The Silver Bells Christmas Pantomime

by Lynsey James

  He got up and walked across to the counter, attracting flurries of whispers in his wake. I saw countless customers nudge each other and point in his direction; I guessed they were weighing up whether or not to go and ask for his autograph. I sighed; if they only knew how kind and lovely he was, they wouldn’t hesitate to approach him.

  Stop it, Alice; it’ll never happen and you know that.

  I gave myself a good shake and straightened up in my chair. It was time to stop letting daft thoughts into my head. I had a panto to direct and my head had to be clear for that if I wanted to make a success of it.

  Moments later, he came back with a large tray of tea and cake.

  ‘This is what every good panto session needs,’ he declared as he carefully set it down on the table. ‘I reckon tea and cake should be classed as brain food, don’t you?’

  I let out a giggle that sounded a bit like a manic donkey. My hand flew across my mouth to stop it. What the hell was wrong with me?

  ‘Anyway,’ Ethan continued with a nervous chuckle, ‘shall we get on with choosing people for the roles? Which ones still need to be filled?’

  I took a deep breath and flicked to the page in my notebook that had all the vacant parts on it.

  I opened my mouth with caution in case another bizarre sound came flying out. When none did, I decided to trust myself.

  ‘OK, so according to this, we’re looking for the wicked stepmother, the king, Buttons, all the farmyard animals, extras to be at the ball, the king’s adviser and the fairy godmother.’

  Ethan let out a low whistle. ‘Jesus, that woman you took over from drove a lot of people away didn’t she?’

  ‘I’m not surprised; she was a force to be reckoned with! And that’s putting it mildly. Anyway, let’s start with the fairy godmother shall we?’

  He popped a piece of cake into his mouth while he pored over the list of notes he’d made. ‘You know,’ he said, ‘I quite liked that girl Lucy for that part.’

  I arched my eyebrows. ‘Really? I’m not so sure. I thought maybe she was a bit too kooky.’

  ‘That can be a good thing though; I reckon the audience would really take to her. Plus, isn’t the fairy godmother supposed to be a bit kooky? You don’t want someone who isn’t going to bring any fun to the part. It’s a panto after all.’

  I chewed over those thoughts for a minute. ‘Hmm, maybe you’re right. I liked that girl Megan for that, but I thought she might be a bit stiff. OK, so we’ve got Lucy for the fairy godmother! That’s a good start.’

  ‘We make a pretty good team don’t we?’

  Ethan’s comment came out of nowhere and made my jaw drop slightly. I didn’t dare respond for a moment, in case I said something stupid that I couldn’t take back.

  ‘Yeah,’ I eventually replied. ‘We make a brilliant team.’

  *

  Over more plates of cake than was strictly necessary, Ethan and I tackled the panto’s tragic casting shortage together. An hour and a half later, we had all the roles adequately filled except for the horse that eventually turned into the coachman. We couldn’t find two people who would be willing to be stuffed together inside a sweaty costume for most of the performance.

  ‘We’ll find a way around it,’ said Ethan. ‘Worst comes to worst, you can change the horse to another animal that one person can play. I’d say that was a job well done, wouldn’t you?’

  The ring of his mobile interrupted us. He dragged it out of his pocket and answered it. When he heard who was on the other end, his face immediately fell.

  ‘What do you want now? I’ve told you again and again it’s not happening… Well I’m sorry I’m such a bloody disappointment, but I don’t see why you thought I’d be a good fit for running a bloody department store anyway! I’m sorry it’s not doing so well, Dad, but if you stick me in charge, the administrators will be in before New Year’s Day. I’d be absolutely hopeless. I’ve neither the experience nor the desire to turn things around there… Yes I’ll come round this week, but don’t expect me to change my mind. No I don’t want the store keys as an early birthday present, thanks very much! OK, Dad, see you.’

  He hung up and let his head sink to the table as he swore under his breath.

  ‘Your dad didn’t sound too pleased.’

  ‘He was calling to tell me what a massive let-down I am because I won’t take over the department store. It’s losing more money than ever and he wants me to run it and turn things around. I know next to nothing about what it takes to run a store, but try telling him that!’

  ‘Have you never fancied running Fox’s? I loved it in there when I worked there.’ I took a wistful glance out the window as I remembered my brief time in Santa’s grotto. It hadn’t been all bad, even if Frank had been a grumpy so-and-so.

  Ethan frowned. ‘Oh that’s right, I remember you telling Dad that you used to work there. What was your job?’

  ‘I was one of the elves at Santa’s grotto. I…I got the sack because I gave out the sales girls’ Secret Santa gifts to the kids by mistake!’

  ‘Well aren’t you full of surprises?’ he said with a grin. ‘You kept that quiet!’

  ‘There are a lot of things you don’t know about me,’ I joked with a prim smile.

  Ethan raised his eyebrows and looked at me with a degree of fascination.

  ‘Now that sounds intriguing.’ He paused for a second as his face turned scarlet. He really did seem to embarrass easily. ‘To answer your question, it was my dream when I was little to be manager of Fox’s. All I wanted was to be like my dad, then…’ He trailed off and shook his head.

  ‘Then what?’ I pressed. I found myself hungry to find out more about the mysterious Ethan Fox. He’d kept so much of himself hidden and I wanted to get to know him better.

  ‘Then my mum died when I was seventeen and my dad seemed to turn against me. He started drinking a lot and bringing a different woman home every night. None of them were interested in him; they just wanted his money. He wouldn’t listen, of course. It was about that time I got into acting; there was a drama club at my sixth-form college and I took part in a couple of productions. I realised I loved performing because it meant I didn’t have to be me for a while. When I told my dad that I wanted to go to drama school instead of do an apprenticeship at Fox’s, he went ballistic. We haven’t been that close since. For the last ten years, I could’ve been on the International Space Station and he wouldn’t have given a monkey’s. It’s not that I want to see the store close, but I’m in no position to take it over.’

  He paused to laugh mirthlessly for a moment. ‘Listen to me, banging on about all my rich-kid problems! You probably think I’m an absolute arsehole.’

  My answer sprang out of my mouth without warning.

  ‘Actually no,’ I said, ‘I think you’re lovely.’

  I froze when I realised what I’d just said. What a time to say what I was actually thinking!

  ‘I-I… That came out wrong. I mean, not that I don’t think you’re lovely because you are, but…’ I took a deep breath and hoped I’d stop babbling before I embarrassed myself further. I picked up my bag and got out my purse. ‘Here, let me pay for this.’

  Ethan put up a hand and shook his head. ‘It’s on me, Alice.’

  He attracted a waiter’s attention and asked for the bill. As we waited, he threw a smile in my direction and I had no hesitation in returning it, even if I was mortified by what I’d said. I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach and the goosebumps on my skin. Whether I liked it or not, Ethan Fox was having an effect on me. A very profound and very strange effect.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The relevant people were notified that they’d won a role and the date and time were set. Then, the day after my Moonlight Café rendezvous with Ethan, the first proper meeting of the Silver Bells Christmas pantomime took place.

  ‘Right, everyone,’ I said as I stood on the stage. ‘We don’t have long before our first performance on the thirteenth of December, so we
’re really going to have to get cracking with rehearsals. Now I know the pantomime is a bit of a laughing stock round here, but with a bit of luck we should be able to turn things around. We still need to get costumes and make-up sorted, along with people who can stand at the door and take and sell tickets, so if any of you fancy pitching in with that or know someone who could, feel free to let me know. Is everyone ready to get started?’

  A resounding “yes” rose from the gathered crowd and my heart sang with joy. As I looked out over them, taking in each of their faces, I felt a tingle down my spine. This was what I’d been waiting for: everyone was in place and now we could really get this pantomime off the ground.

  *

  Our first meeting went surprisingly well. We even managed to have a little run-through so everyone could get a feel for the roles they’d be playing. A few of the newcomers were a bit nervous, which was only to be expected, and Lauren still insisted on screeching out every line when she wasn’t making eyes at Ethan. She seemed to have completely forgotten about Callum now. Meanwhile, Callum wasn’t happy about Ethan being there, given their earlier confrontation outside the Purple Partridge, but he plastered a smile on his face anyway.

  ‘Wow, Mr Fox, I didn’t think this village panto would be up your street! Nice to see a man of your talent getting back to grass roots theatre,’ he said whilst offering him a hand to shake.

  Ethan didn’t look like he wanted to accept it, but did anyway. He closed his hand around Callum’s and shook it. I could’ve sworn I saw Callum wince slightly and a macabre smile played on Ethan’s lips.

  Overall, though, it went very well. It was much better than when it had just been the four cast members and me, struggling to fill the gaps left by so many absentees. Hearing all the different voices and personalities mix together made me feel tentatively excited. The only issue some of the female cast members had was that they were too busy staring at Ethan to remember their lines!

  ‘Lauren, it’s your line now,’ I reminded her for what seemed like the billionth time.

  ‘Sorry!’ She twirled an auburn lock around her finger and fluttered her eyelashes. ‘There are too many distractions in here!’

  The sideways glance she flicked in Ethan’s direction left little to the imagination. My feathers felt a teensy bit ruffled, but I ignored it. It was just overprotectiveness on my part.

  *

  I left the theatre that night feeling confident that we could actually pull the pantomime off. The newbies’ nerves would soon wear off and everyone would start to gel with one another the more rehearsals we did. There was a definite spring in my step as I made my way back to my cottage that night, which had nothing to do with my mum’s promised trip to sunnier climes over Christmas. I wondered if there was perhaps a little hint of festive magic in the air. When I let myself in the front door, I decided to get Jamie’s photo out again, but not for the usual reasons. It wasn’t because I was grieving for him any more. I just wanted him to know how far I’d come.

  ‘I finally let someone see the memory box I’ve been keeping,’ I said as I held his photo in my hands. ‘I’d kept it hidden under my bed before, but when Ethan was here it just seemed like the right thing to do. Ethan’s a good guy too; I think you’d really like him. Oh, and you’ll never guess what, the panto’s up and running! We’ve got all the roles filled and we had a little meeting tonight to go over everything. I really feel like we might be able to pull this off. The panto’s been a joke for so long, but I want to at least try and change that. Who knows, it might all go tits up but at least we’ll have a laugh doing it, eh?’

  I let out a sigh as I looked at the photo. It felt like I was seeing it through a different lens than before. Looking at it used to bring every memory of him to the surface, along with all the pain I’d tried really hard to bury. Today, however, was different. I felt a rush of love at the memories we’d created and sadness that he wasn’t here to make more, but I also felt a sense of peace. I’d taken some steps forward in my life and it hadn’t gone completely wrong or descended into a nightmare. Of course, there was still a long way to go but I’d made a start. I’d done things I’d never have dreamed of doing even a month ago.

  My world felt like it was slowly beginning to open up again, after being closed and insular while I tried to heal. With a bit of luck and some more time, maybe I could get my heart to open up too.

  *

  To say I was excited for my lunch with Emily and Lucy the next day was an understatement. Since coming back to Luna Bay, I’d only really seen my mum and the regulars at the Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club, so I was excited to expand my social circle a little. Back in New York, I’d had a close-knit group of friends that I’d met up with regularly, and it would be nice to build something similar in Luna Bay. I frowned as I thought of how quickly those friends in New York had drifted away after Jamie died. A lot of them had tried to be there for me, but I’d been far too devastated to let them. In the end, the phone calls and emails stopped because I’d pushed them away once too often. A month after Jamie’s death, I’d come back to Luna Bay and my connection to New York had vanished for good.

  I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom and gave myself a final once-over. I’d selected a navy chiffon top and paired it with leggings and some nice boots. My hair was styled into loose curls and I’d even made an effort with my make-up.

  Alice Woods, you scrub up pretty well!

  I lifted my hand, gave my curls one last primp then headed out. I was meeting them in the Moonlight Café first for a cup of tea then we’d see where we fancied going. I had a sneaking suspicion that we’d order some of Diane’s delicious chocolate sponge and end up putting the world to rights as we tucked into it. As I locked the front door behind me, my heart did a happy little skip. Time for New Alice to show everyone what she was made of.

  *

  The girls were already there when I arrived at the Moonlight Café. They’d grabbed a table right in the middle and were happily chatting away to one another as I took my seat.

  ‘Hi, you!’ Lucy immediately pulled me in for a hug. ‘Nice to see you; you look fab!’

  ‘So do you!’ I replied with a bright smile.

  I was treated to a similar greeting from Emily, who reached over for a hug and shot me her sunniest grin.

  ‘I know we said we were probably going to head into York or Harrogate, but what do you guys think about staying here?’ Emily suggested. ‘There’s amazing cake on tap and we can have a good old gossip while we’re at it.’

  I couldn’t resist a smile; my earlier suspicions had been proven correct.

  ‘Sounds good to me,’ I said. ‘Let’s order!’

  After we’d given Diane our orders – chocolate cake for me, Victoria sponge for Lucy and carrot cake for Emily – the gossip session began. Over our cake and a steaming-hot pot of tea, we prepared to get down to business.

  ‘First up…’ Emily paused as she shot me a cheeky grin. ‘What’s going on with you and Ethan Fox?’

  I nearly choked on my tea. ‘Nothing! Nothing at all. We’re just friends.’

  By the looks on their faces, neither of them believed me.

  ‘Come off it, you’ve practically moved into Sunflower Cottage since he rocked up!’ Emily giggled and broke off some carrot cake with her fork. ‘Mind you, so has that irritating woman who always wants to know where he is every minute of the day.’

  I guessed she meant Sarah and I frowned at the thought of her. Something about her really got under my skin, but I couldn’t be sure what it was. Perhaps it was the false smile she gave whenever she saw me, or the catty edge to her seemingly innocent remarks? Whatever it was, I definitely didn’t like her.

  ‘Are they close, her and Ethan?’ I asked, dreading the answer and wishing I hadn’t asked in the first place.

  I shovelled more cake into my mouth to stifle any more stupid questions that might pop into my head.

  Emily shook her head. ‘Not really, no. I get th
e impression she’d like them to be though. I’ve seen them having a few intense chats in the sitting room, but I reckon he’d be much happier if she buggered off back where she came from.’

  My heart did a hop, skip and a jump. I knew it shouldn’t please me so much to know that Sarah wasn’t in the running for Ethan’s affections, particularly when my own hat wasn’t even in the ring, but it did.

  ‘Anyway, enough about her.’ Emily set her fork down to show she meant business, sending it clattering against the china plate. ‘It’s obvious who Ethan’s interested in around here: you! Come on, there must be a story there?’

  A sizzling heat rushed over my face and I tried to cover it with some of my curls. Was there “a story” with me and Ethan? I wasn’t so sure there was. But as I looked at Lucy and Emily’s expectant faces, I realised they probably wouldn’t buy that as an excuse.

  ‘There’s not much to tell really.’ I covered my face with my hand, hoping to hide my blushes. ‘I met him at his dad’s department store when a revolving door smacked him in the face. There were no first-aiders about, so I volunteered; I didn’t think I’d see him again but then he pitched up in Luna Bay for a while. He’s been really good at helping me with the pantomime.’

  I decided to leave out the fact that he’d kissed me in my living room. That would bring far too many questions that I wasn’t able to answer and I didn’t like the thought of bringing such a private moment out into the open.

  Lucy raised an eyebrow. ‘Why do I feel like you’re not telling us the whole story?’

  I shrugged and ate some more of my cake. ‘Don’t know,’ I said, trying not to spray crumbs everywhere. ‘That’s all there is to it. He’s just helping me with the panto.’

  ‘Hmm, we’ll see,’ Lucy replied with a grin. She wagged a finger at me. ‘I’m on to you, Woods!’

  ‘When I’ve seen them together, they can’t take their eyes off each other,’ Emily chipped in.

  ‘Funny you should say that because they looked pretty cosy at the panto meeting we had at the theatre last night! Did I tell you I’m playing the fairy godmother?’ Lucy cleared her throat and began to sing. ‘The look of loooooove is in their eyes…’