Page 48 of A Christmas Celebration
The snow was coming down heavier by the time I’d parked in town, collected Albert’s glasses and driven out again. It was starting to settle too, but Jack was right. I was a long way off being snowed in and exposing my two left feet to the world, well, everyone at the dance anyway, began to feel inevitable.
I eventually arrived at the cottage, braced myself to be called a busybody again and slipped down the snowy path. My initial plan to push the glasses through the letterbox wasa non-starter because Mr Wilson had made up a ‘comprehensive spectacles care package’ and they wouldn’t fit, so I had no choice but to knock.
‘Who is it?’ came Albert’s voice, causing a rush of relief to course through me.
At least he hadn’t attempted the stairs and taken a tumble, which I had been feeling increasingly worried about.
‘It’s Paige,’ I said shakily. ‘Your friendly neighbourhood busybody.’
There was a second’s silence and then the door was unlocked and opened.
‘I’ve got your glasses,’ I said, holding out the package for him to take. I was pleased to see he was wearing the pair the canny, or forgetful, optician had left behind. ‘Mr Wilson called and asked why I hadn’t picked them up for you yesterday.’
A flash of something I couldn’t fathom crossed Albert’s face and he stepped back into the cottage, leaving me still holding the package.
‘And did you tell him that I was a stubborn and belligerent old bugger who’d seen you off the second I’d put the glasses on, looked around and realized just how low I’d sunk.’
‘Oh, Albert,’ I gasped, as the penny dropped.
‘Did you let on that my shame about the state of things here had cost me the care and kindness of the only person I’d let over the threshold since I’d lost my sister?’
A sob caught in my throat as I stepped inside and closed the door.
‘So,’ he said, ‘did you tell him that?’
‘No,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘I didn’t. I didn’t say anything like that, because I stupidly hadn’t worked it out.’
I looked around and could see he’d made more of a start on tidying up. There was a roaring fire in the grate too and Bella was asleep in a basket in front of it.
‘Huh,’ Albert huffed, ‘and there was me thinking you’d got a bit about you.’
I had to smile at that.
‘I credited you with some sort of intelligence,’ he further said, smiling himself.
‘My radar’s off at the moment,’ I admitted. ‘It’s taken a bit of a battering recently.’
‘Sounds to me like we’ve both been in the wars,’ Albert suggested.
‘We sure have,’ I confirmed. ‘It’s heavy going on the frontline, isn’t it?’
‘You can say that again.’ He nodded, with a certainty that made my heart ache.
‘I think Mr Wilson has sent half the shop along with your new glasses,’ I said, setting the padded envelope down. ‘How come you didn’t ring him to send them out like you’d planned?’
I wondered if it had been a ploy to get me to come back, but it wasn’t.
‘Bella’s been a bit poorly and with these other glasses to wear, thoughts of the new ones went completely out of my head.’
My gaze darted back to Bella.
‘She seems better today,’ Albert added. ‘But I’m still a bit worried about her.’
‘Shall I give the vet a call?’ I offered, without overthinking. ‘Just to be on the safe side. There might be someone available to check her over today and that would set your mind at rest ahead of the weekend, wouldn’t it?’
‘If it’s not too much trouble,’ he said huskily. ‘That would be grand.’
‘It’s no trouble,’ I responded firmly, unlocking my phone and finding a smidgin of signal. ‘Where does she usually go?’
