Chapter 10
Isla was most put out to be missing a shopping trip.
“We’d hardly be able to buy your Christmas presents if you came with us, would we?” pointed out Alastair, making Rose laugh.
“I suppose not,” admitted Isla.
“And you never know, I might bring you back some of that fudge you love if I so happen to be passing the shop that makes it . . .”
“Fine! You win,” said Isla. “As long as I get fudge.”
Isla was taken to school, indignant that her goat couldn’t come for the drive, but was promised that Mrs Reed and Houdini would pick her up at the end of the day as her dad and Rose probably wouldn’t be back in time.
Once Isla got out of the car, Alastair rolled his eyes upwards and turned off her K-pop and put the radio on.
“So, have you got a plan for today?” Rose asked.
“Not really,” Alastair admitted. “Isla’s easy. She wants a new bike, and then I was hoping you’d help me to choose some bits for her stocking.”
“Sounds like another trip to Claire’s Accessories.”
Alastair groaned. “I hate that place.”
Rose laughed. “Isla loves it though and she’ll be thrilled with pretty much anything from there.”
“The twins are easy to buy for. They both like Lego and there’s a big toy shop we can go to for that. Aunt Helena is a bit trickier. There’s no point in getting her art supplies ― I’ve learned because I never get it right. But she does really like art books, so maybe we could head to Waterstones and see what they’ve got . . .”
“This is all sounding pretty straightforward so far,” said Rose.
“That’s because we haven’t got to the tricky people yet . . .”
“Oh . . .” said Rose.
“Yeah, I mean, what do I buy Mrs Reed? I want to get her something extra as well as that murder mystery DVD boxset she had at the staff party. She enjoys cooking, but she’s my housekeeper so it seems wrong to buy her kitchen stuff.”
“Cookery books?” suggested Rose.
“But what if she thinks they’re a hint that I don’t like her cooking. Or worse, changes some of her recipes? Isla would never forgive me.”
“I’m sure we can think of something for her. How about we get some of the easy ones out of the way first?”
“Easy wins sound like a great idea,” said Alastair.
They chatted through some more ideas for Christmas presents as they drove.
“Right, where should we start?” asked Rose, once they’d reached the city and found a place to park. She’d been making notes on her phone during the journey and was raring to go. She’d dressed practically in jeans and a hoodie and wore her reliable trainers for dry, non-muddy city walking as well as a coat, hat, scarf and gloves because Scotland really was cold!
Alastair was also in jeans but teamed with a soft, thick knitted jumper, and while he had on a coat, hardened Scotsman that he was, he forewent the accessories.
“Over there I think,” said Alastair, pointing to a Costa Coffee.
“Coffee should be a reward for when you’ve bought at least some presents,” Rose suggested.
“I hate shopping and I especially hate Christmas shopping so I say I deserve a reward for getting here. Plus, I’ll be good for nothing if I don’t have some coffee soon.”
“I suspected you were a bit of a coffee addict,” confided Rose.
“I used to be a lot worse,” he confessed. “But then Mrs Reed weaned me off by replacing some of my coffees with decaf.”
“That’s so sneaky!”
“She started by mixing decaffeinated coffee in with my caffeinated. The woman’s a genius. But the fact remains that I am refusing to do any shopping until I have an espresso.”
“Fine,” Rose muttered, following him into Costa, which she had to admit, did look very warm and inviting.
Once caffeinated, they made their way to the Lego Store and bought Alastair’s twin nephews a giant Lego Star Wars set each. “That should keep them busy for a while,” Alastair said.
“They could do them on the big table in the library so the dogs won’t get at any of the pieces . . .” Rose suggested. “Actually, where does Houdini usually go for Christmas? Please say you don’t take him to your sister’s house in Manchester!”
“No,” said Alastair, laughing. “This is only his second Christmas. Last year he stayed at an animal sanctuary while we were away, and, personally, it seemed like he had a great time, but Isla was completely miserable. She was worried people would think he wasn’t loved and didn’t have a home and that the sanctuary staff would allow him to be adopted by mistake. That’s one of the main reasons why I agreed to have everyone here this year. I couldn’t go through that again. She even wanted to video call him so she could see him opening the presents she’d got him.”
“That girl really does love her goat.”
“In fairness, I think he feels the same way about her,” Alastair said.
Claire’s Accessories was close by so they went in there with Alastair looking supremely uncomfortable around all the pink and sparkle.
“It could be worse,” Rose said as she helped him choose some hair things for Isla. “This is a serious step-up from the Christmas shop I worked in.”
“Of course it’s not! Not one member of staff is dressed as a Disney princess ― sorry, queen.”
“Lucky for them,” remarked Rose.
“Do you miss London?” Alastair asked.
“No,” Rose answered, honestly. “London . . . well, it hasn’t felt like home for a while.”
Alastair nodded.
“Isla would really like to have her ears pierced you know . . .”
Alastair put his hands up. “Yes, her not-so-subtle hints have not gone unnoticed.”
“And?”
“I’ll let her do it on her thirteenth birthday,” he said with a sigh. “I’m just hoping she forgets about it by then.”
“If she’s anything like me, she won’t,” commiserated Rose, putting her hair behind her ears to show the three earrings in each.
“You are such a bad example,” he joked.
“I won’t tell her about my tattoo,” Rose said, with a wink.
“Demands for a tattoo, I’m definitely not ready to deal with! Is it time for us to get lunch yet?”
“No!” said Rose, adamantly. “It’s far too early, and not until we’ve dealt with some of the tough presents.”
An hour later they lugged their purchases back to the car and locked them in the boot.
“Now may I have lunch before we head back into the shops?” Alastair asked, looking exhausted. “Surely I’ve done enough shopping to deserve some sustenance?”
“Fine,” said Rose. “But it’s already one, so it needs to be something quick. We’ve still got a fair number of presents to buy.”
“There’s a Pret A Manger round the corner, will that do?”
“That will do perfectly.” Rose smiled. Alastair was a complete wimp when it came to Christmas shopping.
Alastair seemed happy to linger over lunch for as long as possible, but a glare from Rose got him to finish off his drink so they could head out again.
They walked through the city centre, Alastair leading Rose the long way around to the shops they were heading for so she could see more of the city. Edinburgh was decked out beautifully for Christmas, with elaborate fairy lights and Christmas trees adorning the shops, and the window displays glittering on every street.
It was busy with people bustling around each other laden down with shopping, but that seemed to add to the festive feel which was further enhanced by the carol singers they came across.
The German Christmas market was in full swing, and the smell of the roasted chestnuts was irresistible. Alastair got them a packet to share which they demolished in about two minutes flat.
“Oh, wow!” she said as they turned a corner and she caught sight of what was ahead. “Is that an outdoor ice rink?”
“Yeah, I think they set it up every year,” said Alastair. “I’ve brought Isla a few times.”
“Can we take a look?”
“Sure.”
They walked up to the barriers and watched the skaters. It was quiet as schools hadn’t broken up yet.
“It’s like something out of a movie set in New York,” Rose sighed.
“I think it’s a bit smaller than the one at the Rockefeller Center,” commented Alastair.
“You know what I mean,” said Rose, elbowing him in the ribs. He pretended to double over in pain.
“Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “Let’s have a go.”
“We’re supposed to be shopping!” Rose said. “This is just another excuse to get out of finding something for Mrs Reed.”
“It’s a good excuse though, isn’t it,” said Alastair, grinning and leading her to the ticket office. “Two tickets, please,” he said as they reached the counter.
Rose was incredulous as he paid and was handed their tickets.
“What size skates?” asked the teenage girl with a lip ring running the booth.
“Ten,” said Alastair.
“Four,” Rose found herself saying. She was handed a pair of white ice skates and followed Alastair over to a bench to put them on.
“Have you skated before?” Alastair asked, standing up.
“Once when I was about eleven.”
“I have skated at least three times with Isla. Maybe four. So it appears I’m somewhat of an expert, by comparison at least.”
“You’re not exactly filling me with confidence.”
“It was you who wanted to skate.”
“Did I?”
“You wanted to skate,” Alastair repeated.
“In theory maybe,” said Rose, looking warily down at the ice skates now on her feet.
“You ready?” He held out a hand to her.
“I’m supposed to walk in these things?”
“Just to the rink and then we skate in these things.”
“You’ve got an answer for everything,” grumbled Rose, but she accepted his hand and walked like newborn Bambi to the ice.
“This is really slippery,” she squeaked as she stepped on the ice and almost lost her footing straight away.
“Hang on to the side until you get your balance,” advised Alastair, stepping rather more confidently onto the ice. “It’s all a matter of balance . . .” He pushed off with his right foot and made it about a metre before falling on his bum.
* * *
“I am going to be so bruised tomorrow,” Rose said as she sat down on the bench an hour later to remove her skates.
“You did brilliantly.” Alastair passed her shoes.
“I did not!”
Alastair laughed and shrugged. “You had fun though, right?”
“I did, thank you,” Rose replied, completely and utterly honestly.
“Time for another coffee?” suggested Alastair. “Or a mulled wine?” He indicated to a cheerful little, red-painted hut in the Christmas market and raised an eyebrow.
“No!” grinned Rose. “We’re here to shop.”
* * *
They returned to the house just before five, exhausted and with a car full of presents.
Rose smiled as they approached the house. It was dark and the Christmas lights illuminated the beautiful building, making it look like something out of a fairy tale.
“No peeping,” said Alastair as Isla came out supposedly to greet them, but with a definite glint in her eye as she spotted all the bags and boxes in the boot. Thankfully her bike had been carefully buried under a blanket and all the other gifts so it would remain a surprise until Christmas morning. “You get back inside while we bring all this in. Could you let Mrs Reed know that she can head home now if she likes?”
With one last glance at the boot of the car, Isla returned to the house and Alastair and Isla unloaded the car.
“I’ll take her bike and hide it in one of the sheds,” said Alastair.
“Good plan.”
* * *
Once all the presents were safely hidden away from prying eyes, they heated up the fish pie Mrs Reed had left for supper and steamed some broccoli and carrots to go with it.
Alastair called Isla down.
“Did you have a good day at school?” he asked as she sat down at the kitchen table.
“Yep! And I haven’t got any homework because it’s almost the end of term.”
“I suspect your teachers are looking forward to the holidays as much as you are,” Rose said.
“Especially my physics teacher, Mr MacArthur,” said Isla, giggling. “His hair is looking more and more crazy!”
“I’m not surprised, dealing with you every day,” Alastair teased, “We picked up some end-of-term presents for your poor teachers.”
“I’ll help you wrap them after dinner if you like,” offered Rose. “There are Christmas cards for them all as well.”
“Great ― thank you!” said Isla. “I can’t believe tomorrow’s the last day of term.”
Isla went upstairs to shower once they’d finished eating and Rose and Alastair cleared up.
“Rose . . .”
“Yes . . .” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. It was the way he said her name.
“Did I tell you what a great job you did wrapping all the presents for the staff party last weekend?”
“You did not.”
“They looked great,” continued Alastair. “Actually, I was wondering . . .”
“If I’d help you wrap your presents?”
“Well . . . yes.”
She sighed. “If we do it this evening and if you make me a cup of tea then I will help you.”
“I can do better than tea,” said Alastair. “How about a mug of mulled wine?”
“That does sound scrummy actually. You’ve got yourself a deal.”
* * *
Alastair went upstairs and returned with three large bags of presents which he put on the floor of the library. He went to warm up the mulled wine while Rose lit the fire and set up three wrapping stations, each with its own tape and scissors. She didn’t imagine Isla and Alastair were good at sharing either.
Alastair returned with a plate of Mrs Reed’s home-made mince pies and the mulled wine.
“I’ll go and get the Alexa from the kitchen,” said Alastair. “We can put some Christmas music on and set the mood.”
“Must we really?” Rose sighed, mock-exasperated. She actually loved the idea — although was going to protest big time if Noddy Holder sounded out. Working in that Christmas shop really had been a low point. How her life had changed since Alastair had walked in there. She took a moment to appreciate her beautiful surroundings, as well as that she was warm and not wearing a polyester costume.
“Yes!” called Alastair over his shoulder. “I thought all women loved Michael Bublé.”
“Not this one!” Rose hollered back. He’d been on repeat in the shop too.
* * *
By the time Isla joined them, Rose had drunk at least half her mug of mulled wine and had twice caught herself tapping her foot along to Michael Bublé’s crooning.
Isla’s face lit up as she took in the scene before her. She took her place at the table. “This is so Christmassy!” she said, happily, opening up a pack of Christmas cards to write on.
“Do you like the music?” Alastair asked, carefully avoiding looking at Rose.
“It’s awesome.” Her father gave a satisfied smirk. “It’s so awful and cheesy, it’s perfect for Christmas.”
Alastair’s face fell and Rose burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Isla asked. “You don’t actually like this music, do you?”
“Of course not,” said Rose, holding her sides. “But it’s your dad’s favourite.”
“Oh my God, Dad! Seriously?”
“It’s Christmassy!” Alastair said. “You two have got no musical taste. Alexa, turn the volume up. I need something to drown out these giggling women.”
* * *
Isla went to check on Houdini and then watch some television after she’d finished her wrapping and card writing, but Alastair didn’t go out to the shed to fetch her bike to wrap until she’d gone up to bed, promising not to come down again unexpectedly.
“She’s going to love this,” Rose said.
“The amount of wrapping paper we’re using on this thing, it’s going to cost almost as much as the bike did.”
“I did suggest that we just tie a big ribbon on it,” reminded Rose.
“But think how much more she’s going to enjoy it like this so she can rip the paper off on Christmas morning.”
“I agree, but in that case, you need to stop complaining about how much wrapping paper you’re having to use!”
Alastair chuckled.
* * *
It was almost midnight when they’d finished and tidied away all the wrapping stuff.
“Shall I put the presents under the tree now?” asked Alastair.
“Is that what you usually do?” asked Rose, absentmindedly.
“We don’t usually have a tree,” Alastair said after a slight pause, sounding self-conscious.
“Of course, sorry, you did say.” Rose still couldn’t comprehend why he wouldn’t have a Christmas tree for his kid. Even if it was only a little one. “Um, you could, but I’d be worried about the dogs getting at some of the presents, and the bike’s a bit obvious . . . Maybe hide them somewhere?”
“Like where?”
“In the wardrobe in my room?” Rose said, in a moment of inspiration. “It’s huge. Like a gateway to Narnia huge and I’ve only put a few things in there.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all, and Isla will never think to look in there.”
“Perfect, I’ll check she’s asleep and then we can take everything up.”
Alastair returned a minute later to say that his daughter was out like a light so they crept up the stairs with an armful of presents each.
Rose freed up a hand to turn the doorknob of her bedroom door. She pushed it open with her bottom. It was only at this moment that it occurred to her that it was a little bit weird having Alastair in her bedroom. She did a quick once-over, wishing she’d had the foresight to think of doing so before he’d started walking into the room behind her. Thankfully she’d remembered to make the bed and the place didn’t look too much of a state.
She put the gifts on the floor and opened the wardrobe door. “See, plenty of room,” she declared, standing back to let him see.
“There is,” agreed Alastair. “Let’s get everything in there.”
“I’ll pack them in, you go and get some more of the presents,” suggested Rose.
“Good plan. Oh, that’s the dress you wore to the Christmas party,” he said, pointing out the black cocktail dress hanging in the wardrobe.
“Well remembered,” Rose said, knowing she sounded as surprised as she felt. “Well . . . can you bring the bike next so we can pack it at the back in case Isla does happen to come snooping around?”
“On it,” said Alastair, saluting with a grin before he left.
A couple more journeys up and down the stairs and all the gifts were safely in the wardrobe.
“Thank you,” he said. “This is a good hiding place.”
He looked around the room as if he’d only just realised where he was. His eyes rested on the bed for a moment and Rose felt herself blush.
She saw him swallow and he cleared his throat. “Um . . . have you got everything you need in here?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“And you like it? Because we can move you to another room if you’d prefer . . .”
“It’s lovely,” reassured Rose. “Much fancier than my bedroom at home.”
“Oh, um . . . good. Well, it’s late . . .”
“Yes,” agreed Rose. “We should probably be getting to bed . . . to our beds . . . separately . . . to sleep. Oh!” She put her head in her hands.
Alastair laughed ― despite his blushes. “You’re right, I’m going to go off to sleep in my own bed.” He gave her an exaggerated wink before promptly leaving. He left Rose feeling mortified, but she couldn’t help laughing too.