Chapter 38
CHAPTER 38
JESSY
A ngie is almost quivering with excitement as we follow the huddle of villagers towards Granthaven Manor. We are dressed in bobble hats and gloves, our thick coats attempting to shelter us from the elements.
The stars are out in force tonight and the crisp frosty air makes my teeth chatter, despite the hand warmers I shoved into my gloves.
I wish I had some for my boots because my feet are groaning in protest as the ice pinches my toes and my breath escapes like mist into the icy cold air.
“It’s not like Vienna, is it love?” Mum grumbles, as she clings onto dad’s gloved hand and he growls, “I’m missing Mission Impossible three for this.”
“That you can watch on catch up.” Mum reminds him.
“Don’t be such a grinch.”
Angie’s parents aren’t far behind and I hear Margery grumble, “I gave up bingo for this debacle. The mince pies better be good.”
“Attention everyone!” Mr Spalding calls from his position at the head of the procession. “Remember, we are representing Granthaven on the world stage. Please rest your voices and set them free when they are needed.”
“Miserable old sod.” Wilf growls a few feet in front of us and Angie nudges me and whispers, “I’m not sure the gun is considered a festive prop.”
She giggles as we stare at the incongruous sight of Wilf striding toward the manor house dressed in his usual wax jacket and woolly hat.
I note several familiar faces, all wishing they were anywhere else, but Mr Spalding assured us it was necessary to raise awareness of the village plight. If we can attract sponsorship or donations to the regeneration of the land that time forgot, it would be in all our best interests as the founder members of Granthaven. Personally, I think he’s backing a loser because I’m aware of how many millions we need and it will take a lot more than a seemingly impromptu carol concert to raise that amount of money.
Angie gasps as we notice the blazing torches lining our way and the lake lit by floodlights that project lifelike snowflakes that dance across the surface.
“Wow!”
Angie gasps and mum says in awe, “This is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Knowing Morgana, I wouldn’t be surprised to see ice skating penguins doing the Bolero on the frozen lake, such is the power of movie magic and I note the camera men lining the route as we march up to the house.
As we pass through the torches, we are handed an old-fashioned lantern by a member of the production team who is dressed in black to blend into the shadows, along with a carol sheet for good measure.
Angie gets a fit of the giggles as she whispers, “Are they aware that none of us can sing?”
I laugh. “They soon will be.”
As we near the great door, I admire the amazing wreath that is lit on the freshly painted wood and stare at the fairy lights in the potted trees with envy. This is exactly how I imagined the manor house would look in its glory days and I must hand it to Morgana and Jasper, they certainly know their stuff.
Mr Spalding knocks loudly on the door as we gather around in a huddle, our lanterns raised, while we try hard to appear happy to be here.
As the door swings open, he acts like a conductor and begins to sing Silent Night in his best Alfie Boe’s voice.
The rest of us frantically search for the words, holding the lanterns up to find them and after an awkward start, we attempt to join in. I say attempt because half of the carollers can’t even see the words and are relying on memory to get them through each verse.
I peer past Wilf and notice Luke standing in the doorway and my breath catches when I register his arm around Morgana, who simply looks amazing. She definitely deserves her celebrity status because she exudes glamour and the fond twinkle in his eye lights the darkness as he gazes at her lovingly.
The words to the song stick in my throat and my misery is compounded when she impulsively leans up and kisses him softly on the lips. I can only imagine the cameras catching the tender moment for posterity and if I had a white flag, I would raise it now.
Luke will never be mine.
It’s obvious, and I’m the idiot who truly believed he could be.
Silent night turns to Hallelujah and I swear even the birds head for cover. Wilf is drowning everyone out with his own rendition and Mr Spalding is throwing murderous glances his way as he attempts to sing over him. Angie gets another fit of the giggles as Harriet Haughton shrieks like a banshee and as carollers go, we definitely don’t deserve the title.
I steal a glance at the happy couple and note Morgana’s happy smile is a little startled now and Luke appears to be struggling to maintain a straight face.
It’s obviously a disaster and I can’t help myself as I dissolve into giggles along with Angie, who is laughing so hard her lantern is wobbling.
Mum hisses, “Girls, please remember the cameras. Pull yourselves together.”
Angie does that snorting thing, which even makes mum laugh out loud.
“Cut! Cut!”
We are saved as Jasper waves his hands in the air and claps his hands. “Thank you everyone. Maybe we should move inside now.”
We don’t need to be asked twice and collectively surge for the door and as we enter the lit hallway, Angie gasps, “It’s beautiful!”
For once we are all stunned into silence as we take in the glorious tree that rises majestically from the ground up, the beautiful star on the top twinkling like the Star of Bethlehem.
A collective ‘ooh’ echoes around the room and Jasper says loudly from his position of great height on the staircase, “Okay, now let’s try that again from hymn number four. The Holly and The Ivy.”
As the music plays through the speakers, I notice the words are being sung for us, meaning none of us are required to do anything other than mouth them. Although some do try. It’s like religious karaoke as we follow along, belting out the words and hoping this is over quickly and the mulled wine makes an appearance.
One hour later, we are all a little disgruntled, but it appears that Jasper is in a happier mood and as he calls ‘cut’ there’s a gentle murmur of relief from the dozens of villagers who turned out for a free glass of wine accompanied by a mince pie and the chance to see how the other half live.
Luke and Morgana are handing out the aforementioned delicacies and I attempt to hide behind dad when Luke heads our way armed with a silver tray.
As he offers dad a mulled wine, he peers behind him and grins.
“There she is.”
Dad shifts and shakes his head. “What are doing hiding back there, Jessy?”
Mum glances between us and smirks, and my face burns as I pretend that I wasn’t.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I was admiring the, um–”
I frantically search for anything of interest and merely say in a small voice, “Wood Panelling. It’s an amazing design of, um, wood, and polish, rather traditional, wouldn’t you say?”
Angie makes a face behind Luke’s and I pray to God the cameras never picked that up.
“Thanks.” I reach out and grab a glass of wine and he nods to the side.
“May I have a word?”
“Sure.”
The curious glances sear into my back as I turn away and head to the side where a huge arrangement of poinsettias obscures us from the gawping crowds.
“Hey.” Luke says in that sexy voice that should be illegal.
“Hey.” I shift on my frozen feet and note that we wouldn’t get anywhere near the fire that’s roaring nearby, due to the number of villagers crowding around it.
‘”Nice singing.”
He raises his eyes and I giggle and then choke on the wine that almost hits him square in the face.
“I’m sorry.”
I wipe my mouth with my glove and wish I was more like Morgana, with her elegance and poise. I’m a disgrace and really should have stayed at home.
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
“No I haven’t.”
I try not to look at him but he shifts and blocks my view and whispers, “Why didn’t you ask for me when you dropped the plan off this morning?”
“I didn’t want to disturb you.” I lie because I took the coward’s way out.
He messaged me last night and asked me to drop it by this morning, or at least the bit I’ve done because he was meeting with his bank today and wanted something to show them. Morgana was here when I arrived and was so kind it struck me how much of a bitch I’ve become around him because all I can think of is I wish it was me with him instead of her. I was trying to remove the temptation.
He shakes his head. “Morgana told me you had to run.”
“I did. I meant run errands, get to the post office, you know the kind of last-minute things us girls need to do.”
I’m rambling because those chocolate eyes are sparkling in my direction, causing me to melt inside, my earlier deep freeze instantly thawed with one look from his soulful eyes.
“I don’t suppose you’d meet me after this finishes?”
“Why?” I am genuinely confused and as Jasper appears like the genie from the lamp to spirit him away, Luke says over his shoulder, “Please, Jessy, it’s, um, business.”
My heart sinks as I watch him go because of course it is. It can only be business, which is why I am trying my best to stay away because breaking my heart this Christmas wasn’t on my list to Santa.