Bells and Bows on Mistletoe Row

by Emily Harvale

  And she had.

  'Why am I moving rooms?' Kiki asked when he went back upstairs and told her he needed her to repack anything she had unpacked so that he or Luke could take her luggage to another room.

  'Because the Rose room isn't the room you should be in. I want you to be able to see the sun rise, and you can do that from the Dawn room.'

  'But I'm not a morning person.'

  'Then now's as good a time as any to adjust. Believe me, we'll both be much happier if you're in Dawn. It's a lovely room. And you've always said pink is so not your colour.'

  'Wow. I'm impressed that you remembered. Okay, Harrison. If it'll make you happy.'

  She had baulked when she saw it was at the other end of the hall though.

  'I'm a restless sleeper, Kiki. I get up and wander around a lot. This way, if I'm constantly opening and closing my door, you won't be disturbed.'

  'Aw, Harrison. You're the best boss in the world, and such a good friend. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. But if you feel like wandering in the direction of my room, I won't be that upset.'

  'Good to know. Thanks,' he said.

  Well, perhaps that was exactly what he should do. Kiki was gorgeous after all, with a fantastic body and legs that went on forever. Would it be so bad to get entangled in those legs? She was fun to be with. She laughed at his pathetic jokes. She was always ready and willing to do anything for him. She even gave up going skiing in Aspen with her brother to come and spend Christmas at a dingy old house with him, his brother and their miserable old grandfather. Did it get any better than that? What on earth was he waiting for?

  For Juliet?

  Forget it. Forget her. Get over it. Twenty years is far too long to hold on to a memory and a vision of what might have been. That ship had sailed, crashed on the rocks and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

  Luke had asked him to come for Christmas and to put the past behind him. Well, okay. That was exactly what he was going to do. And as they were going to the pub for the evening, tonight would be a good time to start.

  'You were very quiet on the way here?' Kiki said, as they got out of Luke's car in the small car park at the rear of The Mistletoe pub.

  'Was I? Sorry.' Harrison smiled at her as she linked her arm through his.

  'You don't mind, do you?' She looked him directly in the eye. 'It's so icy here and I don't want to slip.'

  'I don't mind at all. There'll be ice everywhere so watch your step. The warmth of today melted a lot of the snow and now the temperature's dropped again, it's turned to ice.'

  'Thanks for stating the obvious,' Luke said, grinning at Harrison. 'Is this really going to be only the second time you've been in this pub? Didn't you come here during the summer before you left for uni?'

  Harrison shook his head. 'No. I kept myself to myself and stayed at the house and then went off to do volunteer work cleaning up a reef or two in the Pacific. It was a hard job, but someone had to do it.' He grinned at Luke. 'And there's a fully-stocked bar at the house, so while I was here, I didn't need to venture out. Besides, I didn't feel much like company at the time.'

  'Why not?' Kiki asked, her silky, mahogany hair shimmering in the glow from the myriad fairy lights hanging from every available centimetre of roof, windows and doors of the pub.

  'I was eighteen and a very moody teenager but unlike most, I was more into books and nature than I was alcohol and going out. And nothing much has changed in twenty years.'

  'Except you're not eighteen anymore,' Luke teased.

  'Yeah. Thanks for reminding me. And after we moved into The Grange, coming here once was more than enough. This place hasn't changed from the outside in all that time. Do the Dobbie's still own it?'

  'Yep. Kevin and his second wife, Paula. He was still married to the first one the last time you came here. Were you friends with Dan? He's around your age.'

  'No. Never met him.'

  'Who's Dan?' Kiki asked.

  Luke opened the rear door to the pub and held it for her and Harrison. 'He's Kevin's son. He always comes to stay at some stage over the Christmas holidays, so you'll get to meet him. I don't really know him, but we've seen each other around and we say hello and stuff. He lives with his mum in Norway, or somewhere cold like that.'

  Harrison raised his brows. 'Let's hope there's not a pub quiz.' He slapped Luke playfully on his arm. 'Somewhere cold like that. God, Luke, remind me never to ask you for tips on holiday destinations.'

  'You never ask me for tips on anything, so a reminder won't be necessary.'

  Harrison looked at his brother. Was that a mild gripe? Luke's way of saying that Harrison didn't give him enough of his attention? Or discuss things with him? Was Luke feeling sidelined? Left out of Harrison's life? God. Everything he had done had been for Luke's benefit. Well, nearly everything. He had been determined to be successful, and wealthy in his own right, so that neither he nor Luke would ever again have to depend on their grandfather, or look to the old man for support. And Harrison had definitely succeeded in that. But by the time he had, Luke was settled and happy with the way things were. He actually liked living at The Grange. He took friends there during school holidays. On the one occasion Harrison had suggested Luke should live with him, Luke had turned him down.

  'I can't leave the old man on his own, bro,' he had said. 'He's always going on about how heart-breaking it was when you walked out on him. It'd kill him if I did the same.'

  There was no point in explaining what had really happened. Luke had a soft spot for the old man, and thankfully it seemed, the old man felt the same about Luke. Harrison couldn't ruin that relationship for his brother. It simply wouldn't be fair to him. And Luke didn't need to know the threat the old man had made. Telling him might make Harrison feel happier but it wouldn't do anything for Luke.

  But surely Luke knew that he was the most important person in Harrison's life? That Harrison thought the world of him. That the only reason he was here right now was because Luke had wanted him to come?

  Apparently not, if that remark was anything to go by. Harrison clearly had some bridges to build. And he had better start that without delay.

  'What do you recommend, Luke?' Harrison asked as they strolled towards the bar. 'Is there a local beer?'

  Luke shrugged. 'I'm having a G&T. I don't drink beer much. Kevin can suggest one though.'

  Of course Luke didn't drink beer. Harrison knew that. Luke always drank G&T when they were together. This wasn't getting off to a good start.

  Harrison smiled. 'Great tip. I'll ask Kevin. Kiki? White wine?'

  'No thanks. I think I'll have a Bailey's. A double, please.'

  Could he get anything right tonight? Why had the pub gone suddenly quiet? He glanced around and noticed several of the customers were staring at him. He should've expected it, really. News of his reappearance must have spread the length and breadth of Mistletoe Row by now. He was well aware that people still talked about the Bows buying The Grange from the Bells, even after all this time. Well, conning the Bells into selling it cheaply and kicking them out onto the street with just the clothes on their backs, was closer to the story at the time. And that probably hadn't changed in twenty years either.

  Harrison smiled at the portly, late-middle-aged man behind the bar. 'Good evening. Kevin, is it? I'm Harrison, Luke's brother.'

  'I know who you are,' came the reply, without the slightest hint of a smile.

  'Excellent. We'd like a double Bailey's with ice, please. One G&T. Might as well make that a double too. And a pint of whichever beer you recommend. Thanks. Oh, and whatever you'd like for yourself and your good wife, and a round of what everyone else is drinking, as it's Christmas and my happy homecoming.'

  For a split second, no one reacted; his smile was met with complete silence, and then a bubbly-looking woman, who was obviously Paula Dobbie, flashed him a smile that actually looked genuine. There was laughter in her voice as she eyed him up and down.

  'So you're Harrison Bow, are you? I'm Paula
. Kevin's wife. Let me get a good look at you. I wasn't here the last time you were, but I've heard the stories, same as everyone else, and I have to say, you don't look half as bad as they all said you would. I was expecting the devil himself. Get the man his drinks, Kevin.' She nudged her husband's arm none too gently, and shook a finger with a long, red-painted nail at the crowded room. 'And the least you lot can do is say thank you. No one else comes in here and offers to buy you all a drink, do they? It's Christmas. Goodwill to all men and all the rest of it. I'll have a Bailey's too, thanks very much, Harrison.'

  The room burst into a cacophony of voices. Thanks, pats on the back, and friendly greetings abounded.

  Even Kevin smiled as he poured Harrison a pint. 'This here's Mistletoe Magic. It's from a small, independent brewery in Mistletythe. Give it a try and see what you think.'

  'Thanks. It's a good colour. I'm sure it'll taste good too.'

  Paula winked at him as she poured herself a Bailey's and he beamed at her. 'Thank you, Paula.'

  'Don't mention it, love. This is going to cost you a pretty penny.'

  'It's worth it, Paula.' He took a drink of the beer Kevin put in front of him. 'That is good, Kevin. I'll definitely have this again.'

  'And I'll have a pint myself. Thank you kindly, Harrison.'

  Harrison nodded. 'You're welcome.'

  He hadn't really wanted to come to the pub this evening. He knew his name was probably still mud around here. But Luke asked him to, so he had, and now he was glad of it. Paula was lovely and so was Kevin. And the rest of the crowd were okay too. He simply had to make an effort to get to know them. It would be great to be able to come to the local pub while he was here. He was happy in his own company but everyone liked to socialise and he was no exception.

  'Well,' Luke said, grinning as Harrison handed him his G&T and they walked towards a vacant table. 'It seems you've made some new friends.'

  Kiki pulled a face and took a sip of her Bailey's. 'Money can buy you anything, Luke. Haven't you realised that by now?'

  Chapter Ten

  It was the perfect weather for ice skating when Juliet threw open the curtains on Tuesday morning. Crisp and clear. There was a slight frost on the ground but the sun was already turning it to vapour and little smoke-like wisps rose up from the pavement and dissipated into the cool, morning air.

  She showered, threw on a pair of black ski pants, a black jumper with a flashing green and red Christmas tree emblazoned on the front, and black, knee-high boots. A memory flashed into her mind; she had worn similar boots all those years ago when she had sat on the bench waiting for Harrison. She quickly dismissed the image, brushed her lashes with a dab of mascara, covered her lips with winter cherry lip balm and dashed downstairs.

  Her ice skates hung over the back of one of the kitchen chairs, exactly where she had left them last night. Who knew that being made redundant and having to move home would have an upside? If not for that, she would have left her ice skates in her flat in Bristol. Other than the lake at The Grange, there was nowhere within a thirty-mile radius of Mistletythe to skate, and she would not, for one minute, have expected to be able to skate at the lake, in the normal course of events. But nothing about this festive season so far was normal. The redundancy, moving home, the heart-to-heart with her family, and Luke Bow offering to let her skate on the lake; definitely not the usual Christmastime.

  'Morning all,' she chirped, as she sat at the kitchen table for breakfast and everyone returned her cheery greeting.

  'You're full of the joys of Christmas,' Rosa said, kissing the top of Juliet's head as she stood behind her and leant over to pour her a cup of coffee.

  'It's a beautiful day, and I'm going skating on the lake. There's a lot to be joyful about. What are your plans for the day? I'll be back in time for lunch.'

  'I plan to do as little as possible,' Bernard said, a huge grin on his face as he scooped up a spoonful of porridge. 'There's a new murder mystery I'm longing to read.'

  Rosa pulled a face. 'Perhaps I'll do the same, darling. Oh wait. Someone needs to clean the kitchen, bake some more mince pies, write the list for the big Christmas shop, do the washing. Need I continue?' She blew her husband a kiss.

  'No, no. Message received and understood. Tell me what you need me to do, my darling, and I'll happily do it.'

  'I'll give you a list,' she replied, with a loving smile.

  'I can do some of that when I get back,' Juliet said. 'And Zoe will help, won't you?'

  'Huh?' Zoe glanced up from the magazine she was reading. 'Won't I what?' She glanced at each of them in turn.

  'Help around the house, sweetheart,' Rosa said, refilling Zoe's coffee cup.

  'Yeah. Of course I will. After I've taken Cinnamon for her walk. Just tell me what you want me to do, and consider it done.'

  Rosa smiled. 'Goodness me. Father Christmas will be proud of you all. What a band of merry little helpers you all are this morning. We must have family heart-to-hearts more often if this is the result.' She walked back around the table and rested a hand on Juliet's shoulder. 'What would you like for breakfast, sweetheart?'

  'Just toast for me. But I'll get it, Mum. You sit down before your porridge gets cold.' Juliet got up and walked over to the toaster. 'Anyone else for toast?'

  'Yes please,' each of them said in unison, and Cinnamon barked and raised her head.

  Juliet laughed. 'Even the dog wants some. I shouldn't have asked. Thank heavens it's an eight-slice toaster.'

  'Are you driving to the house?' Rosa asked.

  Juliet tensed slightly. 'No. I thought I'd walk across the park, through the apple orchard and sneak in the back gate. Luke said it would be unlocked when I mentioned it yesterday. I really don't want to come face-to-face with old Bow.'

  'Harrison?' Zoe said, grinning.

  Juliet grinned back. 'Not that one. The other one.'

  'I don't think there's much chance of that,' Rosa said. 'From what Daphne tells me, Rufus rarely goes further than his bedroom, his study, or the dining room. It's a good thing he can't see the lake from any of those rooms.'

  'Yeah. He'd probably have an apoplexy if he saw me skating on his lake. He'd set the dogs on me.'

  'I didn't know they had dogs,' Bernard said.

  Rosa shook her head. 'They don't, darling. It's a figure of speech.'

  'They should have dogs.' There was a thoughtful look on Bernard's face. 'A house isn't a home without dogs.'

  'Luke likes dogs,' Zoe said.

  'So does Harrison.' Juliet bit her lip. 'I mean, so did Harrison. At least he said he did. But then he said a lot of things. Sorry. Not going there again. Okay. So I'll be back around twelve-ish. We'll have lunch and then do stuff around the house. Yes?'

  'Sounds like a plan,' Rosa said.

  'Always good to have a plan,' replied Bernard.

  'Absolutely,' agreed Juliet.

  Zoe grinned mischievously. 'I'm glad you all think that.'

  'Oh?' Rosa gave her a curious look. 'Don't you then, sweetheart?'

  'I definitely do. In fact, I have a couple of plans of my own. But they're top secret and on a strictly need-to-know basis.' She beamed at each of them. 'And for now, none of you need to know.'

  'I hope your plan includes getting me a lovely Christmas present,' Juliet said, hastily eating her toast and draining the last dregs from her coffee cup.

  'Oh it does, sis. And you have no idea how lovely.'

  Juliet grinned at Zoe and rose to leave. 'Right. I'm out of here. See you all later. Have fun.'

  'You too,' everyone replied.

  Juliet grabbed her skates, almost falling over Cinnamon, who was munching a slice of buttered toast, retrieved her thick, black jacket from the coat hook and dashed out the front door onto an icy, Mistletoe Row. She nearly landed on her backside as her feet slipped beneath her, but she managed to grab the door handle and steady herself.

  'That's twice I've almost fallen over,' she said out loud. 'And everything comes in threes.' She shook her
head and sighed.

  Glancing at her watch, she saw it was ten-to-ten and yet there wasn't a car in sight. No people, either. But it was such a lovely day. She took a deep breath of the cool, crisp morning air and then walked gingerly over the road to the park, where the ground was still covered in snow. She ran across the snow-covered grass, through the apple orchard and made her way to the back gate of the grounds and gardens of The Grange. The gate was unlocked, as Luke said it would be, but she hesitated before she pushed it open. This would be the first time in twenty years that she had set foot on this hallowed ground and she needed a moment to let it sink in.

  Only a brief moment though. Her excitement got the better of her. She shoved the ornate, wrought iron gate open and quickly closed it behind her. The path was slippery but she didn't care. She ran, slipping and sliding as she went, to the lake, stopping the second she saw it.

  Its beauty took her breath away. It hadn't changed one bit. Even the bench looked the same, but perhaps a little older and more weathered. She raced towards it.

  'Hello bench,' she said, laughing heartily at her foolishness and then she sat, almost reverently, and sighed. Dropping her skates beside her, she stared ahead at the lake. 'Hello lake. You have no idea how much I've missed you.'

  If it could talk, she was sure it would say the same.

  It was several minutes before she looked away and she took a long, deep breath as she slipped off her boots and put on her skates.

  She got up and stepped onto the ice and it was as if something magical shot through her entire body, from her feet to her head. She closed her eyes, stretched out her arms, gracefully shaping her fingers like those of an ice dancer, and pushed away with her left foot. She skated in circles of eight, moving her hands behind her and clasping her fingers as she retraced her glide path backwards. She lowered her body, bending one knee and stretching her other leg out in front of her.