by Lucy Coleman
There is nothing wrong with new, or different, but sometimes it’s good for the soul to take a little time out to enjoy those old memories. Tonight is one of those times, and Gray and I sharing the little things that are never forgotten, but seldom spoken about, is a special moment for us both. He reaches out for my hand and, instead of sadness, what I feel is a huge buzz of excitement. And as we gaze at each other, I can see that mirrored in Gray’s eyes, too.
Tuesday is bitingly cold, and I awaken to the first hoar frost of the season. It’s beautiful when I stand looking out over the fields at the shrubs and the trees, but how I wish Gray were here beside me to see it. It is a veritable winter wonderland, and it looks as if Jack Frost has visited every single branch, leaf and dried twig to transform it into a scene from the North Pole. We even had snow forecast yesterday but it didn’t come to anything other than some disappointing sleet.
At the nurseries we’re rushed off our feet and both outside and inside are heaving with stock. We have everything, from Christmas trimmings to toys, and the new greenhouse is full of dwarf Alberta spruces, Christmas cacti, vibrant poinsettias and beautiful orchids. The tills are ringing constantly, and business is good. Martin is usually out visiting customers or assisting with special deliveries, but we have five temporary staff helping to keep things ticking over while our regular crew focus on the commercial contracts.
At lunchtime I saunter out to do a little shopping of my own, quickly filling my trolley with a sizeable lemon cypress, one of those gorgeous lime-green potted trees that can be used both indoors and out, and a Christmas cactus. None of the standard bays on show are big enough for the space I have to fill, but I know that a new delivery arrived this morning, together with some potted lemon trees, which are yet to be unpacked. I seek out a stack of silver-coloured metal planters made out of zinc that I’ve admired since the day the first order arrived. Choosing five of them in varying sizes, I stack them up and pile them into the trolley.
Making my way over to the customer services desk, I ask them to put a call out to my favourite guy, Leonard.
‘What’s up, Immi?’
As I explain exactly what I’m looking for, he gives me a thumbs-up. ‘Leave it with me. I’ll go and dig out two fine specimens for you now and get these repotted. If you want this lot delivered, I could drop it off in the pickup on my way home.’
I was rather hoping he’d offer to do that.
‘Awesome, Leonard, thank you so much. You know Lock Keeper’s Cottage and there’s parking at the rear. The first lane past the entrance to The Bullrush. I’ll be there from twenty to six onwards.’
Kelly says she’ll phone me when she’s ready to ring up the transaction and I head back to work. Even with my staff discount, it’s a bit of an indulgence, but it is going to make the family room look stunning. And I know that Gray won’t begrudge me a penny of it.
As I’m walking back to my office, the phone begins to ring and I see that it’s Ursula.
‘Yoga is cancelled. A pipe has burst in the ladies’ toilets and it has flooded the entire ground floor. I doubt it will reopen until after New Year.’
‘Oh, no! That’s such a pity.’
‘Sarah’s still up to come along for the fitting, though.’
‘How about popping down to Lock Keeper’s Cottage tonight instead, then? And why don’t I invite Rona and Mum, too? They keep asking me to describe the dress and, given how much work they’ve put into planning the wedding, it seems only fair.’
‘Excellent idea. Is there anything I can bring?’
‘Just Sarah, the dresses and yourself,’ I reply, laughing. ‘And some pins,’ I add. ‘Half past seven?’
‘Perfect.’
When Leonard taps on the glass doors at the back, I can see the lights from his vehicle shining across the orchard. Pulling on my coat, I go out to help him.
‘Thank you for going out of your way to do this for me, Leonard. It’s much appreciated.’
‘My pleasure, Immi. First time I’ve been here. It’s a nice spot.’
The door to The Retreat opens and Tollie appears.
‘Everythin’ all right?’ he asks.
‘Fine, thanks, Tollie. Just a delivery of plants for the cottage.’
‘Hi, Leonard, how are you doin’?’
‘Good, thanks. How’s the back?’
‘Champion. I’ll pull on my coat and give you a hand.’
Leonard drives one of the nurseries’ open-backed pickup trucks and, as he doesn’t have his own transport, Martin lets him use it outside work. Leonard more than repays him in loyalty to the company and always makes himself available, even when he’s off duty.
‘Take the Christmas cactus, Immi, as it’s the most delicate of them all.’
Leonard wraps his arms around the bay, which stands very tall in the pot and I suspect it was the biggest one he could find.
‘Here I am,’ Tollie calls out, stepping up to lift the dwarf lemon tree out of the back. He manages with ease, I’m pleased to see, and as we tramp across the frozen ground he asks Leonard if he’s ready for Christmas.
‘You know what it’s like, Tollie. We won’t know until the shops are shut and my mother suddenly discovers there’s something she’s forgotten.’
Tollie laughs. ‘That’ll be a tradition, then, Leonard. Treasure it!’
Tollie is right. It’s the little things we remember that make us laugh every time. Grandma’s infamous turkey soup to use up the leftovers, for instance. No one liked it, but we still ate it.
As I slide open the glass doors and step inside, the guys put their pots down on the patio and head back to the pick-up truck for one more trip. By the time they return, I’ve laid some old sheets on the floor and they lift the pots inside for me.
‘I could slip off my shoes and carry them over for you,’ Leonard offers.
‘That’s very kind, but I can slide them across on the sheets. Thank you both for your help. And this is for you, Leonard.’ I hand him a carrier bag with a bottle of wine and a large box of chocolates.
He smiles gratefully. ‘Merry Christmas, Immi! It’s going to be a wonderful one for you and Gray!’
‘Thanks, Leonard. I am looking forward to taking some time off after the wedding and simply relaxing.’
Leonard looks in Tollie’s direction, giving him a nod, before walking back to the pickup.
‘Do you want to come in for tea or coffee?’ I ask Tollie.
‘I’d best not. We’re in the middle of watchin’ a film. It’s yoga night for you, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, but it’s cancelled. So, it’s girls’ night and the final fitting for the dresses.’
‘Oh, I’d best make myself scarce, then. Whatever you wear you’ll look amazin’, m’dear,’ he says as he turns and trudges back across to The Retreat. Tollie has only been inside the cottage once since it was finished. I know we’ve been distant, but I can’t help wondering whether he can’t reconcile the changes Gray and I have made with the memories the cottage holds for him.
There isn’t time to ponder further though as it’s almost 7 p.m. and I need to pop some frozen nibbles into the oven once I’ve sorted these plants. Closing the doors, I slide the first pot over, pulling it with ease and manoeuvring it into the far corner. It doesn’t take long to move them all across, although arranging them requires a bit of shuffling around. I begin by pushing the tallest to the back and the smallest to the front, but the two middle-sized pots don’t look right sitting side by side, as the trees contained within are different heights. Instead, I create a small semicircle, tall, medium then tall, with the smaller of the two medium pots in front and the vibrant red Christmas cactus nestled at the foot of the group.
Standing back to admire my handiwork, I immediately notice that the plants have already succeeded in dampening the hollow sound within the room. Packed quite tightly together, the pop of different greens, yellow and red works well – it’s like being in a conservatory. I add a small string of battery-operated,
crystal-clear snowflakes, each containing a small white light and it looks very festive indeed.
Before I have time to unwrap the selection of Christmas nibbles to heat them up, a light tap on the glass doors attracts my attention. Sarah and Ursula are staring inside, their arms full of bags.
‘Come in, come in. Here, let me help.’
‘Thanks, Immi. Rona just texted me to say she’s picking up your mum, so they won’t be far behind us,’ Ursula confirms.
It still sounds a little odd, hearing everyone referring to Val as my mum now, and it makes me smile to myself. There is a mound of navy-blue dress bags and a medium-sized suitcase as we pile everything onto one of the sofas.
‘Goodness, what a lot of stuff.’
‘I brought the jackets, too. I thought we’d have a full dress-rehearsal tonight.’ I look at Ursula and she scowls at me. ‘You’re amongst friends, relax.’
I leave them to take everything upstairs to hang up in the guest bedroom, while I pop two trays of bite-sized festive fare in the oven, discreetly dispensing with the boxes.
The sound of someone rattling the front door knocker sends me hurrying through into the hallway, wiping my hands on a tea towel.
‘I left the car up at The Bullrush car park and we walked down together,’ Rona says as I let her and Mum in, giving each of them a swift hug. ‘The back lane is a bit narrow for me and it’s not that far.’
‘This is exciting,’ Mum says, her eyes bright. I take their coats and hang them up, before walking Mum and Rona into the kitchen area so they can warm up.
‘Shall Rona and I sort the drinks?’ Mum asks and I nod, stopping to pull out five plates. I hunt around for some napkins and carry a few things over to the table.
‘Sarah and Ursula are upstairs, I presume?’ Rona asks.
‘Yes. Shout up, they’re just hanging up the dresses.’
The consensus of opinion is to plump for hot chocolate and, foraging around in the cupboard, I find some miniature marshmallows. It doesn’t take long until the table looks rather grand, with some freshly cut greenery from the garden and a small bowl filled with Christmas roses that I found in the border underneath the hedge to the side of the cottage.
‘This is all very festive and pretty,’ Sarah remarks as we gather around the table. ‘I love how green everything is in here, Immi. And that tree is stunning.’
I remember Gray, moaning as we struggled to space the decorations out evenly over the tree. This is our first year of setting our own traditions and you have to start somewhere. Next year I’m going to propose that we have three smaller Christmas trees in a line. It’s a little different, fun, and will be a lot easier when it comes to trimming up.
‘Right, time for some nibbles.’ I carry the platter across and place it on the wooden block in the centre of the table. ‘Tuck in.’
‘Who’s going first for their fitting?’ Ursula asks as we stand around eating.
‘Not me,’ I reply instantly. ‘I’m working myself up to it.’
‘Oh, Immi,’ Mum says sympathetically. ‘There’s no need to be on edge.’ But I notice Ursula glancing across at her and Mum bites her lip. She’s nervous on my behalf.
It isn’t until Sarah appears and stands in front of the Christmas tree doing a twirl that the butterflies really begin fluttering around inside my stomach.
‘I love that little jacket,’ Rona exclaims, ‘and the colour is perfect! What is it?’
‘Soft heather,’ Ursula confirms proudly. And she should be proud because Sarah looks stunning. The fabric falls just perfectly, swirling around her legs as she moves, and the cropped, long-sleeve jacket ends just below her bust, ensuring that the pleated detail on the front of her dress isn’t hidden.
‘The jackets need to be warm for when you’re outside, but I didn’t want to use too heavy a fabric. It’s a lightweight wool mix, but it’s also lined. Immi wasn’t a fan of the heavy satin, were you?’
‘Goodness, no! I don’t like shiny anything when it comes to clothes,’ I declare firmly.
‘Well, I agree with you, Immi,’ Rona responds, ‘and this is a wonderful alternative. The style reminds me of the little cropped jackets they used to wear back in the early eighteen hundreds.’
‘Oh, yes. With those peak bonnets!’ I’d better be careful what I say here, or Ursula will be rethinking our simple hair decorations.
Reluctantly, I leave them to finish off their hot chocolate and wend my way upstairs. I’m perplexed to find two navy dress bags hanging on the back of the door and as I slide down the zip of the first bag, the dress inside isn’t one I recognise. There’s a soft tapping sound and I call out, ‘Come in.’
Mum pops her head around the door and then gingerly pushes it open.
‘Don’t be cross, Immi. Your first dress is in the other bag. Gray came to see me and he was stressing because he said you weren’t happy. It is beautiful, I’ve seen it, but Ursula and I put our heads together and came up with an alternative. Even if you don’t feel comfortable in it, we thought it might help to put the other dress into perspective.’
I don’t know what to say as I ease it out of the bag and hang it up on the hook.
‘It’s gorgeous, but the other one looked wonderful until I tried it on. It simply wasn’t me…’
‘When you’re ready, come down in whichever one feels right for you.’ Mum turns, shutting the door behind her.
It’s a dress, Immi, I tell myself. It’s only a dress. You’ll wear it for one afternoon and an evening. Ursula has spent hours in her workroom just to make sure I’m happy and that means more to me than anything else.
The new dress is fitted at the waist, the folds of the silver-grey taffeta hang down to mid-calf level. As I turn, the natural movement in the fabric makes me want to spin around to show it off. It’s absolutely perfect.
Even so, it takes me a while before I can pluck up the courage to make my way downstairs. When I walk into the room everyone falls silent.
‘Is this the one?’ Ursula asks nervously, holding her breath.
‘It’s the one,’ I reply and suddenly she’s able to breathe again.
‘Result!’
26
Christmas Carollers, Hot Mulled Wine and Feeling Joyful!
‘I can’t believe how much it’s warmed up,’ I complain to Gray, after getting excited about the dusting of snow on Thursday, which he missed. Today the skies are blue and, while that’s good for Aysbury’s Christmas market and the crowds are out, walking around the stalls in between cruises in my elf costume, I need to unzip my coat. Or risk overheating.
‘What I can’t fathom is how you’re happy enough to dress up as an overgrown elf, and yet you turn into a drama queen over a posh frock.’
Gray’s getting his own back because I told him off for what I felt was breaking a confidence. I didn’t mean for Mum to get pulled into my dress dilemma, or to put Ursula to the trouble of making a second dress. Admittedly, she told me not to worry, because she was sure she would be able to find a buyer for the first one, which is amazing even if it isn’t right for me.
‘I’m wearing a costume, Gray, everyone knows that I’m not really an elf,’ I reply, laying on the sarcasm, still a little cross with him. ‘What if I’d told you that I wanted the men dressed in black, satin-collared tuxedos, with wing-tipped white dress shirts and proper bow ties?’
Gray stops walking and turns to face me. ‘Was that what you really wanted?’
‘No, of course not. But would you have felt comfortable?’
We link arms and continue strolling around to look at the stalls.
‘Point taken, but that’s precisely why I spoke to Val. You weren’t happy and now you are. That’s all I want for you, Immi.’
I know he’s right, but I still feel guilty. As we walk past the stall selling mince pies, spicy mulled wine and hot toddies, the air is filled with a rich and festive fragrance. It’s so tempting to stop, but I keep on going.
‘Oh, look at these tea-ligh
t holders, aren’t they lovely?’ I let go of Gray’s arm to pick up one of the silver metal snowflakes. ‘How much are these?’
‘Four pounds fifty. Immi, isn’t it?’
‘Yes,’ I reply, smiling.
‘I’m Joanne’s daughter, from The Candle Emporium.’
I look at the sign hanging from the back of the stall. ‘Oh, of course! I thought I recognised the face.’
‘They’re pretty, aren’t they?’
I look at Gray. ‘Yes, they are.’
‘Guess we’d better have one, then,’ he replies, and I stare at him intently. ‘Perhaps you’d better make that two.’
The young woman is smiling as she wraps them for me.
‘Mum asked me to ring Patrick yesterday as our collection box is full. I tried twice, but there was no reply. Could you let him know for us, please, Immi? Trade is brisk right now, and we’re using a small tub, but Mum prefers the sealed boxes.’
‘Of course. Leave it with me. It’s so good of you. Please let your mum know that we’ve almost hit the target. Have you popped down to have a look at the new playground?’
‘I have and it’s wonderful. Elves get a 50p discount, by the way,’ she says as Gray offers her a ten-pound note.
As we walk away I turn to look at Gray, wrinkling up my nose. ‘See, being in costume has its advantages.’
He shakes his head. ‘I will never figure you out, not completely, will I?’
‘If you did, you’d be running in the opposite direction.’ I laugh, glancing at my watch. ‘At least you, my dashing captain, are turning the heads of every woman we pass, whereas all I’m getting are broad smiles and high-fives from the kiddies. Anyway, if you can take this little package and stow it on board, I’ll just pop round to see if Patrick is in and see if he needs any help – in case he’s struggling and doesn’t like to ask for help. I won’t be long.’
Gray steps forward to give me a quick kiss, just as Bernie is approaching.
‘Have you two been at the mulled wine already?’ Bernie jokes as we turn to look at him.