Chapter 5
By the time Isla came home from school, Rose’s plans were coming together nicely. It still hadn’t been easy organising what she wanted at such late notice, but removing the need to find two venues out of the equation certainly made things easier.
Isla came straight to find her in the hope there was something she could do to help. “Not at the moment, but maybe in a little while,” said Rose, smiling. She was still in the middle of making phone calls and sending emails. “Have you got homework to do?”
“A bit,” admitted Isla.
“Want to set up next to me and get it out of the way?” asked Rose. “There’s plenty of room. When you’re done, you can help me go round the downstairs and work out what decorations I need to order.”
“Okay,” said Isla happily. She put her bag on the table and started taking out her books.
* * *
“You don’t happen to know where Isla is, do you?” asked Mrs Reed, popping her head around the library door a couple of minutes later. “Oh, there you are!” she said, spotting the girl. “Would you like me to bring your snack in here?”
“Yes, please, Mrs Reed,” said Isla.
A few minutes later, Mrs Reed reappeared with juice for Isla, decaf coffee for Rose and some homemade flapjacks before heading off home. The dogs, presumably lured by the smell of the flapjacks, settled down under the table.
At five o’clock, Alastair appeared at the library door.
“Any luck with the venues?” he asked coming into the room. “Isla, what are you doing here?” A strange look passed over his face as he took in the cosy scene.
“My homework,” she replied.
“Are you telling me you’re actually doing your homework without complaining about it for at least two hours beforehand?” asked Alastair, evidently incredulous.
“Yep! I started as soon as I got home from school. I’m almost done. Rose is very good at maths.”
“Rose is trying to work.”
“It’s fine, really,” said Rose, “I enjoy Isla’s company. She’s not disturbing me. The maths only took a couple of minutes.”
“If you’re sure,” checked Alastair, uncertainly. “But, Isla, if Rose asks you to go, you do so without argument, okay?”
“Okay, Dad,” Isla agreed, giving a little roll of her eyes.
Alastair left and Rose and Isla fell back into their respective tasks.
“I’m done,” Isla announced fifteen minutes later.
“Great,” Rose said, “because I think I am too. Do you still want to help me brainstorm how to decorate this big old house of yours?”
“Sure.” Isla looked so excited.
The pair went into the hallway accompanied by the dogs. “I thought it would be great to have a huge Christmas tree in here so that it’s the first thing people see when they come into the house,” said Rose.
“That’s a brilliant idea!” Isla grinned from ear to ear. “Can we get one so big that it almost touches the ceiling?”
“Sure . . .” Rose laughed. “But we need to decide what colour scheme we’re going for and a theme. I was thinking of a winter wonderland, bringing lots of the outside inside. We could have white lights on the tree, warm ones not white-white, and lots more weaved in amongst greenery all around the downstairs.”
“That sounds awesome! It’s going to look so fancy with all the white and green!”
“That’s the idea,” said Rose laughing again at Isla’s excitement.
They continued into the drawing room with its huge fireplace and mantel, planning what they could do. Numerous wingback chairs and side tables were dotted around and a grand piano sat invitingly in the corner. Next was the cosier sitting room full of comfy, battered sofas, a smaller fireplace and the only television. Family photos covered the walls of this room.
“We’re going to need an awful lot of fairy lights,” observed Rose.
“The more the better!” Isla declared.
“You’re not still working, are you?” Alastair asked, coming into the room. “It’s six and food’s nearly ready.”
“I just wanted to get some ideas from Isla before I began ordering decorations,” Rose explained.
“Well, come through and eat now. Mrs Reed left us chicken stew and mashed potatoes.”
“I think we’re just about finished here if you agree, Isla?”
“I think so,” Isla said with a nod.
“Why don’t you take your school stuff up to your room, then, while I serve?” Alastair suggested.
“Okay, Dad.” Isla headed back to the library.
“Do you mind eating with us again?” Alastair asked Rose once his daughter was out of earshot. “If you’d rather not, it’s fine. You could take your dinner into the library or something.”
“Thank you, but it would be lovely to eat with you.” Rose tried not to smile at how solicitous her new boss was being.
She followed him into the kitchen where they served up the food Mrs Reed had prepared for them, and Isla joined them.
Isla filled them both in on her day at school while they ate. Houdini tried his luck once again at the back door and was rewarded with an apple from Isla.
Once they’d finished, Isla went upstairs to have a bath and Rose helped Alastair to tidy up.
“Dare I ask — any luck finding venues?” Alastair was loading the dishwasher.
“Kind of,” Rose said, suddenly nervous about what she was about to suggest. “Mrs Reed gave me a really good idea earlier. She was talking about how your mum and dad used to throw the most amazing Christmas parties, so I had the idea that we could host the parties here . . .”
“Here?” repeated Alastair slowly, a frown forming as he rinsed a plate.
“Yes. We can hold the less formal party in the house. We just need to move some of the furniture around, and Mrs Reed says there are extra tables and chairs in the attic. There should be plenty of room for the number of people you want to invite. Plus, because it’ll already be decorated, there won’t be the cost to decorate a different venue. The more formal, black-tie party will also be held here, but in the garden. I’ve hired an enormous marquee and there’ll be a sit-down dinner and dancing afterwards. The marquee company also supply heaters so there won’t be any problems with people being cold.”
“Rose, there’s a reason I don’t host Christmas parties in my home,” Alastair said. “I’m a very private person and I don’t want a load of drunk people here making a mess and damaging things. You’re going to have to change it.”
Rose’s heart sank. She’d thought that Alastair would be pleased she’d managed to find a solution. It was fair to say that she hadn’t considered that he hadn’t continued his parents’ traditions because he didn’t want to.
“There isn’t anywhere else,” she explained, wiping down the now cleared table. “I spent hours calling anywhere and everywhere, but everything is booked up. And the formal event won’t even be in the house, it’ll be in the front garden. You can escape and hide in your study after a while if you like, no one will know.”
That elicited a small smile.
“Anyway,” Rose continued, “how crazy do you imagine your employees will get?”
Alastair nodded. “You have a point, they’re good people.”
“And I imagine they’ll be too worried about getting in trouble with their boss to do more than nibble a vol-au-vent before heading home early.”
“Fine . . .” Alastair agreed, albeit with a reluctant sigh. Unease was still present in his eyes.
“Thank you! The events will go so smoothly and I’ll have a cleaning crew come in first thing in the morning. The place will look better after the party than it did before.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Alastair said, shaking his head and drying his hands on a tea towel.
Technically he was agreeing, but Rose knew he still wasn’t happy and she felt bad as they went through dates and she got his agreement to the ones she suggested. If there were any other option, she’d be turning to it, but there wasn’t. She’d just have to make sure she made things as pain-free for Alastair as possible.