A Cosy Candlelit Christmas: A wonderfully festive feel good romance (An Unforgettable Christmas Book 2)

by Tilly Tennant

  Isla nodded slowly. So much for noble sentiments. She supposed she ought to look at it as an amazing, life-changing gift but it felt more like a shackle, tying her to a place and a family that she just wanted to put behind her. St Martin was beautiful and so was the house, but her grandmother’s gift, in real, practical terms, represented nothing but worry and responsibility.

  ‘Are you saying that you’re going to come on board?’ Ian asked. ‘You want to try to fulfil your grandma’s wishes?’

  ‘I think it would be pretty unreasonable of me not to. It doesn’t have to mean anything anyway…’ She glanced at Natalie and Benet, who were listening, silent and attentive, to the conversation. Probably weighing up their own part in the arrangements. Natalie was smiling sweetly and Benet was doing his best not to wear the glower she was becoming used to seeing on him. Could she be family to these people? Would the day come when spending time with them was as natural as breathing? Right now it was impossible to know but Isla was sure of one thing – she didn’t want to be the cuckoo in the nest. They had their family life and it seemed from the outside like a good one; she had no desire to get in the way of that. ‘We can go through the motions but you don’t have to feel as if you should be inviting me for Christmas dinner or anything. As long as we convince Grover, right?’

  If she hadn’t known better, Isla would have said that Ian looked hurt by what she’d said. Celine replied for him as he reached for his beer.

  ‘If that works for you,’ she said. ‘But we’ve been thinking too and we don’t want to stand in the way of you spending time with your father if you feel you’d like to. It might not be so bad. We must not forget that you are also Natalie and Benet’s half-sister and maybe you would like to get to know them a little while you’re here.’

  ‘I suppose it’s not every day you find out you have two new siblings,’ Isla said. She turned her gaze to Natalie and Benet and forced a smile.

  ‘Exactly,’ Natalie said. ‘We are willing to try if you are. Perhaps while you visit we may see you again? For dinner? Now that we have the business completed, we can get to know each other as family…’ She turned to Celine and Benet, who both gave a short nod.

  ‘One thing,’ Isla said, ‘and I’m not going to get upset if you tell me the truth, I just want to know… Did you know about me? Before this all came out in the will, did you know you had a sister in England?’

  Both Natalie and Benet looked uncertainly at their parents for guidance. Ian shook his head slowly.

  ‘They didn’t know.’

  ‘I did,’ Celine added. ‘And I know that your father tried to reach you many times over the years. Birthdays and Christmases would go by and your mother refused to grant him access.’

  Isla should have been shocked by this news but she wasn’t. Deep down, she must have always suspected it but her loyalty to her mother wouldn’t allow her to acknowledge those suspicions. And knowing her mum, it made sense. Glory would deny it, of course, until her dying breath. But it was exactly the sort of thing she’d do, and she would believe that it was for all the right reasons. ‘He could have gone to court,’ Isla insisted, but she didn’t really feel the conviction of her words as she spoke them.

  ‘We lived too far away; it was not practical. And your mother forbade it. All your father wanted was to send you a letter and get a reply. Perhaps a phone call from time to time.’

  ‘Glory said that it would upset you and rake up old feelings,’ Ian cut in.

  ‘And Ian thought,’ Celine continued, ‘maybe she was right, and the kind thing to do was to disappear. So he stopped.’

  ‘I’m not proud of that,’ Ian said. ‘I should have fought harder and I’ll always regret that I didn’t. But you have to understand how hard it was. I thought it was the right decision at the time, and the longer it went on the tougher it was to contact you. Being straight with you now as one adult to another – we want the house in Scotland, of course we do. But I want you to have what’s due to you too. It’s only the first step in making amends for all the years I was a terrible father, and I want to do it properly. I want to do whatever it takes to make it at least half way right.’

  Isla could have chosen to believe that his words were all about the inheritance. But something in his eyes told her that they were true. The years she’d spent apart from him weren’t all his doing.

  ‘We can’t fix it now,’ Isla said. ‘So there’s no point in dwelling on it. If you’re willing to make peace then I am too. All I’m saying is it might not be easy to build a real relationship, but we can have something that satisfies Grandma Sarah’s will and maybe even one day we’ll be friends. It doesn’t matter now how it all happened, the fact is that I grew up without you and I’m a product of that. What I’m proposing is the best I can offer right now.’

  Ian nodded gravely. ‘Of course; I wouldn’t expect anything else.’

  ‘Now that we have that out of the way,’ Celine said with forced brightness, ‘maybe we should try to have some fun. We have a lot to discuss, but it doesn’t have to be hard work, does it?’

  ‘I suppose not.’ Isla shot Ian a small smile. She wanted to believe that they’d soon be chatting like long-lost friends, but she had a feeling it was going to be a long and difficult evening.

  If not exactly pleasant, the evening had at least been reasonably cordial in the end. They’d parted with an agreement that Ian would contact Grover Rousseau back in Scotland again and explain where they were at and find out what they needed to do next. Plenty of wine at the dinner table had helped things along, of course, and Isla had crashed into her bed back at the hotel with her mind racing, fully expecting to lie awake for the next few hours thinking over what had been said. But she’d woken the next morning hardly even remembering her head hitting the pillow.

  She’d woken early, though, and rather than lie in bed mulling things over, she got up and showered so she could make breakfast early and get out to see some of the country she had only a few days left in. Making peace with Ian had, at last, given her an appetite to treat her last few days in the Alps as more of a holiday than she had before. Her day with Justin had helped too, and she craved more of the magnificent scenery and clean air he’d shown her. There were mountains and fresh air aplenty not far from where she was, not to mention more than enough interesting sports and activities, and if she couldn’t find something to keep her occupied for the day, then it was a pretty poor showing. She would ask Dahlia for some tips and a packed lunch to take with her.

  As she was applying a modest layer of make-up, the phone lying on the bedside cabinet flashed to alert her to a text. Justin’s name appeared on the screen. It was not yet eight, and Isla mused on the possibility that Ian had already been in touch with him to tell him how the meal had gone the night before. She wasn’t sure what to make of that, but crossed the room and snatched up her phone to open the message. Sure enough, Justin knew.

  I am glad to hear it went well last night. How do you feel? Are you happy?

  Isla clutched the phone for a moment as she gazed out of the window. The streets were still cloaked in dawn’s grey light. Was she happy? Was that the thing she was feeling right now? It wasn’t a kind of happiness she recognised, but something had changed between her and Ian. Perhaps the most significant was that at times that morning she’d even thought of him as Dad rather than Ian. She felt positive and full of new energy and she felt as if she could see an end in sight that might be a good one. But there was still too much uncertainty to call it. She began to tap out a reply.

  I think it did. Don’t know how I’m feeling. Early days yet.

  Would you like to talk about it?

  I don’t know.

  Today? I can pick you up.

  Not today. Spending time alone today.

  Why alone?

  I need to collect my thoughts. Sorry.

  Tonight? Dinner? I would like to pay.

  I don’t think that’s a good idea.

  Please? I would like to hea
r all about it.

  Was that friendly dinner to chat, or was that dinner dinner? Either way it looked as if he wasn’t taking no for an answer. Was this something she wanted to get into? She was ready to go home in a few days, and though she’d agreed that she’d come back to St Martin as soon as she could to build on the progress she’d made with Ian (and make it very obvious to Grover Rousseau that they were making a concerted effort to get along), it wasn’t exactly a permanent arrangement and certainly too tenuous to build a romance on. As for one night stands, she’d learned that they never ended well and were best avoided. Even two or three night stands for that matter. So what, exactly, did Justin want from her? More importantly, was she willing to give it to him?

  As if he’d sensed her reticence through the ether, the phone bleeped again.

  No funny business, I promise.

  She couldn’t help but smile. Of all the English phrases to know! How many times had he needed that phrase before? She supposed there must be a lot of British tourists passing through the resort in a year – young, pretty female tourists. Still it didn’t diminish his attractiveness, even though it probably ought to.

  You’d never get away with it anyway. Dinner sounds good in that case.

  I’ll pick you up at eight?

  Eight is perfect.

  Putting her phone down, Isla crossed back to the mirror and finished applying her mascara before scraping her wild hair back into a sturdy hairband. Though Dodie had often expressed awe and envy at the magnificent volume of Isla’s curls, Isla herself found them uncontrollable and an absolute pain. Most days it was easier to pull them back out of the way and secure them with something of industrial strength. Her bathroom at home housed a ton of products to tame her locks, but it had been too much hassle to carry them onto the plane so most days here she’d been tying it back. But now, the prospect of dinner with Justin was making her wish she’d brought some with her so she could look her best. Maybe there was a shop nearby where she could get something. But then, with a sharp click of her tongue, she shook her head in exasperation as she gazed at her reflection.

  ‘Silly cow,’ she muttered.

  With a final check in the mirror, she snatched up her room key and headed down for breakfast.

  Dahlia was in the dining room, already racing around from table to table with a pot of coffee for the early risers getting a head start for a day hiking, climbing or skiing. But today she had a teenage girl working with her setting tables and clearing them again.

  ‘I thought you were making it up when you said you sometimes had help,’ Isla said as Dahlia showed her to a table with a broad smile. She looked bright and cheery, despite the fact that she’d probably done half a day’s work before Isla had even woken up. Before she could respond, however, both women’s attention was drawn to Sebastian ambling into the dining room wearing a rather sombre dark blue bow tie and a plain navy cardigan over his powder blue shirt. His gaze caught Isla’s, and she tried to fight the blush that spread through her, especially as she recalled how she’d mentally compared him to Justin in the shallowest way. He was such a sweet guy and that ought to matter more than any physical attribute.

  ‘Good morning!’ Dahlia called, the silent and mortified exchange of her guests apparently passing her by. ‘Give me a minute and I’ll find you somewhere to sit.’

  Sebastian, if possible, looked more awkward and mortified than ever as he realised that every table in the tiny dining room was already full. He’d have to stand around and wait for someone to finish. But Isla quickly realised that she was sitting alone at a table for two, and no matter what had happened between them it was churlish to deny him a seat. Maybe she could even use the opportunity to clear the air. She forced a carefree smile.

  ‘There’s room here, if you care to join me.’

  ‘Oh, yes, what a wonderful idea!’ Dahlia exclaimed. ‘Come on over and sit down.’

  Whether he wanted to or not, the decision had been made for him. And Sebastian looked very much as though he’d rather be anywhere but there as he made his way over to the table and sat across from Isla with a stiff smile.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘Very kind of you.’

  ‘Not really – it’s just a seat. I was hardly going to let you stand there while I ate my breakfast.’

  Dahlia poured him a coffee and he gave her a grateful nod as Isla continued.

  ‘You’re up nice and early. I suppose you’re out at the glacier again today?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Only, I was maybe going to take a look at the mountains and I wondered if you could give me some advice on where to go… What was it I read about online earlier… a gondola up through the peaks to a neighbouring resort?’

  ‘The gondola will take you through to the Méribel slopes but you’d struggle to walk back – it’s better suited to skiing,’ Dahlia cut in. ‘I could put you in touch with an instructor if you wanted to learn.’

  ‘I don’t think there’s really time for that.’

  ‘Perhaps if you come again then. But I wouldn’t go up on the gondola in the hopes of getting down any other way.’

  ‘Right…’ Isla watched as she bustled off to tend to another table. ‘That’s a shame. Maybe I could just go out to a neighbouring village? Do you think there’ll be transport? A tour or something?’

  ‘I don’t know much about it to be honest,’ Seb replied.

  ‘It’s just that I’d like to see more of the area and I daren’t go walking around mountains alone. You hear of people getting caught unawares all the time, especially if they’re inexperienced in the snow.’

  He was silent for a moment. ‘So does today’s lack of a plan mean you’ve done what you need to do here and have free time?’

  ‘Sort of. I have a couple of days left and I didn’t want to go home having seen practically nothing. How many people dream of coming here? And yet, here I am not even making an effort to explore what’s right on the doorstep. But I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks.’

  ‘Would you feel better if you had a guide?’

  ‘You can hire someone to take you up? Wouldn’t that be expensive?’

  He tipped his head slightly. ‘Not necessarily. I know the peaks quite well so we could take a look. I wouldn’t be able to get you right up top, of course, but I’ll show you as much as I can.’

  Isla’s eyes widened. ‘You’d come with me? But I thought you had to work today.’

  ‘I can work any time I like as long as it’s done. But I thought… Actually,’ he added, seeming to be struck by a sudden idea, ‘perhaps you’d like to drive out to Lake Blanc? I mean, it’s a couple of hours’ drive but it’s pretty spectacular and it’s got everything you want from the Alps – gorgeous lake, beautiful mountains and clean air.’

  ‘I’d love that!’ Isla said, and she meant it. The strength of feeling that his offer had stoked in her came from nowhere. She couldn’t understand it, and yet she was suddenly thrilled. There was also a measure of undeniable relief that he seemed to have put her previous rebuff behind him. ‘I’d get to see a lot more with you than on my own because you know what to do and what everything is,’ she added, trying to temper her excitement for his sake, not wanting to give him the wrong impression. But if she was giving the wrong impression, it wasn’t an act at all. Where the hell had these feelings come from?

  ‘We’ll have to leave very early,’ he said.

  ‘Perfect! We can go straight after breakfast if you’re OK with that.’

  He shot her a smile that wrinkled his nose and she couldn’t help but laugh at it, pleased to see he was feeling more comfortable with her again. ‘Nothing would make me happier.’

  It seemed it hadn’t taken long for Sebastian’s hire car to fill up with the detritus of his work as he shoved aside a mound of folders and graph paper so she could sit in the passenger seat. On the floor sat a selection of empty coffee cups and chocolate bar wrappers. He gave a sheepish smile as Isla glanced at them and then up at him.<
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  ‘Sorry about the mess. I was meaning to clear it all out before I gave the car back. Not many rubbish bins out on the glaciers, you know.’

  ‘But there are lots of coffee shops, apparently.’ She cocked an eyebrow.

  ‘In town at least,’ he said, his smile widening. ‘I’ll shout up before we pass the last chance to get one.’ He was bouncy, full of nervous excitement, like a little boy showing his favourite teacher a pet project. It was probably a little bit like that, Isla mused, as his pet project happened to be his job. ‘Have you been to the toilet?’ he asked.

  Isla’s eyebrows shot up her forehead this time. ‘Yes, Mum. Thanks for checking, though.’

  ‘Sorry,’ he said, blushing. ‘Just that it’s a good two-hour drive and not many stop-off places along the way.’

  ‘I’m sure I can control my bladder for two hours. Or I could just use one of your extensive collection of empty coffee cups if I get really desperate.’

  ‘I didn’t mean anything… sorry.’

  ‘Sebastian,’ she said, and he looked up from where he was slotting the key into the transmission.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘I’m just kidding.’

  ‘Right,’ he said, relaxing again into a boyish grin.

  ‘I’m told my sense of humour is an acquired taste, so don’t worry if you don’t always get it.’

  ‘I’ll try to remember that,’ he said. ‘So we’re taking the N90. It’s a spectacular highway – at least in my opinion. You should keep your eyes peeled for wildlife along the way.’

  ‘Will you be giving me a running commentary as we go? Like when I went on a guided tour to the Tower of London?’

  ‘I could, but you might get very bored of the sort of facts I’d be spouting,’ he replied as they pulled away from the kerb.

  ‘Would it be lots of glaciologist stuff?’

  ‘More or less.’

  ‘You could try me and let me judge. Or we could just put the radio on.’