‘I can’t believe how well you two get on now. What happened to keeping him away from you because you’re allergic?’
‘I bought some anti-allergy tablets and perhaps I’ve developed some immunity, too.’
A car engine made them both turn. ‘That’s Ethan,’ she said.
She opened the door and invited him in. He looked incredibly smart in black tie and she loved that he was still taller than her even though she was wearing high heels. She introduced him to Alex and they shook hands.
‘I’ve heard a lot about you,’ said Alex. His tone was cool.
‘You too,’ said Ethan, sounding much friendlier. He glanced at the Frenchman’s sweater and black jeans. ‘You’re not coming to the ball?’
‘No.’ He offered no further explanation and his eyes glinted.
Liberty glared at him. It was clear he disliked Ethan, though she couldn’t see why. Hadn’t he encouraged her to date him? ‘Alex kindly offered to stay and walk Charlie for me.’
Ethan smiled and nodded. She shifted from one foot to the other, feeling hot under the collar and desperately wanting to put some distance between the two men. It wasn’t rational, but she was scared Ethan might sense something had happened between her and Alex.
‘Right.’ She picked up her purse. ‘Shall we go? I’m so excited for tonight.’
Outside, she asked, ‘What’s your mum doing this evening?’
‘Watching a film and sewing. She’s been working really hard to get her quilt finished in time for the show.’
Ethan rushed to open the car door for her, just as he’d done on their first date. She thanked him, but found it mildly irritating this time. It felt a bit over the top and old-fashioned.
They arrived at the Old Hall where the entrance hall was already filled with people dancing. Waiters circulated around the edge of the dance floor with trays of champagne.
‘Want to dance?’ Liberty asked.
As she did so, she kept thinking of Alex at home by himself and wondered why he’d so obstinately refused to come. Then she told herself it was his choice, and he’d be fine.
After a while, they were both hot and thirsty. ‘Shall we get a drink?’ she suggested.
They wove their way to the edge of the room and Liberty accepted a glass of champagne. Ethan took an orange juice and they watched Evie pull Jake onto the dance floor. Usually Jake was strait-laced and reserved, but tonight he was making Evie laugh with some energetic dance moves. Liberty smiled. It seemed Evie brought out his fun side. On the other side of the room, Luc was dancing with Lottie, twirling the little girl around, making her giggle and squeal with delight. Natasha stood at the side filming them.
Liberty spotted Dorothy sitting by herself, so she went over to say hello. Ethan followed.
Dorothy greeted her with a smile. ‘Liberty, where’s your nice Frenchman? I’ve seen him in his leathers. He’s quite a catch.’
Liberty flushed. ‘He’s not my Frenchman, he’s my lodger.’ Red-cheeked, she glanced at Ethan, who looked shocked too. She couldn’t blame him.
Dorothy continued, ‘You must come and have tea with me when you have a spare moment, Liberty. There’s something I need to talk to you about.’
‘Oh, yes? What is—’
A gust of icy wind made them turn towards the main door.
The music stopped abruptly and the guy muttered something about the machine playing up, but no one was listening. All eyes were on the doorway, their attention drawn to the unexpected appearance. There stood Alex, a dark figure in the entrance, hair all ruffled, wearing black jeans with a white shirt, collar open and a black tie hanging loose, as if he’d made the minimum effort to follow the dress code – or abided by it, but on his own terms and in his inimitable, unruly style. Her stomach tightened.
‘The spitting image of James Dean,’ said Dorothy, approvingly, and loud enough for everyone to hear.
Quiet laughter rippled across the room. Luc went over and slapped him on the back, greeting him in French, and closing the door behind him.
‘Lib? Did you hear me?’ She realised Ethan had been speaking to her and turned away from the door.
‘Sorry. What?’
He pointed behind them to where Jake had climbed a little way up the staircase so everyone could see him as he began to speak. Evie joined him, stunning in a flowing dress the colour of cherry jam, which she’d made herself.
‘Thank you all for coming here tonight,’ Jake began. ‘It means a lot to us to have you here and continue the age-old tradition of Willowbrook’s Christmas ball. But tonight is very special because I have some news to announce.’
There were murmurs of ooh, and the crowd hushed to hear the rest. Liberty smiled. Even though she knew what he was going to say, it was still exciting.
‘A year ago today I fell under the spell of a very special woman,’ he said. He looked at Evie, and the expression in his eyes made Liberty’s heart fold up. Evie beamed back at him.
Someone in the crowd whooped.
He went on, ‘It was snowing, and I was grumbling about it, but she was smiling. And she made me see that you can choose to focus on the dark clouds in life. Or you can stand in the snow with your arms wide open and savour the beauty and the magic of snowflakes falling. It’s fair to say that meeting Evie quite literally changed my life.’ Jake blinked hard, and the crowd cheered. He soon recovered his composure and went on, ‘Which is why we’ve decided to get married.’
There were gasps, then everyone began to clap and whistle.
‘So please raise your glasses, everyone.’ Jake turned to Evie and finished, ‘Pollyanna, I want to thank you for the joy you’ve brought into my life. I love you, darling, and I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you.’
‘To Jake and Evie!’ someone shouted.
The whole village cheered. ‘To Jake and Evie!’
Chapter Fifteen
Alex wasn’t sure why he’d made the last-minute decision to come. After Liberty had left, he’d stomped around the kitchen, flinging salad into a bowl, dousing it with oil and vinegar, banging a pan onto the hob and firing up the gas ring. The flames had shot up fiercely, engulfing the pan. He turned the gas down and glared at the spot where Liberty had stood just moments ago, dazzling in that long dress, glowing when he’d told her so.
Then her date had knocked at the door.
Until then Ethan had simply been a name. But she was right: it turned out he had all the looks. His blond hair was impeccably tidy, his eyes were a striking blue, and he was tall. Taller than Alex. He was everything Alex wasn’t, and he didn’t like how that made him feel. He wanted to push the guy out of the picture. And he wasn’t ready to examine exactly why he felt like that.
Alex had watched the guy hold open the door of his dull, sensible car for her, seen her tense smile as she’d thanked him, and then they’d driven away into the night.
Alone, Alex had sliced off a piece of butter and dropped it into the frying pan. It sizzled and spat, then sank and melted into a frothy puddle. Why did he care what Mr Blond looked like, or how radiant Liberty had seemed with him? She was absolutely right to continue dating. It had been her plan before, and nothing had changed. He swirled the melted butter around the pan and dropped in the steak. Charlie trotted into the kitchen.
‘It’s just you and me tonight, buddy,’ Alex told him glumly.
He stopped. Was that what this was? After just three evenings together he was missing her? Seriously, Ricard, what the hell was going on? It wasn’t like he was in the market for a relationship – or a kiss. Not even an accidental kiss.
Strange how the memory of that had stayed with him.
He shook his head and lifted the steak onto a plate. But when he sat down to eat, the salad was too vinegary, the steak overdone. He forced himself to chew, but got no pleasure from it, and when Charlie came over sniffing curiously, Alex pushed his plate towards him. ‘Go on, have it.’ He sighed, and watched the delighted dog wolf it down.
In the lounge he’d switched on the television and Charlie curled up beside him. Alex stroked him behind the ears. He flicked through the channels until he found an old cowboy film. But as Clint Eastwood climbed onto his horse, Alex’s gaze strayed to the window. He pictured the Old Hall and wondered if Liberty was enjoying herself.
Cursing, he’d got up. ‘Come on, Charlie, let’s go for that walk.’
But even a brisk stroll in the cool night air hadn’t calmed him. When he got back to the cottage he’d paced up and down the hall, restless. Uneasy.
He’d picked up the keys for the quadbike and weighed them in his hand. He needed to return it anyway. Why not do it tonight?
So here he was, at the Old Hall, and while everyone was applauding Jake’s speech, Alex searched the room for Liberty. She wasn’t difficult to spot – her hair and height made it easy to pick her out in the crowd.
She looked stunning. Her long satin dress emphasised her tall slim figure, her skin was creamy pale with a dusting of freckles, her lips were glistening rubies. Ethan bent to whisper something in her ear and she smiled. Alex bristled. He needed to speak to her – alone.
Then Guy came over and offered to get him a drink, and he lost sight of her.
A short while later, he spotted Jake and handed him the keys for the quadbike. ‘Thanks for lending it to me.’
Jake pocketed them and smiled. ‘I wanted to thank you too. Guy tells me you’ve sourced parts for my Triumph. They’re not easy to find.’
‘Not a problem. I have a classic myself so I knew who to contact.’
‘What brand do you have?’
‘Yamaha. I take her out once a year and race her in the Moto Legends Cup.’
Jake nodded appreciatively. ‘Cars are more my thing normally, but when I saw the Triumph I couldn’t resist. I haven’t told Evie yet.’
Alex sipped his drink. He scanned the room but couldn’t see the red hair he was looking for. ‘You think she won’t like it?’
‘Actually, I’m worried she might like it too much – for herself.’ Jake’s mouth curved. ‘Evie’s the clumsiest person I’ve ever met. Put her on a motorbike and it would be an accident waiting to happen.’
Alex laughed. ‘How many classic cars do you own?’
‘Two. The Bentley I use every day, and I have a TVR in the garage.’
‘I’d love to see them some time.’
‘Want to take a look now?’
‘Don’t you have to …?’ Alex waved a hand, indicating the guests around them.
‘No one will miss us for ten minutes.’ Jake winked.
Alex followed him outside to the spacious garage. He paused to admire the Bentley, but he was drawn to the sportier car, the TVR, and ran his hand over the curved bonnet.
‘She’s a work in progress,’ said Jake. ‘I like to buy and restore them to their former glory. Well, Guy does the restoring for me. I just pay him.’
Alex bent down to peer more closely at the interior, but his shoulder protested and he winced at the sudden shaft of pain.
‘You okay?’ asked Jake.
He nodded as the pain receded. ‘Just an injury. So what repairs does this one need?’
‘Oh, it’s mainly superficial. The bodywork’s badly rusted, as you can see, and there’s a couple of other parts that need replacing. Guy’s coming to pick her up next week.’
‘How long will it take to restore her?’
‘Who knows? Finding the original parts is the challenge, as you know.’ He pointed to the Bentley. ‘It took three years to get her in shape, but she was worth the wait.’
Alex liked how Jake referred to the car as ‘she’. He did the same with all his bikes. Each one was individual, with its own personality and quirks, and getting to know it was part of the skill in being a good racer. Jake locked the garage and they walked back to the house.
‘So you’re a racer, Luc tells me.’
‘I am.’ Alex tensed. Was.
‘But you like to tinker with the machines, too?’
‘Only because I’ve got time on my hands. I came here to look for someone, but I’ve not had much success. And this week my bike was stolen. It’s very frustrating.’
‘You’re recovering from an injury, too. Not an easy time for you.’
He didn’t answer. His feet crunched over the gravel path and he kept his gaze fixed straight ahead. The windows of the hall glowed gold in the night, and silhouettes slipped past them. He wondered where Liberty was and what she was doing. Was she still glued to the blond guy’s side? Was she dancing? Laughing?
‘Congratulations on your engagement,’ he said.
‘Thanks.’
‘I heard your speech, but I confess I didn’t understand about the snow. And Pollyanna – who is this?’
Jake smiled. ‘Did Luc tell you I lost my first wife?’
‘No.’ Alex stared at him. ‘You were married before?’
Jake nodded. ‘Maria died young. Very young. And I took it badly. Partly because I blamed myself, but mostly because I got stuck feeling angry. Angry with the world, with myself, angry because she’d died when others lived … When I first met Evie I was in a bad place, totally focused on all I’d lost.’
Alex stared at him, trying to imagine the turmoil he was describing, but finding it difficult to picture anything except the calm, intelligent man who stood before him.
‘But then I met Evie. And she taught me to count my blessings. She’s an optimist so it comes naturally to her, whereas I had to learn to see the positives in life. But I’m glad I did.’
As Jake’s words settled in the quiet night air, something about them hit home. Alex frowned. Was he focused on all he’d lost?
He was. Self-pity was never an attractive trait, but what had he been doing the last few weeks if not wallowing in it?
He sighed, disgusted with himself. He’d survived two serious accidents, but his injuries could have been worse. A lot worse. And he had no financial worries. He simply needed – no, wanted – to find a new purpose in life.
Back inside the Old Hall, Alex sipped his orange juice while he watched Liberty chat with Ethan. Even from this distance, he could see the stiffness of her smile. She was polite, not relaxed, and the guy was trying too hard, smothering her. As soon as he headed for the bar, leaving her alone, Alex seized the chance and crossed the room to speak to her.
‘Alex!’ She smiled. ‘You changed your mind about coming, then? I’m glad. It’s—’
‘Why are you wasting your time with him?’ Her smile vanished instantly. ‘Anyone can see you don’t have strong feelings for him.’
‘Excuse me?’ Her eyes blazed. ‘Did I miss the part where I asked for your opinion?’
He shrugged. ‘I’m simply pointing out what’s obvious.’
She barked a laugh. ‘And just what gives you the right to interfere in my life? Who I’m attracted to is none of your business.’
He raised his hands in mock surrender, but a silent voice told him he’d overstepped the mark. He should back off. ‘Look,’ he said, more gently, ‘all I’m trying to say is just because you challenged yourself to date more doesn’t mean you should date the wrong men.’
‘Oh, and who would the right men be, then? Are you going to advise me on that too?’
He shook his head. ‘All I know is you’re wasting your time with Mr Bland over there. There’s no chemistry between you, no passion. Anyone can see it. You know it too, but you don’t want to admit it.’ He hated how his accent had become more pronounced but he was fired up. He felt strongly about this, and although she was glaring at him, like a snarling cat, it felt good to finally let it out.
She frowned and followed his gaze to the bar, where the blond guy was patiently waiting to be served. ‘Ethan’s a really nice guy,’ she began.
‘And his mother likes quilting,’ he said, rolling his eyes. ‘I know.’
‘That’s not why I like him!’ she said indignantly. ‘He’s caring and kind and settled—�
�
‘And you want a family, so he’ll do!’
She looked shocked. To be honest, so was he.
He said gently, ‘You’ll find someone else to start a family with. In the meantime, why not stop wasting your time by going down the wrong path?’
‘Ethan’s a good man,’ she retorted. ‘He works hard, he lives locally, he’s … reliable.’
‘That’s the best you can come up with – nice? Reliable? And where he lives? You could be talking about an old-age pensioner.’
‘I don’t know what business it is of yours who I date or how I feel about them!’
‘It’s not. You’re right. I’m just … concerned, that’s all. Concerned that you’re going for Mr Bland when you could do so much better. You wanted to find a partner and you’ve seized upon him because he’s vaguely right. All those weirdos from the dating app have destroyed your confidence – so you’ve gone for the safe option. But it’s obvious that he doesn’t set your heart on fire.’
‘Stop telling me how I feel!’ she snapped.
‘I’m just pointing out what you’re too blind to see.’
‘Are you? Or are you determined to spoil everyone else’s fun because you’re still feeling sorry for yourself about your career being over?’
Shocked, he stepped back.
‘Butt out, Alex. I didn’t ask for your opinion on my relationship and I don’t want to hear it.’
She spun on her heel and stalked away, a whirlwind of blazing hair and dark satin.
She vanished into the crowd. Seconds later Ethan appeared with two full glasses. He frowned and asked, ‘Have you seen Liberty?’
Alex gave a sharp nod. ‘She went that way.’
Liberty fled down the hall and into the first empty room she found. It turned out to be the library, and she stomped back and forth, glaring at the tall bookcases, fighting the urge to kick one.
It was Alex she should kick, not Jake’s furniture. How dare he? How dare he?
It took her a while to work off the worst of her anger, but when she had she stopped in front of the fireplace. Above it hung a huge gilded mirror. She gripped the marble ledge and glared at her reflection. Was there some truth in what Alex had said? Was she really so desperate to find someone that she’d latched on to Ethan? Was there no chemistry between them, no passion?
A Winter's Dream Page 21