Chapter 22 #2
Lucy takes charge of the crew, setting up trestles at one end of the café to serve from.
Maggie had already planned this so well, and everything is pretty much ready to go.
The tables and chairs are all dressed in pink and white, and big vases of roses in matching colours are placed around the café.
Tiny confetti in the shape of stars is scattered on the table tops, and each one is decorated with its own miniature Christmas tree.
The sun shines through the soaring glass ceiling, and the whole room looks splendid, dazzlingly pretty.
We set up one section for drinks, bottles of prosecco, beers and wine, as well as big flasks that we can fill with hot chocolate. There’s a whole table just for children, with soft drinks and juice boxes, and cupcakes I’ve decorated with snowmen and reindeer.
The young people help me carry all of the cakes and puddings out, and I slice the boozy cheesecakes.
I’ve baked up chocolate Yule logs, gingerbread snaps, cinnamon cookies and a big layer cake in the shape of a Christmas tree.
There is a black forest trifle, a selection of tray bakes, and individual little ramekins filled with cherry and chocolate mousse.
I’ve iced a layer cake with tiny holly leaves, and added in some easier classics like carrot cake and a coffee and walnut sponge, all made more festive with sprinkles of edible glitter.
We add in jugs of cream and sauces, and I have custard ready to go when people arrive. I stand back and survey the end result.
‘Do you think there’s enough?’ I ask the teenagers, suddenly nervous.
‘There’s enough to give the whole of Cornwall diabetes,’ Bella snarks.
Lucy pats me on the arm. ‘It’s perfect. Maggie will be delighted.’
We take more photos and send them to the patient. She does reply this time – with more random emojis, including a hockey stick and a koala bear, and then a follow-up from Mike that says: ‘She’s on the morphine again!’
Patrick gets the Christmas music on the go over the sound system, and before long the first guests start to arrive. I know that people have deliberately had earlier Christmas lunches than usual just because of this, and I hope they’re not disappointed.
Lucy steps up as the host, directing people to seats and greeting them, while I buzz around doing last-minute checks on the food, and setting the custard to gently warm on the hob. Within half an hour, the café is packed, and spirits are high.
I’m too busy to notice everyone who turns up, but I do spot Bernadette and Brian, along with most of the clan.
My heart does a little tap dance when they walk into the room, and I take a few deep breaths as I carry out a quick and hopefully subtle scan.
Alice and Alex run over to say hello, and I help them stack their plates high with cookies and cake.
It’s probably never going to win any nutritional awards, but it is Christmas.
I go over to their table with some wine, and see immediately that Liam is not there.
I squash down the silly feeling of disappointment.
He might be still on his way. He might be having a snooze.
He might have been abducted by aliens. There are all kinds of valid reasons he isn’t here, and his whole world does not revolve around me.
‘Merry Christmas to you, me darling’!’ Bernadette exclaims, getting up and hugging me. ‘I have a scarf I knitted for you up at the house. Nothing special, but nice to keep up the tradition, eh?’
The thought of a new multi-coloured creation from Bernadette makes me smile. ‘Thank you, that’s so kind. Did you all have a nice time? At Rosings?’
‘We did, my love. Are you wondering where the other fella is?’
She misses nothing, as ever. There’s not even any point in denying it; she’s like a human lie detector. She has a twinkle in her eye though, and does not seem at all displeased by the situation.
I nod sheepishly as I fill their wine glasses.
‘The lazy so-and-so said he needed a rest,’ she replies, taking a sip. ‘Though why I don’t know, all he did was peel the veg, it was yours truly who did the cooking! I’d say maybe he has a few things on his mind…’ She gives me a mischievous wink, and I feel myself blush.
‘Right. Well. I’d better go and see to my custard…’
I dash off to the kitchen and do just that.
I pour it into two big jugs, and add them to the serving table.
The cookie platters are looking depleted, so I top those up, and do a quick walk around checking if anybody needs anything.
The music is merry, a collection of swing covers of Christmas classics, and as the daylight fades the fairy lights draped from the rafters start to twinkle.
The whole of the room comes alive with silver and pink shimmers, and the kids ooh and aah and point upwards.
Everything goes well, and people seem to be having a marvellous time.
My dad is at Sandra’s, but messages to wish me luck and tell me that he’ll be back in the morning.
The guests have checked out to go and stay with family, and the inn will be empty when I finally go back there.
How odd, I think, to have the whole place to myself – the first time that has ever happened.
If only I had my old teenage partner in crime to share it with.
Liam still has not arrived, and I fight the instinct to over-think. He’s probably just passed out in front of the fire, or taking a well-earned breather. We said that we would see each other today, and there is plenty of time for that.
Eventually, the buffet draws to a close, and one by one the various groups of family and friends leave to go back to their homes.
Lucy makes a video montage for Maggie, gathering messages from them all as they leave, and I think it will really cheer her up.
Not only did everybody have a great time, but they all miss her and send their love.
I dismiss my helpers as soon as the café is empty – they are young, it is Christmas Day, and they have spent it doing a favour for a sick friend.
I’m sure Maggie will treat them once she is out of hospital and back on her feet, but for now, they have spent all this time here out of the goodness of their own hearts.
Not a lot of teenagers would do that – I’m not entirely sure I would have done back then.
They disappear bearing boxes of leftovers, and in Lucy’s case a nice Chardonnay. I have no doubt at all that Bella will be sharing it, but that is not something I can control.
It takes me over an hour to do the basics of the clearing-up.
The whole café will need a proper clean before it reopens, but there is some uncertainty about when that might be.
I can help out as much as possible, but realistically, I have no firm idea of how long I will be here, and I am already working at the inn.
Much as I’d love to, I can’t be in two places at once, or sustain spending a whole day in the café and a whole night at the pub.
Maybe for a few days, but not long-term.
Not that I’ll be here long-term. Or will I? I just don’t know.
The uncertainty isn’t helped by Liam’s no-show, and the fact that neither of us has reached out even by phone so far today.
That is as much down to me as him, I know, but for some weird out-dated reason, I feel like he should make the first move.
I know that’s stupid – I am a modern woman who is perfectly entitled to make any damn move I like.
And yet, I don’t. I think I am scared. The last day has been a rollercoaster.
Seeing Tyler again, ending things with him, and then that kiss with Liam…
Was that the start of something, or was that an accident?
Was that something he is regretting now?
Uncertainty aside, all I feel when I think about that kiss is joy. Hope. Heat. It was everything I had always dreamt it would be, but maybe that’s all it was. A dream.
I give the surfaces of the kitchen a final wipe over, and almost reluctantly leave the café.
I switch the overheads off, but the fairy lights remain steadfast in their pretty twinkling.
I grab myself a box of cheesecake slices and an open bottle of prosecco, and head back towards the inn.
I will decide later if the prosecco is half full or half empty, depending on my mood.
I do a bit of cleaning in the bar, and put the bedding from the used guest room in to wash. Nobody is booked in until New Year now, so we’ll have the chance to give things an overhaul. Or my dad will, or whoever Liam takes on to help him.
I fill in some time by taking a long soak in the bath of one of the guest rooms. They’re nicer than the one in our apartment, and come with better toiletries too.
I slather on some nice body creams scented with roses, and blow dry my hair.
Maybe that’s actually what I am, anyway – just a guest. Just a transient visitor, passing time here on my way to somewhere else.
I go back to the apartment and get dressed.
I set myself up in the living room, finding The Lord of the Rings on one of the TV channels, and add cake and booze to the little side table.
Well, I think, covering myself in a fleecy blanket, this is hardly exciting, but it is okay.
There is plenty to like about this scenario, and I need to focus on the positives.
I have to remind myself that when I first arrived here, two weeks ago, I had shut Liam Byrne out of my life for years. Now, I am pining for him. It’s ridiculous, and I need to snap out of it.
My phone pings, and I grab it up immediately. My heart sinks when I see that the message is not from him, but Tyler. And then I obviously hate myself for being so shallow and selfish.
‘Having a surprisingly cool time,’ he says. ‘Made some friends in a hotel bar. Going back to NY in a few days. Good luck with everything, Ellie.’