Page 86 of A Christmas Celebration
‘I’ll take Albert home if you like,’ offered Mick, who never drank alcohol. ‘That is, if it’s all right with you, Albert?’
‘Yes,’ he said, turning his attention to Mick. ‘That’s fine with me. This whole afternoon has been an adventure and I’m feeling quite giddy having already changed plans once this afternoon. Another deviation from the schedule won’t hurt.’
‘I think you’ll find the giddiness is down to Angus’s wine,’ I laughed, noticing Albert’s flushed complexion. ‘He makes it rather strong.’
‘You know,’ Albert cheerfully said, looking into his glass, ‘I think you might be right.’
It made my heart soar to see him so changed from the man I had first met and I made a mental note to ask Mick to see him safely all the way up the stairs when he took him back to the cottage, just in case he got carried away and tried to take them two at a time.
Chapter 21
After the delicious dinner, Dorothy retired to her room and Mick went to check the ponies which just left Catherine, Angus, Albert and me. Albert had insisted that with his old bones so relaxed he could make it up the stairs to the family sitting room and we were all soon settled around the fire, with the dogs at our feet. Angus handed round generous measures of brandy in elegant balloon glasses, which after the wine, I felt none of us needed, but we all accepted anyway.
‘So, Albert,’ said Angus, sitting down heavily on the sofa next to Catherine after stoking the fire, ‘tell me more about your work. You had a hand in working on both cathedrals and castles during your career, didn’t you?’
‘I did.’ Albert nodded. ‘I had the good fortune of working on some of the most beautiful buildings this country has to offer.’
‘Including here now.’ I smiled. ‘In a roundabout sort of way.’
‘Indeed.’ He smiled back, raising his glass to toast the comment.
‘I can’t begin to imagine how long it must have taken you to learn the skills to work at such a high standard,’ Angus continued.
‘Years,’ said Albert. ‘Decades really.’
‘You clearly had a passion for it,’ Catherine said.
Albert looked thoughtful, then he set his glass down and laced his fingers together in his lap.
‘You’d think so, wouldn’t you?’ He swallowed. ‘But in truth, my passion lay elsewhere. Don’t get me wrong, though, I was decent at my job.’
‘One of the best,’ Angus interjected.
‘Perhaps,’ Albert graciously said, ‘but it was never the thing which set my soul on fire.’
I felt my face grow warm and it wasn’t because I was sitting too close to the grate.
‘Was there something else that set your soul on fire, Albert?’ I whispered.
‘You know there was,’ he said, looking straight at me. ‘There still is. You’ve seen it.’
‘Oh, Albert,’ I gasped.
‘What is it?’ Angus frowned, looking concerned. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing’s wrong exactly,’ Albert said softly. ‘I’ve just made a confession that’s been decades in the making.’
‘Given that you’ve taken so long to say it,’ I urged him, ‘please don’t hastily say anything else now that you mightlater regret. You’ve had more to drink tonight than you’ve probably had in a very long time and I’d hate for the alcohol to loosen your tongue. Please don’t say things you’re going to later wish you hadn’t, Albert.’
Albert smiled and held out his hand. I reached for it and he squeezed my fingers tightly in his.
‘It’s all right,’ he said simply. ‘I want to explain.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘I am,’ he said, sounding certain. ‘I’ve been thinking about sharing this secret all week and that’s down to you, Paige, and not just because you caught me out. You’ve banished my loneliness and given me my spark back. I thought it had been snuffed out completely after Stella died, but it wasn’t and I want to embrace life again and enjoy every moment because, let’s face it, at my age, I might not have many moments left. If I don’t talk about this soon, I might not ever get the chance.’
‘Don’t say that,’ I said, squeezing his hand harder.
