On Christmas Day

by Rosie James

  Celia stood back and glanced at the clock. Lexi would be home from the Pump Room any minute, then they were all going down to Grey Gables to take Anna her presents and to join in a little birthday tea, to which they’d all been invited.

  ‘I didn’t even know it was Anna’s birthday,’ Phoebe said, and Cecilia smiled.

  ‘Some people don’t like being reminded about them, and never talk about them,’ she said, not going on to say that Anna had once mentioned that her fiancé had died on her birthday, so for many years afterwards she had refused to even acknowledge the date.

  ‘Well, I like birthdays,’ Phoebe said, picking up her card and flapping it gently to and fro to get the paint to dry quicker. ‘And it’s going to be really nice to have tea at their house – especially now Johnny’s home.’

  Just then, Joe came in from the back where he’d been trying to get Lucky to drop the ball after it had been thrown. ‘She won’t let it go unless I give her a treat,’ he grumbled. ‘Now they’ve all gone.’

  ‘Never mind,’ Cecilia said, ‘we’ll buy some more. Now then, it’s time for you to have a wash and get ready for Anna’s party.’

  ‘But I had a wash this morning, remember,’ Joe said. ‘Why do I need another one?’

  Cecilia smiled. ‘Just look in the mirror, young man. Come on, out into the scullery. We mustn’t be long, because Anna says tea will be at 5 o’clock, so we’ve got half an hour to make you look respectable, Joe Martin!’

  Just then, Lexi arrived home, and was shown the card Phoebe had made. ‘And look, Joe has coloured in the red fire engine on one of the pages in his picture book,’ Phoebe said. ‘Do you think Anna will be pleased with what we’re giving her?’

  ‘Of course she will,’ Lexi said, ‘and I hope she likes what I bought on my way home … come and look.’ It was a gold brooch in the shape of a long-legged spider, with tiny bright eyes of amethyst.

  ‘Ugh! I hate spiders!’ Phoebe said. ‘Do you think Anna will ever wear it? I don’t think I would!’

  When everyone was ready to leave, Cecilia picked up the brooch to examine it. ‘This is lovely, Lexi,’ she said. ‘I hope Anna’s going to like that little black lacy bolero I’ve made for her – which I thought may be useful to put over her shoulders when she goes to the theatre. I’ve heard it can sometimes be draughty there – if you sit in the wrong place,’ Cecilia added.

  There was definitely a party feeling in the air when they arrived at Grey Gables. The kitchen table groaned with plates of cakes and biscuits and pastries, and there were jugs of squash and lemonade. There was a pink, blancmange rabbit sitting in a large dish of green jelly, and in pride of place was a double layer iced birthday cake with one candle on the top.

  Anna, looking very attractive in a nice dress – and no apron for a change – greeted everyone with a hug. ‘Don‘t you all look lovely – and oh my! Lucky has a new pink collar!’

  The dog had always been made welcome at the house. Anna loved animals, and hadn’t even consulted her employer as to whether Lucky was allowed to come in. For one thing, the kitchen was Anna’s domain, and for another, she was convinced that a home was not a home without a dog or cat in residence. Sadly for her, and the boys, there’d never been either at Grey Gables because Mr McCann said animal hair always made him sneeze.

  ‘We’ve got presents and cards for you!’ Phoebe exclaimed, ‘Will you open them now?’

  ‘Presents for me?’ Anna said. ‘Hip hip hooray for birthdays! What a wonderful, wonderful day I am having!’

  Celia glanced at her quickly. She didn’t think Anna liked her birthday, but perhaps she’d already had a glass or two of sherry in honour of the occasion.

  Anna took a long time to open and study all the presents, and the hand-made cards, and presently, Cecilia moved over to the cabinet to look at the other cards Anna had received. There was one from her theatre friend, another from a cousin who lived in Scotland, one from her two cleaning ladies, an ornate one from Johnny, and a much less ornate one from Reynard McCann. So together with the ones from the Martin family there was a long row to be admired.

  Then, suddenly, Anna clapped her hands and made everyone look up.

  ‘I must tell you all! I just cannot keep it a secret any longer!’ she exclaimed excitedly. Then she turned to open a drawer in the cabinet and took out another card. ‘This came this morning … can you believe it! I thought I was seeing things!’

  Now everyone crowded around and stared at what Anna was holding. It was another birthday card, rather crumpled as if it had been handled roughly. The picture on the front was of a number of balloons floating skyward, and underneath ‘Happy birthday to you!’

  And as Anna opened it out and read the message inside, the room fell completely silent.

  ‘Dear Anna. I don’t expect this will arrive on your special day, but I will be thinking of you. I wish I was there too. Hope to see you all soon. Alfred.’

  Anna took a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe away her tears. This was the umpteenth time she’d read the message, and it made her cry every time. Then she looked around at them all.

  ‘Don’t you think it’s amazing that this arrived today?’ she said. ‘I mean, we’ve heard almost nothing from Alfred since he went. I still cannot believe it.’

  Cecilia spoke first. ‘How lovely, Anna – and Mr McCann must be very relieved to hear from Alfred and to know he is all right …’

  Anna put the card right in front of all the others on the shelf, and smiled. ‘To be honest, I have never seen him so happy,’ she said. ‘He just kept reading the card, over and over again, and couldn’t stop smiling – which he hasn’t done much of lately. Of course, at first, neither of us could believe our eyes, but trust Alfred! We hear nothing from him for months, and then he arranges for my card to arrive on my actual birthday!’

  Just then, they heard footsteps on the stairs and the kitchen door was thrust open. Johnny came through, followed by Reynard, and everyone started talking at once. Johnny came straight over to Lexi and looked down at her smiling.

  ‘So, you see, my brother was determined not to miss out on Anna’s birthday,’ he said. ‘What a shame he can’t be here to share some of this tea! All his favourites seem to be on the table, I notice!’

  Anna, still bubbling with excitement, went over to fill the teapot. ‘That was the funny thing, Johnny,’ she said, ‘but when I was making the cakes, I didn’t realize that I was including all the ones Alfred likes as well! See – I must have known that he’d be here as well – in spirit, if not in person! Wasn’t that clever of me!’

  After Johnny had spent a few minutes teasing the children, and pinching a biscuit from the table to give to Lucky, they all took their places, and Cecilia glanced across at Reynard. He looked as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders – even if they still had no idea where Alfred was. Just to have held the card which his son had written seemed to have put new life into Reynard, and he was listening to Phoebe and Joe chattering on as if he was really interested in what they had to say. And once or twice he even bent down to pat the dog.

  Yes, it was an incredible day, Cecilia thought, and incredible that Mr McCann should actually be sitting here with them, even if it was Anna’s birthday. It was almost unknown for him to eat at the kitchen table. And presently, when it was time to cut the cake – and without being asked – Reynard lit the single candle with his cigar lighter.

  Joe was slightly puzzled. ‘Why is there only one candle, Anna?’ he enquired. ‘I had six on my birthday cake … so how old are you?’

  Anna smiled. ‘Ah, that would be telling, Joe,’ she said. ‘You see, I am so old that there wouldn’t have been enough room for all my candles. But look, you can blow my one out for me. Come on … one, two, three …

  Then everyone sang the time-honoured refrain – Happy birthday to you!

  And Anna had to reach for her hankie yet again.

  Much later, after everyone had gone home, Anna finished the last of the cle
aring up then sat down in her chair. This birthday had been such a wonderful occasion – even helping to soften the sadness at what she had lost all those years ago. Of what might have been for her.

  She glanced over at her cards again. She was so lucky to have good friends, and a loving family – even if they weren’t actually hers. Her two lovely boys …

  Resting her head back, she yawned. After all the noise and chatter earlier, the house was strangely silent. Mr McCann and Johnny had gone upstairs to the dining room – probably to enjoy a glass of brandy together.

  Suddenly, the front door bell rang, and Anna looked up, startled. They never had visitors at this time of the evening – but perhaps Mr McCann had made some business arrangement or other.

  Yawning again, she got up to wind the clock. It was getting near her bed time, and for once, she felt really tired. All the excitement had worn her out.

  Then making her stop quite still, she heard the most terrible sound she had ever heard in her life, and her hand flew to her throat in alarm.

  It was the howl of a wounded animal in its death throes, a desperate, final call of helpless despair.

  Opening the kitchen door, Anna made her way quickly upstairs where she could hear Johnny speaking urgently. Without wondering whether she should or should not, enter, Anna threw open the dining room door and stood, electrified at the scene.

  Reynard McCann was crouching on the floor, his head buried in his hands, and he was rocking to and fro in acute distress. He didn’t seem to be aware that Anna was there, but Johnny came straight over to her, tears streaming down his face, and without a word he thrust a telegram into Anna’s hands.

  And as she stared down, her heart almost stopped beating as her eyes followed the stark message.

  ‘… Regret to inform you that Alfred McCann is missing, presumed dead’

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  In his study, Reynard went across to the window and stared out morosely. It was early October, and already leaves were falling from the trees and there was a distinct whiff of autumn, the mornings and evenings getting dark and chilly.

  After a moment, he turned away and sat down at his desk. All the papers strewn there seemed to look back at him mockingly. What was the point in bothering to keep going, in bothering to face up to every day in the cut-throat world of business? He certainly didn’t need to increase his personal fortune – he had enough money to live in luxury for the rest of his life, so why go on relentlessly as he had done since his youth, and as his father had done before him? And as Reynard had hoped his sons would, too, one day …

  Reynard swivelled aimlessly from side to side as his thoughts ran on. He did sometimes worry about Johnny one day heading the firm, because despite his diligence at college, he somehow didn’t quite fit into the McCann mould. Johnny was more of a thinker … a dreamer … without a shred of the ruthlessness required to succeed in business. That very thoughtful letter he’d sent from college was typical of the boy.

  But Reynard had had high hopes of Alfred. Alfred was a rugged individualist, forceful, determined – something to be admired in anyone – and he would have settled down eventually, Reynard was sure of it.

  But it was too late now, for Alfred, and the gaping hole left by his untimely death was wider in Reynard’s heart than the length and breadth of the seven seas. It seemed that the whole point of his existence had been blasted away by the bombardment which had wiped Alfred and his entire battalion out in one deadly attack. There was no getting away from the truth – there was simply no hope – because despite the ‘presumed’ dead Reynard had gone to London to find out exactly what had happened to his son. And the plain fact was that in that battle there had been no survivors. Not a single one. The Somme had been, and was still, a river of blood and tragedy on both sides.

  Reynard realized that torturing himself with persistent dark and hopeless thoughts had become something of a pastime for him. Reynard Senior had died quite suddenly in his fifties of a heart attack, and at the moment Reynard Junior would not have minded if he suffered the same fate. After all, it must be quite nice to be dead, not to feel the need to pore over the financial pages every day, or to be checking and re-checking work in progress on his sites, dealing with the everyday problems connected with the industry. Worrying about family…..

  Reynard knew, only too well, that his present state of mind was shared by his housekeeper whose permanent look of despair hadn’t disappeared since the dread telegram had arrived. And it was obviously worse once Johnny had gone back after the summer holidays, the very house seeming to wear a cloak of gloom. But at least Anna had the Martin family to confide in when she was at her lowest. Reynard looked into the far distance for a moment. He wished he could say or do something to comfort his housekeeper, but he wouldn’t really know how. He had had very little experience in physical contact with others, and in any case, familiarity with an employee was out of the question.

  The following Friday, a letter arrived in the post. It was from Johnny, and as soon as Lexi saw his writing on the envelope her heart soared. Whatever else the day held wouldn’t matter now that she’d heard from Johnny.

  Cecilia had just got back from her night shift, and after Lexi had made her mother some breakfast, she ran upstairs, shutting the bedroom door behind her. On the first reading of one of Johnny’s letters she needed to be alone, to absorb the contents without interruption. She knew she’d have to read it out to everyone later because they always wanted to know what Johnny had to say – especially since Alfred …

  Sitting on her bed, Lexi took the letter from the envelope and began to read.

  Dear Lexi, Mrs Martin, Phoebe and Joe and Lucky,

  I am sitting by my bedroom window looking out at the scene below. It is a very picturesque place here, full of trees and hilly slopes where we go walking sometimes. But it’s still not as nice as the fields around Bert’s Place and I’m always wishing that I was there with you all. In fact, I wish I was there now, this minute.

  Although, of course, I am only one of many students here, I have felt very lonely since my brother was killed, even though we saw little of each other on a day to day basis. Everyone here was very sad when they heard the news, and they are being very nice to me, which makes it worse, somehow.

  But to cheer me up, Anna sent me a lovely food hamper last week which I shared around, and everyone said what a fantastic cook we have. The little note which she had written gave me a lump in my throat because she, too, is naturally very sad, and I do wonder how my dad is coping. He is a man of few words, as we know, but I was with him when the telegram arrived so I have some understanding of how he is feeling.. But perhaps he has recovered a bit by now. I do hope so. I know that work will be his answer, and I have written to him to assure him that I cannot wait to leave college and become part of the family firm. I will never be as good as Alfred would have been, I’m sure of that, but I will always do my best for the McCann empire.

  I received a very encouraging letter from the editor of the magazine which published my article, and they have suggested that in the future I may like to travel further afield and submit regular pieces for them. I must say I jumped into the air when I read that – then jumped quickly back down again – because of course that can never happen, not now. I shall always be needed at home. But it was good that the editor thinks I am up to the writing job – even if I never actually have the chance to do it.

  I hope you are all keeping well and reasonably happy – despite the continuing news from France. This mess is bound to be over one day, and until then we must all keep our fingers crossed for those who are over there.

  I shall not be home until Christmas, but I am thinking about you all, all the time. Until then, please take care of yourselves.

  Johnny.

  Later that evening Lexi returned to Grey Gables with the rents and let herself into the kitchen. Anna was sitting at the table, writing, and she looked up.

  ‘Ah, prompt as usual, Lexi,’ Anna sai
d, ‘and I’ve made a pot of tea.’ She glanced down at the page in front of her. ‘I’m just writing to Johnny, because to receive a letter from someone brings them close – don’t you agree?’

  ‘Yes,’ Lexi replied at once. ‘And we had one from him this morning.’

  ‘And so did I!’ Anna said. ‘He’s a dear boy – and he must feel very isolated being away from us all, you know … and with Alfred no longer being there at college.’

  Lexi looked pensive for a second. ‘How do you think Mr McCann is coping, Anna?’ she asked. ‘He looks so miserable whenever I see him.’

  The housekeeper shrugged. ‘Well, he hasn’t stopped working, of course, on his sites, or up in the study, but we have very little conversation together these days,’ Anna said slowly. ‘Not that we ever did, not really, but it’s much worse now, which is quite understandable.’

  Lexi was just finishing her cup of tea when Reynard came down into the kitchen. He acknowledged her presence with the briefest of smiles, then glanced at the bag of money on the table. He wasn’t going to ask her if there’d been any problems with the tenants because there seldom were – the girl seemed to know exactly how to deal with any that arose – and in any case, he didn’t care anymore. He looked down at her. As usual, she was neatly dressed, and her hair always shone with health and cleanliness. All of that pleased Reynard, and he realized that he, like Anna, liked Lexi Martin coming to the house. She was an attractive presence, and it was no wonder she and Johnny had always been such close friends.

  Much later, Reynard was just clearing his desk and locking away the rents, when he heard rapid footsteps coming up the stairs. Without knocking, Anna came straight in, her face flushed.

  ‘There’s been another telegram, Mr McCann,’ she said breathlessly, thrusting an envelope into Reynard’s outstretched hands. He immediately tore it open and stared down.