Dreaming of Christmas

by Dreaming of Christmas (retail) (epub)

  ‘You okay, Zo?’ He sidestepped up to her.

  She wiped a handful of snow off her face. ‘I’m fine, thanks. No damage done.’

  ‘First time this week, right?’

  She wiped more snow off her face and shook her hair to remove the worst of it, reaching inside the neck of her jumper to dislodge a few bits of ice.

  ‘Yup. The Greeks called it hubris – gross overconfidence leading to a tragic downfall. I wasn’t concentrating.’ She didn’t tell him what she had been concentrating on.

  ‘Hang on, I’ll give you a hand.’

  She saw him park his poles and sidestep towards her until he was able to reach down and catch hold of her hands in his. He made it look very easy as he tugged her to her feet. In fact, she came up so quickly, she almost toppled the two of them over, ending up plastered up against him, both of them desperately windmilling their arms to maintain their balance. As they stabilised, she looked up at his face, only a few inches from hers.

  ‘Thanks, Billy. I’m okay now.’

  As she spoke, she realised that she was much closer to a married man than she should be, so she stepped back hastily, sinking up to her thighs in soft snow as she did so. He reached down again, but she waved him away.

  ‘Thanks, Billy, but I think I’ve just put my foot on one of my skis under here.’

  Laboriously she retrieved first one ski and then the other. One pole was lying with the skis, but she wasted almost five minutes probing for the other one before finally finding it. As she was doing so, she also found her hat, which was a relief.

  All in all, the fall probably held them up for almost a quarter of an hour. When she was finally back on her skis, with her decidedly chilly hat on her head, she apologised to him.

  ‘Sorry about that, Billy. Next time I’ll take more care.’

  ‘No need for apologies. Besides, it’s an opportunity for me to give you this.’

  To her surprise, she saw him pull off a glove and reach into his jacket, bringing out a little square packet wrapped in stripy white and gold paper and tied with a silver bow.

  ‘What’s this, Billy? A Christmas present?’

  ‘Here, have a look.’ He handed it to her and she took it hesitantly. ‘And no, it’s not really a Christmas present. I’ve got some small gifts for you and all the others to go under the tree, but this is just a little something special from me to you. I thought I’d give it to you when we were alone.’

  Zoë didn’t know what to say. She tugged off her gloves and dropped them in the snow at her feet as she undid the bow and unfolded the wrapping paper to reveal a little black box. Inside, resting on a velvet pad, was the most exquisite thin gold chain and, hanging from it, a tiny pair of golden skis. The label inside the lid said simply Cartier. It was delightful and no doubt horrifically expensive. Zoë looked up in awe.

  ‘This is amazing, Billy, but I can’t accept it. It’s far, far too valuable.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that, Zoë. I’d just like you to have it. You’ve always meant a lot to me. Please take it. It would make me very happy.’

  Before she could come up with any kind of reply, he pulled his glove back on, zipped up his jacket, and propelled himself back away from her until he could turn and slip off sideways down the slope. As he went, she heard him shout back over his shoulder, ‘Remember to concentrate this time.’

  Zoë pushed the box and the wrapping paper into a side pocket of her jacket and zipped it securely. She retrieved her gloves and set off after him, skiing slowly, fully aware that she wasn’t concentrating as closely as she should be. Her mind was full of the beautiful necklace and the fact that this was a married man who was giving a secret – and very expensive – gift to a woman who wasn’t his wife.

  It was a miracle she managed to ski back down in his tracks without another accident. All the time she was turning it over in her head. What was going on? Why had he given her the necklace? What did it mean? Yes, they were good friends, but so were the others. Why single her out for such an extravagant gift? Did he think about her differently from the others? As they drew closer and closer to the bottom, an uncomfortable thought occurred to her. Was his intention for this to lead up to some sort of quid pro quo? Was he expecting her to provide him with something in exchange? For a moment, she was reminded of the callous way Grant had taken advantage of Mandy’s moment of weakness. Surely Billy wasn’t cut from the same cloth.

  By the time they reached the bottom and were skiing towards the hotel, she had decided to give him back the necklace, determined to explain as politely and kindly as possible that she didn’t feel right accepting such a gift from a married man. Most probably, she thought to herself, this was just the old naïve Billy not realising that such things simply weren’t done. She was composing the right words – desperate to avoid hurting or insulting him – as she drew up alongside him, but then saw that they weren’t going to be alone. As she came to a halt, Daniela and Juliet also arrived down the slope, reaching the gate to the hotel at the same time.

  Daniela leant over and kissed her husband affectionately on the cheek.

  ‘Ciao, Billy.’

  ‘Ciao, Danni. Had a good afternoon? And you, Juliet?’

  ‘Lovely, thanks. It’s been a super day altogether.’

  ‘Right then.’ Billy released his bindings and bent down to pick up his skis. ‘Now I’ve got to fly. The dance starts at eight and I’ve got all sorts of stuff to do first. I thought we could maybe all meet up in our lounge at seven thirty or so for a few nibbles and a glass of champagne before turning up at the dance fashionably late. Thanks again for the company, Zoë. Hope you aren’t too knocked about.’

  As he hurried off, Juliet caught hold of Zoë’s arm.

  ‘Knocked about? Have you had a fall, Zo? You’re looking a bit dopey. You didn’t hit your head or anything, did you?’

  Zoë shook her head – partly to say no and partly to clear the thoughts still swirling about.

  ‘No, I’m absolutely fine. I took a nosedive into a snowdrift, but luckily there weren’t any rocks about. What you see is just my normal dopiness.’

  Chapter 17

  When Zoë got back to her room, the first thing she did was to check her emails. Once again, there was nothing from Damien. Of course, she told herself, it was Christmas Eve, but then, in the same breath, she remembered that nobody in the office could ever remember him having a holiday – or even a day off. She closed the laptop and did her best not to think about the rocket she was almost certainly going to receive from him.

  After a little doze on the bed, she took a long hot bath before putting on the lovely fluffy bathrobe and concentrating on wrapping all the little presents she had bought for the others. It was fortunate that this wasn’t a complicated job, as her mind was still on the necklace. She hadn’t said anything to Billy in the presence of his wife about returning the gift, but she knew that she would have to give it back to him at the earliest opportunity. One thing was for sure – she was never, ever going to let herself become the Other Woman, responsible for destroying somebody else’s marriage. The only question was when she was likely to get him on his own. If all else failed, she felt pretty sure he would be asking her to go skiing with him again sometime over the next couple of days, so she carefully put the box back into its paper and zipped it securely in the pocket of her skiing jacket. She could pick her moment when they were out on the slopes, away from prying eyes and ears.

  When she had finished wrapping all the presents, she piled them on the sofa. They had agreed that presents would be put under the tree in the lounge later that night, after Bella had gone to bed. Martin had warned his daughter that Santa was making a special journey all the way from Britain to Austria, so she knew her presents wouldn’t arrive until the middle of the night. Zoë had bought her a gorgeous teddy bear, sporting a traditional Austrian jacket and jaunty hat with a feather in it. Wrapping it hadn’t been easy, but she felt pretty confident that the little girl would like it. She kn
ew that five-year-old Zoë would have loved it. In fact, thirty-two-year-old Zoë definitely liked it a lot.

  She took a good deal of care getting dressed. It was pretty clear that the Christmas ball was going to be a very smart affair. Although she wasn’t dressing up to impress anybody in particular – unless, of course, Prince Charming managed to put in an appearance – she felt she owed it to Billy and Daniela to try to look her best. She spent an age making sure that her hair was pinned up as perfectly as possible. Fortunately this task was greatly helped by the Hotel Schlossberg having thoughtfully provided a clever mirror system in the bathroom that allowed her to see what she was doing to the back of her head. It took her a long time, but when she finally stood in front of the mirror to survey the results of her efforts, she was pretty satisfied with her appearance. A few days of serious exercise and lots of fresh air had given her face a healthy glow, and the unpolluted mountain air meant that her eyes were clear, the blue-grey of the irises standing out crisply against the white surrounds.

  She checked the time and saw to her surprise that it was already well past seven. She slipped into the new silk dress, stepped into her heels and took a long hard look at herself in the full-length mirror on the wardrobe door. The plunging neckline was a bit more revealing than she was used to, but after leaning forward and back and hunching her shoulders, she felt confident that she was structurally sound. As a final touch, she dug out the silver necklace with the little pine marten and clipped it around her neck. The silver went well with the blue-grey of the dress and with her eyes. She would do.

  She made her way through to the lounge and found that she wasn’t the first. Lorna had beaten her to it.

  ‘Hi, Lorn. Did you have a good time in Salzburg?’

  Lorna nodded before coming over and speaking quietly into Zoë’s ear, even though they were the only people in the lounge for the moment.

  ‘Salzburg was lovely. I decided this morning that although I won’t be sharing a bed with anybody tonight, I should at least get an invitation to the ball for you-know-who.’

  ‘And did you?’

  ‘Yes. Billy actually gave me a lift down to Salzburg in his gorgeous car. I told him the whole story – just like I told you – and he gave me an invitation.’ She hesitated. ‘Although he said pretty much the same thing you did. Anyway, me being me, I didn’t listen to either of you, and now I’m beginning to wish I had.’

  ‘Like I said, it’s your decision.’ Zoë still thought Lorna would have done better to sever all ties, but decided there was nothing to be gained by commenting after the event. ‘I look forward to meeting your man.’

  ‘He’s definitely not my man.’ Lorna gripped Zoë’s arm and leant even closer. ‘I went and met him at the airport, and as soon as I saw him again, it all came back with a rush. He and I really used to do some pretty tacky things, and I’m over that now. However, from the propositions he was making to me in the train on the way back here, he appears to have got even worse. The trouble is, by that time I’d given him the invitation, so I’m just going to have to put up with him this evening.’

  Zoë gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘Doesn’t sound like the gala ball’s going to be a bundle of laughs for you, then.’

  Lorna nodded morosely. ‘I should have taken your advice, Zoë. I should have known.’ There was the sound of voices at the door, so she hastily whispered a few last words before changing the subject. ‘Auntie Zoë always knows best.’

  ‘I’m not so sure about that.’

  As the door opened and Juliet appeared, Lorna raised her voice to normal pitch once more. ‘Wow, Jules, that’s a stunning dress you’re wearing.’

  ‘Thanks, Lorn. You’re looking super as well.’

  Zoë agreed. Lorna really was looking lovely in an uncharacteristically conservative and classy black gown. Juliet herself was wearing the dress she had bought back in London in the Black Friday sales. Her choice was cream in colour, with an open back, and it fitted her perfectly. She too had put her hair up. She looked great and Zoë nodded admiringly.

  ‘Jules, you look gorgeous too. If Prince Charming does turn up, I won’t stand a chance.’

  ‘You’ve got to be joking, Zo. You look like you’ve come out of the pages of your own magazine. Hollywood royalty at the very least.’

  ‘Champagne, Fräulein?’

  Zoë looked up to see Marcel holding a tray. She gave him a big smile and helped herself to a glass. As she did so, there was a thump as the door was nosed open and Arnie the Labrador came charging in, followed by Billy.

  ‘Arnie, no jumping up!’

  Zoë crouched down to ruffle the excited pup’s ears, rather pleased that her long skirt covered and protected her good shoes.

  ‘Hi, Arnie. Are you coming to the ball as well, or are you going to be left behind like Cinderella?’

  ‘Arnie’s just had a long walk and he’ll be fine. This dog has an infinite capacity for sleep, as well as food.’ Billy smiled indulgently at the dog. ‘I’ll take him for a walk before I go to bed, so he can’t complain.’

  Billy stepped back and surveyed the three girls appreciatively. As ever, he still looked a bit shyer than your average billionaire, as though being in the presence of women in ball gowns was taking him out of his comfort zone. Seeing him like this made his gift all the more confusing to Zoë. Surely it couldn’t be a prelude to some sort of indecent proposal. Could it? If he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, it was a brilliant disguise.

  ‘You’re all looking wonderful.’ He accepted a glass of champagne from Marcel and toasted them unexpectedly formally. ‘I hope you all have a most enjoyable night. Cheers.’

  As Zoë took a sip of champagne, she checked him out. He was wearing a dinner jacket, and unlike so many men on these formal occasions, he looked as if he was used to wearing it. The jacket was a perfect fit and it suited him down to the ground. Presumably a tux was an essential item in the wardrobe of the CEO of a multinational company. Yes, she had to admit that he was a very good-looking man. She found herself wondering if he gave presents to other women. With a job like his, and looking like he did, she felt sure there would be no shortage of eager recipients, in spite of his reticent manner. Shaking the thought from her mind, she helped herself to a delicious canapé from another tray, this one brought round by Erika. Stifling any thought of Grant, Zoë summoned a smile.

  ‘Danke schön, Erika.’

  ‘Bitte schön.’

  ‘Arnie, Arnie!’

  The door flew open as Bella came running in, and the dog rushed to greet her and her parents, who appeared in her wake. Martin had chosen a smart dark suit, against which his sling looked a little incongruous. Beside him, Mandy was wearing a long dress with, unusually for her, quite a revealing neckline – not quite up to Lorna’s former standard, but nevertheless bold. From the broad Cheshire Cat grin on Martin’s face, he approved. Zoë was delighted for both of them. Seconds later, Imogen and Fergus appeared, followed by Grant. He too was wearing a suit – a real rarity for him – and he looked predictably uncomfortable in it. Imogen, on the other hand, was looking very elegant, but all eyes – even the dog’s – were on her husband.

  ‘Wow, Fergus. Great pair of knees.’ Lorna was impressed. ‘There’s something about a man in a kilt.’

  Zoë giggled, although in fact he looked rather fine in a dark blue and green tartan kilt, black jacket with silver buttons, bow tie, white knee socks and sporran.

  ‘If it’s true what they say about kilts, you’d better not go outside, Fergie.’ Grant had a broad grin on his face. ‘It’s really cold now. You could lose those nearest and dearest to you.’

  Imogen gave him one of her looks. ‘I can assure you, Grant, that I would never allow my husband to go out without appropriate undergarments.’

  Bella was dressed in a pink check party frock and her mum had pinned her hair up and added some tinsel to it. The little girl was evidently very excited at the prospect of going to the ball with the grown-ups, although her moth
er informed Zoë that she wouldn’t be staying to the end. Bedtime would be at ten o’clock.

  ‘So does that mean you and Martin will have to leave the dance early?’

  Mandy shook her head. ‘Not entirely. We’re going to take turns at babysitting.’

  Zoë had a thought. ‘I’d be very happy to help out if you like. A bit of a rest and the chance to take these high heels off partway through the evening sounds like a wonderful idea.’

  ‘Me too. Add me to the rota.’ Juliet arrived with a plate of delicious blinis topped with sour cream and caviar. As she handed it round, Zoë spotted the expression on the dog’s face. He had plonked himself at her feet and was gazing up in rapt adoration, not at her, but at the underside of the plate of food that his nose had instantly identified. As Bella hesitantly took one of the little canapés and nibbled it suspiciously, Zoë had a feeling that this might prove to be the Labrador’s lucky night.

  ‘Well thanks, girls. If you really don’t mind, I’m sure Bella will be delighted to have such elegant babysitters.’

  Mandy sounded delighted to have a bit of help and Zoë was definitely looking forward to spending more time with the little girl. There was no getting away from it – she was definitely developing unexpected maternal instincts.

  They all took the lift down to the ground floor at just after half past eight. As the doors opened, they could hear the music, which got steadily louder as they walked through to the ballroom. To everybody’s surprise, it soon became clear that the source of the music was none other than a traditional oompah band. As they opened the doors and made their way into the ballroom, they saw it in full swing. There were four musicians – three older men, and a girl in a frilly dirndl with long blonde plaits sticking out of her Santa Claus hat. The men were wearing lederhosen with tinsel attached to their braces. She was playing an accordion, while the three men’s instruments were a massive shiny brass tuba, a trombone and a trumpet. The resulting sound was very rhythmic and unquestionably Germanic. It was also very, very loud.