Bells and Bows on Mistletoe Row

by Emily Harvale

  Dan sighed. 'I don't know, darling. This is the first time I've been in love.'

  Paula appeared, bearing two more glasses of mulled wine.

  'Thanks, Paula,' Juliet said, 'But I'm not sure I should have any more. This'll be my fourth.

  'It's Christmas, love,' said Paula, handing Dan the other glass.

  'Thanks, Mum,' Dan said, smiling and winking at her.

  Paula beamed at him. 'You're very welcome, son.'

  Juliet glanced from one to the other.

  'Don't look so astonished, darling,' Dan said. 'It's time I also called wicked Paula, Mum and it's time she called me her son. We decided last night, over one or two Tequilas, didn't we, Mum?'

  Paula nodded. 'We did indeed, son. But I'm not allowed to call him 'love' or 'darling'.' She winked at Juliet. 'You're the only one he ever calls darling.'

  'Am I?'

  Dan nodded. 'Yes, darling, you are. Or you were, before I met Louis. But I'll still call you darling even though I'm so deeply in love. You are my two darlings, and that will never change.'

  'I'd never noticed that before,' Juliet said.

  'Well, Harrison noticed,' Paula said. 'He came in here looking for you, but when I pointed in your direction, his face fell as if he had a lump of concrete attached to his chin. And what a handsome chin it is.'

  Juliet blinked. 'He ... he was looking for me?''

  'Yep. But he said it didn't matter because he'd already told your mum, and he left. Oh, but he did invite us all to drinks up at The Grange on Christmas Eve. He says he's inviting everyone who lives on Mistletoe Row. And even though that's tomorrow, and one of our busiest nights of the year, Kevin and I'll get the staff to cover for us for an hour or two. I'm not going to miss a chance to poke around The Grange. Not for all the beer in our barrels.'

  'Wow!' Dan said. 'And if he's inviting everyone on the street, most of your punters will be up there at some stage during the evening. I'm definitely going. Although it would've been nice if he'd invited us in person, wouldn't it, darling.' He nudged Juliet's arm 'We were only a few metres away from the grump, for heaven's sake.'

  'Drinks on Christmas Eve?' Juliet repeated, bemused. 'At The Grange?'

  'Yep. Are you feeling okay, love? Perhaps you're right. Perhaps you have had enough mulled wine.'

  'Not nearly enough, Paula,' Juliet said, grabbing the glass and knocking back the contents in one long gulp, even though it was warmer than she remembered and she burnt her tongue.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  What was Harrison playing at? Drinks on Christmas Eve? Juliet kicked up piles of snow as she trudged back to the cottage. And Dan was right. Why didn't Harrison come over and invite her and Dan face-to-face? Especially as he'd told Paula he was looking for her. And why had he been looking for her? She picked up speed. What had he said to her mum? She ran to the cottage and dashed inside, the smell of roast beef wafting towards her nose.

  'There you are, sweetheart,' Rosa said, as Juliet burst into the kitchen. 'Harrison was here about thirty minutes ago. He's invited us to drinks tomorrow night.'

  'So I heard. Did he say anything else?'

  Bernard glanced up from his newspaper. 'Like what, sweetheart?'

  'I don't know. But he came into the pub and Paula said he was looking for me. Did he ask you where I was?'

  'Yeah', said Zoe, pointing at her magazine. 'What d'you think of this dress? It's incredibly expensive, but Luke did say I can spend as much as I like, and he'll pay. Or Harrison will. I forget which. Anyway, the point is money isn't an issue. And don't get all defensive, Dad. Luke and I agreed that we would pay for our own wedding. They cost an arm and a leg these days and neither of us want you and Mum using your savings to pay for one day.'

  Rosa tutted. 'What do you think our savings are for, sweetheart?'

  'I know what they should be for. They should be for you and Dad to go on a cruise or something. Neither of you has had a holiday in years.'

  'We've had lots of holidays,' Bernard protested.

  'Yeah. In England. I'm talking about you two going abroad. I know Juliet feels the same. Don't you, sis?'

  'Yes I do. And if I ever get married, which frankly isn't going to happen. I'll be paying for my own wedding too. The dress is gorgeous, Zoe. But what else did Harrison say?'

  'Nothing.' Zoe held the magazine up and showed the image to Rosa and Bernard, who both agreed it was beautiful. 'He invited us to drinks, from seven until nine tomorrow, and asked if you were around. I told him you were at the pub. And off he went. I'm going to go to London after Christmas and see if they've got this in my size. It might even be in the January sales. We should make a day of it, Mum. You, me and Juliet. You can come too, Dad.'

  Bernard smiled. 'Thank you, sweetheart. But I think wedding dress shopping is best left to those who understand such things. And what I know about wedding dresses, you could fit on a postage stamp, and still have room to spare.'

  'Did he say why he was looking for me?' Juliet persisted.

  'Who?' Zoe glanced at her.

  'Harrison!'

  'No. What colour bridesmaid's dress do you fancy? Pink, I suppose. It's always been your favourite colour. A soft, baby pink might be quite nice. What do you think, Mum?'

  'I think it will be lovely, sweetheart. But could we clear the table for lunch, please. Everything's ready, and now that Juliet's home, we can eat.'

  'It smells delicious,' Bernard said. 'Are there Yorkshire puddings?'

  'I always make Yorkshire puddings with roast beef, darling. Why would today be any different?'

  'Or maybe a pale lilac,' Zoe said, moving her magazine from the table and throwing it onto one of the worktops.

  'Pour the wine would you, darling?' Rosa said, dishing up the dinner onto the warm plates she had taken from the oven.

  'So let me get this straight,' Juliet said, taking off her coat and hanging it up by the door. 'Harrison came here, invited us all to drinks, asked where I was, but didn't say why he wanted to know, and when you told him I was in the pub, he left.'

  'Yes, sweetheart,' Rosa said, tossing a piece of beef to Cinnamon, who was sprawled in front of the Aga.

  'Why are you still going on about Harrison?' Zoe asked. 'Didn't he see you in the pub?'

  'Oh, he saw me. If looks could kill I'd be back at the bottom of the lake. He took one look at me and Dan, turned around, and marched out.'

  The room fell silent as her family looked at one another and then at her.

  'You and Dan?' Zoe said. 'What were you and Dan doing when he looked at you?'

  'Nothing. We were hugging one another and I was telling him how happy I was that he's told his family that he's gay, and in love.'

  'Dan's gay?' Bernard said, twisting the lid off a jar of mustard. 'Since when?'

  'Since forever,' Juliet said, stepping over Cinnamon and taking a seat.

  'I thought he was.' Rosa put the plates on the table and nodded. 'And that explains why he never asked you out.'

  'He didn't have to be gay to not ask her out, Mum,' Zoe said. 'He simply might not have fancied her.'

  'Yes. But he's always calling her darling and it seems as if he can never keep his hands off her. I always thought it was odd to be so openly and affectionately demonstrative, and yet not to ask her on a date.'

  'I see,' said Zoe. 'That makes sense.'

  'Perhaps Harrison thought the same,' Bernard said. 'Not wondering why Dan hasn't asked you out, I don't mean. But perhaps he thinks Dan has. Maybe he thinks you and Dan are a couple. Here, sweetheart. Have a glass of wine.'

  'Why on earth would he think that?' Juliet asked, taking the glass her dad handed her.

  'Oh,' said Zoe. 'That explains a lot. You're right, Dad. That is probably precisely what Harrison thinks. He thinks you're dating Dan. That's why he was cross when he saw you in the pub.'

  'Why would Harrison care who I'm dating?'

  Again, all three of them looked at her.

  'Isn't it obvious, sweetheart?' Rosa said. 'The
man is clearly in love with you.'

  Juliet's glass slid from her hand, but thankfully it didn't smash. It merely fell on its side and red wine spilt across the table, trickling onto the floor, where Cinnamon eagerly lapped it up.

  'Oh God. I'm sorry.' She jumped up, grabbed some kitchen towel and mopped it up from the table. 'But he's not in love with me. He's in love with Kiki.'

  Zoe, who had leapt out of the way of the wine-spill, laughed. 'Don't be ridiculous, sis. He's not in love with Kiki. I know she fancies him, but I can assure you it's not reciprocated.'

  Bernard wiped some splashes of wine from his Christmas jumper with his handkerchief. 'If anyone's in love with Kiki, I'd say it was old Rufus. Did you see the way he was ogling her last night? And his eyes were following her every move as if they were attached by magnets.'

  'Ew,' said Zoe. 'That's creepy.'

  'I'm not sure Rufus is capable of love,' Rosa said. 'Although I suppose he must have been once. He did have a son, after all.'

  'He didn't have to be in love to have a son,' Zoe said. 'But he was married at the time so let's hope, for his wife's sake, he was.'

  'Forget about Rufus.' Juliet sat down again and Bernard refilled her glass. 'The only person I'm interested in is Harrison.'

  'We know that, sweetheart.' Bernard put the bottle on the table and patted her hand. 'And as your mother says, Harrison is clearly interested in you.'

  'He's not. He can't be. He would've said something if he was. Wouldn't he?'

  Zoe sighed. 'You may be my older sister, but you've got a lot to learn about love. Now for heaven's sake, can we eat, please? I've got a pile of bridal magazines to get through, and we've still got all the mince pies to bake, the Christmas cake to ice, presents to wrap, and a whole list of other stuff to do between now and tomorrow night. I've also got to find another dress to wear. I can't wear the same dress I wore to dinner, to the Christmas Eve drinks at The Grange.'

  'Oh hell,' said Juliet. 'So have I. But I'm not sure I can afford one.'

  'No need to worry about that, sweetheart,' Rosa said, passing around the gravy boat. 'If we don't have to pay for Zoe's wedding, and possibly not for yours, we can dig into our savings and buy you and Zoe something wonderful to wear tomorrow night. I may even buy something lovely for myself.'

  Bernard smiled lovingly at his wife. 'Yes, darling. You too shall have a new dress to go to the ball.'

  'Oh God. It's not a ball, is it?' Juliet shrieked.

  'No, sweetheart. That was merely a figure of speech.'

  'Thank heavens for that. Drinks with Harrison, I can probably cope with. Having to dance with him, or worse still, having to watch him spend all night dancing with other people, I definitely couldn't handle.'

  'Even now you know he loves you?' Zoe asked, grinning.

  'He doesn't love me, Zoe. I don't know why you all think he does, but I can assure you he does not.'

  'Let's wait until tomorrow night and see,' Zoe replied.

  Without thinking, Juliet glanced up at the kitchen clock. There were only twenty-nine hours, thirty-five minutes and ten seconds until seven o'clock tomorrow night.

  Not that she was counting.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Trying to buy an evening dress on Christmas Eve morning in Mistletythe was like being the girl holding the ball on a rugby pitch while surrounded by men who agreed women should be treated as equals. In one shop alone, she had been pushed, elbowed in the back and kicked on the shin, albeit apparently by accident. But she was determined to buy something fabulous, no matter what. Especially now that Harrison was going to so much trouble to make The Grange look festive.

  Last night, when she glanced up at The Grange from her bedroom window, she was astonished to see the whole façade was covered in warm, white lights. She could even see, not just one but two, obviously large Christmas trees, also festooned with lights. The man was clearly going to town.

  And when she had finally gone to bed, all she could think about were her family's words. They seemed so sure that Harrison was in love with her, or at the very least, interested, and yet none of them had said what made them think so, other than the way he had looked at her. For one moment on Saturday night, even she herself had thought that, when their eyes met after Luke proposed to Zoe. But the way he had behaved afterwards seemed to indicate quite the opposite.

  There was also the matter of Kiki. They had clearly had some sort of falling out, but Kiki had told Juliet herself that she and Harrison were dating. Yet Zoe was adamant they weren't. Why would Kiki have lied? And if Harrison truly did have feelings for Juliet, why hadn't he said so? Was it really because he thought she and Dan were an item? Was that what was stopping him?

  None of it made any sense. But Zoe was right. Perhaps something would happen on Christmas Eve. Which was why Juliet definitely had to buy a new dress. And not just any dress. It had to be something mind blowing. Luckily, she had taken Dan along.

  'I swear,' Juliet said through gritted teeth, 'if one more person elbows me, I'll rugby tackle them to the floor.'

  'Oh darling. That I'd like to see. But leave them to me. I'll be your bodyguard.'

  That made Juliet laugh. 'I don't want you to be covered in bruises on Boxing Day when Louis arrives.'

  'I still can't believe he's coming. I almost died when Dad insisted I put the phone on speaker, and then, after introducing everyone, invited Louis to come and stay. Thank goodness the darling man has to work so will only be coming for the day. I'm really not ready for Noah to try to convert him. I had already explained that to Dad, but you know what he's like.'

  'I think it's lovely that they want to meet him, and even nicer that they're happy to welcome him into their home, despite him being an atheist.'

  'Don't joke about it, darling. It's terrifying. Meeting your partners' relatives always is. This is it!' He held up a dress from the rack through which he had been browsing, and waved it in front of Juliet. 'The man will be drooling at your feet.'

  Juliet laughed again. 'I'm not sure that's the effect I'm going for. I was sort of leaning more towards the, sweep me up in his arms and carry me upstairs to bed, response.'

  Dan tutted. 'He'll be doing that too, darling. Trust me. This is the dress. Try it on right now.'

  Juliet did as she was told, and when she stepped out of the changing room, not only Dan, but two other men, who were waiting for their respective partners eyed her up and down appreciatively. One of the men was still looking at Juliet when his partner stepped out in the dress she was trying on, and she gave him a hearty slap on the arm.

  'Told you, darling,' Dan whispered. 'If that's the effect you can have on two total strangers and one gay man, imagine what you'll do to Harrison. I almost feel sorry for the man. Even though he is such a grump. But you need new shoes. A killer dress demands killer heels. Hurry up and change. We haven't got all day. It's Christmas Eve. Some of the shops will be closing early, and we've got to meet Zoe and your mum. And I've booked you in with my friend, Jerome. You need seriously sexy tresses to complete the picture, and a pedicure and mani, with sparkly nails to match. Oh I'm so excited, darling. Why are you still standing there? Hurry up!'

  'I haven't got time to have my hair and nails done, Dan. I promised Mum and Zoe I'd help with the baking this afternoon. We got a lot done yesterday, but there's still a lot to do.'

  'Baking? Darling, Juliet. This is your future we're talking about. You can bake for the rest of the holiday. This is Christmas Eve, darling, and it's your time to shine. Now go. We've got things to buy, and places to be. And I've got presents to wrap and put under the tree. Oh my days! All this love stuff has turned me into a poet.'

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Harrison walked from room to room, checking that everything was perfect. It had taken some doing, between Sunday morning and this evening, but with Luke, Daphne and Kiki's help, The Grange was ready to receive its guests, and there was still an hour to spare. Plenty of time for him to shower and change. Kiki had gone upstairs a
t least two hours earlier, and although it had taken more than a small amount of persuasion from him, Daphne had gone to her room just over an hour ago. It always took women far longer than men to get dressed for such occasions. He hoped it would all be worth it.

  As he flicked on the final switch for the outside lights, his gaze wandered down towards Mistletoe Row and landed, with little effort, on number 29. From here the cottage looked warm and welcoming and he could just make out the tree, decked with lights, in front of the sitting room window. His gaze wandered upwards to the attic room, which he knew from what Luke had told him, was Juliet's. Was she looking out of her window at The Grange? He could see an amber glow emanating from the room, but the curtains were clearly drawn, and he couldn't see any movement inside.

  What would she think when she looked up at the house and saw the lights? Would she be pleased that he had made such an effort to make the house look festive? Or would she be annoyed and feel that he was trying to step into her family's shoes? And although he had personally invited everyone who lived on Mistletoe Row, would any of them turn up? Or would they too feel that the Bows were trying to replace the Bells? He would soon find out.

  He ran upstairs to his room, told his voice activated smart speaker to play Christmas music, threw his clothes into the washing hamper and jumped into the shower, singing along with Mariah Carey. He knew exactly what he wanted for Christmas. He simply had no idea how to get it. When they were in the pub on Monday, Kiki had said, much to his annoyance, that money could buy anything. She was wrong. Money couldn't buy love. And love was what he wanted more than anything in the world. If he had to choose tonight, between all his money or love, it would be a no-brainer. Love would win. But not just any love, of course. The only love he wanted; the only love he had ever wanted, was Juliet's. And it made him sick inside to think she may have given that love to someone else. Not that there was anything wrong with Daniel Dobbie, as far as he was aware. Apart from the fact that Juliet appeared to be in love with the man.