The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas

by Carole Matthews

  Autumn sat down heavily on the wall outside Miles’s home as her legs seemed unable to support her. Her chest was tight, her throat closed.

  ‘Are you still there?’

  She could hardly speak. ‘Willow?’

  ‘Her adoptive mother.’ There was the rummaging of papers at the other end of the phone. ‘Mrs Mary Randall. She’s made contact with us. Willow would like to meet you. Are you happy for me to organise that?’

  ‘Yes,’ Autumn gasped. ‘Yes, of course.’ She could hardly process this. Willow was trying to find her. There was a longing ache in her heart. It was more than she could possibly have hoped for to hear something so quickly. And her darling daughter still had the name she’d given her at birth.

  ‘I think they’d like to try to organise a meeting in the new year. If that’s acceptable to you.’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Autumn breathed. ‘That’s very acceptable indeed.’ How would she wait until then? She wanted to see her now, this minute, make up for all the years that they had lost.

  ‘Good. I’ll be in touch again soon. We can co-ordinate diaries and sort out the details. I’d like to fix this up for you as soon as possible,’ Eleanor said. ‘You must be dying to meet her.’

  ‘I am,’ Autumn said. ‘Please tell her that I am.’

  ‘I most certainly will. Merry Christmas to you, Ms Fielding.’

  ‘Merry Christmas,’ Autumn said. ‘Thank you. Thank you very much.’

  The tears were streaming down her face as she hung up.

  Nadia came over and touched her arm. ‘Everything all right?’

  She nodded – dazed, stunned, amazed. ‘More than I could possibly have hoped for.’ She looked up at Nadia. ‘Willow’s adoptive mother has made contact.’ Standing up from the wall where she was perched, she felt as if her legs might give away beneath her and she held on tightly to her friend. ‘Oh, Nadia. I’m going to see my daughter again.’

  ‘That’s fantastic news, Autumn. Brilliant.’

  ‘I can hardly believe it.’ She put a hand to her forehead. ‘I’ve dreamed so many times of this day and now it’s here.’

  Her heart was beating like a drum, her breath high in her chest. She thought she might burst with joy. She would see Willow once more. It would be the best Christmas present that she could ever have. Her very own Christmas miracle.

  Chapter Eighty-Five

  The journey was slow, the motorway congested. But it was Christmas Eve and it was snowing, so it was only to be expected. Chantal had factored in plenty of time to arrive ahead of the others and, due to a crack-of-dawn start, they’d arrived in the Lake District shortly after lunch – even with a few cuddle stops for Lana scheduled in. The baby had coped well with the lengthy journey, dozing on and off in her car seat or happily talking in her own scribble language to herself, essential supplies stacked up around her.

  Cumbria Cottage was a grade II listed building in traditional local stone and nestled comfortably into the landscape. To call it a cottage was a bit of a misnomer as it was a low, sprawling building with enough bedrooms to sleep sixteen people comfortably. They might even have a few rooms to spare. Perhaps it had always been foolish to think that Ted and Stacey might come here too. As it was, she’d probably have a more relaxed Christmas without them.

  Last night she’d finally spoken to Ted and he’d come round to see Lana. He’d cried when he’d held her in his arms and Chantal wondered if he was beginning to regret his haste in taking this job in New York. The only good thing in all of this was that, thankfully, Lana was too young to realise any of the drama unfolding around her and was her usual contented self. He’d brought a Christmas card and a carrier bag full of presents that had Stacey’s stamp all over them. Ted had never done his own Christmas shopping and he wasn’t likely to start now. First thing this morning Stacey had phoned her to wish her and Lana a safe journey. The conversation had been OK, not too difficult. Perhaps they could be friends once again. The sad thing was that Chantal actually missed Stacey as a chum, despite what she’d done. She guessed it was all about the survival of the fittest in this world and Stacey probably reckoned she was better off with Ted than four female friends with a fixation on chocolate. Well, Stacey would have to see how things panned out. If Chantal knew Ted he’d immerse himself in his new job in New York and Stacey would be left dangling. She’d be even further away from friends and family than she was here. Yet, that was her problem now. What was done was done; they had to move forward from this point and all Chantal could hope for was a fair settlement from Ted and a quickie divorce.

  Still, she’d put all that behind her for a few days and enjoy Christmas. This setting couldn’t be more perfect for forgetting your troubles. The cottage sat in an enviable position above Derwentwater, a slice of pewter in the white landscape and, behind the cottage, the mountains towered over them. It looked as if they’d all been sprinkled with icing sugar. Perhaps it would be nice to come back here next year and see it in its summer glory. But maybe it would be wise to see how they all survived Christmas first.

  She conducted a whistle-stop tour of the cottage and mentally allocated bedrooms for everyone. This was a wonderful place, Chantal thought as she looked out of the window and took in the spectacular view. The trip might have been a bit of a marathon, but she was so glad that she’d come. Now she’d started to unpack and Chantal was itching to get going on making the cottage feel as festive as she could. She wanted the other girls to be completely blown away when they got here.

  To get her into the festive mood, she opened a bottle of champagne. It was already cold from being in the boot of the car on her journey up here. The first of many over the next few days, she suspected. Chantal trawled the vast farmhouse kitchen to find the glasses. Just a few sips and then she should get going on preparing the supper.

  She’d brought the ingredients for a chicken casserole which she planned to do in one big pot on the range, so that people could help themselves when they arrived. There were a couple of wholemeal loaves that she’d got out of the freezer this morning, which they could cut into chunks to go with it. Lana watched all her mother’s industry contentedly from her car chair by the warmth of the range.

  For a moment, panic gripped her. She’d be a single mum next year, facing the world alone. How would she fare? She held on to the edge of the butler’s sink to steady herself, trying to calm her thoughts by looking out at the solid, timeless mountains around her. As she stood there, a car came meandering up the drive towards the cottage, its tyres crunching on the gravel. She hadn’t expected anyone just yet. Miles, Autumn and Nadia were the next ones she thought would arrive, but they would be a few hours at least yet. It certainly wasn’t Lucy as the driving was far too sedate.

  Perhaps it was a delivery or something. She wiped her hands and headed to the door. The car came to a stop as she opened it and her heart did a somersault as she saw Jacob climbing out of the driver’s seat and stretching.

  He grinned when he saw her and, in return, her heart thumped in her chest. ‘I hadn’t expected you.’

  ‘Nadia invited me a couple of days ago,’ he confessed. ‘She thought you might like it if I joined the party.’

  Chantal threw her arms round him. ‘Of course I would. Oh, Jacob, this is a lovely surprise. Have you had a good journey?’

  ‘Yes.’ He held tightly to her waist and they swayed slightly together. ‘I had Christmas songs on all the way to get me in the festive mood and I brought some more decorations.’

  ‘This is perfect timing. I was about to make a start.’

  ‘I’ll get my bag then.’ He lifted a holdall from the boot and Chantal linked her arm through his and steered him back to the cottage.

  ‘I’ve just opened a bottle. We can start toasting Christmas early.’

  He stopped and turned to her. ‘It’s good to see you looking so well.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she said.

  ‘I’m sorry about you and Ted.’

  ‘It was really horrible how
it ended, but it had been on the cards. And I’ll be fine. I’ve got Lana to think of. She’s all that matters.’

  He stroked his thumb over her cheek, tenderly. ‘We’ll make this a great Christmas.’

  ‘We will. Now let’s go and titivate that tinsel.’

  When she’d made him a sandwich and furnished him with a glass of bubbly, she and Jacob went through to the living room. He carried the car seat for her, while Lana was nestled in her arms.

  ‘Wow,’ Jacob said. ‘Where did you find this place? It’s stunning. I could see myself living somewhere like this.’

  The photographs on the website really hadn’t done this beautiful room justice. In reality, it was warmer, cosier and more impressive than she could have hoped for. It had stone walls and low, original beams. There were comfy sofas huddled around the fire, enough so that they could all gather together, and she was looking forward to snuggling down in them later. But, for now, there was plenty to do. As she’d requested, the owners had put the tallest Christmas tree possible in the corner of the room and it was a splendid specimen, broad, bushy and so high that it was touching the ceiling.

  ‘That’s one hell of a tree,’ Jacob noted. He started to open the boxes of decorations, pulling out strings of lights and baubles. ‘This is going to take us a little while to dress. I’m glad I brought some more supplies.’

  ‘We are Team Christmas. We can do it.’

  ‘How long have we got?’

  ‘The others won’t arrive for a few hours yet,’ Chantal said. ‘We should take our time and enjoy it. Clive and Tristan won’t be here until this evening and Lucy’s got to spend all day at Chocolate Heaven, so it will be really late by the time she arrives. Miles and company set off just after nine, so they should be the next to arrive. But I guess it depends on how many stops they have to make with the children.’

  They clinked their glasses together, employing some expert dodging as Lana made a grab for them. ‘Merry Christmas, Jacob,’ she said. ‘Thanks again for coming. I really appreciate it.’

  Jacob fixed her with a searching gaze. ‘We should be together,’ he said. ‘You know that.’

  ‘Yes.’

  He laughed. ‘Well, that was easier than I thought.’

  ‘I have a lot to sort out with Ted and Stacey. It’s all a terrible mess and I’m feeling very fragile. We should take things very slowly.’

  ‘I’m in no rush.’ Tenderly, he moved a strand of hair from her face. ‘I’ve waited a long time.’

  ‘So long that you nearly gave up?’

  ‘Never.’ He smiled regretfully. ‘I was getting close to Nadia, but we could only ever be friends. You were always there in the background. After Lana, I thought that you and Ted would really make a go of it and, in a weird way, I was happy about that. I wanted your happiness more than my own.’

  ‘Oh, Jacob.’

  ‘It’s true. I would have stayed miserably single rather than make someone else unhappy because I couldn’t fully commit.’

  She put her hand on his chest, felt his strong heartbeat beneath his fingers. ‘We have a chance now, we should grasp it.’

  ‘You know that I’ve always loved you.’

  She looked up at him and could see how much he cared for her shining in his face. ‘I think I’ve always loved you, too.’

  ‘That makes this Christmas very special, Chantal. Thank you.’

  ‘Merry Christmas, Jacob.’ And when he kissed her, warmly and lingeringly, she felt that she had come home, that this was where she was supposed to be. For her, for Jacob, it seemed that Christmas had worked a little bit of magic.

  Chapter Eighty-Six

  Nadia was delighted to see the cottage finally come into view. ‘I thought we’d never get here,’ she said, letting out a relieved breath.

  ‘That’s it, guys,’ Miles said. ‘The end of the road. Thank you for your patience.’

  ‘You’ve done brilliantly,’ Autumn said. ‘There’ll be a large glass of red wine with your name on it.’

  ‘Amen to that.’ He pulled into the sweeping drive. ‘But I’m thinking two glasses. At least.’

  ‘You deserve them,’ Nadia said. ‘That was a hell of a journey.’

  The trawl up the motorway had been slow and tedious but otherwise uneventful. Thankfully, Lewis and Florence had dozed on and off in the back seat. When they were awake and restless, she and Autumn had managed to keep them entertained. Miles had made a few stops on the way for them all to stretch their legs. But, if they ever went away for Christmas together again, it would definitely be easier if they went somewhere closer to London.

  When they left the M6, they’d taken a wrong turn off the main road and had taken an unexpected detour through the small town of Keswick. It was all pretty stone buildings and had a proper High Street like they used to be. Nadia didn’t think she’d seen anywhere quite so lovely. Then they’d climbed, up and up out of the town and into the hills until they’d eventually found Cumbria Cottage.

  ‘Wow,’ Autumn said. ‘Look at this place. It was certainly worth it.’

  ‘It’s stunning,’ Nadia agreed, readily. You could always rely on Chantal to pull something spectacular out of the bag. ‘There’s hardly anything else for miles. This is the epitome of the word remote.’ The hill above and the lake below were simply breathtaking. She couldn’t wait to get out of the car and have a good look round.

  ‘We won’t have too much light left,’ Miles said, stretching. ‘We should unpack the car as soon as possible.’

  Chantal, in boots with a shawl wrapped round her shoulders, rushed out to greet them. ‘So glad you made it. Clive and Tristan have just arrived too. They got here a bit earlier than expected and are already on the booze.’

  ‘It won’t be long before I’m joining them,’ Nadia said. ‘A glass of something with bubbles in is calling.’

  ‘Five minutes and it will be all yours. You should see the room you and Lewis have got. It’s beautiful. You have a view right over the lake.’

  Nadia hugged her. ‘Thanks for organising this, Chantal. It was a great idea.’

  Her friend held her at arm’s length. ‘Jacob’s here too. I believe I have you to thank for that?’

  They hugged each other tightly.

  ‘You should be together,’ Nadia said. ‘There’s no doubt about it. I wanted to see the smile back on your face and no one can do that quite like Jacob.’

  ‘I do love him,’ Chantal admitted. ‘I think I always have.’

  ‘Ease me in gently, though.’ She met Chantal’s eyes. ‘I had become very fond of him. Please tell me that you’re not sharing a room?’

  ‘No,’ Chantal assured her. ‘Definitely not. I adore Jacob. I always have, but I think I need to get everything sorted with Ted before I even think about pouncing on him.’

  ‘But you do want to pounce?’

  Chantal smiled. ‘I’m feeling more pouncey than I have in a very long time.’

  They both laughed at that.

  ‘Come on in. Don’t get cold.’

  ‘I’ll help Autumn and Miles to unload first,’ Nadia said. ‘It won’t hurt to let Lewis run off some steam. He’s done really well to handle being cooped up in the car for so long, but I don’t want him being fractious later.’ She glanced over at her son and Florence who were racing round the garden, scooping up snow and throwing it over each other.

  Miles and Autumn carried some of the cases into the house and Nadia followed with a box of provisions. ‘Stay in the garden, Lewis. I won’t be a minute.’

  She stood the box on the counter, marvelled at the farmhouse kitchen and then went outside again. As she emerged into the snow there was a man coming up the drive, head down, walking in a determined manner and clutching a bottle. A small black and white sheepdog followed him at his heel. When, eventually, he looked up and saw her, he waved a hand in greeting.

  He wore a flat tweed cap that failed to completely cover his dark curls and a green, waxed jacket and green boots. He was also tall, st
urdily built and rather handsome. Perhaps he was a little older than her, but not much. His ruddy cheeks showed that he had an outdoor lifestyle. Something inside Nadia did a little somersault.

  ‘Hello, there,’ he said as he approached. ‘I’m your neighbour, James Barnsworth. Came to see how you’re settling in.’

  He slipped a hand from his pocket and held it out. Nadia shook it.

  ‘Nadia Stone,’ she said. ‘We’ve only just this minute arrived, but some of the others have been here for a little while. It’s a beautiful place.’

  ‘My family home,’ he said. ‘Or it was. I live in the next farmhouse down.’ He pointed to somewhere unseen in the distance.

  ‘You still own this?’

  He nodded. ‘We still farm the land here, but there’s just me and my two children now, so this place is far too big for us.’

  No Mrs Barnsworth, Nadia noted.

  ‘It looks great but it’s a devil to heat in the winter. We have something much more modest.’ He glanced over to where Lewis was making aeroplane wings and zooming round the garden like a mad thing. ‘Is that your son?’

  ‘Yes.’ She risked another appraisal of him while he observed Lewis, a wry smile on his lips. Her first assessment had been right. He really was quite handsome. ‘The little girl is our friend’s daughter, Florence. I don’t think either of them has ever seen this amount of snow before. I thought we had it bad in London, but this is something else.’

  ‘It can be harsh up here.’ He watched Lewis for another moment and then asked, ‘How old is he?’

  ‘He’s four. Coming up to five.’

  ‘My son’s six and my daughter’s eight. I have a houseful today and tomorrow – family – but they’ll all be gone by Boxing Day. You should all come over for a drink. Lewis and Florence can meet my two. They’ll be unbearably hyperactive by then.’

  ‘That would be great.’

  ‘You might be going stir crazy yourselves by then. We could take a walk beside the lake.’

  ‘I’d like that. It’s really very beautiful here. Do you ever get tired of this view?’ she asked.