Chapter 5
Peg didn’t think she’d ever seen such perfect weather for Christmas.
Clear skies overnight had meant the silvery coating of ice from the day before had remained, but an early sun and slight rise in temperature had brought a warming glow to the morning.
Water droplets had begun to form on the ends of branches and the day positively sparkled.
And, out here in the woods behind her house, all was still.
She breathed in the cool, clear air, relishing the verdant smell of the undergrowth which would follow her home, clinging to her coat and hair.
It was just one of the wonderful aromas which she loved at this time of year, like cinnamon and oranges, cloves, the spicy smoke from her log fire and fresh pine from her tree.
Even the scent of her old copy of A Christmas Carol which she read every year had its place in her memories of the season.
With the rest of the day stretching ahead of her, Peg took her time, enjoying the feeling of the air on her skin and the physicality of walking, so different from the day before when she’d been confined to the car for so long. Her encounter with Henry was still on her mind, too.
There were so many things she should have asked him.
She felt as if she’d done all the talking and none of the listening, but Henry had been so easy to chat to, that was the thing.
It was such a rarity for her these days.
At social events she mostly found herself making polite but awkward conversation with people she had no desire to know any better.
That was one of the benefits of getting older, she supposed – that you knew your own mind, and could spot instantly the people you’d make a connection with.
But she didn’t even know what Henry did for a living.
Whether he was retired or still working.
What his life was like back home. She knew the type of Christmas he had with his son and daughter-in-law wasn’t much to his liking, but what was?
She took a pair of secateurs from her pocket and snipped at a bough of holly.
It was pointless thinking about it now. She’d had her chance and…
She stopped, staring at the greenery in her hand.
A chance at what, exactly? The Christmas miracle they had joked about?
She shook her head, annoyed with herself.
On the motorway it had seemed a plausible thing to say, but here in the woods, miles away from where they’d been, it felt ridiculous.
Twenty minutes later, with her arms full of everything she needed to decorate the house, she made her way slowly back home.
Julian had bought this patch of woodland over fifteen years ago now, and there wasn’t a day when she didn’t congratulate her husband for having such a sound idea.
The wood had originally belonged to the estate which bordered it, but when it had come up for sale, Julian had jumped at the chance to buy it.
Peg had spent so many hours walking there, or drawing the plants, that he reckoned she should have it as her own, and even though it was Julian who technically owned it, it had become known locally as Peg’s Wood.
It was one of the reasons why she swore she would never leave her cottage.
With the children gone, it was too big for her really, but even after Julian had died and its memory-filled corners had seemed almost too much to bear, she told herself she would only regret it if she moved.
And time had proved her right. Now those same echoes of the past were a source of comfort, not pain.
Opening the back door, she waggled her feet until her wellies dropped off and, kicking them unceremoniously against the wall, she padded across the floor to pile her greenery onto the table.
Doubling back, she removed the thick gloves she had worn to protect her hands from the holly prickles and shrugged off her coat, hanging everything on a series of hooks which were mounted beside the door.
Rolo was right where she’d left him, curled into his basket beside the stove.
He opened a sleepy eye as she passed, but seeing no food was in the offing, let it close, stretching himself into an impossible position as only cats could.
It might not be time for lunch yet, but with her mind very firmly on the cup of tea she was about to make, the ringing of her phone took Peg completely by surprise.
She slipped it from her pocket as she returned to the table.
‘Mim… I wasn’t expecting to hear from you today, is everything okay?’ She frowned as something rumbled in the background.
‘No, I’m cross.’
‘Oh…?’ She wedged the phone against her shoulder and carried the kettle to the sink. ‘And why’s that then?’
‘It’s this blasted wrist of mine, and it’s Christmas, for goodness’ sake. It’s most inconvenient.’ Peg nodded, filling the kettle with water. Her aunt didn’t usually complain about her aches and pains though. Peg never usually found out she’d been having problems until long after the event.
‘Is it hurting? I know you don’t like taking painkillers, but a couple of paracetamol every now and again won’t harm you.
’ She paused, readying her response for when her aunt argued like she usually did whenever medicine was mentioned.
‘Mim… are you still there?’ Alarmingly, it sounded like there were voices in the background. ‘Mim?’
‘Yes, I’m here, dear. Hang on a minute while I talk to this nice young man.’
‘What nice young man? Mim…? What’s going on?
Who have you got with you?’ All kinds of scenarios began to play in Peg’s mind.
Her aunt was usually very careful when callers came to the door, and if it was someone she didn’t know, they got very short shrift.
There was a muffled noise and what sounded like a radio in the background, full of static like the kind the police used…
‘Mim?’ Peg put down the kettle and slid the phone into her hand.
‘Hello, is this Peg?’
‘It is. Who’s this?’
‘My name’s Joel and I’m a paramedic with the Staffordshire ambulance service. I’m with Miriam. She’s your aunt, I believe?’
Peg’s stomach dropped away in shock. ‘She is, yes… Is everything okay?’
‘Your aunt’s taken a bit of a tumble and…
’ Peg could hear Mim in the background telling him what to say.
‘She’s told me to tell you she’s fine. And she is…
although in a degree of pain which we’ve given her something for.
She’ll have to be taken to hospital, though, I’m afraid.
We’re fairly certain she’s broken her wrist and, given her age, they’ll want to give her a quick check over as well.
But the hospital will be able to confirm that, and—’ He broke off, Mim’s voice clear behind him.
Despite the circumstances, Peg couldn’t help but smile a little as her aunt demanded the phone back.
‘You’re not to worry, Peg. I’m going to be perfectly all right. We’re just waiting for Dot next door to get me some things together – you know, in case I have to stay in. I’m not having anyone I don’t know rifling through my underwear.’
‘Good, I’m glad she’s with you, but listen, tell Dot not to worry about packing stuff for you.
’ She had visions of Mim’s neighbour filling a bag for her as if she were going on holiday.
‘I’m not sure they will keep you in, and if you do need anything from home, I can sort that out later.
The most important thing is that you do what the paramedic says and get off to hospital, okay? I’ll see you soon.’
‘No, Peg. That’s why I’m ringing. You’re not to come up, because it’s Christmas and you’re too far away. I shall be perfectly all right and—’
‘And you’re my only aunt. There’s no way I’m letting you go back to your house on your own.
You need someone with you, and don’t argue because I know Dot is going away tomorrow to stay with relatives until after Christmas.
Can you put Joel back on, please?’ There was a momentary pause.
‘Joel, hi, yes, you’ll have to be firm with her, she can be quite stubborn when she wants to be.
And tell her neighbour not to worry about what she might need, I can sort all that out later if necessary.
I’m going to leave now, but I’m over two hours away.
Can you just give my aunt my love and tell her I’ll see her soon.
No, I won’t speak to her, you’ll never get going if I do… thanks so much. Bye then.’
By the time the call ended, Peg was already mentally running through what she might need to take with her.
And fifteen minutes later, she was ready to go.
She’d even checked her route to see if there were any hold-ups – she didn’t want a repeat of the day before, but it was also Christmas Eve tomorrow, and the roads would be mayhem.
She snatched up the tin of mince pies from the side, permitting herself a small smile as she remembered sharing them with her miracle man.
She tutted. She must stop calling him that.
Leaving the greenery from the woods still heaped on the table, she closed the back door behind her.
Judith’s car was thankfully still in her drive, and Peg’s knock at her door was answered almost immediately. She threw the door wide and stepped back to let Peg in.
‘Sorry, Judith, I’m not stopping…’ She held up a box of Heroes.
‘I’m really sorry… These are to say thank you for looking after Rolo while I was up at Mim’s…
’ She pulled a face. ‘And also in down payment… I’ve just had a call to say that she’s had a fall and they think she’s broken her wrist. I’ve got to go back. ’
Judith pushed the box of chocolates away and then pulled her friend into a hug. ‘Don’t be silly, I don’t need these and of course you must go. Don’t worry about Rolo, or the house, I’ll sort them.’ She pulled back, searching Peg’s face for clues as to how she was feeling. ‘You okay?’
Peg nodded. ‘You know Mim, she’s as stubborn as they come, but this is the second fall she’s had now, and that’s a worry…’ She held up her hands helplessly. Judith knew how anxious she would be.
‘I know, but you can worry about that later. For now, just take it easy. You’ve a long drive ahead of you, but there’s no need to hurtle up there, she’ll be looked after until you arrive.’
‘I know.’ Peg nodded again. ‘Thank you, Judith, so much. I don’t know what I’d do—’
‘We both know you’d do the same for me if ever it was needed, so go on, go, and drive carefully.’
Relief washed over Peg. Judith had been a good friend for so many years. She didn’t know what she’d do without her. She pushed the box of chocolates back into her hands.
‘I will, thank you. Oh, and Happy Christmas, Judith.’
Perversely, when it was driving on the motorway which Peg was worried about, it was only when she turned off it that her anxiety levels rose.
Once Peg was back on a single carriageway, with traffic moving both ways, she felt as if she was swimming upstream, fighting against the tide of traffic.
The road wasn’t even that busy, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was struggling to get to a destination that would forever be just out of reach.
She knew that Mim was in relative good health for her age, and that a broken wrist wasn’t all that serious, even for someone in their eighties, but she was only too aware of the date. If anything happened to Mim, she wasn’t sure she would be able to bear it.
And what made it worse was that, when she finally arrived at the hospital, Mim hadn’t even been seen and was sitting in A there were clearly a lot of other people unlucky enough to be in the same situation.
She made her way back to the waiting room and tried not to think about Christmas four years ago.
Tired posters were pinned to the walls and lacklustre decorations swayed gently against the heating ducts.
It was totally devoid of charm, and even though understandable, it made the poignancy of the date even harder to bear.
With a sigh, Peg sat down, took hold of Mim’s good hand and resigned herself to being patient.