Inside there were a few travellers waiting for security to open so they could go into the coffee shop.
Holly looked at the board. It was close now.
Tor handed her the suitcase and smiled. ‘You’d better check in.’
Holly took a deep breath. ‘I really don’t want to go,’ she said.
‘I don’t want you to go either, but this was always going to happen. There’s not much to be done about it. I’m happy everything was sorted out for you.’
Holly put her hand on his cheek. ‘Will you grow a beard again?’
‘I might. To keep myself occupied, you know.’
‘I’ll miss you,’ Holly said, trying to regain control of her voice.
Tor put his hand over hers. ‘I’ll miss you.’
‘Kiss Frøy for me, will you?’
Tor kissed her first. ‘I will,’ he whispered against her mouth.
‘And… and let’s not stay in touch. It will be too painful, and after a while it will only turn awkward. I would hate that.’
Tor nodded. ‘I agree.’
The metallic voice over the speaker rattled them.
Holly took a deep breath. ‘This is a holiday I won’t be able to forget,’ she said, forcing a smile.
‘I don’t want to forget it,’ Tor said.
His eyes were so serious, and Holly had to force herself to let him go. All the way through security, she could see him whenever she turned her head. He didn’t wave. He just stood there.
Holly almost turned back, but forced herself to go on.
On the other side of security, she turned to catch one last glimpse.
He smiled and lifted his hand.
Holly waved back, and then he was gone.
An hour later, Holly was in her seat on the plane. The plane was half-full, so she had been able to move to the window seat.
There was no snow or rain; the skies were clear. When the plane lifted off, she could see a boat bopping in the water just beneath the wing.
It was just a glimpse, but she imagined she could see Tor looking up to see her off.
Holly pressed her eyes together. It wouldn’t do to bawl her eyes out here. She had to keep it together.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
London felt strange. Holly went through security at Gatwick and wound her way through the masses of passengers on their way to the trains. She wasn’t sure what to feel. It had all happened so fast.
One minute she had been with Tor, and now she wasn’t.
She pulled her suitcase behind her, and walked over to the other side of Victoria station. Her train would come in at any minute.
All the familiar signs of Christmas were still there. The coffee shop still sold Christmas biscuits and spiced lattes, WHSmith had tinsel over their counters and somewhere, someone was singing ‘Jingle Bells’ out of tune.
She took a deep breath and got on her train. It was only a ten minute ride, but it felt endless. All she wanted was to crawl under her own duvet in her own bed, and forget about everything.
Tomorrow I’m back at the hospital, and this whole holiday thing will soon be nothing more than a nice memory.
Finally the train pulled into Beckenham Station and she could get out. She dragged the suitcase across the parking area, and along the little park.
It was raining, but it wasn’t cold, not like on the island.
From outside, she looked up and noticed that the lights were on in the apartment.
She hoped Jocelyn was alone. Their friends were nice and great company, but Jocelyn was the only one who had known her for so long that they were practically sisters.
The elevator wasn’t working again, and so she had to drag the suitcase up three sets of stairs. In the hallway, almost every door had some kind of Christmas decoration, and the one on their apartment made her smile.
Darth Vader in a Santa hat.
‘Perfect, Jocelyn,’ she said, and unlocked the door.
The first thing she saw inside was Jocelyn sitting on the settee with a cup of tea in her hand. When she discovered Holly, she hastily put down the cup and jumped up.
‘You’re here!’
She threw her arms around her, and Holly burst into tears.
The dark skies gathering at the horizon promised rain and probably another storm. Tor sat on the deck of his boat, drinking coffee, and wondered if he would have time enough to return to the house before it hit him. Still, he didn’t move.
Frøy jumped down from the bow and trotted over to him.
Tor rubbed his head. ‘What do you think? We could always try to reach Shetland. They probably won’t let us into the country, you being a cat and me without my passport, but we’re halfway there.’
The cat looked unimpressed. He sniffed Tor's cup, then turned around and looked at the empty buckets.
‘Sorry, mate. No fish in the net today. No crabs either and I think the bait is off. For you, anyway. If you were a lobster it would be okay, but you’re not.’
Frøy jumped up on the bench next to him and leaned against him. Tor looked at him, a bit surprised. ‘You’re being weird. Why are you so cuddly all of a sudden?’
The cat put a paw on his arm and Tor stroked the silky fur on his head. ‘You’re a strange cat, Frøy. Really strange.’
He looked at the stormy clouds again; they were getting closer by the minute.
‘Time to make a decision, Frøy. Here it comes,’ he said. ‘We will ride out the storm, and then go home to Oslo before New Year’s. I don’t want to sit here, moping with my cat and have the islanders be nice to me because they feel sorry for me,’ he said.
He thought about Holly. How was she doing? They had agreed not to be in contact and though it had seemed sensible yesterday, he ached for her now, and that made him feel like an idiot.
There was no such thing as love at first sight, was there? He looked at Frøy who was busy cleaning his head. ‘What do you know, you’re a cat, and if you weren’t spayed, you’d be making baby fluffs all over the island.’
He stood and walked over to the helm, pressed the engine button and steered towards land. Oslo would be good. Oslo would be a return to normality. His island holiday was over.
Chapter Thirty
Outside the windows in the hospital they could see fireworks already starting to colour the sky. It isn’t midnight yet, for God’s sake, she thought. People were such idiots.
Holly looked on as another rocket exploded and coloured the sky green. The hospital canteen was filled with people, some having their first break in hours and eating as if they had starved for weeks.
‘I hate those,’ she said when Jocelyn brought a tray over with hot food that smelled acceptable. ‘We all know the damage that fireworks do, and I wish they would stop selling them.’
‘Yeah, we all do. They’ve brought in two idiots already. One had his fingers scorched and another barely missed his eye. It’s barely nine in the evening, for God’s sake.’
Holly nodded, taking the plate of korma from her. ‘Thank you. There’s going to be more of them before our shift is over.’
‘God, I wish I had stayed home,’ Jocelyn said.
She broke a poppadom in half and handed it to Holly. ‘They didn’t have any more left.’
‘You volunteered, remember? I’m here as part of my punishment,’ Holly said, smiling at her.
The food was bland, but hot, and sometimes that was enough. Holly knew it could be hours until they had a chance to eat again.
‘I’m here to keep an eye on you,’ Jocelyn said, shovelling rice into her mouth. ‘I don’t want you moping around as we enter the new year.’
‘There’s no time for moping, you know that.’ Holly lifted her spoon. ‘This is about the only break we’ll get until tomorrow morning.’
‘I bought plenty of chocolate and a few bags of crisp too,’ Jocelyn said, patting her bag. ‘We’ll be fine.’
‘Thank you, Joc. I’ve been a mess since I came back, and you’ve been a rock. I’m sorr
y for ruining your New Year’s Eve.’
Jocelyn chuckled. ‘Yes, I’ll remind you of that next year when I need a day off.’
‘Any time.’ Holly finished the last of the korma and snapped up the brownie before Jocelyn could.
‘That’s mean,’ Jocelyn said. ‘Also, that was the last one they had.’
Holly broke it in two and handed half to her, then changed her mind. ‘Here, take both. You deserve it.’
‘Yes, I do.’ Jocelyn ate the brownie, laughing as Holly tried to grab it back.
The loudspeaker interrupted the fun.
Doctor Greene, please come to the reception.
Jocelyn looked at her. ‘Now what did you do?’
‘Nothing. I just got here, remember?’
The loudspeaker croaked again and Holly stood. Jocelyn did the same.
‘You don’t have to come with me, you know.’
Jocelyn grinned. ‘I’m your designated protector. I have to see what’s going on.’
They raced each other through the corridors, almost running, but not quite, since running was strictly forbidden.
When they went through the doors to the reception, they were out of breath and laughing at the same time.
Holly walked over to the desk to ask for the message, but stopped midway there. A man turned around and suddenly she couldn’t move her feet.
‘Oh, my god, is that your Viking?’ Jocelyn said, still half out of breath.
‘He’s not mine,’ Holly said, staring at Tor.
But he’s here. She walked over to him. ‘Tor, what are you doing here? And how did you find me?’
‘Jack told me. I had to convince him to do so, but he did. He didn’t tell you?’
‘No, he didn’t.’ Holly looked at him. She couldn’t believe he was for real. ‘You didn’t drive your boat here, did you?’
‘No, that would be crazier even than this. I took a plane from Oslo.’ Tor took a step closer. ‘If you want me to, I can leave. I know we agreed on no contact, but I missed you.’
Holly blinked. ‘I’ve missed you, too,’ she blurted.
Tor smiled, relieved. ‘Thank goodness. I’d feel incredibly stupid and intrusive if you hadn’t.’
‘How long are you here for?’ Holly didn’t dare touch him just yet.
He shrugged. ‘I have to earn enough money to pay for the plane ticket back and that might take a while. Do you have any idea how insanely expensive it is to fly from Oslo to London on New Year’s Eve? I might have to sell my boat. Or Frøy.’
She knew he was joking. ‘Don’t, please. It wouldn’t be the same without either of them.’
Tor put his hands around her face and looked her in the eyes. ‘The day after you left, I was sitting in my boat, with Frøy, and I realised I’m in love with you. I think we should see where this leads. No strings, no pressure, and if it doesn’t work out between us, it doesn’t. I have a place to stay, so there’s no hassle about that. What do you think?’
‘Shut up and kiss me, you idiot,’ she said.
Holly didn’t hear Jocelyn whooping behind them, or see the receptionist making googly eyes at them or even more fireworks filling the dark sky.
He was here, kissing her, holding her, and that was enough for now.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my brilliant and lovely editor, Charlotte Ledger, and the whole One More Chapter team, who have had to deal with my crazy deadlines with a lot more patience than I probably deserve.
Thanks again to Sue Davison, who proofreads and encourages in equal measures. I wouldn't manage without her.
Thank you also to the amazing Romance Novelist Association, who managed to go digital when we all had to go into lockdown. You are an inspiration.
And even more thanks to my Cariad Chapter friends who help and encourage and make me laugh. You are the best.
Finally, thank you to my lovely Aunt Berit, who still reads everything I write – and likes it.
Author’s Note
Dear reader,
* * *
Christmas Island is set in winter, when Norway is dark and cold most of the time. But winter isn't Noir as in dark and depressing, it's also filled with light and fun, warmth and love. Nordic Romance is still romantic even in the middle of winter, and I hope my book has shown that to you.
Happy Holidays
* * *
God jul
Recipe: Aunt Berit’s Christmas Cake
This is a family recipe my aunt got from her cousins in America – hence the cups. Aunt Berit makes this every Christmas, and if I happen to come home for a visit in December, I always leave with two of these in my luggage. It wouldn’t be Christmas without it.
* * *
What to put in the cake:
(‘ts’ means teaspoon here)
* * *
1/2 cup of melted butter – let it cool before adding it to the eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 egg – separate egg yolk and whites
The egg whites need to be whisked stiff and added in at the end
1 cup of kefir milk – or buttermilk/thin yoghurt or something else fermented (not cabbage)
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of raisins
1 ts of baking soda
1 ts of grounded cinnamon
1/2 ts of grounded clove
1/2 ts of grounded nutmeg
* * *
How to do it:
Mix the dry ingredients together – sieve into a mixing bowl, and add raisins. Then mix the egg yolk, the milk and melted butter in another bowl.
Pour half of the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with the flour. Stir gently, then pour in the rest.
Finally, whisk the egg-white until it’s stiff, and then fold it gently into the mixture. It’s a sticky dough, so don’t put in more flour.
Grease two bread tins (1–1.5 ltr) well, or line them with baking paper, pour the mixture in and put it into a cold oven at 200’ Celsius for about 30 minutes. It might take longer, or not. It’s done when you poke it with a fork or a knitting needle and it comes out dry.
Let it cool on a rack.
Recipe: Delfia Cake
This is a staple cake for Christmas with us. The name is derived from the brand of coconut oil everyone uses. The recipe is also printed on the package.
* * *
When I tried to find out about substitutes for coconut oil for those who don’t live in Norway, the translation gave me hydrogenerated coconut oil, which sounds a fright. It means the coconut should not be liquid.
* * *
It’s also possible to use butter, but I have no idea how that would turn out. Pretty good, I guess.
* * *
I discovered that in Australia Copha is used for White Christmas Cake – which sounds delicious by the way.
* * *
Crisco is also named as a substitute, but that’s not made from coconut oil, so I have no idea how it would taste.
* * *
What to put in the cake:
* * *
12,3 oz./375 g cooking chocolate
12,3 oz./375 g coconut fat (not oil)
6 tablespoons strong coffee
4 eggs – should be room temperature
4 tablespoons sugar
12 sweet wheat biscuits
About 5,3 oz./150 g coloured marzipan, thinly sliced
7 oz./200 g jelly tops
For a more adult version, add 1/2 dl of whiskey or cognac, or Old Baileys – or something else
* * *
The filling is all about what kind of sweets you like with chocolate, so there are no rules. Kids love this cake too, but maybe without the booze.
* * *
What I like in my cake:
Thin slices of marzipan or chopped up marzipan figures.
Chocolate buttons (like Smarties or M&Ms) in different colours – if I’m in a really festive mood, I only use the red and green.
Some kind of jelly sweets. Norwegians have stick
men, which are jellied sweets covered in sugar.
Some kind of marshmallow sweets. We have marshmallow Santas.
I love dark chocolate and sweet soft liquorice, but that might just be me.
* * *
How to do it:
Dress a bread tin (about 1.5 ltr) with baking paper/greaseproof paper – so that the cake doesn’t stick in the tin.
Melt the coconut oil in a small pot, take it away from the heat, break the chocolate into pieces and stir into the oil until it melts. Or you can use a waterbath, or the microwave.
Add the coffee or booze when the chocolate has melted.
Set it aside to cool while you prepare the eggs and sugar.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together until it’s fluffy.
Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and mix well until smooth.
Add layers of chocolate, sweets – or biscuits. Then decorate the top of the cake as you please. I use whatever sweets are left.
Serve the Delfia cake in thin slices. Wipe the knife between each cutting for a prettier result.
Delfia cake keeps well in the refrigerator and can also be frozen. Which is what I do, otherwise it won’t last.
Recipe: Norwegian Wort Cake
Freshly baked Wort Cake is fragrant, sweet and just scrumptious. It’s in my house every Christmas – makes the flat smell like Christmas. I love a slice with butter and brown cheese, but they go well with other cheeses too. And fig jam is delicious on this.
Christmas Island Page 27