The Heart of Winter

by Emma Hannigan

  ‘Well sorry for not channelling my inner haute couture instincts.’

  As she fired up her beloved red mini, Jodi turned the heating up.

  They turned into the wide entrance gates that announced the driveway leading to Huntersbrook. On the right-hand side stood a pretty gate lodge.

  ‘The lodge isn’t that different from your place,’ Harry said. ‘Makes it feel nicely familiar.’

  On either side of the tree-lined avenue the view stretched away for miles, acres of grass that looked stiff in the November coldness. It was the last day of November and the chill promise of December was in the air.

  ‘This is magnificent,’ Jodi said with excitement. ‘Imagine growing up here and looking out at this every day.’

  ‘It really is spectacular,’ Harry agreed.

  The drive curved around, until a final bend brought the house into view. The pale stone of the grand house was off-set beautifully by the murky green of the fields. The light was slanting and it gave the windows a strange glow. As Jodi brought the car to a halt, she smiled at Harry.

  ‘See what I mean?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ he said, slowly nodding his head.

  Pippa had spotted Jodi’s car the second she drove through the gate. Matt had already left with Ely and was headed for the hospital to see Lainey, but everyone else was gathered about, drawn by the magnetism of Jodi Ludlum.

  It had been a morning of hard slog, but the marquee was ready for inspection.

  ‘I’m a little worried about the volume of balloons,’ Holly said. ‘They’re terribly gaudy.’

  ‘I think they’re horrendous,’ Paddy agreed. ‘But we’ll risk bursting them if we put them outside. I don’t know about you, but I’m not too eager to spend a pile of money replacing them if something goes wrong.’

  So the cough medicine pink and silver bunches remained. Luckily, the soothing cream tones of the tulle and matching seat covers made it all seem marginally less brash. Paddy had insisted on holding off on installing the pink spot lights until after Jodi’s visit.

  ‘Do you think you lot should make yourself scarce for a while?’ Pippa asked nervously.

  ‘Why don’t we all say hello and then scarper,’ Joey suggested. ‘That way she can get the meet-and-greet stuff out of the way and hopefully relax and enjoy her visit.’

  Pippa opened the door with shaking hands and stepped out with a wide smile.

  ‘Hello, Jodi,’ she said, hoping she didn’t sound as terrified as she felt.

  ‘Hi, Pippa,’ she said, tucking her shades onto her head. ‘You remember Harry?’

  ‘Of course, hello, Harry, you’re both really welcome to Huntersbrook.’

  Pippa shook his hand as Jodi stepped forward to kiss her on the cheek.

  ‘We can’t get over this place,’ Jodie said, smiling. ‘It’s stunning.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Pippa beamed. ‘We love it, but seeing as we’re the third generation to reside here, I guess we’re a tad biased! We don’t want to bombard you, but my family are all here getting things ready for Missy’s party tonight. May I introduce you?’

  ‘Sure,’ Jodi said. ‘I’d love to meet them.’

  Pippa led them into the hallway, where Joey, Skye, Holly, Paddy and Sadie stood. She introduced them one by one and Jodi and Harry chatted easily, asking lots of questions about the house and their plans for it.

  Pippa explained that the house was now available for rent, along with the bedrooms, and that the marquee would host up to two hundred seated guests.

  ‘We’ve had these brochures made. They’re hot off the press,’ Joey grinned handing them one each.

  ‘Depending on what type of event you’re thinking of, we can adapt fairly easily to larger or smaller numbers,’ Holly said.

  Jodi tucked the brochure into her bag, making it clear she was more interested in seeing it all for herself.

  The family excused themselves, saying they’d see her as she conducted her tour.

  ‘Lovely to meet you all,’ she said as Harry thanked them too.

  Pippa started with the ground floor, showing them the kitchen, reception rooms and comfortable living room. New sofas had replaced the well-loved ones. While the space had maintained the cosy and welcoming atmosphere, it was now far more plush than shabby.

  ‘This is gorgeous,’ Jodi said with a gasp. ‘Look at the intricate plasterwork on the ceiling. It’s beautiful.’

  Pippa forgot to feel nervous as Jodi and Harry made all the right noises in each room. They were equally as impressed by the bedrooms, pronouncing them ‘divine’. Pippa made a mental note to tell Lainey later that Jodi Ludlum admired her taste!

  ‘That bed makes me want to climb in,’ Harry said. ‘I’m a teacher and this time on a Saturday, I’m usually lazing in my bed,’ he joked.

  Spurred on by the positive feedback, Pippa took them out the kitchen door to view the marquee. The others were busy setting up the sound system they’d purchased.

  ‘As I may have mentioned to you both, Missy Hassett, the girl who served you at the store,’ Pippa said. ‘She’s having her birthday party tonight,’ she explained.

  ‘And she’s going the whole hog with the balloons I see,’ Jodi smiled.

  ‘Eh yes,’ Pippa hesitated.

  ‘I think they’re appalling,’ Holly said as she walked by with a large vase.

  ‘Mum!’ Pippa said.

  ‘Well I don’t want Jodi thinking we go in for this kind of tat.’

  Jodi burst out laughing.

  ‘I can’t say I’d want this many balloons,’ Jodi admitted. ‘But hey, that’s just me. Maybe Harry likes the idea of the place looking like a fairground?’

  ‘Not likely,’ he said. ‘Although it’s almost Roald Dahl-esque. All you’re missing are the Oompa-loompas!’

  ‘Don’t!’ Pippa joked. ‘If Missy heard that she may actually want them.’

  Pippa couldn’t help noticing Harry looked decidedly uncomfortable all of a sudden.

  ‘Were you thinking we’d need a space this big?’ he turned to Jodi.

  There was a brief pause before she asked Pippa if they could go back toward the main house. Feeling really disappointed and sensing the couple weren’t loving the set-up, she hoped her face didn’t betray her emotions.

  ‘Would you like to come to the living room and we can chat?’ Pippa asked as they made their way through the kitchen. The couple nodded and they all sat down.

  ‘Can I get tea or coffee?’ Sadie asked popping her head in. ‘I make a fine ham sandwich if I can tempt anyone?’

  ‘Have you herbal tea by any chance?’ Jodi asked.

  ‘I have chamomile.’

  ‘Perfect! Thank you.’

  ‘I’d love coffee, if it’s not too much trouble,’ Harry said.

  Pippa thanked her and explained to them that Sadie had been with them since before she was born. By the time Sadie arrived back with a tray of delicate sandwiches and some rich fudgy chocolate cake, Jodi and Harry were firing questions at Pippa.

  They wanted to know the history of Huntersbrook and how long it had been since they’d lived here as a family. Pippa explained the situation and how they’d all united to keep Huntersbrook in the Craig name.

  ‘I love the place. The sense of family and everything this place represents has stolen my heart,’ Jodi said.

  ‘Me too, except I want to live here all the time,’ Harry admitted as he helped himself to a sandwich.

  ‘Good man, I like a fella who eats his food,’ Sadie said as she bustled from the room. ‘You can come back anytime. I can’t bear people who push food around the plate as if it’s going to poison them.’

  ‘Thanks, Sadie,’ Pippa said with a grin. She added in a whisper. ‘As long as you do what she says, Sadie’s a pussy-cat!’ She paused for a moment. ‘Why don’t I let you guys have a chat? I’ve to make a quick phone call and I’ll be back to you shortly. Obviously you don’t need to make any decisions today,’ she stressed.

  ‘Thanks, Pippa, that
’d be super,’ Harry said with a smile.

  As she closed the door and walked to the kitchen, Pippa crossed her fingers and hoped Jodi and Harry liked the place enough to make a booking. Tiptoeing out to the marquee, she was instantly surrounded by her family.

  ‘Well?’ Holly asked. ‘What’s the story?’

  ‘I’ve left them to have a private chat. They’re having a sandwich and a bit of cake. I think they like it. Well, Harry wants to live here.’

  ‘And Jodi?’ Paddy asked.

  ‘Yeah, I think she loves it all too. She loves the sense of family here. But I can’t be sure they’re going to take it for their event.’

  Pippa left them for another few minutes and then went back into the room, not wanting them to feel abandoned either.

  ‘We have a request,’ Jodi said, looking excited. ‘But we’re not sure whether or not you and your family will be willing to accommodate us.’

  ‘OK, hit me,’ Pippa said, not sure what she was bracing herself for.

  ‘Pippa, what I’m about to tell you is confidential,’ Jodi said. ‘My instincts are that I can trust you . . .’

  ‘Oh you can,’ Pippa assured her.

  ‘Well, Harry and I are engaged.’

  ‘Oh my goodness, that’s brilliant,’ Pippa’s heart was thumping so loudly she feared Jodi would hear it.

  ‘We want a really small and intimate wedding. No press, no fuss, just us.’

  ‘Of course,’ Pippa said, feeling slightly deflated. Bang went her image of a celeb-festooned champagne-athon!

  ‘But here’s the crunch. With Harry’s job and my filming schedule, the only time that would work for both of us in the near future is Christmas. What we’re wondering is, whether we could have a Christmas wedding at Huntersbrook?’

  Pippa meant to contain her excitement. But instead, she made a high-pitched squealing noise and leapt to her feet and clumsily clutched Jodi, then Harry to her. Poor Harry nearly choked on his sandwich in surprise.

  ‘That sounds amazing,’ she said. ‘My mum is going to think she’s died and gone to heaven. Christmas is her favourite time of the year and she will make this place look so magical!’

  ‘Really?’ Jodi said. ‘Well my memories of Christmas as a child aren’t great. That was another reason we’d like to put a new mark on that time of year.’

  ‘You’ve come to the right place, let me assure you,’ Pippa said, taking a deep breath and attempting to calm down.

  ‘Obviously since Saul came along, Jodi has changed her mind about Christmas,’ Harry was quick to point out. ‘But this will make it our special time from now on. Draw a line under the past, you know?’

  ‘That’s such a lovely idea,’ Pippa said, smiling at Harry. ‘Oh my God, can I tell my family?’

  ‘Well, I’d prefer if you’d ask them!’ Jodi giggled. ‘They might hate the thought of us barging in with our guests.’

  ‘Roughly how many are you thinking of asking?’ said Pippa.

  ‘Well, I’ve only one brother, who lives in Australia with his wife and son. I want them to come home. Outside of that I have a maximum of ten people.’ Jodi looked sheepish for a moment. ‘I know more than ten people obviously, but I mean it when I say I want this to be intimate.’

  ‘What about you, Harry?’

  ‘I have one brother who’s single and my folks live in the UK. Outside of that, I have two close friends I’d like to ask. But I’m with Jodi on the intimate approach. We’re adamant we want this to be a cosy family occasion.’

  Pippa chatted to them for a few moments longer as she sent a group text to her parents, Joey and Skye asking them to come over to the living room.

  They appeared one by one and sat down.

  ‘So, Jodi and Harry would like to have a Christmas wedding here at Huntersbrook,’ Pippa announced.

  Holly couldn’t speak for excitement.

  ‘You better fetch the smelling salts, Pippa,’ Joey said with a snigger.

  ‘Be quiet you,’ Holly said, shushing him. ‘Oh Jodi, I will turn this place into a winter wonderland for you! Minus the massive bunches of balloons,’ she quickly assured her. ‘I love making wreaths and my Christmas tree would win an award, if there was such a thing.’

  Pippa went on to explain that the event was not for public knowledge.

  ‘What we would happily do is have a professional photographer here on the day and, with your consent, release some pictures early in the New Year?’ Jodi said.

  ‘That would be amazing,’ Joey said. ‘If you were willing to show the world you got married here, it would obviously be such a boost for us.’

  The details were ironed out very swiftly. Jodi confessed she wasn’t crazy about the idea of using the marquee. She wanted to use the house alone.

  ‘What about having the wedding on the twenty-third of December? That way we could be out of the Craigs’ hair by Christmas Day,’ Harry suggested.

  ‘Perfect,’ said Jodi. ‘What do you all think?’

  ‘Or, alternatively,’ Holly said, ‘you could have the wedding and stay with us and join our family for the most delicious dinner you’ll find in Wicklow!’

  Jodi teared up as she stared at Holly.

  ‘Would you honestly invite us to share Christmas dinner with you guys?’

  ‘No offence,’ Pippa said dryly, ‘but Mum would invite Jack the Ripper to Christmas dinner. The more the merrier as far as she’s concerned. She’s not happy unless there are far too many bodies shoe-horned around the table.’

  ‘You’re so kind to offer,’ Jodi said. ‘But we want to head away on honeymoon as soon as the wedding is over. But if the offer is still open next year, we’ll be here.’

  ‘Once you’re invited once, you can take it you’re invited going forward,’ Holly said with a smile.

  ‘I think this is serendipity,’ Jodi said, smiling around at them. ‘I don’t know why, but that moment when I first met Pippa, it felt like meeting an old friend.’

  Pippa’s mouth fell open and before she could stop herself she said, ‘My God, and I was in such a bad place then. I can’t believe you saw through that to me.’ Realising what she’d said, she stopped short, lost for words.

  Holly was staring at her with concern, as was Joey.

  ‘What do you mean –’ Joey started.

  ‘I need to talk to you about the floral decorations,’ Jodi interrupted quickly. She talked on at speed for the next two minutes until she had drawn all attention in the room to herself. By the time she’d finished, she’d somehow bamboozled Pippa’s family into forgetting about what she’d said. Pippa sat there and listened, but she still didn’t know how Jodi managed it. But she was very grateful that she had because she couldn’t have gotten away without giving some sort of explanation.

  As they waved Jodi and Harry off at the front door, Pippa slipped outside and gave Jodi’s hand a quick squeeze.

  ‘Thanks,’ she whispered.

  ‘Any time,’ Jodi whispered back. ‘But you’ve intrigued me even more. You’ll never get rid of me now!’

  The two smiled at each other, then Jodi Ludlum stepped into her red Mini and was gone.

  Lainey

  LAINEY WAS THRILLED WHEN MATT AND ELY CAME to visit. She was feeling a lot less groggy and nauseous. Two other women had joined her in the ward, which was actually a relief. The evenings had been so quiet and lonely, she was happy enough to have people to chat to. One of the women was also awaiting results on a biopsy, so it felt like someone else was in her sinking boat with her, at least.

  Chef Sally, as the family had taken to calling her, had phoned Lainey earlier to say she was on the way to Huntersbrook and hoped to reach there by four o’clock. The turkey and ham were cooked and ready to be stored in the big free-standing fridge Holly kept in one of the sheds. Some of the salads such as the potato and coleslaw ones had been made and the ingredients for the last-minute ones would be left in the kitchen, ready to be made up later on. Lainey thanked her and said to be certain to call anytime,
should she need anything.

  When Matt arrived, Lainey couldn’t hold back her tears at the sight of Ely. He was so beautiful, it made her heart hurt. She missed him even more during visits – it intensified the dreadful ache she had inside because she was missing out on so much. Lainey had experienced every emotion known to woman since this whole sorry mess had begun.

  She fussed over Ely, asking Matt to put him on the bed so she could cuddle and kiss him. She whispered to him how much she loved him and he grinned his lopsided grin at her. It was so easy with a baby – you just poured your heart and love out onto their heads, anointed them with it. So different from the minefields of adult relationships and affection.

  Ely began to get restless, so Matt lifted him up and emptied some toys from his bag to keep him entertained. It was then it struck Lainey that Matt was unusually quiet. His pale faced looked pinched with worry and fatigue.

  ‘How are you coping?’ Lainey asked as he propped Ely on the end of the bed.

  ‘Fine,’ he said, rather too swiftly, ‘but it’s so strange at home without you.’

  ‘It won’t be for much longer,’ Lainey said lightly. ‘Once Dr Cumisky gives me the green light, I’ll be out of here and back on my feet in no time.’

  Neither of them wanted to verbalise what was going on in their heads. What if Lainey was really ill? What if she was headed for a long road of debilitating illness and ongoing treatment?

  Pippa’s call made for the perfect distraction. Lainey’s phone lit up, and Matt smiled at her to take it. Not wanting to take over the ward, Lainey turned on the speakerphone but kept the volume down low and Matt bent his head against hers so they could both hear. Pippa filled them in on all the details of the day so far, and how the wedding was to be kept under wraps.

  ‘I’ll liaise with Jodi over the next couple of weeks so we can work out the details. But it looks like we’re about to bear witness to the best advertising Wicklow has ever had, let alone Huntersbrook!’

  ‘Aw, Pip, that’s amazing,’ Lainey said. ‘Well done you! I’m so proud of you.’

  ‘We just need you back here bossing us about and putting manners on us,’ Pippa said. ‘So hurry up and come home to us, you hear.’