Page 137 of A Christmas Celebration
After a delicious dinner and an evening spent around the fire getting to know each other, catching up with everyone’s news and admiring the many photos Anna and Jamie had taken during their African adventure, we all went to bed so we would be rested for the solstice and Anna’s birthday the next day.
The Rose Room felt empty without Bran and I wastempted to search out a signal hotspot so I could call Brodie to try and get the measure of how he was feeling, but I didn’t. As a result, I lay in bed feeling restless and didn’t sleep particularly well.
‘Happy birthday to you!’
Everyone sang to wish Anna the happiest of days late the next morning. She and Jamie had slept in, which added to the anticipation of celebrating with her and when we showered her with presents along with the gift Santa had hidden in the capacious advent calendar, grandson Oscar’s excitement had almost reached fever pitch. Goodness knows how exhilarated he would be by Christmas Eve.
‘Cake!’ demanded Archie, making his youngest nephew further roll about in his seat. ‘Cake for lunch! What do you say, boys?’
Both boys sided with him, of course, and we enjoyed the delicious chocolate covered confection Dorothy had created, although I noticed Anna didn’t finish her slice. She still looked a bit peaky, but then given how far she and Jamie had travelled in such a short space of time, I wasn’t surprised. From my own experience, I knew that sometimes I could shrug the miles off but there were other occasions when they would floor me for days.
‘Paige,’ said Molly, sidling over. ‘I was wondering if you could help me get ready for the ceremony this afternoon? It’s going to be a bit different today and I could do with a hand carrying a few extra things into the woods.’
‘Of course,’ I said, wondering what she had in store.‘Hayley said earlier that the hall looks so good it doesn’t need cleaning today, so I’m at your disposal.’
We slipped out into the stunning but chilly sun-filled day and I spotted Brodie’s Volvo bouncing up the last stretch of the drive.
‘Oh,’ said Molly, also watching it, ‘I meant to say, I’ve invited Brodie to join us. I had a feeling that he might need to hear what I have to say more than anyone else.’
I had no idea what she meant by that, because I didn’t know what she was going to say, but her words didn’t sink in anyway. The beat of my heart and the thoughts flying around my head were suddenly a jumbled mess as I wondered what sort of mood Brodie was going to be in. If he’d agreed to come to the hall, then perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad one.
Molly carried on walking ahead, but I waited for him to climb out of the car. There was no brooding Brodie scowl, but his smile wasn’t the sunniest I’d ever seen either.
‘Hey you,’ I said, walking over and wanting to break the ice straightaway.
‘Hey yourself,’ he said, immediately reaching for my hand and pulling me into a hug.
‘It’s good to see you,’ I sighed, breathing the scent of him in before leaning back to look up at him.
‘Likewise,’ he said, brushing my willing lips with a soft kiss. ‘And before Angus starts giving me the third degree,’ he added, looking over my shoulder towards the hall, ‘I just want to say that even though I’m here, I haven’t changed my mind about displaying my work at the celebration.’
‘That’s okay,’ I said, trying not to let my disappointment transfer into my tone.
‘And also,’ he said more urgently, ‘I want to tell you that I’m not cross with you about it. I know you were just the messenger, Paige, so it wasn’t fair to shoot my annoyance over it in your direction. I’m sorry I did that.’
‘It’s fine,’ I told him. ‘If I were in your shoes, I would have reacted in exactly the same way.’
I didn’t add that I had hoped with the whole of my heart that if I gave him some space and left Albert to talk to him, he might change his mind, because he clearly hadn’t. So much for Angus’s insistence that I wasn’t to fret and that everything would fall into place.
Brodie kissed me again and I felt relieved that we were back on track, even if the celebration was going to happen without the inclusion of his work. None of which I’d still had the honour of seeing.
‘Come on then,’ he then said. ‘Molly was very keen that I should join in with the solstice celebration, but I have no idea what that involves, do you?’
‘Not a clue,’ I told him as we set off after my friend, ‘but I bet hand holding and chanting’s involved.’
Brodie looked rather unnerved by that.
‘How’s Albert?’ I asked quickly, for fear that he’d take off.
‘He’s good.’ Brodie smiled. ‘He said I should come today and that it was important that I told Angus face to face that I wasn’t going to change my mind.’
I was surprised Albert had said that but then wondered ifhe thought Brodie wouldn’t be able to go through with it when faced with my generous and kind-hearted godfather.
‘Oh,’ Brodie then added with a sheepish grin, ‘and I’ve finished the commission…’
‘Oh, Brodie!’ I said, stopping in my tracks. ‘That’s wonderful. He’ll be so pleased! And indeed, so am I and I hope you are too!’
‘I am,’ he said, his grin growing. ‘It’s a relief to be honest.’
