Chapter 35
Later that evening, stuffed from an excess of treats, Marc leaned back on the sofa and took a sip of his brandy-laced coffee. The boys, knackered after food, Twister and Christmas films, had crashed out in their bedroom, so Marc finally felt able to kick back and relax with the adults.
‘How are you doing?’ Noah asked him as he rejoined him on the sofa.
Bella was stretched out on the other settee, dozing, and Joel had slipped away, ostensibly to check his emails.
Marc suspected this was tactical – who checked their email on Christmas Day?
– but didn’t push it. Joel had been drinking steadily all day and probably needed a lie-down.
‘I’m okay,’ Marc replied. He’d phoned Susanna back before the boys had gone off to bed, and they’d somewhat shyly spoken to their aunt, and also their grandparents.
Relations had been a touch frosty for the past few weeks, since Marc had declined their invitation to go and spend Christmas at their place, but he’d felt things thawing after they’d all spoken.
‘That first call from Susanna threw you a bit, didn’t it?’
Marc nodded. ‘I wasn’t expecting it. Daft, really, it is Christmas, after all. I should have known she and her folks would reach out.’ He took another swig of his coffee.
‘Doesn’t make it any easier, though, does it?’ Noah’s gaze, all quiet sympathy, made Marc’s breath hitch in his throat. He thanked his lucky stars he and his brother had reconnected. That he wasn’t facing Christmas alone.
‘No,’ he replied, with difficulty. ‘But it’s better with you and Bella here. And even Joel,’ he added, as an afterthought.
‘Don’t let him hear you admitting to that.
’ Noah laughed quietly. ‘That being said, we’re here for you, mate.
Always.’ Noah reached out and patted Marc on the shoulder.
‘It might be the booze talking, but I don’t want this just to be a once-a-year-because-it’s-Christmas thing. Let’s make sure it isn’t.’
‘Agreed.’ Marc was touched that Noah was being so frank. Noah was king of stress and didn’t often get the chance to unwind; and he certainly never got sentimental.
Bella, waking up, rubbed her eyes and smiled sleepily.
‘This house is so lovely, Marc. You and the boys have really brought it to life. And today felt like something out of a Christmas film – especially in this room.’ She glanced around her, and Marc saw her taking in the high ceilings, the lake, only visible as an undulating, dark expanse in the night, and the way the dimmable chandelier, probably installed sometime in the late 1970s, cast a soft glow over the room.
‘It needs a lot of work,’ Marc replied. ‘But that’s for next year.’
‘I like the vibe,’ Bella insisted. ‘It’s got the same feel as the houses they used in that show, Sex Education, all picture windows and teak tones.’
‘I remember what else that show was about,’ Noah interjected, looking hazily in Bella’s direction. He’d had a couple of glasses of brandy that Joel had also brought with him and was obviously feeling mellow.
‘Oi, you two… not under my roof!’ Marc joked.
Marc was surprised when Noah blew Bella a kiss. It was so unlike his brother. He didn’t say anything, but Joel, returning to the living room, couldn’t help himself.
‘God, give it a rest, you too. I’ve been trying to tolerate being stuck in the middle of a Hallmark movie for most of the day. You could at least give us singletons a break now the kids have gone to bed.’
‘Fuck off,’ Noah replied good-naturedly. ‘You’re just jealous. Weren’t any of your masses of girlfriends available to spend Christmas with you this year? Is that why you decided to lower your standards and come back to the UK?’
‘Oi!’ Marc protested. ‘It’s fine for me to slag off my own house, but my guests should at least attempt to be polite.’
‘You know what I mean. Joel wouldn’t be here with us if he’d had a better offer.’
Marc grinned. It seemed that Noah had got over his earlier sentimentality and, now that Joel had returned to the room, normal service had resumed.
‘It is a fair point, actually. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Joel, it’s great you’re here, but I can’t help thinking there’s more to it than just hanging out with us. So what gives?’
Joel looked taken aback, and for a few seconds like he was scrambling for an answer.
‘Ah,’ he said eventually, slumping down on the other end of the sofa.
‘You’ve got me. The Dubai royal family cancelled on me at the last minute, so I thought I’d hop on a plane and fly three-thousand-odd miles, drive two and a bit hours and put up with that crappy mattress in the spare room just so I could lord it over you all. ’ He shook his head. ‘You’re welcome.’
Noah had the good grace to look guilty, but only after Bella threw him a chastising glare.
‘Oh, all right,’ he conceded. ‘Maybe that was a bit harsh. It’s just that – how can I put this politely – in all the years we’ve been adults, you’ve never once wanted to spend time with either me or Marc at Christmas. What makes this year so different?’
Joel stared down into his glass, which he’d also topped up when he’d been in the kitchen. Marc couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his brother so subdued. ‘It’s all right,’ he said quietly. ‘You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.’
When Joel looked up again, he was wearing an expression of uncertainty and apprehension that shocked Marc to the core. It was so unlike Joel’s usual air of arrogance and self-assurance that Marc was taken aback.
‘It’s all right,’ Joel said quietly. ‘I suppose you were going to have to find out sometime. I’ve lost my job.’