Epilogue
Lucy smiled as a toddler clambered down off Santa’s knee, happy to have delivered her list of Christmas present requests directly to the man himself.
Cassie appeared beside her and nudged a cup of mulled wine into her hands.
‘I think you’ve outdone yourself this year, Lucy,’ she said, nodding appreciatively at the crowds.
Lucy smiled. ‘As always,’ she gingerly sipped her hot drink, ‘it’s a team effort. But thank you.’
The old stately house was heaving with visitors, more than they’d had for the Christmas Fayre in previous years. They’d opened up additional rooms for the event, decorating the original kitchens, putting out traditional foods and decking out the ballroom in a midnight blue and silver theme.
Anne passed them with a group of visitors who had booked the VIP tour clutching their Christmas at Dulcetcoombe brochures, and Lucy and Cassie overheard an elderly man say, ‘So nice that they still do things like this. Reminds me of when I was little.’
Dot marched up to them, Dick glued to her side. After Lucy had spoken to him back in the summer, he seemed to have rather taken their talk to heart. Tonight, he was dressed in a tweed three-piece suit, his hair slicked neatly to one side. He hung on Dot’s every word.
‘Lucy,’ Dot began. ‘Have you seen the reindeer handler? He’s disappeared again and left Margaret looking after the reindeer. Said he was popping to the loo, but Dick said he saw him hanging around the mulled wine stall, and now no one can find him.’ She puffed out her cheeks and shook her head. ‘These are wild animals, Lucy, wild animals, and Margaret is in charge of them. She couldn’t manage a goldfish.’ She threw up her hands. ‘It’s a disaster waiting to happen.’
Lucy, in far too good a mood to allow Dot to ruin it, clicked her radio and sent a message to all staff to please look out for their missing reindeer handler, and for someone to please go and help Margaret in the meantime.
‘So Dot,’ Lucy said, smiling. ‘Apart from the missing-in-action reindeer handler, how do you think it’s going this year?’
‘Humph,’ Dot said and put her hands on her hips. ‘I think…well…on balance…overall…’ She nodded. ‘I think we’ve done well.’ She looked at Lucy. ‘You’ve done well. Best year yet.’
Her eyes were bright, and she gave a brisk nod of the head.
‘Now, Dick.’ Her voice turned stern. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be taking over at the candy cane stall right now? Come along.’ And she steered him off by the elbow as he grinned sideways at her.
Through the crowds, Lucy spotted a familiar dark head. She waved, ‘Over here!’
Jack grinned as he saw her and fought his way through the throng until he was standing in front of her.
‘Hi, Cassie,’ he said, hugging her. ‘Merry Christmas.’
‘Merry Christmas to you, too,’ Cassie said. ‘It’s been quite a year.’
Jack laughed. ‘It certainly has.’ He kissed Lucy and then looked her up and down quizzically. ‘Why are you wearing that massive coat? It’s roasting in here.’
‘I’m heading outside in a minute,’ Lucy said. ‘But first, I have a little Christmas Eve gift for you.’ Jack raised his eyebrows in a question. She dug in her pocket and pulled out a gift-wrapped box. ‘Here, a little something to remember the year we’ve had.’
Jack turned the box over in his hands.
‘What is this? Some Victorian candle from the gift shop?’
Lucy shoved him gently. ‘Just open it.’
Jack ripped off the paper and eyed the plain white box, before flipping open the lid. He dug his hand in and pulled something out, then burst out laughing.
‘Let me see,’ said Cassie, jostling to get a look.
Jack turned to show her a mug that read, I Love NYC. Cassie snorted with laughter.
Jack pulled Lucy to him and kissed her.
‘I think you know it’s not New York I’m in love with,’ he murmured.
Lucy kissed him back.
‘Well, that’s good because I’ve got another surprise for you.’
‘What? In front of all these people?’ He clutched his hands to his chest. ‘Lucy, it wouldn’t be decent.’
Lucy giggled and poked him in the ribs.
‘Shut up and come with me.’
She took his hand, dragged him through the crush of people and led him outside. It was freezing, and the frost had been on the ground for days. The earth was hard, and the grass was crunchy underfoot. Her breath, made hotter from the mulled wine, came out in great puffs.
‘Where are we going?’ Jack asked as they headed away from the house. ‘I wanted to see the reindeer.’
Lucy giggled.
‘You can see the reindeer in a minute. I have something for you first.’
They had reached a small copse on the side lawns. The bright lights from the house sparkled behind them, and a horse-drawn carriage with giddy revellers passed by a few metres away.
Lucy took Jack’s hand and turned to face him. She cleared her throat.
‘When we were at the wedding, I think, looking back, the first moment I realised that something was…different between us, was when you told Ollie and Sophie the story of how we got together.’ She fiddled with the belt of her coat. ‘It all felt so authentic. Me here at the Christmas Fayre, the strain and the hassle and the joy of it all. How you saw me in the middle of it all and…understood. I loved that story more than I think you know.’ She hesitated for just a moment. ‘And I wanted to give us a chance to make every detail of it true.’
She let go of the belt, and her coat fell open to reveal a form-fitting sparkly silver dress. Her voice cracked as she grinned and added, ‘Even the stupid dress.’
Jack’s mouth fell open. ‘Wow, you look….’
‘Cold?’
Lucy shivered and giggled as her teeth started to chatter.
‘Amazing. You look amazing.’ He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him against the cold. His lips grazed her brow.
‘You always look amazing,’ he said in a gruff voice.
Lucy buried her face into the solid warmth of his shoulder.
After a moment, Jack gently pulled back.
He rubbed at his jaw and said, ‘Actually, it’s quite good we’re here on our own.’ His hand dropped into his pocket. ‘I’ve been carrying this around,’ he pulled out a tiny box, ‘for the past month trying to,’ he took a breath, ‘trying to find the right moment.’
Lucy’s breath was caught in her throat. She couldn’t feel the cold anymore.
Jack cleared his throat. ‘Lucy, you look amazing in that stupid dress—’
She laughed and felt a lump swell up in her chest.
Jack’s eyes were shining, and he swallowed, then continued, ‘Any chance you’d wear another stupid dress for another special occasion?’
Jack was blinking rapidly.
He opened the velvet box, and Lucy saw the glint of the ring in the dim frosty light.
She took a breath and looked him directly in the eye.
‘No,’ she said.
Jack’s mouth fell open.
‘I can’t,’ she said. ‘Not unless you get down on one knee and ask me properly. Not some flippant joke about a stupid dress.’
Jack looked like he was about to keel over, and he pressed a hand to his chest.
‘Luce, are you serious? You’re giving me a heart attack here.’
Lucy folded her arms across the sequins.
Muttering under his breath about the cold, Jack got down on one knee. He looked up at Lucy, his face open and earnest, and her heart turned over in her chest.
‘Lucy Carmell.’ There was no hint of a smile or a joke. He held her gaze. ‘You know I am head over heels in love with you. Will you marry me?’
He held up the ring.
Lucy looked down into his face, full of love and felt an irresistible twitch in the corner of her mouth.
‘Sure, why not.’ She shrugged. ‘I’m not busy next year.’
‘Luce, are you kidding me?! You made me—’
She pulled him up and cut him off with a kiss. When they broke apart to catch their breath, she murmured into his mouth, ‘Yes, Jack. Of course I’ll marry you.’
They wound their arms tightly around one another.
As they kissed, the silhouette of a solitary reindeer could be seen against the lights of the house as it trotted off into the dark parkland.