by Eve Devon
‘It’s singing.’ And he was carrying on this ridiculous conversation, other than the fact that it stopped him dwelling on how this was possibly – no, definitely – worse than last Christmas … because? ‘Look, do you absolutely have to stand next to me? Shouldn’t you be off practising your act or something?’
‘I’m checking the audience vibe. If my material goes down well, I’m thinking of applying for LGT.’
‘Don’t you mean BGT – Britain’s Got Talent?
‘Hello?’ The elf rolled his eyes and indicated the clothes he was wearing, ‘LGT – Lapland’s Got Talent.’
‘Funny guy.’
‘Elf,’ the boy corrected. ‘Funny elf. Boy, you’re hard work, but I guess if you’ve just had your heart broken, you’re not really my core audience,’ and then as if feeling sorry for him, he muttered not so softly under his breath that Jake couldn’t hear him, ‘#concerned.’
‘And is that,’ Jake made the hash-tag sign with his fingers, ‘concerned for my heart or for your act?’
‘Hey, us broken-hearted have to stick together.’
Ah. So Poppy Druthers had given him her final answer then. ‘She probably wasn’t sophisticated enough to understand the elf thing,’ he consoled.
‘Yeah, but back in ’13 I mostly dressed as Batman.’
Jake laughed and said with commiseration, ‘Girls!’
‘Unfathomable,’ the boy replied.
Yeah. He should have talked it out with Emma then and there, he thought. Why had he thought giving himself time to collect his words was a good thing?
Because she mattered and he hadn’t wanted to stuff up.
Hadn’t wanted to hear her argue on the side of going back to Hollywood and then hear himself lecture as he started to panic.
Adrenaline rushed through him as the knowledge that he should have thrown everything he had at trying to persuade her that she should stay slapped him about the face.
‘Hey, kid,’ he said, suddenly knowing what he had to do.
‘Elf!’
‘Right. Elf … How’s your singing voice?’
‘Not too bad. If the comedy doesn’t work out I’ve been thinking I could go the Zayn route.’
‘Okay, I kind of think the girls would be into that, but first, you want to sing my song for me?’
‘What’s your song?’
‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.’
‘Definitely not.’
‘It’ll make the girls go crazy.’
‘I couldn’t just do my comedy act?’
‘That would work too. I have to be somewhere. Tell Mrs McTravers something came up but that you’re taking my spot as well as The Love of My Life’s spot.’
He turned to go and there she was.
The Love of His Life.
Standing right in front of him.
She was breathing hard like she’d run all the way from Wren Cottage and his heart started beating really, alarmingly, fast.
Elf tugged on his sleeve. ‘Is this her?’
‘Yes,’ Jake replied, hating that he could see that she’d been crying but also thinking that she’d never looked more beautiful.
‘I’m no expert yet,’ Elf said, looking up at him, ‘but don’t you think you should do something other than stand here?’
‘Yes.’
As soon as he could get his act together he was going to drag her into his arms and tell her he loved her and ask her to stay and—
‘Jake? Oh, there you are sweetie,’ Trudie said. ‘Two minutes until you’re on—’ she stopped abruptly when she saw Emma standing in front of him. ‘Wow. Okay, well, um … yay,’ she said, lifting her hands in a sort of cheer as she stared at them uncertainly. ‘Um … so this is your two minute warning.’ She made hurrying motions with her hands. ‘Life’s short, talk fast.’
‘I choose you,’ Emma stated loudly.
‘I said talk fast, not talk loudly,’ Trudie whispered, pointing manically towards the act on stage.
‘Sorry,’ Emma whispered. ‘I choose you, Jake Knightley. I know you feel as if you don’t get chosen – that you didn’t get chosen to run the Hall and well, Alice…’
‘Who the—’
Jake put his hand over Elf’s mouth to stop the words and explained, ‘As a wise elf just taught me: Let’s not with the profanity when there’s children around.’
Elf gave a thumbs up and Jake removed his hand.
‘I know what it feels like not to get chosen, Jake, and I’m telling you that I choose you and Knightley Hall.’ She looked at him and when he didn’t speak, tossed her hair determinedly back over her shoulder, licked her lips and repeated, ‘I choose both – if you’ll both have me.’
‘You know it’s actually okay to choose everything,’ Jake finally answered. ‘If doing the film is really what you want … you’ll always have a home here … with me. You could fly back on weekends. I could fly to you.’
She shook her head. ‘Acting isn’t what I want to do. I didn’t really choose it – it chose me. When I was too young to really understand the spell I was casting and I clung to that magic because it was too scary to choose something real and I was too proud to let go. I’m not letting you go, Jake, so if you really don’t want to be with me, you’re going to have to do some pretty hardcore convincing.’
‘Don’t take his final answer unless it’s a “yes”,’ Elf helpfully asserted.
‘So,’ Trudie said, brushing away tears, ‘this all seems like it’s going really well but it’s time for you to get on that stage and sing your heart out, Jake.’
He had so much he wanted to say to Emma. So many kisses he needed to give her but Trudie was literally pushing him towards the stage now.
‘Stop,’ Emma insisted. ‘Don’t sing the song. Read this letter out instead.’
‘What?’ he looked down at the letter she thrust into his hand.
‘Trudie,’ Emma pleaded, ‘don’t cue the song. Let him read the letter, okay?’
‘Okay, but get on that stage now so I don’t have to fill.’
In a daze Jake walked to the edge of the curtain and stopped as Elf came up beside him, slipped his hand into his, and tugging him onto the stage, announced to the crowd, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, a guy in a tux and an elf walked into a bar…’
Chapter 44
The Big Finale!
Emma
‘Trudie,’ Emma called, reaching out to grab her arm and prevent her from disappearing. ‘I have one more change I want to make to the show. Is that okay?’
‘But the big finale is coming up after Jake, it’s all the year 2 children singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas.’
‘That’s fine, but the bit after that, I want to make a change, can I have a quick word with them?’
‘All right. But don’t get them over-excited. We don’t have time for a wee break.’
Giving Trudie a big kiss on the cheek, she whispered, ‘Break a leg,’ and headed into the kitchen area to talk to the children.
By the time she made it back into the room, the funny little kid dressed as an elf had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand.
‘You’re back,’ Kate said softly as she walked up to stand beside her.
Emma turned and grinned at her. ‘I never left.’
‘You’re certain this is what you want?’
‘Oh, I’m so positive, I’m about to bring this house down.’
‘I love it,’ Kate said and then leaned in closer, ‘cute little elf is going to be a big act to follow though.’
‘… So, while my friend here gets over his stage-fright,’ Elf said as Jake walked over to sit down on the stool and open the letter she’d given him, ‘Let me take this opportunity to remind you that after Christmas comes January. And we all know that the deadline for tax self-assessment is the thirty-first, right? Not mine – well, the date’s the same but mine’s called elf assessment.’
The audience laughed and Emma watched Jake’s face as he realised who the letter w
as addressed to. She saw him glance up at the chandelier and swallow back some emotion.
‘You ready, there?’ Elf asked Jake as the laughter died down.
‘I’m ready,’ Jake’s deep voice spoke out across the audience as the elf sat down cross-legged to hear his new friend read. ‘This letter that I’ve been asked to read out is dated the twenty-first of July, 1928,’ he cleared his throat and began, ‘My dearest Lily,
This morning as I watched you in the rose garden, carefully selecting and then cutting the Albertine and Dainty Bess for tonight’s centrepiece, there was such a delightful secret smile on your lips that two things occurred to me…
Firstly, you obviously find the Rosemounts as dreadfully dull as I – their company only tolerable if you can see your favourite roses on the table! Perhaps, as your smile suggested this morning, you will look at the roses this evening and think about afterwards, when I pluck one from the rose bowl and follow you up to bed…
Jake stopped reading and reached out to cover the elf’s large pointy ears.
Elf shook him off and said, ‘Please, that’s probably just old-speak for saying they were going to go to their room to chill and watch Netflix.’
Emma, along with the audience, burst out laughing.
‘Who do you think this elf belongs to?’ Kate asked.
‘Richard Curtis?’ Emma replied.
‘Perhaps that certain smile is playing across your beautiful face as you read this,’ Jake continued. ‘I’m coming to know your smiles, my dearest Lily.
Favourite is the one you graced me with on our wedding day. When I lifted your veil, my hands so clumsy, my heart so happy and your eyes met mine with such sweetness, such humour, such joy and your smile full of reassurance and tipped up at the edge with the suggestion of adventures to come.
It’s the same smile you smiled when you told me we were to have a little George or a little Lillian running around the house and gardens by Christmas.
Will they have your many smiles, my Lily? Your temperament, your strength, your sense of humour and your sense of adventure?
I cannot wait to find out.
I thought when we married at Christmas last year, that you being my bride was the best Christmas present I could ever have asked for, but this … this surpasses even that.
How blessed we are to count William and Irene as our good friends. Magic was on our side the day William dragged me to The Clock House two Christmases ago. And magic played its part in me being seated next to you.
I feel blessed every day that you had the good manners to haul on the reins of my ill-mannered demeanour and correct me on a couple of things – namely that I was stupid to think that a woman in want of a husband was really only in want of a rich husband, and also that I was stupid for thinking I must be on my own forever and that together you had decided we would make an excellent team.
Which brings me to the second thing that occurred to me as I watched you cutting the roses…
I think I will put a secret door into this part of the rose garden and create a space just for us. I know that it is hard to create a home in a house this size, but you have done us proud. With the house and grounds needing to provide more and more, how nice it will be to have an area just for us, Lily.
A place for you to know how loved you are.
Because you are so loved, my dearest Lily.
Even though it’s July, it feels like Christmas. Christmas in July, what a perfect idea! “Merry Christmas”, my love,
Yours forever, George xx’
There was a moment’s silence and then the audience started clapping.
And while the crowd were still applauding him, Jake rose to his feet, met her gaze and said, ‘I love you, Emma Danes.’
Her heart feeling like it was going to burst out of her chest, she walked up onto the stage and said, ‘I love you, too.’
‘You’ve given me a piece of my family history I never believed existed.’
‘She kept the letter tucked between the pages of Emma. The copy that you gave me for Christmas.’
‘I think George did finish the room. I think he put in a door and that I just didn’t realise it was a door. I thought it was bricked up. Kept away. Kept secret.’
‘When really it was just a secret for them.’
All of a sudden the stage was invaded by singing children.
‘Hey, I’m in the middle of declaring my love here,’ Jake said.
‘Sorry,’ Trudie said, poking her head around the curtain. ‘But these kids have been waiting for hours to do their song and have I mentioned they’ve been drinking orange juice all afternoon?’
Emma laughed and grabbing his hands pulled him to the side of the stage and said, ‘This is actually for you, anyway. Okay, kids, hit it…’
As the class sang We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Emma kept her hand in Jake’s.
‘You wanted them to sing to me?’ Jake said out of the side of his mouth as the notes of, ‘And a Happy New Year,’ died out.
‘No. It’s the next bit. Watch,’ and stepping forward, she said, ‘Right, remember what we talked about? Okay, everyone with a letter sign step forward.’
Jake and Elf, along with the entire audience at Cocktails & Chai watched as thirteen children stepped forward holding up giant letters stuck to broom handles, spelling out Merry Christmas.
‘Now,’ Emma said, clutching her hands together and shooting Jake a nervous glance before looking back at the children, ‘Switch,’ she instructed.
There was a bit of a kerfuffle as seven children with signs suddenly stepped forward again.
Emma turned to Jake. ‘Surprise!’
Jake looked at the signs and then looked back at Emma. ‘Misty Me?’
Elf slapped a hand over his face.
‘What? No,’ and turning to face the kids she muttered, ‘Oh my God.’
Elf stepped forward and said, ‘Allow me,’ and as he sorted the children out, turned to the audience and said, ‘It’s really apparent that we need to work on our education system, people.’ To more laughter he finally turned the reordered children around.
‘Ta-da,’ Emma said.
Jake looked at the new order. ‘Marry Me?’
‘Okay,’ Emma answered, her nerves rattling as she took in Jake’s shocked face. ‘I mean not like right now,’ she gabbled. ‘Obviously. Way to jump on everyone’s Christmas celebrations.’ She laughed nervously. ‘But maybe next year? That would give us plenty of time to date properly, to work everything out. I mean you have the gardens to work on and I have this place to run, so…’ she ran out of words.
‘Say “yes, final answer”,’ Elf helpfully suggested.
‘Yes,’ Jake said, stepping forward to take Emma in his arms. ‘Final answer,’ he whispered to her.
‘Now do you need me to fill,’ Elf said, ‘while you kiss the love of your life or do I have to do everything for you, because you know, she is really pretty,’ he said, waggling his eyebrows.
‘Elf, where are your parents?’ Emma asked, ‘Because I actually know a good agent they could talk to.’
‘Please,’ Elf replied, ‘you think the couple in the red suits don’t deserve a little sleep the morning after the night before?’
‘I’m going to kiss the love of my life now,’ Jake said, laughing as he lowered his mouth to Emma’s.
Elf moved in front of the kissing pair. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, that completes the entertainment portion, aka our Christmas show.’ And with The Clock House chandelier twinkling down over the room, he bowed and said, ‘Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.’
Author Letter
Dear Reader,
Merry Christmas! I hope you’ve enjoyed returning to Whispers Wood for some festive feel-good fun. I’ve loved writing another Whispers Wood book about some of my favourite things: Christmas, Jane Austen, Vikings, snow, roses, chandeliers, and, of course, top of my ‘favourites’ list … romance
While researching for this book I came across the
most wonderful thing: Jólabókaflóð. This Icelandic word loosely translates as “Christmas Book Flood” and relates to the country’s publishing industry releasing all its books during the Christmas season. A tradition born from that has lots of people exchanging gifts of books on Christmas Eve and then staying up all night to read them. The partaking of hot chocolate while reading is also heavily encouraged!
Well, I have to tell you that right away I fell head over heels in love with this tradition; I mean, if you love books and you love Christmas, how could you not fall hard for this, right? I’ve always believed that choosing a book for someone special in your life is one of the most personal, most thoughtful, most romantic presents you can gift because it requires forethought and knowledge of that person. For me, un-wrapping a book at Christmas and diving right in is:
#PureMagicAndBliss.
So guess which Christmas tradition went straight onto my ‘favourites’ list? Yep!
There’s no doubt my list is both eclectic and ever-growing, but confession: getting to combine my favourite things into a romantic comedy, while sometimes challenging, is also the absolute bestest fun ever and I wanted to send out the most mega-ginormous Thank You to you all for buying the first book in the series and making it into a supermarket bestseller.
If this is your first visit to The Clock House, you can read all about Kate and Daniel, and Juliet and Oscar’s adventure in the first Whispers Wood book: The Little Clock House on the Green.
And if you’ve read both the Whispers Wood books now, you’ll know that falling in love is only the beginning…
I’ve enjoyed adding to Kate and Daniel’s and Juliet and Oscar’s stories alongside sharing Emma and Jake’s in this book, so it’s only fair to continue that with the third book in the Whispers Wood series.
With Jake working on the gardens at Knightley Hall as well as the courtyard at The Clock House, and Emma managing Cocktails & Chai as well as writing a screenplay, it’s no wonder plans for their wedding are being neglected.
Calling in a favour and asking Gloria Pavey and Seth Knightley to help them seems like the perfect solution – if the two of them can put aside their deep mistrust of all things matrimony and stop striking sparks off each other for long enough to help put a wedding together, of course.