulled wine. At Molly’s suggestion, the people who supplied the switch-on with a vegetarian and vegan feast had been invited too. Dorothy had been in a baking frenzy for days and, in spite of what she said, was loving every minute.
I barely had time to miss Brodie and Albert, but I had been checking in with them in the evenings. From what I could make out, Brodie was practically living in the studio and they’d both enjoyed a productive few days. I’d also received another call from Mum and even texts from Jamie who was keen to check that his father was behaving. It was a relief that I could honestly reply that he was.
By Friday lunchtime everything for the Wynthorpe Hall annual Winter Wonderland was in place. The beautiful reindeer and their keepers were settled in their quarters, the previously lame pony had been declared fit to pull the shining sleigh and, to further add to my excitement, when I stepped out of the hall to take the dogs for a walk after finishing the cleaning, I found Brodie puffing up the drive on his battered old bike.
‘Brodie!’ I exclaimed, rushing to meet him. ‘I didn’t know you were coming.’
‘Bit of a last-minute plan,’ he said, jumping off the bike and taking a moment to catch his breath.
‘You really should have thought about keeping enough money from your former life to buy a car,’ I told him as he pulled a rucksack off his back and I steadied the bike. ‘This thing has definitely seen better days.’
‘I know,’ he said, trying to smile. ‘I’ve been thinking the same myself.’
‘Have you got your breath back now?’ I asked, stepping closer.
‘Just about.’ He nodded.
We were both more than a little breathless by the time we’d finished kissing.
‘Well, well, well,’ said a voice behind us and we broke apart. ‘What have we here?’
‘Nothing more than your better half has probably already predicted, Archie Connelly,’ I told him, turning to find both him and a very happy looking Molly walking towards us.
‘You took your time about it though,’ he further teased.
‘Actually,’ I said primly, taking Brodie’s frozen hand in my gloved one, ‘I’ve only been here a month, so you can hardly tease us about that.’
Molly looked as though she would have still liked to.
‘I’m just about to walk the dogs,’ I said quickly before she had the chance. ‘Shall we all go together?’
