Dreaming of Christmas
Page 15
‘Thank God for that. What about Mandy? Does she want us to bring Bella to see her dad?’
‘I asked Georg to ask her. I can easily drive down if necessary.’
They went through to the lounge and found everybody there, apart from Fergus and Grant, who were still out on the slopes. Thought of Grant reminded Zoë of the decision she had taken and the conversation she was going to have with him. She wasn’t looking forward to it, but she knew she wouldn’t have complete closure until she had spelt it out to him.
There was a second call from Georg at the hospital in which he informed Billy that Mandy would be coming back to the hotel with him in a couple of hours – once Martin’s arm had been set and the doctors were satisfied that there were no complications. Zoë relayed the message to Bella.
‘Bella, that was the hospital. Your daddy’s going to be fine. Your mummy’s coming back a little bit later on. She wants Arnie and me to look after you until then. All right?’
Bella nodded from the floor, where she and the Labrador were playing fetch with an old tennis ball. Zoë was glad to see her looking calm and happy. As she gazed down at the little girl, her heart went out to her and she hoped everything would work out with her parents – not just in terms of the skiing accident. She also reflected how nice it had been to look after this little mite, and as she watched her playing with the dog, she sensed those long-neglected maternal instincts welling up once more. Now that things were irrevocably over between her and Grant, maybe she really should consider getting back into the dating game in the hope of finding her perfect partner, with whom to set about creating a Bella of her own. Once again, though, her subconscious trotted out the usual mantra – concentrate on work and forget dating. There were times when her subconscious could be very stubborn.
Chapter 13
That afternoon, Zoë and Juliet went for a walk with Bella and the dog. Somebody with a tractor had cleared a path that wound its way through the grounds and right round to the back of the hotel. Arnie and Bella ran on ahead, having a fine time chasing the tennis ball from one bank of snow to another. Zoë kept a weather eye on both of them, feeling very grown up. This didn’t go unnoticed by Juliet.
‘You and Bella seem to be hitting it off, Zo.’
‘She’s a sweetie.’ Zoë turned towards her and smiled. ‘I was just thinking how nice it would be to have one of my own – and a Labrador would be rather good, too.’
‘Well, getting a dog’s easy enough, but for the child, I’m afraid you’re going to need help.’ Juliet was smiling back at her. ‘Not that you need to be a doctor to know that. Of course, you could go for the less messy option – IVF. That way, you wouldn’t need one of those big smelly men. Or are you telling me you’re beginning to think it might be time to start looking round again for a big smelly man?’
‘I don’t know. At least I’ve definitely come to a conclusion as far as one man’s concerned.’ She saw comprehension on her friend’s face. ‘That’s right. I’m finally over Grant and I’m going to break the news to him tonight, just as soon as I see him. So I suppose that now I’ve got him out of my system, I might even start thinking about a replacement.’
‘Good for you, Zo. You need to move on with your life. How do you intend to go about finding your new special someone?’
‘Well, I was telling Billy there’s always the Christmas ball the day after tomorrow. Who knows what might happen there?’
Juliet grinned. ‘And you could consider sending a letter to Santa. You never know what he might bring.’
‘And what about you, Jules? You really quite happy on your own? Aren’t you interested in settling down? Surely there must be loads of hunky doctors in that hospital of yours. You are very pretty after all.’
Juliet blushed. ‘I’m quite happy on my own for now, and as for hitching up with another medic, I really don’t think so. It’s a tough life being a doctor these days – for all sorts of reasons. If I were to end up with another medic, I’m sure we’d spend all our time moaning about the NHS. Besides, there really isn’t anybody who appeals back there.’ She caught Zoë’s eye and for a moment her expression became more serious. ‘Strictly between you and me, there is somebody I rather like here, but it would be too complicated.’
‘Somebody here?’ Zoë’s eyes opened wide and her mind rapidly flicked through the men in their group. Billy, Martin, Fergus and, of course, Grant. Surely not…?
‘Forget it, Zo. It isn’t going to happen.’ Zoë could hear from her voice that Juliet was already regretting her moment of frankness.
‘You can tell me…’
‘I could, but then I’d have to kill you. One of these days I promise I’ll sit down with you and we can have a long talk.’ Juliet was smiling again. ‘But for now, like I say, forget I spoke. Nothing’s going to happen. As for being alone, it does have some advantages.’
‘Such as?’
‘Nobody to steal the bedclothes, nobody to nag you for drinking too much coffee or for opening a bottle of Prosecco on a Sunday afternoon. And above all, the freedom to make all your own decisions. No, Zo, I wish you well if you are going to start dating again, but I’m just fine as I am.’
At that moment, a bit further along the path, the boisterous dog knocked Bella into a pile of snow and she emerged in tears. Zoë hurried across to comfort her, and by the time peace had been restored, the moment had passed. She returned to Juliet’s side, still turning over in her head just who might be attracting her. Surely not a married man? Of course, Grant wasn’t married, but that couldn’t be… Could it?
By now the light was beginning to fade and suddenly the fairy lights in the trees all switched on, turning the snow-covered branches into sparkling jewels. Zoë smiled as she saw Bella and Arnie stop as one and stare up in wonder. The lights made an enchanting display and she was reminded that Christmas was just three days away and she still had some shopping to do.
‘Jules, what about presents? I’m going to get something for Bella and I really want to get something for Billy as a thank-you. What do you reckon?’
‘I was thinking about trying to get a little something for everybody – you know, just a token, nothing major. I thought we could put the presents under the tree on Christmas Eve, and then on Christmas Day – maybe after lunch – we could open them together.’
‘That’s a good idea. Didn’t somebody say something about a Christmas market?’
Juliet nodded. ‘Yes, Danni said there’s going to be a Christmas Fair down in the old town tomorrow. I thought I’d go and see what I can find.’
‘Excellent. I’ll definitely come with you.’
* * *
Back at the hotel, Zoë removed Bella’s coat – or more precisely, she rescued Bella’s coat from the middle of the corridor where she unceremoniously dumped it. She then replaced the little girl’s boots with slippers and made sure that she washed her hands before taking her through to the lounge for tea. Juliet was already there, and Lorna and Imogen were sitting reading. Zoë went across to sit down near them and Bella immediately climbed onto her lap. The ever-hungry dog sat attentively at their feet, his eyes glued on the cake on the little girl’s plate. He had already worked out that crumbs – or even bigger pieces – often fell from her hands.
‘You’re looking broody.’ Lorna set down the copy of yesterday’s Guardian. In true Austrian tradition, there was a fine selection of newspapers here in the lounge, all attached to wooden handles with hooks on the end and hanging on a special rack for the use of the guests. Unsurprisingly, in a luxury hotel like this, they included a choice of papers in both German and English. There were even copies of Le Monde and Corriere della Sera. ‘So what are you going to do about it, Zo? Thinking of getting back together with Grant?’
Zoë shook her head. ‘Nope. That’s all over. In fact, as soon as I see him, I’m going to make sure he knows that – although after the way he treated me, he can’t really be under any illusions, surely?’
Lorna looked impresse
d. ‘Don’t you believe it – I’m sure he came here determined to try to get you back. But good for you. I’m sure you’re doing the right thing. So if it isn’t to be Grant, does this mean you’re ready to get back out there?’
Zoë smiled. Why was everybody so keen to see her hitched up with a man again?
‘I’m not sure, Lorn. We’ll see. For the moment I’ll just concentrate on getting Grant out of my hair and finding a job I like. Anyway, how’re you and Imogen doing this week? Not getting bored all on your own while we’re out skiing?’
They shook their heads in tandem and Imogen answered. ‘I’m having a lovely time. This is the fourth book I’ve read since I got here, and it’s just wonderful to be able to relax and know that there’s no need to worry about work, or cooking or cleaning or whatever.’
Lorna nodded in agreement. ‘Same for me. I’ve been able to catch up on a lot of reading and I’ve been to the pool every morning for a good long swim. I feel a lot better for it.’
Zoë was mildly surprised. There had only been one kind of exercise that had interested Lorna when they had lived at number 23. She took a closer look at her and got the distinct impression that the dark rings beneath her eyes had reduced. She also had some badly needed colour in her cheeks. So this holiday was doing them all good – apart from poor Martin.
A few minutes later, the door opened and Fergus and Grant arrived – still in their outdoor clothes – and made straight for the fridge containing the beer. Grant pulled out two bottles of Stiegl and opened them before passing one across to his snowboarding buddy. He clinked his bottle against Fergus’s and took a big mouthful of Salzburg’s famous beer.
‘What a day! Brilliant, eh, Fergie?’
‘Absolutely brilliant.’ Fergus emptied half of his bottle down his throat and looked round with a grin. ‘So, what’s been happening here?’
‘You haven’t heard about Martin?’
Both men shook their heads, their expressions changing to shock as Juliet explained what had happened. Zoë was pleased to see Grant looking genuinely concerned. This was a good sign of personal development – in the past he had only really been interested in himself. Although this in no way shook Zoë’s conviction that she was still going to tell him that things were irrevocably over between the two of them, it boded well for his future – without her.
Just as Juliet was coming to the end of her explanation, Billy and Daniela appeared with the news that Georg had phoned and Mandy was on her way home. Zoë glanced down to check that Bella had heard the news and saw to her surprise that the little girl was fast asleep in her arms. At her feet, the dog was also sleeping, a satisfied canine grin on his face. Bella’s plate was still in her hands and it was now completely empty – suspiciously empty. Zoë gently removed it and, on impulse, gave the little girl a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
‘So, how was the powder skiing this morning?’ Fergus looked interested. ‘We saw the two of you at one point and followed your tracks. It looked as if you did a bit of flying.’
‘And from what we could see, neither of you fell over. We tried to do the same and one of us didn’t quite nail the landing. Kudos, Zo.’ There was real admiration in Grant’s voice, but she didn’t let it break her resolve.
‘No, neither of us fell at all today.’ She glanced at Fergus. ‘So were you the one to end up in a snowdrift this time?’
‘And how! A lump of ice even found its way right down into my underpants. Still, we had a lot of fun and we went back up and did it again – this time without incident.’
‘I’ll show you guys where there are a few more jumps if you like.’ Billy led them over to the detailed map on the wall and pointed them out. He then turned back towards Zoë and the others. ‘Anybody else for a beer? I could certainly do with one. It’s been quite a day.’
* * *
It was about seven when Mandy arrived back. She was looking weary, but her expression was bright. Bella woke up at the sound of her mother’s voice and scrambled down from Zoë’s lap to run across to greet her, accompanied by the dog. As Mandy swung her into her arms, she took out her phone.
‘Your father made a little video for you, sweetheart. Here, come and take a look, everybody.’
As they all crowded round, Zoë peeked at the screen to see Martin lying in a hospital bed with his left arm in a plaster cast. He was looking remarkably cheerful.
‘Hi, Bella. Look what Daddy’s done. I told you I was a terrible skier, didn’t I? Anyway, I’m fine now and I’ll be home tomorrow. Look after Mummy for me. I love you both.’
Zoë caught Mandy’s eye. ‘He sounds fine. No ill effects?’
‘None at all, hopefully – and it’s even his left arm he managed to break, so he can still pay the bills with his right hand.’ She was sounding upbeat, but Zoë could see the strain around her eyes. As Billy had said, it had been quite a day.
And it wasn’t over yet.
Dinner was another international event. This time, the chef had prepared an Italian feast with tasty antipasti, followed by pizza made in the hotel’s own wood-burning pizza oven. For dessert, there was a choice of panna cotta or tiramisu. There was ice-cold Prosecco and rich, tawny Barolo to drink with the meal, and Zoë managed to eat a whole pizza by herself. She justified it to her conscience by reminding herself that she had only had a bowl of soup for lunch. She didn’t remind her conscience about the portion of wonderful sweet Kaiserschmarrn that had followed the soup, but it had been quite a day after all.
Her chance to talk to Grant finally came at the end of the meal. Whether by accident or design, the others all got up and left the dining room, leaving Grant and Zoë all alone at opposite ends of the long table. Summoning her courage, Zoë told him what she had decided.
‘You asked me to think about what you said in the pool, Grant. Well, I have done and the answer’s no.’ Seeing him about to remonstrate with her, she hurried on. ‘I’ve thought long and hard about it, and the bottom line is that I’ll never be able to trust you fully again. You may have some idea of just how brutally you treated me – I certainly hope so. If you have, then maybe you’ll never treat another girl the same way. But it’s not even that. Yes, you hurt me terribly, but it’s the lack of trust that’s the game-changer. It’s definitely all over between us, and please don’t waste your time or mine by trying to persuade me otherwise. We’re done. All right?’
Of course it wasn’t all right and he tried hard to plead his case that he was a changed man. By the end, she almost felt sorry for him, but her resolve held. Finally she stood up and walked over to where he was still sitting.
‘You’re a good-looking guy, Grant. You’re bright – when you want to be. I’m sure you’ll find somebody else, and when you do, I hope for her sake you treat her better than you treated me. I wish you well for the future, but it’ll be a future without me. Now, I’m not going to let this spoil my holiday. I’ve been dreaming of Christmas, and I aim to make it a new beginning for me. Who knows, maybe it will be for you too.’
With that, she walked out of the room and back down the corridor to the lounge. Mandy and Bella had already disappeared. Zoë could well imagine that Mandy must be exhausted after the trauma of the day. Imogen and Fergus were sitting together on a sofa and Zoë was delighted to see her hanging onto his arm with both hands, a happy expression on her face. Hopefully this might mean that she was trying to follow Zoë’s advice and appreciate her husband for the good guy he was – even if he wasn’t a billionaire.
After the stress of her talk with Grant, Zoë didn’t need much persuading to accept a glass of thirty-year-old cognac. She cradled the balloon glass in her hands and went over to sit down alongside Lorna and Juliet. As she did so, she exchanged looks with both of them, but nothing was said. Both of them had already understood that the deed had been done. She was pleased to see Grant return to the lounge a little later on and strike up a conversation with Billy as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He didn’t look across in her dire
ction even once. At least he hadn’t taken it too badly so hopefully the atmosphere in the group wouldn’t be soured.
They sat and chatted, the Labrador snoring at Zoë’s feet, until she felt her phone vibrate with the arrival of a text message from Mandy.
Bella’s asleep and I will be soon. I’d like to talk to you first, if you can spare a few minutes. Feel like coming round? X
Zoë replied simply,
Of course. Five minutes. X
Five minutes later, she got to her feet, stroked the dog’s head, and said goodnight to the others. When she reached Mandy’s door, she realised she still had the spare key that Erika had given her, but she didn’t need it. Mandy had wedged a shoe in the door to stop it locking. Zoë picked up the shoe, let herself in and closed the door quietly behind her. She found Bella fast asleep in her bed and Mandy already in her pyjamas, sitting on the edge of the big bed.
‘Hi, Zo, thanks for coming.’ Mandy kept her voice low, although Bella looked as if it would take an explosion to wake her.
Zoë sat down and set the shoe on the floor and the spare key on the bedside table before reaching over to catch hold of Mandy’s hand.
‘How’re you doing, Mand?’
‘I’m doing fine.’ She raised her head and caught Zoë’s eye. ‘Really well.’ There was a pause before she continued. ‘I told him, Zo, I told Martin.’
‘What – about what happened in September?’
Mandy nodded. ‘It was just the two of us in his room after they’d set his arm and he’d regained consciousness. He was sounding very lucid and I could see he was going to be all right. I was holding his hand and I suddenly started crying – probably delayed shock or just pure relief. One thing led to another and I ended up blurting out the whole sad, sordid story.’
‘And how did he take it?’ Zoë gave Mandy’s hand a squeeze.