Chapter Seven
Peppermint Tea
22 nd December
After a long day of pootling back and forth from Porthglen to Foweybridge, to the manor house and to the bakery in Archie’s horrible car, I finally sank down into the armchair in my lodge with the fire roaring and a Christmas film on the TV.
I was just getting a pan out to make hot chocolate on the log burner when a frantic knock came at the door, making me jump.
“Lou?” I called as I walked through the living room to answer it. “Are you okay?”
It was dark outside, and the insistence of the knocking had me a little spooked.
“It’s Archie! Please let me in!”
I slid the bolt across. Archie was in a reindeer onesie with a whoopie cushion tied to his head and rude words written in sharpie on his cheeks.
The stag do.
I put my hands on my hips.
Was he drunkenly coming to mock me?
He didn’t look drunk. In fact, he looked pale and clammy.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
One arm gripped his stomach tightly.
“Please can I come in?” He asked. “The food… The Ancient Mariner said it was gluten free but… Please, I can’t let the others see me like this.”
“Aren’t you sharing a lodge with your mum? Couldn’t you go there?” I asked, hesitating. “Do you need a doctor?”
“She’s got her boyfriend round for the night because I was supposed to be out until the early hours, Dave something. I don’t need to see them getting… amorous. And no, I just need to come in, please. I’m begging you to help me, Imogen.”
I didn’t like that. He looked so small and pained.
“Of course, of course, quickly, come in.” He didn’t need me to say it twice, darting past me and to the bathroom door.
“Don’t come in,” he warned me.
“Oh, believe me, I won’t,” I said.
I headed back to the living room and shut the door, turning my film up loudly.
He really had looked awful, the poor man.
An hour later, he emerged, standing in the living room door like a ghost. Sweat beaded his forehead, and his reindeer onesie now drooped off of one shoulder.
“Are you okay?” I asked, though the question felt a little redundant. “Are you sure you don’t want a doctor? Can I get you anything?”
“It’ll pass eventually,” he said, still gripping his stomach. “Do you have any peppermint tea?”
“Yes, of course. And painkillers too, here.” I handed him the packet and started boiling water for the tea. “Lay down on the bed, I’ll bring it into you.”
“Are you sure?” He asked, though he didn’t look like he’d need telling twice. “Are you sure you want me in your bed?”
I chuckled gently. “You’re Lou’s fiance’s nephew. Practically family. Lay down. I’ll bring you everything.”
He nodded and walked slowly to the bed, groaning as he flopped down onto it.
A few minutes later I went in with the tea, finding him curled in a ball.
“Thank you,” he said, propping himself up to sip it.
I watched him for a moment, debating what to say next.
“Are you sure… it wasn’t the alcohol?” I asked.
He shook his head vehemently. “I hadn’t had any alcohol yet. We had food first.”
“What did you eat?”
“The barmaid was adamant the chef had made a gluten free pie,” he said. “I checked twice because I wasn’t sure. Beef and onion. I was excited to be able to eat the same as everyone else, that’s pretty rare these days. It wasn’t until I’d eaten the whole thing that she came back and said they’d accidentally given the gluten free one to Ross’ friend Billy and given me the gluten one. Apparently, they got us confused because we were both in reindeer onesies.”
“Oh, no,” I sighed. “Did they at least apologise?”
“The waitress cried when she took me to one side to tell me. I begged her not to tell anyone else and slipped out.”
“Why didn’t you want anyone else to know. Surely Ross would have helped you?”
“Of course he would have,” Archie said, a groan escaping his lips as he gripped his stomach again. “But then I would have ruined his stag do. He could have insisted on taking me home and looking after me.”
“He’s a really good man,” I noted.
“The best,” he said. “Like another dad to me, after mine left.”
I could tell then he was holding back tears, either from the pain or from the sentiment.
“Well, I won’t tell anyone,” I promised him. “But it might be difficult to hide. How long do you think until you feel better?”
“Overnight at least,” he said. “Sometimes it lasts a couple of days, it depends. Everyone is different.”
“Well, you’re welcome to stay here until you feel better,” I said. “Just tell me if I can go and get you any medicine.”
“Thanks,” he said. “Just keep the peppermint tea coming.” He paused and locked eyes with me. “I do appreciate this, really.”
“Don’t mention it,” I said. “You would do the same for me.”
“Of course,” he said.
“Then say no more about it.” I found a snowflake patterned blanket for him in the box at the end of the bed and draped it over him. “I’ll put a film on in here. Just rest.”
I sat on the bed next to him as I set up the TV, trying not to worry as he groaned beside me.
“ Home Alone ,” he suggested, bringing his knees up to his chest. “It’s funny.”
“A little boy pulling pranks on criminals, I can see why you’d like it,” I said. He looked up at me with the hint of a smile. “Luckily for you, I like it too.”
I set up the film and leaned back against the headboard.
Over the next few hours, Archie went back and forth to the bathroom, before finally curling up and falling asleep on the bed halfway through Home Alone 2 .
I watched him sleep, glad that he finally looked somewhat peaceful.
My dislike for him had waned over the week. When he wasn’t setting up silly pranks or mocking me, he could be quite genuine.
His decision that night to allow the others to have a good time without him had been entirely selfless. Despite his pain and illness, he’d opted to give Ross a fun night out instead of having to take care of him.
A little while later, there was another knock at the door, gentler this time as it was near midnight. Archie thankfully slept soundly through the noise, and I tiptoed to the door.
“Im?” It was Lou.
I carefully opened the door and did my best to appear nonchalant.
“Hey,” I said quietly, rubbing my eyes as if I’d been asleep. “Is everything okay?”
“Have you seen Archie?” She asked. “Ross said he left the stag do saying you’d asked him for help and never came back.”
Only a few hours earlier I would have been annoyed at him to be used in his lie, but now I was only too happy to be his alibi.
“Yeah, sorry,” I said. “I know he really hated to leave. I asked him for help with some last minute wedding bits. Dotting the ‘I’s and whatnot… Anyway, we went on quite late so I think he went to bed.”
“Oh,” Lou said. “Poor lamb is burning the candle at both ends, I’m sure Ross won’t begrudge him catching up on sleep. Well, see you tomorrow, sweetie. I’m excited for the hen do! Sorry to disturb you.”
“Me too,” I smiled warmly. “Night.”
“Night.”
I shut the door with a sigh of relief. The cover had worked.
I returned to the bedroom to find Archie half-awake.
“Did you tell her?” He croaked.
“No,” I said. “I told her you were helping me plan the wedding stuff and then you went to bed early because you were tired. She understood.”
“Good, good…” He groaned, fading in and out of sleep.
“Rest now,” I said softly, pulling the blanket higher up to his ears. “Ross is having a great time because of you.”