Christmas in Peppercorn Street

by Anna Jacobs

As he set the ladder down at the front door of the house, he turned to Claire. ‘I don’t think he could have caught my van on that camera. It seems to be set to cover the parking area and entrance to the house, but it can’t film round the corner into the side street, can it? Good thing I stopped short of the house when you jumped out of the van so suddenly, eh?’

  She looked at him as if this made no sense to her.

  ‘My van has a logo on it as well as the registration plate. He could have used either of them to trace me. If he hasn’t seen it that means you should still be safe coming back to stay at my house. You shouldn’t even try to live on your own till he’s been caught. It’s only one step from where he is now to really dangerous behaviour.’

  He saw her shudder and let that sink in before continuing. ‘He’ll have a sophisticated security system plus me to deal with if he tries to get into my house.’

  As she opened her mouth to protest, he said, ‘I’m not taking no for an answer, Claire. You’re both coming back with me and that’s that. There are times to manage on your own and times to admit you need help.’ He could see the moment she gave in.

  Her voice wobbled as she asked, ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yes. Very. I’m not leaving you and Gabby at some lunatic’s mercy.’

  She swallowed hard. ‘Very well. I’ll come back with you. We’ll try not to be any trouble. Just till I can work out what to do, mind.’

  ‘But we’ll go to the police first and tell them about your ex.’

  ‘No. Martin will expect us to do that. He’ll go and see them in a day or two, pretend to be worried about Gabby, might even persuade them to tell him where I am. He’s loosened people’s tongues like that before. He can be very convincing. Let’s just … move on. It’s only the loss of a car to the police, and an old one at that. They won’t make finding whoever set fire to it a priority. And I paid for it so my friend won’t be out of pocket.’

  ‘But the police might consider an attack on a woman and child more of a priority if you tell them what was really behind it all.’

  ‘I won’t be able to prove it. Martin won’t have left any clues, believe me. He’s always thorough, good at details.’

  She wasn’t a stupid woman so Luke was inclined to put faith in her judgement about the situation. Anyway, she was right: the police were overloaded with cases. But he had time to spare. Not to mention a very secure house – well, it would be secure once the fence was fixed and the security system switched on again at night and when they were out. He’d been lax about doing that since Dee came to live with him.

  He wanted to help Claire even more after this discovery. What that man was doing was … shameful. Any decent person would be disgusted.

  He covered the camera lens with a cloth as he took it down, trying not to get his own fingerprints on it, and put it in the back of his car. It was quite a sophisticated model, must have been expensive. It might be useful as evidence, who knew?

  ‘We’ll go home now, eh?’ He didn’t wait for her to answer but half turned in his seat and smiled at the child. ‘You all right in the back there, Gabby?’

  ‘Yes, Luke.’

  But even Gabby was subdued on the way back. The anxious look seemed to have settled on her face, all the bubbly chatter extinguished. He hated to see that, hated to see the way Claire was drooping, as if she was heavy with despair.

  Some people seemed to stir up angst all around them, as he’d found to his cost. But his ex wasn’t in the same league as this woman’s ex.

  Then a sudden thought cheered him up. Maybe he could persuade Claire to stay until the new year. They could spend Christmas together. That would help him with Dee, as well as banishing the loneliness.

  Chapter Nine

  As he was driving home, Luke saw a small country pub advertising lunches. It was an attractive-looking place and on impulse he turned in to the car park. ‘Let’s go in here and get something to eat. I’m ravenous.’

  ‘Are you sure? You must have better things to do with your time than run round all day after me.’

  ‘Actually, no. I’ve recently sold my business for a very handsome sum, so there’s nothing else that desperately needs doing, except for arranging to have a new fence erected.’ He held up one hand to forestall her protest. ‘And I’d need that whether Helly was visiting me or not, so don’t start feeling guilty about it.’

  As they walked towards the entrance, Gabby took her mother’s hand and after giving him a shy smile, slipped her other hand into his. She got him in the heart every time she did that. Such a small, soft hand.

  Of course, the pub had its Christmas decorations up, with a tree full of winking lights to one side.

  Gabby stopped to smile at them. ‘Isn’t it lovely? We used to have a Christmas tree with lights on, didn’t we, Mum?’

  ‘Yes, love, and we’ll have one again after we settle somewhere.’

  ‘I might have one somewhere,’ Luke said. ‘I just dumped things I’d not be using when I moved into Peppercorn Street. I’d forgotten about decorating the house. We’ll get Dee on to that and how about you help her, Gabby?’

  The child smiled and gave a happy skip at that, the anxious look fading still more. It took so little to make her happy. She hadn’t learnt to be greedy or to feel entitled to anything. That was refreshing, what Christmas was really about, being kind to one another, small joys.

  There was a group in the pub having an early Christmas lunch party at one side of the big room, but they found a free table away from the noise and near a window. He went to the bar to get some big cards from below a sign saying ‘Pick up your menus here’ and brought them across after ordering three lemon, lime and bitters on an impulse.

  ‘We’ll all choose our very favourite dish to cheer ourselves up.’ He passed out the menus.

  Claire shot him a quick glance and he put his hand over hers on the table. ‘No cheating. Price isn’t important. I want you to have your very favourite meal.’ He could see Gabby brighten a little and he nudged Claire, giving his head a little jerk in her daughter’s direction.

  She quickly realised what he was telling her, and said, ‘I bet I can guess what my daughter will choose. I don’t have to think twice about mine either. I’d like a chicken curry. I haven’t had one for ages. What’s your favourite, Luke?’

  ‘Rack of lamb with roast potatoes.’

  They both waited as Gabby studied the menu, looking cheerful and taking her time before choosing a child’s beef burger and chips, ‘With lots and lots of tomato sauce.’

  Claire mouthed ‘Thank you’ at him.

  When their drinks were brought across from the bar, he apologised for ordering without asking what they wanted. ‘It’s my favourite non-alcoholic drink, one Dee and I both love, so I ordered it automatically.’

  ‘I’ve never tried it before.’ Gabby took a sip of hers and beamed at him. ‘Oh, yes, I like it too.’

  They could have been any family out for a treat. He’d even temporarily banished some of the anxiety from their faces, but it was still lurking in their eyes, and in the way Claire scanned the room from time to time.

  But it would do them no harm to eat a good meal and he deliberately led the conversation into what decorations they would need for his house, asking Gabby’s advice.

  He caught Claire studying him as he did that, again with that faintly puzzled air. Well, as far as he was concerned Christmas decorations were mainly there to delight children. He hadn’t bothered when there was just him, but now he had two children to think of and he’d enjoy making them happy.

  ‘We’ll stop and buy some proper food for Helly on the way back as well as for ourselves,’ he said as they walked outside. ‘What’s her favourite meal, Gabby?’

  She laughed. ‘Any sort of food. Mum says her father must have been a magician because she can make food disappear so fast.’

  The dog was fast asleep in the driving seat but when she was woken by their voices, she sat up and put her paws on the steering w
heel as if about to drive off, which made them all chuckle.

  He kept wishing they really were a family, with the addition of Dee, of course. He’d always wanted more than one child.

  Claire’s ex hadn’t deserved these two.

  And they didn’t deserve to be harassed. That could hurt as much as physical violence.

  Now that he knew her better, it was his guess that Claire had been worrying about more than the dog when she ran out in front of his car.

  Every time he saw the bruise on her face or Gabby’s expression turn anxious, Luke felt anger sizzle through him at the man responsible for their troubles.

  Every time he made them smile, he felt a sense of achievement. He’d have to see what a proper Christmas did for them all.

  It took him a few minutes to realise that the thought of that was raising his own spirits as well.

  Chapter Ten

  As they turned in to Peppercorn Street, Gabby exclaimed, ‘Hurrah! I like living here.’ Luke could see her happy expression in the rear-view mirror. After the garage door had rolled shut behind them she relaxed even more and he heard her whisper to the dog, ‘We’re home, Helly. Home.’

  Dee must have run down the kitchen stairs when she saw them turn into the drive because she came into the garage almost immediately to greet them, something she had never done before to Luke. After a quick glance into the van, she ran round it to open the back doors and help Gabby out, giving her a big hug.

  ‘You came back. Oh, I’m so glad.’

  ‘We had to. Somebody burnt our car.’

  Dee gasped and looked at her father for confirmation.

  ‘Unfortunately it’s true.’

  ‘Oh, how awful. You poor things.’

  Helly began trying to push Gabby away from the van door and he yelled, ‘Don’t let that dog escape! We haven’t got a proper fence in the back yet!’

  Dee grabbed the dog’s lead and held her firmly. Then the child slipped her hand into his daughter’s, looking up at her with adoring eyes, and that brought a lump to his throat. He prayed Dee would let her keep hold, and she did. Holding onto someone clearly meant a lot to that child.

  He watched Dee stare down at their joined hands, then at Gabby’s face and back again to the hands. She smiled too. Maybe the gesture meant a lot to her as well. She’d hardly touched him since she came home. She seemed to be holding the whole world at bay and he didn’t know how best to break down her invisible barriers.

  Could this child help him do it?

  ‘Will you two take the dog out into the back garden before you come upstairs, please?’ he called. ‘She’s been shut up for rather a long time. Don’t let her off the lead, though.’ He must get that new fence installed ASAP. He knew a guy who had just set up a fencing business and wondered if Josh would have time to do it straight away.

  ‘Come on.’ Dee moved towards the garden, still holding both Gabby and the dog.

  Claire had also been watching them and turned to Luke after they’d gone. ‘I’m a bit concerned about how close those two are getting. It upset them both when we left today. What will they do when we leave here after Christmas if they grow even closer in the meantime?’

  ‘We’ll worry about that when the time comes. There’s always email to keep us in touch and who said we couldn’t meet up from time to time? Actually, I don’t want to break the connection with you, either.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘Look, since you came to stay with us my daughter has come out from behind her barriers and it’s the first time that’s happened in the weeks since she’s been living with me. It makes me happy to see that and more hopeful about our future together. It’s a two-way street between you and me, you know: you’re helping me as well. You and your daughter have somehow provided a key to unlocking some of Dee’s defences, and if this is the result of you being here, I hope you’ll stay for a long time.’

  ‘Oh. Well, I’m glad we’re not merely a burden to you.’

  ‘No, definitely not a burden at all.’

  She too looked more relaxed as that sank in and added, ‘And I’m quite a good cook.’

  ‘Good. I can manage, but I’m very average. I’ll let you take over some of the cooking if your shoulder will stand it, and I’ll be your chopping up assistant if needed.’

  He walked round as she got out of the van, picked up one of her bags and led the way up the stairs into the main house. He stopped before they went into the kitchen and dared to squeeze her hand. ‘You don’t need to be alone in the world, Claire, and I’m really glad to have you here because I’ve been lonely, too.’

  He didn’t need to say ‘like you have’. He’d stared loneliness in the face many a time after getting home from work to an empty house, and could recognise it in other people. Fate had given him a welcome gift when it threw them together. He meant to give this situation a chance, see where else it could lead.

  She touched his cheek in an almost motherly gesture and gave him a gently luminous smile, so he continued to clasp her hand for a little longer. Then, not wanting to push his luck, he let go and led the way into the kitchen.

  ‘Now, would you be able to put the kettle on and brew a pot of tea while I unload the car?’

  ‘Yes.’

  The fact that she didn’t protest or try to help him unload probably meant that her shoulder was hurting again. She’d done too much today. He decided to make it plain that she wasn’t fooling him, so when he brought up the first computer box, he said, ‘If you think I haven’t noticed you favouring that shoulder today, you can think again. It’s bound to be hurting.’

  ‘You don’t miss a thing, do you, Luke Morgan?’

  She hadn’t said it as if she was all that upset, so he risked saying, ‘I try not to. Please don’t refuse my help, Claire.’

  ‘You make it hard to. It takes some getting used to. I’ve never met anyone like you before.’

  ‘And I’ve never met anyone like you, either. I mean that in a complimentary way. So brave about your difficulties.’

  They had another of those moments of staring at one another in a silence filled with unspoken words, then he carried on unloading the car.

  She put the kettle on, got out some mugs and found some biscuits.

  He finished the unloading and caught her staring into space so left her in peace and went to unpack her computer and set it up again in the dining room.

  When the two girls came in with the dog, rosy-cheeked and laughing at something, not only did the younger child look a lot happier, but so did Dee.

  ‘Would you like a bedroom of your own, Gabby?’ he asked. ‘There’s one next to Dee’s.’

  But that was a step too far. She shook her head instantly and shrank back towards her mother. He could have kicked himself for putting that look of panic back on her face.

  ‘I was only trying to make you more comfortable,’ he said softly. ‘You can sleep where you want, standing on your head in a corner if that’s what you prefer.’

  She laughed at that and he dared add, ‘This is a big house, but wherever you are in it, I’ll hear you if you shout for help and I’ll come running.’

  ‘So will I,’ Dee added, actually standing by his side and leaning against him as she spoke.

  He suddenly realised that if he wanted one Christmas gift, it was to regain his daughter’s love and trust, fully regain it. And if he could be granted two gifts, the second one would be to have Claire and her daughter staying on here … and who knew where that might lead?

  He’d do what he could to make both wishes come true.

  It had taken longer for Luke to unpack the computer and then do the physical work of setting it up than it would take her to unpack her personal possessions, Claire thought as she finished setting out the mugs. She hadn’t even got a pretty outfit to wear for Christmas, nor had Gabby. Maybe they could find something in a charity shop. She’d got some good bargains in such places.

  She didn’t let herself dwell on that. It would be enough for t
hem to stay safe for Christmas. She couldn’t afford new clothes and Gabby didn’t care about them. She wondered, as she had many times before, what Martin had done with all the clothes she’d had to leave behind. Gabby’s would be too small by now, of course, but she’d owned some pretty outfits.

  Had he destroyed her clothes and possessions? Probably.

  Oh, get over it, she told herself. No use pining over the past. Concentrate on the future.

  She finished fixing up all the connections on her computer and was pleased to get online again. As she checked her bank account, she relaxed still more. The payment for the big job had now been deposited. Thank goodness for that. She would be able to afford to pay for their share of the groceries while they were here, at least. She couldn’t just take, take, take. Even from Luke.

  The emails waiting for her were mostly spam or to do with business. There was one from the friend who was the nominal owner of her car, worrying about them. She sent off a quick email to say they’d found refuge with a new friend and had an accident with the car, but didn’t give any details.

  There was another message from her mother, telling her about a party she and Ralph were giving for Christmas and wishing Claire and Gabby could join them. They had a spare bedroom, and she could give them some petrol money.

  Wasn’t going to happen. She wasn’t putting her mother at risk.

  But she wished they could take up the invitation. Gabby should be going to family parties and having fun at sleepovers with friends. Instead, the poor child had been uprooted three times in the past eighteen months and had to change school twice. Who knew when they’d be able to settle permanently somewhere? Or for how long their next temporary home would be safe from Martin?

  Then she noticed a PS on her mother’s email below the pretty flower image that framed the signature: Tom Douglas has been in touch with me.

  She stopped reading for a moment in shock. Why would her father-in-law want to get in touch? Was this another of Martin’s ploys? She braced herself and read on.