Emily read the instructions carefully – and then reread them for good measure. It was all very straightforward. In a few minutes she’d know for sure if she was having a baby or not. A wave of something rippled through her – but it was hard to tell whether it was excitement or fear.
‘Here we go then,’ she whispered encouragingly to herself as she held the tester stick in position and waited. Emily wondered why it was so hard to summon a wee. She’d been drinking juice and water all day, so there was definitely something in there. She closed her eyes and concentrated, and a little trickle escaped.
The deed was done. All she had to do now was wait.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Lottie was ferrying what she hoped was the last meal she’d be serving this Christmas to the dining room when Emily came downstairs.
‘Have you seen the Duchess?’ Lottie asked Emily. ‘I’ve not seen her since I shooed her off the cakes, and she always shows up for her dinner. I’ve just checked and she’s not eaten anything today.’ Emily shook her head slowly, her face pale and expressionless. Lottie halted. ‘What’s wrong?’
Emily seemed to be considering her response. She opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again as the kitchen door opened.
‘Excellent,’ said Zach, rubbing his hands together as he strode into the hallway. ‘I’m starving.’
‘After what you ate at lunchtime?’ said Emily, slapping on a brave face.
‘I’ve been … fixing stuff in the garden.’
‘Not much point if the place is sold,’ said Uncle Daniel, walking past and taking the trifle Lottie was clutching.
‘Wash your hands,’ said Lottie to Zach.
‘You sound like Nana,’ he said. ‘She was a tyrant too.’ He placed a kiss on Emily’s cheek and went into the cloakroom.
‘What’s up?’ Lottie asked Emily, but before she could answer Jessie had popped up in between them. She was bouncing on her heels as if she had springs under her shoes, clearly excited about her secret mission with Zach in the garden.
‘Have you seen Dave?’ she asked.
‘No,’ said Lottie. ‘Have you seen the Duchess?’ Jessie shook her head. ‘Then I think we might have a problem.’
‘Come on,’ said Zach, returning. ‘Teatime.’ He ushered Jessie into the dining room and the others followed.
‘I guess we can look for the animals after tea,’ said Lottie, but nobody was really listening.
This was likely their last meal together. Uncle Daniel was due back at work so he was aiming for a very early getaway in the morning, Scott had been talking about booking a taxi to the station for eight o’clock and Zach was planning to leave after breakfast. Lottie would be all alone by mid-morning. She gave herself a talking to. Being alone was a good thing. She had lots to sort out – not least of all her future – and a whole house to pack up. She’d done what she set out to achieve – one last family Christmas together. Now she needed to focus on what she needed to do. She’d give herself until New Year’s Day to work out a plan, and during that time she’d also make a concerted effort to finish off the tubs of Christmas sweets. Well, it would be rude not to.
Zach helped himself to a large scoop of trifle and pulled her back to the moment. He was looking ridiculously pleased with himself, and she loved him for it. She made a silent pact with herself to see more of her brother in the new year, wherever life was planning on taking her. Zach was who she was closest to in the family, and now she’d made a friend in Emily she needed to make an effort to be more present in their lives.
Jessie was bobbing in her seat with unbridled excitement. She and her father were exchanging winks and knowing looks like they had some sort of hereditary facial tic. Jessie was thoroughly enjoying being a part of the secret. Lottie was a firm believer in things happening for a reason, and without the earlier failed attempts Jessie wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be involved with the proposal. It was lovely to see her pleased about the prospect of Emily joining the family. Lottie really hoped Emily was going to accept when Zach proposed. Regardless of whether she was pregnant or not, those two needed to be together.
Lottie smiled as she looked across at Emily, who was looking pale and solemn. Unease swept over her and her face fell. She wanted Emily to look up, but she was staring intently at her plate. With a heavy heart, Lottie realised what must have happened. She knew that feeling too well. There was no baby. She had an overwhelming urge to scoop Emily up. Lottie had been there herself and she knew only too well what she was going through. Pain spiked in her gut – she didn’t fancy the trifle any more. At least, unlike Lottie, Emily wouldn’t have to go through it alone.
Lottie hurriedly cleared the table in the hope of grabbing a few minutes to console Emily, but Jessie, under her father’s instructions, had already steered her upstairs on a wild goose chase looking for dice. Lottie put her head outside – maybe she should warn Zach. It was dark. The sky was a deep sea blue and a perfect scattering of stars were already twinkling in celebration.
‘Problem!’ yelled Zach, running up the garden.
‘What?’
‘Some of the lights have failed. It currently says “ILL YO MA ME”.’
‘Bugger.’
‘Come on. Think. Quick. I need more lights!’ said Zach, panicking wildly.
Lottie tried to think. ‘Banister!’
‘Already got them.’ Zach was waving his arms as if trying to speed up Lottie’s brain.
‘Christmas tree on the green?’
‘Genius!’ He dashed across the garden.
‘What’s going on?’ Lottie spun around to see Emily standing in the doorway with a vexed expression. ‘Is he leaving?’
‘No. No he’s not.’ Lottie swallowed, she’d never felt so guilty. Emily raised an eyebrow. ‘Well, he’s leaving the manor.’ Emily looked startled. ‘Only for like five minutes. He needs to …’ She’d always thought she was good at thinking on her feet until now. ‘He needs to check the roads are okay.’
‘But a taxi brought Dayea up earlier, and more has melted since then.’ She pointed back inside. ‘And Daniel has been giving everyone motorway updates all day.’
‘Yes. But the hill can be extra tricky. It gets very icy.’ She emphasised the word by sweeping her hands off to one side.
‘Are you all right?’ asked Emily. Lottie was aware that she was acting like a crackpot. Poor Emily.
‘Can I get you a drink of something?’ Lottie put her foot on the step and Emily automatically retreated into the kitchen. Lottie followed her.
‘I’m okay. Thanks.’ Emily didn’t look okay.
Lottie remembered her expression earlier. ‘Are you sure? Because …’ Emily started to cry, and Lottie took her hand. She began to speak, but Lottie stopped her. ‘It’s going to be okay. I promise.’ Lottie wrapped her arms around Emily and they cried together.
A few minutes passed before Lottie’s phone pinged. She pulled away from Emily, tore off a few sheets of kitchen roll and handed half to her new friend.
‘Ta.’
Lottie looked at the text message.
Lights working. Get everyone outside. Z
Lottie looked at Emily, all blotchy eyed and defeated. She texted a reply.
Sorry. Now is not the time.
Within seconds the back door burst open, making them jump. Zach had a touch of the crazy person about him as he scanned the scene. Both women were dabbing their eyes with balled-up kitchen roll. He crouched next to Emily. ‘Whatever’s wrong?’ he asked, his face full of concern.
Emily’s lip wobbled. She hiccupped a few more tears. ‘I’m pregnant.’
Zach pulled Emily to her feet and hugged her like she was a life buoy and he a drowning man. ‘This is the best news ever!’ he declared, pulling back from the hug to kiss her. ‘… isn’t it?’ he asked. Tears streamed down Emily’s face. You could have knocked Lottie over with the tiniest feather. She’d spectacularly misread Emily’s emotions. Although she was still concerned about how unhappy
Emily was at finding out she was having a baby.
‘Are you going to dump me?’ asked Emily with a sniff, and Lottie passed her more kitchen roll.
‘What? No! Don’t be ridiculous! I love you,’ said Zach.
‘But you’ve been acting all weird. And I know Jessie was telling the truth when she said you told Joe you didn’t want me to be your girlfriend any more.’
‘Ah.’ Zach pulled his bottom lip through his teeth. ‘I’m really sorry about that.’
‘Maybe now is a good time,’ said Lottie, and she went to gather the rest of the family. Reluctantly they assembled in the kitchen.
Jessie ran in and gave Emily a hug. ‘It’s okay. I promise.’ Her cheeks were aglow, and it brought a smile to Emily’s tear-stained face.
‘Come outside in exactly one minute,’ said Zach, kissing Emily’s hand and dashing outside with Jessie hot on his heels.
After the required minute, Lottie led Emily outside and down the garden, with the rest of the family traipsing behind. Zach was standing on the patio and hastily ran his fingers through his hair to calm it slightly. It was darker away from the house, but the shape of Jessie bouncing about at the bottom of the garden was just visible.
‘Now!’ yelled Zach, as he dropped onto one knee in front of Emily.
At the end of the garden the trellis lit up. The words ‘WILL YOU MARRY ME?’ appeared, a little wobbly but clearly visible in multicoloured fairy lights.
Emily gasped. She turned to Zach. He held up the ring. ‘I love you, Emily—’
‘I love you too, Emily!’ shouted Jessie, from the bottom of the garden.
‘Will you make me – us – the happiest people alive and be my wife?’
‘Yes,’ said Emily through a splutter of tears, and Lottie tore another sheet off the kitchen roll and passed it to her.
After a few seconds the fairy lights began to flash manically like they were on the ‘acid house’ setting. ‘Daddy!’ shouted Jessie. ‘What did she say?’
‘Come here and find out,’ called Lottie, tearing off a sheet of kitchen roll for herself.
There were more tears and lots of hugs and kisses of congratulations. Angie was sent to retrieve the champagne that Emily had hidden away at the back of the fridge earlier and everyone went inside to warm up, leaving the newly engaged couple to have a moment on their own.
‘It’s a shame Dave missed it,’ muttered Jessie, as Lottie guided her inside and shut the door.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
‘Whoa,’ said Emily, letting out a breath. Her head was swimming from all the tears. It felt like a lot was happening all at once. She was overwhelmed by the pregnancy and surprised about the engagement. But above all, she was happy. She looked at the ring on her finger. It was beautiful – just what she would have chosen. ‘I wasn’t expecting that.’
‘And I wasn’t expecting that,’ said Zach, pointing at her stomach.
Emily felt herself tense. ‘Is that why you asked me to marry you? Did Lottie already tell you?’
‘I knew I wanted to marry you months ago, I was just waiting for the perfect moment. And I’ve known you were pregnant for …’ he checked his watch, ‘nine minutes, and they’ve been some of the best minutes of my life.’ He pulled her into a kiss and she felt the tension disperse. Zach paused and leaned back to look at her. ‘Did my sister know before me?’
‘I didn’t actually tell her, but I think she guessed. She did kind of know that I might be. Sorry.’
‘It’s okay. How did she know that you might be pregnant?’ He was looking puzzled.
Emily’s brain rewound back to when she first entered the village stores, and all the failed test attempts since, and it made her chuckle. ‘It’s a very long story. When did you decide to propose like this?’ They both looked at the manically flashing fairy lights at the bottom of the garden.
‘That’s a long story too.’ He kissed her again, this time taking it slow and making all her worries melt away.
Inside, the excitement was palpable. Lottie was hugely relieved that everything was finally out in the open. She hated keeping secrets. They were the rot that kills the soul, Nana had always said.
Champagne flutes were filled, and Lottie had to stop everyone quaffing it before Zach and Emily came back in. Daniel pulled Nicola and Rhys to one side. Lottie had her back to them, and next to her her mother was gushing about an even better proposal she’d read about in a magazine. Lottie tuned out from her mother, something she was well practised at, and tuned in to Daniel.
‘I’ve been thinking about our situation. And before you say anything, Nicola; yes, I created it, and yes, I am sorry. But now I feel I need to do what’s best for everyone. Including me. I can’t spend the rest of my life feeling guilty and being berated for a mistake I made twenty years ago. So we either need to find a way to move on from this, or … not. I don’t want to move out, but if you want me to, Nicola, then I will.’ Nicola gave a tiny gasp. ‘Before you jump to conclusions, if I move out I’ll be living on my own. Rhys, you can see me whenever you want to and the same goes for Rebecca … if she wants to.’
‘And me?’ said Nicola. ‘What about what I want?’
‘It’s entirely up to you what you want, Nicola. I’m too tired to argue any more.’
There was a long pause. Lottie realised she was holding her breath.
‘I wish it hadn’t happened. But I don’t want this to be the end of us.’
‘I’m not divorcing you, Nicola, unless that’s what you want. I’m not saying it’s the end. But I am saying we need to be kinder to each other, and ourselves.’
Silence followed, and Lottie fought the urge to turn around and see what was happening.
‘You’re right,’ said Nicola.
‘Blimey, that’s a first,’ said Daniel with a snort.
‘I think with Rhys at university my hobby has become nagging you. And I’m sorry, Daniel.’
‘It’s okay.’
‘And I think you should make an effort with Rebecca. She’s missed out on so much. Including all the big family Christmases.’
‘I thought you hated these,’ said Rhys.
‘I never said that,’ said Nicola, her tone light. ‘This year, when I thought our little family was crumbling, I finally understood what Rose had been trying to do. She was just keeping everyone together. And that’s what I want too … including Rebecca.’
‘Well done, Mum,’ said Rhys. Lottie heard some kissing and backslapping take place.
‘Where’s Dave?’ asked Jessie, appearing from under the kitchen table. ‘I’ve looked everywhere.’
She had a good point. Lottie hadn’t seen either of the animals for hours. ‘The Duchess is missing too. I think they must be in the house somewhere. Come on, let’s you and I go and look for them.’ Lottie turned to the others. ‘No drinking the fizz until Zach and Emily come in.’ She wagged a finger at them all.
Lottie and Jessie started their hunt on the ground floor and searched everywhere thoroughly before moving upstairs. They methodically checked all rooms until the only one left was Nana’s. The door was ajar. Lottie hadn’t been in there since the morning. She pushed the door further open and crept inside. Jessie clutched her hand. ‘I’m scared,’ whispered Jessie.
‘Why?’ asked Lottie, her voice a whisper too.
‘What if they’ve eaten each other?’
Lottie stifled a giggle. ‘I think we would have heard that.’ Lottie was more worried that they’d run off, or worse still, were seriously ill.
Jessie pointed at the wardrobe. It was open. Lottie knew she hadn’t left it like that. They inched closer and Lottie pulled the door open a little more. A low grumble of a growl came from inside the wardrobe. Lottie’s fears multiplied; a picture of a rabid Dave loomed large in her mind.
‘Dave?’ said Jessie.
Lottie stepped in front of Jessie and moved Nana’s best coat to one side. At the bottom of the wardrobe, lying on Nana’s cashmere cardigan, was the Duchess. Dave
was standing guard over her. His tail was wagging, at odds with the murmured growl he was emitting. Lottie peered past the dog to get a look at the Duchess. She couldn’t see any blood, which was a good sign, but she knew instinctively something was wrong. The Duchess was panting hard and her body was making strange convulsions like a snake swallowing its prey.
‘What’s wrong with her?’ asked Jessie, peering around the side of Lottie.
‘I’m not sure. And I don’t know if Dave is going to let us help her. Let me call the vet.’ As soon as she’d said the words an icy chill ran through her. Their usual vet was miles away in Stow, he would take too long to get to them.
She didn’t want to speak to Joe. But she looked at the Duchess lying there, clearly in distress, and knew she had no option. She dialled his number.
‘Lottie?’ Was that optimism in his voice?
‘Joe. I’m calling you because I need a vet. The Duchess is sick. Can you come?’
‘On my way,’ he said. She heard another voice in the background. ‘Hang on, Lottie.’ She suspected that he meant to cover the phone but he didn’t do a great job. ‘Yes, it’s her, and no, I don’t know how long I’ll be … Fine … It’s Henbourne, it doesn’t matter.’ She heard a door slam. She longed to know what was going on. Joe’s voice interrupted her thoughts. ‘Is the cat breathing, Lottie?’
Lottie crouched down. Dave’s head followed her. ‘She’s panting.’
‘Does she feel hot?’
‘I can’t exactly touch her. I don’t think Dave will let me.’
‘Okay. I’m in the car. Keep her comfortable. I’ll be there in two minutes.’
One Family Christmas: The perfect, cosy, heart-warming read to curl up with this winter Page 31