Masters And Lovers 1-4
Chapter 53
*****
We crunch through snap-topped snow, having to pick up our feet to get from the car to the door. A trail of footprints leads back and forth from the door to the garden and in a few places, what look like the exploded remains of snowballs lie star-fished on the surface.
From somewhere comes drifting the scent of roasting meat, fruit and spices.
“Who’s doing the cooking?” asks Elizabeth. “It smells amazing.”
“James, I believe.” And I’m not disagreeing with her. It does smell amazing.
Unloading the back of the car, I pile Elizabeth’s arms with the wrapped cake, a box of candied fruit and the armagnac I know James is partial to. Then I take my own load; the gifts we bought for the three, including a bourbon which I think might appeal to Michael.
Arms full, I struggle to ring the bell on the be-wreathed oak door, eventually shoving at the button with my elbow. From beyond, there is first silence, then a scuffling noise, followed by the click and creak of the door opening. And then Michael’s comically astonished face.
Elizabeth and I burst out laughing. “You didn’t know we were coming then?” I say.
“He never breathed a word.” Michael looks back over his shoulder, then as he stands back from the door, opening it wide for us, his smile drops to Elizabeth’s blushing face.
His eyes rise to meet mine. I hold them for a second.
“Aaahhh….” he says, starting to laugh himself and scraping a hand through his hair.
“What’s funny?”
As if I didn’t know…
this morning James has stopped
you
Wonder how?
a very frustrating morning, my
Having said that….
tight as I run a mental
“Are you going to keep them on the doorstep all day?” For all that he’s trying hard to keep a
Enjoyed your little joke…?
straight….”
brows with an ‘Oh,
it?”
Michael, smiling down at Elizabeth. Heat
shared wife appears from the kitchen wearing an apron over her dress and wielding a wooden spoon which drips
her eyes and mouth fling open and she comes racing down the hall yelling and smiling. “I didn’t know you were coming. Thank you.
Charlotte,” I
Charlotte throw their arms around each other. “James wanted us to keep it
James who wears an expression somewhere between pride and pleasure. He snakes out an arm, tugging her away from Elizabeth and pulling her in close to kiss her forehead. “For your first Real Christmas. I thought the other half of your family should also be
pulls the heel of her hand across the corners of her
pushed into his pockets, saying nothing. Noticeably, Elizabeth stands almost exactly half-way between him
to the blue bedroom. I made it up for them….” He waves vaguely upstairs. “Get yourselves comfortable; there’s an en-suite. And then come down and join us. We’ll all have a drink before lunch, I think.” He scans our armloads. “What’s in those bottles you’ve
gesture to Michael who offers her