Chapter 30
CHRISTIAN
CHRISTMAS EVE
Christian lingered at the foot of the giant Christmas tree for a moment longer than he should have, just watching her.
Merry stood at the entrance to Carroll’s in her uniform, her smile brighter than the lights on the branches behind her.
She greeted every customer with a warm “Happy Christmas!” which made people beam with joy as they entered the store.
Merry by name , he thought, utterly gone for her, and merry by nature.
He adjusted his tie and forced himself to step away, heading up to the offices.
It was his first official day at the helm of Carroll’s and he wasn’t too ashamed to say the nerves were real.
Mrs Cradley was waiting in the corridor with her trusty clipboard tucked under her arm and a familiar air of tightly wound annoyance.
But she gave him a wink as he passed her and a look that said, I may be watching you, but I’m also rooting for you .
Christian pushed open the door to his father’s office and paused on the threshold.
Lewis Carroll was standing by the window, looking out over the snow-covered streets below.
It was beautiful and made Fifth Avenue look like a Christmas card.
It also made Christian glad of the five-minute walk across the road to work.
He stopped in his tracks at the sight. Not because of the snow, this time, but because of the sweater his dad was wearing. It was bright red, a Fair Isle pattern of reindeer and snowflakes. Lewis had worn nothing but a suit in decades.
Christian let out a surprised laugh. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with my father?”
Lewis turned with a shrug, the red sweater slightly baggy across his thin chest. “I don’t know why I didn’t wear this all the time,” he said. “It’s unbelievably comfortable.” He motioned towards Christian’s tie with a wry smile. “Meanwhile, you look like you can’t wait to rip that off.”
Christian chuckled, loosening the knot. “I’d love to, and if the big boss can wear a Christmas sweater to work, then so can I.”
“I hate to break the bubble, son.” Lewis nodded thoughtfully. “But you are the big boss now, and you need to keep that on. I’m just here for the free gingerbread cookie if I spend over ten dollars.”
He turned and pulled out his chair from the giant desk he always sat behind. Christian smiled, expecting his dad to sit down, to start talking business. But Lewis stepped aside and gestured to the seat instead.
“I think this is yours now,” he said simply.
Christian swallowed hard, a fizz of tears building in his nose.
“Dad, I . . . I don’t know what to—” He shook his head. “Thank you. Really. I—”
Words failed him, so instead, he stepped forward and took the seat. Lowering himself, he felt the familiar leather, worn from years of use. Christian placed his hands on the desk, took a steadying breath and looked up at his father with a grateful smile. “I guess we should get to work.”
Lewis grinned. “Lead the way, boss.”
“First official decision,” Christian said. “We’re closing at four today. Staff deserve to get home early on Christmas Eve to be with their families.”
Lewis chuckled. “I can feel the profit margins groaning already.”
“Good job they’re not your responsibility anymore then, isn’t it?” Christian felt buoyed by the newfound friendship he was building with his father. It had been a while since they’d joked together and he vowed to do it more often.
A sharp knock sounded at the door and Lewis turned, already moving. “That’s my cue. If I leave now, I think I’ve got time to spend ten dollars and claim my complimentary cookie.”
Christian laughed. “You could just take one, you know?”
Lewis waved him off. “Where’s the fun in that?”
As he opened the door, Margot stood waiting on the threshold, her hair pulled into its usual no-nonsense chignon and her face looking pinched.
“Margot,” Lewis said warmly, stepping aside for her. “I’ll leave you in the capable hands of the man in charge.”
She nodded, watching him go, then walked into the office, giving Christian a terse smile. “You wanted to see me?” she said, her words clipped.
“Sit down, Margot, please,” Christian said, offering her the seat at the other side of the desk.
She perched at the very edge and sat with her hands in her lap. Christian felt a bolt of sorrow for all that she had been through.
“You’ve given this place everything,” he said. “Even when it didn’t give back.”
Her face twitched, a small blossom of pink colouring her cheeks.
“I know my father wasn’t always fair to you,” he said, gently.
“But you have worked so hard for Carroll’s for as long as I can remember.
We might not have some of the same views, and I will be doing what I can to make the store more ethical, but there’s no doubting your heart was fully given over to Carroll’s.
” He held out a folded envelope. Inside was a written offer of a generous retirement bonus.
“You’ve more than earned a little sunshine. ”
She stared at it. “Is this your way of firing me?”
“No, Margot, it’s my way of thanking you. There will always be a job here for you, if you want it. But if you’re staying out of guilt or stubbornness or feelings for my father, don’t. Go live your life, Margot. Go be happy.”
For a moment, she said nothing. Then she sighed, softening in a way he hadn’t seen before.
“I blamed you,” she said, her voice thick. “For years I thought your absence broke this place, and then your dad did what he did to bring you home. I blamed you for all of it. But the truth is, it wasn’t your fault. I can see why you needed to leave and your dad just lost his grip.”
Christian nodded. “So did I.”
Margot stood up and walked around the desk. For a moment, Christian thought she was about to hug him, but she patted his shoulder and tucked the envelope into her coat.
“If I end up on a beach with a cocktail before New Year’s, I’ll send you a postcard.”
He smiled. “Deal.”
She left, her heels clicking down the hallway like punctuation marks on the end of an era.
He had one more job to do up in the offices before he could go and join the staff on the shop floor and help with the Christmas Eve rush.
They were still short of hands on deck, but Christian was hopeful that he’d be able to persuade some of the old ones back and recruit some new faces in the next few weeks.
Crossing to the intercom, he flicked it on, and spoke clearly:
“Attention all staff: Carroll’s will be closing at 4 p.m. today. Go home. Be with the people you love. And this year, as a special thank you, we’re staying closed on Boxing Day. This place will still be here when we all come back on the twenty-seventh.”
He turned off the mic and stepped out into the corridor, feeling the buzz of happy staff around him.
As he walked across the tenth floor, heading for the elevators, he caught a glimpse of Santa through the grotto doors.
The old man gave Christian a knowing wink as he ho-ho-hoed at a group of excited children.
Christian grinned and shook his head, laughter bubbling up in his chest. He still had no idea how the man looked exactly the same as he had when Christian was a boy.
He needed to ask him what his secret was, but he’d wait until after his queue had gone.
Besides, there was something a pinch more important than Santa’s skincare waiting for him on the ground floor.
On impulse, he ducked into the service closet, and there in the corner was his old janitor’s trolley.
He wheeled it out with a quiet laugh and rode the elevator down with it, earning a few curious glances along the way.
When he stepped out on to the shop floor, the hubbub of happy shoppers wrapped around him.
Merry caught sight of him pushing the trolley and, without missing a beat, beamed and called out, “Happy Christmas, sir — and welcome to Carroll’s! We hope you find exactly what you’re looking for.”
Christian smiled, stopping in front of her.
“I already did,” he said softly.
Because the only thing more magical than Christmas at Carroll’s was Merry.