Fiction Serial: A Truly Magical Christmas (Part 2)
WRITTEN BY DELLA GALTON
Part two of Della Galton’s warm Christmas romance… and you can read Part 1 here if you missed it
“It’s lovely to see you again,” Lindsey said as she showed Katie into her office, which was tucked away at the back of her beautiful house.
The place was like a Tardis, Katie thought as she was shown into a space furnished with soft lighting and two red Chesterfield-style sofas alongside a walnut desk. The perfect place to sort out your life, Katie decided.
She still couldn’t believe she was having a life-coaching session. It wasn’t the kind of thing she’d ever have considered. But Lindsey was so nice. The kind of person you could trust.
“The first thing I usually ask clients,” Lindsey began once they were settled with a percolator of fresh coffee, “is this… If you had only six months to live – what would you be doing?” She smiled. “Let’s assume money isn’t an issue.”
Katie nodded. “I’d immerse myself in music,” she said instantly. “And I’d live in a cottage something like this one…” She gestured towards the window, which overlooked a sprawling garden. “Sharing it with the man of my dreams, of course.”
She felt her stomach clench. Until she’d come to Dorset to help her brother, she’d thought Marcus was that man – but something had changed in the last fortnight. It was very disturbing.
“Currently you’re a teaching assistant?” Lindsey questioned, looking at some notes she’d made when they’d chatted on the phone. “Does that involve music?”
Katie shook her head. “My contract in Bristol finished in November. And it didn’t involve music. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked my job, but…” She paused.
“It wasn’t your dream job?”
“Not really.” Katie went on hesitantly, “I’m a musician. I thought at one stage when I was young and idealistic that I’d like to be a professional pianist, but by the time I was old enough to choose, I’d let myself be talked out of it. By my teachers – and family – you know. Being a musician isn’t exactly a reliable career, is it?” Her face heated up as she tried to suppress the emotion in her voice. She hadn’t wanted to be talked out of her dream. She hadn’t wanted to be sensible.
“So you went for the reliable option?” Lindsey asked softly.
“Yep… and I’m currently out of a job!” She shrugged, trying to minimise the hurt. It was weird, but until now she had never put it into words. She’d never stopped long enough to wonder whether or not she’d done the right thing.
I’m too old to have a career change now, though, aren’t I? Even if I wanted?
Lindsey’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re only thirty-four! It’s a perfect age for a career change. Besides, you’re never too old to follow your dreams.” She spoke with such assurance that Katie felt a tingle of excitement in her stomach. By the time their session ended, she was buzzing with it. Lindsey was inspiring. She had a way of making you feel anything was possible.
Just before Lindsey showed her out, Katie said the second thing she’d said that day that bypassed logic and sense and had more to do with gut feeling.
“Do you by any chance have a bit of a thing for my brother?”
Lindsey did a classic double take.
“Oh my gosh, is it that obvious?”
“Only to me. Don’t worry.” Katie smiled at her. “Men are so dim when it comes to romance. Or at least, Jimmy is.”
Lindsey bit her lip. “I liked him the first time I met him. Every time I’ve met him since, I’ve liked him more. That last party was the – um – third he’s done this year.”
“Wouldn’t it have been cheaper to just ask him out?” Katie said impulsively.
Oops! That had probably been a bit direct, but Lindsey clearly hadn’t taken offence because she giggled.
“Loads cheaper. But I can’t… I’m scared he’s going to say no. Is that mad? Yes it is, isn’t it?” Her cheeks went pink as she answered her own question.
“Totally,” Katie said, “And far be it for me to do him out of business but, hey, maybe I can help. I’ll be subtle, don’t worry,” she added, seeing Lindsey’s look of alarm. “Leave it with me.”
In the end Katie wasn’t very subtle. Or more to the point, subtle didn’t work. After Jimmy had totally ignored several hints about festive romance and mixing business with pleasure, and some other stuff about how wonderful Lindsey was, which he’d agreed with, but not pursued,
she decided to ask him outright.
So one evening when they were decorating his slightly battered Christmas tree she said idly, “A Christmas drink with Lindsey Campbell would be nice, wouldn’t it?”
“Great idea,” he said, leaning forward to hang a red bauble on one of the lower branches. “You two get on really well, don’t you?”
“Not me, you Muppet… You!”
“Me?” He looked astonished.
She’s well out of my league. A girl like that.
“Darling brother, you have no idea, do you? She thinks you’re lovely. Clearly she has very good taste. I bet you anything that if you were to phone her up and ask her for a drink – she would say yes.”
“How do you know?” He glanced at her suspiciously.
“Call it women’s intuition.” She tapped her nose. Then she nudged his phone towards him. “Go on. Ask her out. You’ve got nothing to lose.”
She made herself scarce to give him some privacy.
Besides, she had a phone call to make herself. Marcus had been curiously quiet for the last few days. In fact, he’d seemed a bit off since Saturday.
At first she’d put it down to the fact that he was upset because she hadn’t been able to go to the Christmas party with him, but she was beginning to wonder if there was something else going on. They hadn’t spoken properly on the phone, despite the fact she’d left him two messages.
She had just got through to his answer phone yet again when she heard a whoop of glee from downstairs. Well – at least one of them must have had a successful conversation, then.
The following morning, Katie was woken by the sound of a whistled rendition of Good King Wenceslas from downstairs. At least, she thought that was what it was supposed to be.
Jimmy may have been a genius juggler, but he couldn’t whistle to save his life. She was tempted to pull a pillow over her head and go back to sleep, but they had a kids’ party at eleven so she went downstairs.
“Your phone call went well, then?” she said, as she filled her bowl. He couldn’t whistle but he was a dab hand at porridge.
We’re meeting at the Cock and Bottle on Friday night. How cool is that? Thanks, Sis. You were right. She was pleased I phoned.
He went back to the whistling.
“Ouch!” Katie clapped her hands over her ears and escaped for a shower.
On the way back from the party, he told her that Aiden Baker had phoned.
“Your favourite customer,” Katie said with a touch of irony.
“I know. He wants someone to pop by and finalise the arrangements. I don’t suppose…” Jimmy glanced at her.
“You want me to go?” She frowned, remembering the gruff yet vulnerable man who had lost his wife and wanted to arrange the best birthday party ever for his daughter.
Well, you did work miracles with him last time…
Jimmy let the idea hang and Katie sighed.
“Yes. Of course I’ll go and see him,” she said quietly.
Which was how she came to be sitting in Aiden Baker’s kitchen on Friday evening, having dropped Jimmy off at the Cock and Bottle, en route, for his date with Lindsey.
Illustration: Mandy Dixon
Actually, it wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. Aiden had already outlined exactly what he wanted and just seemed to want her approval.
“I think she’ll love it,” Katie told him. “As I said before, parties aren’t really about the colour of the balloons you pick, or what food they have – they’re all about love.”
“Do you have kids?” he asked, leaning forward, his eyes lit up with interest.
“No, but I’ve been around them a lot.”
She told him about the job she’d had. Then, somehow, because he was the last person she’d have expected herself to confide in, she added, “I’m thinking of teaching music – to children, I mean. It would be a way of combining two of the things I really love.”
Blimey, where had that come from? She hadn’t even realised it fully until that moment, but Aiden was nodding enthusiastically.
“We should all do what we’re passionate about,” he said emphatically. “There should be a law…”
“What is it that you do?” she asked him curiously.
“I’m a lighting technician. Lights are my thing,” he added. “As you may have noticed.”
She smiled. The blaze of Christmas lights surrounding his house and garden suddenly made more sense.
“I started as an electrician,” he continued, returning her smile. “And I still do that too – but I also had an interest in the stage so I diversified about ten years ago. I work for quite a few musicians.”
They were so lost in conversation that Katie was shocked to discover that two hours had flown by.
“I’ve outstayed my welcome,” she gasped. “I didn’t realise it was so late.”
“No, you haven’t.” His voice was warm. “I’ve enjoyed our chat. Thanks so much for coming. And thank you for helping me to see what’s – well… important.”
“It’s been a pleasure.”
Suddenly she didn’t want to leave his company and it seemed he felt the same way too.
Will I see you at Holly’s party? Will you be coming with Jimmy?
“I will indeed,” she promised.
Katie expected to find the house in darkness but all the lights were on.
Jimmy was back too, then. Oh dear. Did that mean things hadn’t gone well with his date?
She held her breath as she went into the lounge. He was on the sofa, watching a quiz show, his face disconsolate.
“Is everything all right, honey? You’re back rather early.”
“She never showed up,” he said, half turning his head in her direction. “I guess she must have changed her mind.”
“I can’t think why.” She went and sat beside him. “Have you tried calling her?”
“Several times, yes. But it just goes straight to voicemail.”
“How odd.” She sat beside him. “I hope nothing’s happened.
“She probably just came to her senses.”
He scratched his chin and looked so bereft that she was reminded of the past. Jimmy had been jilted at the altar five years ago – well, as good as. His fiancée, who, in their mother’s words had “seen him coming”, had run off the night before their wedding with someone he’d thought was a mate. But not before she’d got him to pay off her debts and had cleared out his bank account. The whole experience had knocked a dent the size of Dorset in his confidence. He’d been wary of women ever since.
“I’m sure there’s a good explanation,” Katie said now, stroking his arm and hoping there was. Lindsey had seemed so genuine. “I’ll make us a hot chocolate. And a mince pie…”
A poor substitute for a date but…
She’d just boiled the milk when the doorbell rang. Her heart lifted. That was probably Lindsey calling round to apologise for whatever had stopped her coming – maybe she’d lost her phone or something?
She heard Jimmy answer it. Seconds later there was a familiar voice in the hall – but it wasn’t Lindsey’s. It was Marcus.
What on earth could have happened to bring him down here at this time of night? It was nearly nine pm.
He looked stern and his hands were in his pockets. She paused beside Jimmy.
“Has something happened?”
“I’m afraid it has. We need to talk.”
“Of course.” She glanced at Jimmy and he took the hint and went upstairs.
Seconds later, she and Marcus were on the sofa. His body language was all wrong. He was sitting as far away as he could from her.
Honey, you’re beginning to worry me…
“I’m sorry.” He looked past her to a point above the fireplace. “Phew, this is harder than I thought.”
“What is?” She was flummoxed now.
She had never seen him look so ill at ease – her confident boyfriend.
I’ve been struggling about how to tell you. I was going to phone. But it didn’t seem right, you know.
“Just tell me. It can’t be that bad.”
For the first time he looked her full in the face. “I’m just going to say it. I’ve met someone else. I’m really sorry, Katie, but I’m afraid it’s over.”
“I see,” she said, even as she thought what an inane thing that was to say because she didn’t see. It didn’t make sense at all. How had he met someone else? She had been away from home – from him – for just under two weeks.
Four days ago, he’d still been telling her he loved her, asking her to type letters – well, he’d definitely been doing the latter. She couldn’t actually remember the last time he’d said he loved her.
Part of her wanted to rewind the last five minutes – play them through again, to see if she’d missed something. Perhaps she should rewind the last two weeks.
But Marcus was getting up.
I wanted to tell you in person. Obviously there are things we need to sort out. You can leave your stuff as long as you like – you know, within reason.
It was then that the anger kicked in. “How very kind,” she heard herself saying in a voice that sounded nothing like hers. “Considerate to the last.”
He was backing away now, his hands up. “Look – like I said. I’m sorry.”
She followed him in a bubble of shock to the front door. When he opened it, she could see his car outside. See the silhouette of someone sitting in it, lit by the Christmas lights shining out from the next-door neighbour’s garden.
For a moment she wanted to run out and confront the woman who had stolen her man. But there was another emotion sliding up through the tangle in her chest, and it wasn’t anger. It was the realisation that she wasn’t surprised – and it was mixed in with something that felt like relief.
As she stood looking out into the December darkness, she sensed Jimmy come up behind her and she felt his hands on her shoulders.
“I could go and punch him if you like – but I don’t suppose that would really help things much, would it?”
“No, honey.” She closed the front door and turned towards her brother. “But thanks for offering.”
We’ve picked out some of our favourite Christmas fiction serials from the archive to share with you. This is the first serial, a 4-part, warm-hearted Christmas tale. We’ll publish the remaining parts, one a week, every Wednesday. Part 3 will be published on Sept 28.
