by Katie Fforde
Ella was grateful he knew not to mention stockings. She’d asked Jenny if Mia still believed in Father Christmas and Jenny thought she did, but wasn’t sure. The very worst crime in the Christmas Fairy rule book was breaking this trust.
‘I play,’ said Judith, half proud, half nonchalant.
‘Would you be willing to help us out?’ asked Alasdair.
‘I won’t be good enough,’ said Judith.
‘She’s good enough!’ said Bill and Mia together, openly proud of their older sister.
‘I’m not!’ said Judith, blushing.
‘Why don’t you go into the kitchen and play something for Alasdair?’ suggested Ella. ‘Then he can decide if you’re good enough.’ And if he makes the wrong decision, she thought, I’ll arrange for his stocking to have nothing but coal in it.
Brent, Bill and Ella listened intently. They hadn’t actually gone into the hall so they could overhear what was going on in the kitchen, but no one stirred.
First they heard a mournful ‘Skye Boat Song’ (her favourite, said Mia), and then a cheerier ‘Marie’s Wedding’ when Marie did seem to be ‘stepping gaily’, and then something that made Ella want to cry although she didn’t know if it really was sad or not.
‘“The Parting Glass”,’ whispered Brent. ‘I didn’t know she could play all this!’
‘Nor did I,’ said Bill. ‘And I live with her!’
Finally came an extremely fast and furious piece that no one knew the name of but was very impressive.
‘Wow!’ said Brent. ‘She’s brilliant!’
Judith and Alasdair joined them a little later. ‘Well,’ said Alasdair. ‘If it’s all right with everyone, Judith’s agreed to help us for tonight’s performance.’ He glanced at Judith, who seemed illuminated from the inside. ‘Sadly, she’s refused to move up here and play with us permanently.’
Brent and Ella looked at each other. It was odd, thought Ella, that although they hadn’t really had much to do with each other, they seemed somehow in tune.
‘Well,’ said Ella, ‘if Judith is going to be playing in a band, I should be at the gig in case she needs a manager.’
‘Good idea,’ said Brent. ‘No one will get anything dodgy past the Christmas Fairy, eh, guys?’
‘I don’t know if you’re all really musical,’ said Alasdair, ‘but I’ve got a couple of guitars in the car. Fancy trying them out? One of them is a Fender Squier. Not the classic Fender but still a very nice guitar. Electric.’
Brent and Bill inhaled in unison, both extremely impressed. ‘I used to play a bit of guitar,’ said Brent. ‘I’d love a go! What about you, Bill?’
‘Oh. My. God,’ said Bill.
Alasdair looked apologetically at Mia. ‘I don’t suppose you fancy some female company, do you? I’ve left Kate with Rebecca and, while she likes her cousins, Archie and Henry are only boys and Nell is too little. Would you like to save her from an evening of noisy computer games, Mia?’
If Ella really had been a fairy, she decided, she would have arranged for Alasdair to be rewarded with his weight in rubies. Her own instincts, backed up by the look of ecstasy on Mia’s face, told her this would be very heaven for her.
‘It won’t be a late night,’ said Alasdair. ‘Should have everyone back by nine. Is that OK?’ He addressed Brent for confirmation.
‘I’m sure it’s past Mia’s bedtime,’ said her uncle. ‘But on Christmas Eve we can be a bit more relaxed, I’m sure.’
He obviously wasn’t all that sure but Judith nodded. ‘It’s always later on Christmas Eve to make sure we all go to sleep easily.’
Mia, who’d been very happy at the prospect of spending an evening with Kate, suddenly looked worried. ‘We will still hang up our stockings, won’t we? Father Christmas – I mean …’
‘Oh yes,’ said Ella firmly. ‘Father Christmas always knows where to go.’
It was arranged that Alasdair would pick up Judith and Ella in an hour, while Brent and Bill would take Mia to Rebecca and James’s house to join Kate.
Ella extracted her make-up bag from the now very untidy suitcase in the utility room, and took Judith upstairs to the bathroom. When Judith’s hair had been washed and mostly dried, Ella sat her down in front of the mirror. When she’d repositioned the bedside light so she could see better she set to.
‘Do you wear make-up usually, Judith?’ she asked.
Judith ran her hands through her hair, giving it a tousled look Ella rather liked. ‘Well, a bit. But I’m not really into it. When I put it on it just looks silly.’
‘I’ll help you. It’s just you’ll be in the spotlight a bit, and when you put up a video on Facebook you want to be looking good.’
Judith didn’t reply but seemed thoughtful. Ella went on, ‘The thing is, it was pants that you couldn’t go to that party, but it would be good if everyone knew you were doing something really cool instead.’
‘Not all my friends know I play the violin. It makes me look nerdy.’
‘Well, now it’s time to show them how cool you are – you’re an amazing violinist! I’m not going to do anything extreme, just bring out your lovely eyes, and put on a bit of lippy.’ Ella concentrated as she applied eyeliner. ‘But you’re not worrying about doing this?’
‘I should be, I know,’ said Judith, trying not to blink. ‘Musically, I think I should be fine, going on what Alasdair said. But apart from exams and the odd little concert my music teacher arranged, I haven’t performed, really.’
‘That’s about as much as I’ve done, to be honest,’ said Ella, ‘although we did put on quite a few plays and things at drama school. But you’re with a band. You only have to connect with them and smile at the audience when you feel you can. Now, how does that look?’
‘I look amazing! Me but better. Thank you so much, Ella. You’re the make-up fairy!’
‘YouTube taught me all I know,’ she said modestly, feeling very pleased with her efforts. ‘Now, what are you going to wear?’
A little while later, Judith, having decided on a V-necked pullover and jeans, said, ‘Honestly, it would be easier to just put on a ballgown than it is to work out an outfit that looks like I’ve just thrown it on.’
‘You are so right,’ said Ella, searching through her own supply of scarves (her motto being there is no such thing as too many). ‘But I think this pale blue number will just lift it.’
She looped a pale blue scarf round Judith’s neck. ‘You see? It brightens everything up without making it look like you’ve made an effort.’ She paused. ‘And if you get too hot, just take it off and throw it into the crowd! There’ll be a stampede to get to it.’
Judith giggled. ‘I don’t think so, but I do think it’s pretty.’ She paused. ‘I really want Mum and Dad to be proud of me, so I hope someone does film it. They’ve spent loads on lessons for me. It would be good for them to see me actually playing, for a band.’
Ella nodded. ‘Have phone, will film. And you’re right, apart from paying for the lessons thing, which I’m sure they were happy to do. We could email the link to them. It would be nice for them to see you having a good time even if it is without them.’
‘Yes. I know Mum really hated having to have Christmas away from us.’ She sighed but then looked up. ‘But playing with a band is pretty cool! Even if it’s up here, where no one will ever hear it.’
‘You never know,’ said Ella. ‘They might have a good fan base. If I’d remembered to ask them the name of the band, we could look them up!’ She heard a knock on the front door. ‘That’ll be Alasdair. We’d better go down.’
Ella sat in the front of Alasdair’s estate car while Judith squashed in the back with two other members of the band. There was a van full of equipment and more band members following on.
‘Hey!’ said Ewan, who, Alasdair had told them, was lead guitar or squeeze box, depending, and about eighteen. ‘I was stoked when Alasdair said we had a fiddle player. I’d have been even more thrilled if he’d told us how pretty she was.’
Ella smiled to herself in the front seat. Either Rebecca had done her work well and had told the band that Judith needed a confidence boost, or she personally had done a really good job on styling the fiddle player. She had had very good material to work with, she knew. Judith was really pretty and now looked even prettier.
‘You’d better see how I play first,’ said Judith.
Yes! thought Ella. She’s going to be fine!
‘Alasdair’s a fussy guy. He wouldn’t let you within a bar of us if he thought you couldn’t play,’ said Ewan.
‘Someone needs to have standards round here,’ said Alasdair, laughing.
‘What an amazing house!’ said Ella as they drove up the drive towards a huge Scottish Baronial pile.
‘It’s like a hotel!’ said Judith, sounding anxious.
‘It’s “the big hoose”,’ said Fergus, who played percussion and harmonica – sometimes, he had boasted, at the same time. ‘The owners put on a big party for the locals on Christmas Eve. We’re the entertainment. It’s a great tradition. But it is a bit spartan inside: these old houses cost a fortune to keep up and you’re only warm if you’re next to a fire.’
‘Still, the room where we perform is great,’ said Ewan. ‘Big but not so big we won’t fill it tonight.’
‘Oh God,’ muttered Judith.
‘Good acoustics, too,’ said Alasdair. ‘I’ll drop you lot off by the door and then park. The van will need help unloading. Judith, you don’t have to do that, you’re already doing us a favour.’
‘I’ll help!’ said Judith. ‘If I’m part of the band I must do the same as everyone else.’
‘I’ll be a roadie,’ said Ella. ‘It won’t be the first time.’
Half an hour later, Ella was in the front row feeling extremely pleased with her Christmas Fairy achievements. Most of the success of the ‘cheering up Judith’ mission was down to Rebecca and Alasdair’s band, but seeing Judith blossoming was delightful. The band treated her like one of their own. They teased her gently, but in a way that Judith could respond to, giving back as good as she got. She was glowing, maybe with excitement or even a bit of embarrassment at their remarks, but whatever the cause, it made her extremely attractive.
The fact that she was a very good violin player, who could sight-read brilliantly, helped a lot. Judith could relax into the music, knowing she was above the standard really required. She was part of a team and holding her own. Ella felt her work here was done.
So now Ella watched them finish setting up, seeing Judith laughing at some joke Ella couldn’t quite hear, thinking that being a Christmas Fairy was a very satisfying job. But at the same time she knew it wasn’t really a career.
She was wondering if it would be wrong to go to the bar and buy a bottle of San Miguel, when someone sat down next to her. It was Brent. Ella was thrilled to see him.
‘Brent! What are you doing here? Aren’t you looking after Bill? I know Mia was catered for but—’
‘Relax! Bill, with those amazing guitars, is happily “putting down some tunes” with a neighbour’s son, who’s a bit older and was very happy to have the opportunity to escape from his parents’ drinks party and go over to Rebecca’s.’
Ella bit her lip. ‘I bet Rebecca and James were supposed to be at that drinks party – or here at this one – and couldn’t go because we left Mia with them.’ Guilt flooded over her, punishing her for her smugness. ‘I should go back! You can look after Judith.’
‘Calm down, miss!’ said Brent, laughing. ‘You seem to have forgotten that Rebecca was already babysitting Kate and she’s got a toddler of her own! I did offer to stay and look after everyone so she and James could come here but Rebecca said she had far too much to do and was grateful to Kate and Mia for keeping Nell amused.’
‘Oh.’ Ella’s moment of panic subsided. ‘That’s all right then.’
‘Now, let me get you a drink?’
‘Thank you! I shouldn’t really but I was just longing for a bottle of lager.’
‘Look at Judith,’ said Ella proudly after the first set. She and Brent were watching the video she’d made on her phone. ‘She’s really holding her own with the band.’
Brent nodded. ‘She’s very musical and really looks the part.’
‘We can email this to Jenny,’ said Ella. ‘They will have been so sorry to miss Judith’s moment of triumph.’ She paused. ‘She can also put it on Instagram or whatever she uses, so all her school friends can see it.’ She smiled at Brent. ‘They will be so jealous!’
Brent laughed. ‘You really enjoy making everyone happy, don’t you?’
‘I do! But it’s my job.’ She became thoughtful. ‘I may have got the kids sorted out but I haven’t done anything to make your Christmas special. I was hired to help you too, if you needed it.’
Brent smiled down at her. ‘There are ways you could make my Christmas special but I’m not going to mention them.’
Ella blushed, slightly regretting his last statement. ‘I didn’t mean anything like that!’ she said indignantly.
‘I know you didn’t, but honestly? Having you with us has been amazing. Where did you learn to cook?’
Ella, relieved to be on safe ground, said, ‘When you’re an actor, you take a lot of different jobs. I’ve worked in some quite good restaurant kitchens and paid attention. I’m not brilliant though, as you’ll find out tomorrow when I cook you Christmas dinner.’
‘I’m sure it will be brilliant. But tell me, what is your favourite job, in between acting roles?’
‘It’s all in between acting roles because I haven’t had any. Maybe I’m not much good, which is why I never get the parts. But having bothered to go to drama school I feel I can’t give up on acting just yet. I love bar work. It’s fun when it’s busy, and when it’s not busy, I love wondering about the people, making up stories for them.’ She laughed. ‘Sometimes, when I get to know them, it turns out I’ve been quite right!’
‘Making up stories again – it’s becoming a theme. And do you tell them you’ve been speculating about their private lives?’
She shook her head. ‘No, but I do sometimes show them the sketches I’ve done of them. If they’re not too beer-stained and blotchy.’
‘I bet they love them!’
Ella nodded. ‘I did suggest I sat up one end of the bar and did drawings of the punters but my boss couldn’t see how he could make money out of it. They wouldn’t drink much while they were sitting for me and I’d get the money for the sketch.’ She smiled. ‘So I stayed a barmaid.’
Brent looked down at her for a moment and seemed about to say something when a sound from the stage indicated the band was going to start playing again. The moment passed.
‘That was so awesome!’ said Judith as they drove back home with Brent. ‘I never would have thought I could do something like that!’
‘There you go!’ said Ella. ‘I said you were a brilliant fiddle player.’
‘I know you set it up with Alasdair,’ said Judith. ‘They’d have managed without me, but I know I made it better. And they said if I could ever get up here and play with them again, they’d love to have me.’ She stopped for breath. ‘They even said they’d get in touch with bands down south and give them my contact details.’
‘Maybe you should get your exams out of the way before you do too much,’ said Ella, suddenly imagining how Jenny would feel if her clever daughter gave up everything to join a band because of what happened while she was in the care of the Christmas Fairy.
‘But well done, Judith,’ said her uncle. ‘You were really great. Your mum and dad will be so proud of you.’
‘I expect you wish they could have been here to see you up there,’ said Ella.
‘Actually, not really,’ said Judith. ‘I would have felt a bit embarrassed. They’ve only ever seen me do classical stuff.’
‘Now they’ll know how versatile you are,’ said Ella. ‘Brent? Could you possibly drop me off at the house before you pick up the oth
ers? I’ve got things to do.’
‘At this time of night?’ Brent was surprised.
‘It’s Christmas Eve and I’m the Christmas Fairy, of course at this time of night!’
‘Oh!’ He frowned slightly, a bit guilty. He had obviously been going to ignore the stocking issue. ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’
Judith got dropped off too and agreed to stir the hot chocolate while Ella went upstairs. Judith was still in a happy bubble and, because of this, Ella was fairly happy too.
She quickly laid out the long knitted shooting socks that Jenny had provided, these being what they always used as Christmas stockings. She hoped that Mia wouldn’t mind not being the one to do this but trusted that Judith and Bill would be able to jolly her out of any grumbles she might have.
Ella went downstairs to find the rest of the family in the kitchen, holding their hands out for mugs of hot chocolate.
‘We had so much fun!’ said Mia ecstatically. ‘Christmas in Scotland is so much better than it is in England. They eat stuff called black bun.’
‘The other day you were saying you liked it better at home,’ said Bill.
‘Don’t remind her!’ said Ella. ‘Now, it’s really late. It’s time you lot were in bed.’
‘We have to put a mince pie and a glass of sherry out for Father Christmas,’ said Mia. ‘And a carrot for the reindeer.’
Ella realised with horror that her reputation as the Christmas Fairy was going to be spoilt. She had no sherry.
‘Actually,’ said Brent, possibly interpreting her look of shock, ‘in Scotland, Father Christmas prefers to drink whisky.’
‘And we have some lovely home-made mince pies,’ said Ella, who had even made her own mincemeat.
‘At home we have Waitrose mince pies,’ said Mia reprovingly, possibly not trusting that the home-made variety was good enough for such an important visitor.
‘He must get thousands of Waitrose pies,’ said Bill. ‘He’ll much prefer a home-made one. Can we have one now to test them?’