Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ted smiled when she told him at the school gate the next day, the creases in his brow relaxing a little.
‘Thanks,’ he said, as he waved goodbye to some of the children in his class.
‘I’ve got the catering sorted and you’ve done the decorations, can you bring them to the tree decorating at the weekend?
’ Jen nodded, biting her cheek as she realised she still hadn’t collected them.
She would do it later. ‘Just need the living nativity sorted now,’ he said, biting his nail, the forehead creases back.
Jen wrinkled her nose. ‘Do you? Isn’t all this enough?’
He sighed. ‘I don’t know. Not really.’
He sounded glum, and a little distracted as he ran his hand through his hair, frowning as he gazed off at some spot in the distance. It wasn’t quite the response she’d been hoping for.
At Railway Cottages, excitement was building for the school nativity play.
Amy talked about it non-stop, practising the carols and showing Jen how she had to hold her arms up as though they were wings, and making her promise over and over again that she would be at the play and the celebratory dinner afterwards, and the village tree decorating the following morning.
When the day came, just as she and Julia were leaving the house, a black Mazda MX-5 pulled up outside, and Anthony stepped out of it.
‘Hey,’ he said. ‘I’m so glad I caught you!’ He looked her up and down, a slow smile spreading over his lips. ‘You look gorgeous.’
‘Oh,’ she said, glancing down at the jeans and jumper that she definitely wouldn’t have worn if she’d known she was going to see him.
‘I – uh, thanks. But – what are you doing here? I mean, it’s great to see you.
’ She felt her smile widen as she took in his chiselled face and the stark blue of his eyes against his dark hair.
It really was good to see him. But she was finding it hard to adjust to his sudden arrival, and in a flashy car, no less.
She’d imagined him, struggling artist that he was, driving some battered second-hand Skoda. ‘I just wasn’t expecting . . .’
He nodded at Julia, who was gaping at him with her mouth open.
‘Hey,’ he said, raising a hand.
Julia closed her mouth with a snap and waved back half-heartedly, as though she was in a daze.
‘Hi, little man,’ he said, twiddling his fingers in front of George, who laughed and tried to catch them as he sat in his buggy. ‘I thought I’d surprise you,’ Anthony said, turning his attention back to Jen. ‘Is that OK? I just wanted to see you.’
‘I – yes, of course! It’s great, it’s just that, we’re about to go out. To – just to the school, actually, it’s the nativity play and my niece is in it, so . . . we kind of need to leave. Sorry.’
‘Ah.’ He gave a little laugh. ‘Stupid of me, sorry – I don’t know why I thought you’d be at a loose end.’ He shook his head.
‘No, it’s great, it’s a lovely surprise. It’s just that, I promised Amy I’d go, so . . .’
‘I could come,’ he said, shrugging. ‘I mean, if that’s not too . . .’
‘Oh – you sure? It’s just a—’
‘Yeah, it’ll be cute.’ He dipped his head, caught her eye. Spoke softly. ‘And you’ll be there. And I want to be where you are.’
Julia cleared her throat, tearing her eyes away from Anthony just long enough to look pointedly at a non-existent watch on her wrist.
‘My sister,’ Jen said by way of introduction. Julia and Anthony smiled at each other. ‘And yes, we’re a bit late now, so if you’re sure, shall we just . . . ?’
They began to make their way, and as Anthony turned his back, Julia caught Jen’s eye, smirking and rolling her eyes around, fanning herself, pretending to faint.
Jen couldn’t help grinning back, even though she gave Julia a very severe pack-it-in look.
But she felt as proud of Anthony’s beauty as if she’d made him herself.
He glanced from one sister to the other, looking confused. ‘What?’
‘Nothing,’ Jen said, trying to look innocent. ‘Come on, let’s go.’
They held hands as they walked down the village street, Julia hurrying ahead of them, and Jen couldn’t help feeling smug.
She knew everyone was taking an interest, peeking through curtains and casting surreptitious glances at them.
The arrival of someone as glamorous and good-looking as Anthony in Babblebrook was the most exciting thing to happen in the village in years.
Everyone smiled at her, nodding or raising their eyebrows to signal their approval.
Of course he was a hit. This would finally shut Julia and Ted up and stop them meddling in her love life.
As they walked, a motorbike came shooting down the village street, revving noisily and driving at quite a speed.
Anthony raised his eyebrows. ‘Didn’t expect there to be a gang of bikers coming through a tiny village like this,’ he said, laughing.
‘Never underestimate Babblebrook,’ Jen said.
He laughed. ‘Yeah, right.’
But she hadn’t been joking. And she was pretty sure that the ‘gang of bikers’ was actually Pat; Jen recognised the leathers she’d been wearing in the café that time.
Julia and George met Dan, who was waiting outside the school in his work suit. He frowned in confusion when he saw Anthony, and Julia dragged him off, talking quietly but animatedly; she was obviously filling him in.
Jen and Anthony found seats at the back of the hall, which was filled with adult-sized chairs in rows and sported colourful boards showing the children’s work.
Jen glanced around at the displays of neatly written poems, cardboard houses covered in snow, and handprint Rudolph pictures.
She imagined a board with salt-dough ornaments in the shape of Christmas trees and stars, brightly painted and covered in glitter, hanging from it.
Once everyone had settled, Ted came to the front of the stage. He looked a bit dishevelled, his hair unkempt and shadows under his eyes. It wasn’t like him. Jen would have to catch him afterwards, to check he was OK.
‘Good afternoon, everyone,’ he said, still sounding every bit the calm deputy head. ‘And thank you for coming to our Key Stage One Christmas nativity play!’
Beside her, Anthony rolled his eyes. ‘Look at this Suit,’ he whispered to her. ‘Bet he’s only the same age as us but he’s already got a mortgage and two kids.’
Jen leaned in, keeping her gaze focused on the front. ‘That’s my friend Ted,’ she said quietly. ‘We went to teacher training college together.’
Anthony’s head whipped around to face her. ‘Shit, sorry,’ he muttered.
She said nothing, still watching Ted as he talked about the upcoming Christmas fair, and how exciting it was for Babblebrook to be hosting this year, and how wonderful it would be if all the parents could support it.
‘And now,’ he said, with a self-effacing smile, ‘I’ll stop waffling and let the real stars get up here! They’ve worked so hard, and we’re very proud of them. Please welcome Key Stage One.’
The play was a sweet affair that began in a contemporary setting as a grandpa explained the nativity story to his grandchildren on Christmas Eve. Cue cute children in pyjamas and one in a fake beard.
Next to Jen, Anthony laughed in all the right places, and appeared to be delighted by the display of cuteness. He took her hand in his and ran his thumb idly over hers. And she began to forgive him for his rudeness about her best friend.
‘This is adorable,’ he whispered.
The nativity itself played out, Mary in blue with a cushion under her dress and Joseph with his arm around her, a donkey with cardboard ears who kept waving at her parents, and an innkeeper who looked like he might burst into tears at having to refuse Mary and Joseph a room.
‘I’m ever so sorry, you know,’ he said, clasping Joseph’s hands. An unscripted line, judging by Joseph’s reaction. He glanced over his shoulder at the teacher who kneeled in front of the stage, smiling encouragingly and cradling her belly, and shrugged.
‘It’s OK,’ Joseph said, patting the innkeeper on the head. ‘I expect we’ll find a stable or something.’
The audience laughed and cooed at this sweet little interaction, and then it was time for the arrival of the angels.
‘That’s my niece,’ Jen whispered. ‘The one at the end, with the halo halfway down her face and ketchup round her mouth.’
Anthony chuckled quietly. ‘Adorable.’
Amy was adorable. They all were. Mary had quite a strong Birmingham accent and yelled her lines at the top of her voice, grinning mischievously.
One of the sheep ran into the audience to cuddle his gran, and then clambered back on the stage; one of the kings dropped her crown and ran after it as it bounced around the stage; and one of the shepherds yawned loudly as the Angel Gabriel did her speech, then sat down cross-legged, sucking his thumb.
The audience laughed good-naturedly at these antics.
All in all, it was exactly the little bubble of cuteness that Jen had thought it would be, and she was so grateful to be there to see it that she felt like her chest was going to burst.
She had so nearly missed out on this. If it wasn’t for the snow enforcing her stay, if it wasn’t for Julia’s cold and Dan’s conference, she’d be back in her other life, in the flat, working at the bar. If it wasn’t for Ted, choosing Babblebrook for their reunion weekend.
She wouldn’t be sitting here now. She wouldn’t have made a snow family with the village children, she wouldn’t have seen them enjoying her craft activities at the café, she wouldn’t have read bedtime stories to her niece and nephew, and played with the train set with them, and made their gingerbread house.
She wouldn’t have met Lottie. She wouldn’t have met Anthony.
‘Are you crying?’ he asked.
‘No,’ she said, surreptitiously wiping an eye. ‘Of course not.’
‘Aww,’ he said, smiling fondly and putting his arm around her shoulder to pull her in for a hug. ‘You’re a big softie at heart, aren’t you?’
She cleared her throat. ‘No, it’s just – bit dusty in here, that’s all.’
He nodded, smirking as he looked at her.
Once the applause was done, and everyone began shuffling out of their chairs, Anthony turned to her. ‘I was planning on taking you to dinner. Would that be OK?’
They were supposed to be having a special meal that night, to celebrate the play with Amy – all her favourites, spaghetti bolognaise and chocolate ice cream for pudding.
But he looked so hopeful, she couldn’t turn him down.
She’d promised Amy she’d be there. But she’d make it up to her another time; she’d take her to the café for an auntie–niece outing.
It wasn’t like they’d known Jen was going to be in Babblebrook for this, after all; her being here for the nativity itself was a bonus.
‘That sounds great,’ she said. ‘I’ll just tell Julia.’
Julia hid her disappointment, which Jen assumed was on Amy’s behalf, fairly well. There was only a brief moment where her expression betrayed it.
‘Oh – OK,’ she said, nodding. ‘Have fun!’
Her smile was so bright Jen almost believed it.
‘I won’t be late,’ she said. ‘And I’ll still come to the tree decorating in the morning.’
The children had been talking about this for days; the decorating of the giant Christmas tree on the village green. It was a Babblebrook tradition, everyone came to help, and Jen had promised Amy and Lottie that she would take them.
Julia was nodding. ‘OK. No worries.’
A little guilt-worm squirmed in Jen’s stomach.
But Anthony was here, he’d come to surprise her and take her for dinner, and it was so romantic that she couldn’t turn him down.
She didn’t want to admit it, but part of her was also worried; if she didn’t go with him now, she didn’t know when she’d hear from him again, or see him again.
He was here, now, asking to take her out.
She couldn’t bring herself to let that chance go.
‘All sorted,’ she said, smiling, as she found him admiring the board with the poetry on.
‘Some of these are really good,’ he said. ‘Look! These are written by little kids.’
He sounded genuinely in awe.
‘That is a compliment, coming from a professional like you,’ she said. ‘I’ll have to let Ted know, he’ll be thrilled. You know, one of these days you’ll have to let me read some of your writing!’
He smiled. ‘Maybe.’
‘Today?’
He laughed. ‘We’ll see. Come on, let’s get you fed.’
Jen looked down at her outfit. ‘Don’t I need to get changed?’
He took a moment to look at her, a gentle smile playing on his lips. Then he kissed her softly. ‘You don’t need to change a single hair on your head.’
He put his arm around her waist, and Jen leaned in to him as they walked out of the hall and into the frosty evening, his words ringing through her and filling her with warmth.
She willed everyone to see them as they walked down the village street; she wanted everyone to know that this gorgeous, glamorous man was here for her.
As she climbed into his car, her phone buzzed. It was Ted.
You around for a catch up later?
She saw the notification but didn’t open the message. It wasn’t like him to ask to talk or meet up out of the blue, and he had looked tired. For a moment, she thought about calling him, even just quickly, to check in.
‘Where do you want to go?’ Anthony asked, smiling.
Jen fancied a curry. But she wasn’t sure whether he liked spicy foods; they’d never eaten anything like that when they’d been out.
‘Italian?’ she said.