A Merry Little Christmas

Chapter 1

Merry

Giant Christmas tree: check.

The market square festooned with fairy lights: check.

Wizzard singing that they wished it could be Christmas every day from speakers blasting out from the stage: check.

Standing in a crowd in the cold and dark with almost all of her loved ones, wearing a Christmas jumper: check.

Merry Robinson smiled to herself. It was official, it was the first of December and the countdown to the annual Christmas lights switch-on in her home town was about to begin.

‘Are we ready to get this party started, Wetherley?’ cried this year’s celebrity a little too loudly into the microphone from the stage.

‘Yes!’ roared the crowd of excited residents, all of whom were wrapped in thick layers to combat the biting Derbyshire air. The night sky was clear, stars were out in their legions, and while incredibly pretty, it was bitterly cold. Merry was glad that Freya had insisted they all wear Christmas hats and jumpers. Her sister-in-law, Hester, and Hester’s husband, Paul, had brought hot mulled wine to warm them up, but at almost eight months pregnant, Merry would be having an alcohol-free Christmas this year and had opted for the hot chocolate Olek had supplied.

As had Nell, who wasn’t pregnant but wanted to be. Merry studied her best friend’s face, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. Nell was almost evangelical in her determination not to let her own situation take the shine off Merry’s pregnancy, and it broke Merry’s heart to see it. If she could have one wish this Christmas it would be for Nell and Olek to conceive. Life could be very unfair sometimes.

‘OK?’ Merry asked Nell, tucking an arm through hers.

‘A bit nervous,’ Nell replied. ‘We get our test results tomorrow.’

‘I’ll keep everything crossed for you,’ she promised.

Nell glanced sideways at her husband. ‘It’s pretty obvious who’s the one with the problem, seeing as he’s already got a son, and I hate to be letting the side down. But at least once we know what we’re dealing with, we can move forward and make a plan.’

‘You don’t know anything yet. But if anyone can work it out, it’s you two,’ said Merry. ‘You’ve been such an inspirational couple to me since the day you met. You’ll deal with this together, just like always.’

‘Thank you, you’re a good friend, and I hope so.’ Nell chewed her lip nervously.

‘I know so,’ Merry said firmly.

‘Who is that woman again?’ Ten-year-old Freya tugged on her granddad’s sleeve. ‘I don’t think she’s a celebrity at all.’

She’d cut her hair on her birthday to mark reaching double digits. Gone were the plaits and the pink clothes. Now she wore her hair short, her jeans baggy and her boots chunky. Cole confessed to Merry that he missed his sunny little girl, but Merry was secretly impressed with this new confident young lady who wasn’t afraid to try out a new look.

‘Suzannah Merryweather,’ Fred supplied, picking up his little dog, Otto, who’d started to tremble in the cold despite being dressed in a fleecy elf outfit. ‘Presenter of a gardening TV show.’

Freya was unimpressed and went back to her hot chocolate.

‘They should have asked you, Auntie Hester,’ said Harley. At fourteen, he was already taller than Merry and liked to boast to Cole that it wouldn’t be long before he outgrew his dad too. He’d agreed to wear one of his dad’s Christmas jumpers but was keeping his coat zipped right up to the neck and the white furry pom-pom on the end of his Santa hat was just visible, peeping out of his coat pocket.

‘I did it two years ago, darling, remember, when you were in Whistler?’ Hester held out her mug to her husband Paul, who was topping up the mulled wine.

‘Oh yeah, Dad sent us photos,’ he replied with a grin.

Merry watched Harley while, presumably, the memories of his year in Canada ran through his head. He’d had a tough time readjusting to life in the UK, but now seemed to be thriving. A Saturday job working at Merry and Bright, a very sweet girlfriend and singing in a band with his mates all seemed to have helped him find his feet.

‘And we’ve kept our Christmas plans low-key this year because of our trip to Australia,’ added Paul.

‘In two days!’ Hester squeezed his arm excitedly.

Cole was envious of his sister and brother-in-law’s month-long road trip around Australia. But it wasn’t for Merry – barbecues on the beach didn’t appeal; for her, Christmas was about traditions and home and being with her loved ones.

‘You wore a red cape,’ said Nell to Hester. ‘And I completely fan-girled over you.’

Everyone started talking about their memories from previous Christmas lights switch-ons until Suzannah’s voice rang out from the stage again.

‘Ten, nine, eight …’ she chanted, gesturing for everyone to join in with her.

And as she lifted her hands to hover dramatically over the big button, everyone did.

Everyone except Merry. From nowhere, a lump appeared in her throat, preventing any words from passing her lips as her emotions overwhelmed her. Christmas always did this to her. But this year, there were more factors at play: the baby would be here soon; they still didn’t have a moving-in date for the new house; the busiest few weeks of the retail calendar were upon her; she was worried about her best friend’s fertility problems; and she had swollen ankles and a husband approximately a thousand miles away.

‘Three, two, one … Merry Christmas, everyone!’ Suzannah cried, putting all her weight onto the button.

Instantly, the tall Norwegian spruce which towered over the square sparkled into colourful life, illuminating the giant star at the top and every single one of the glittering baubles hanging from the branches. At the same time, the Christmas decorations strung around the perimeter of the square came on and the people of Wetherley cheered and whistled.

‘Wow!’ Freya clapped her hands. ‘That was magic. Everywhere is so beautiful.’

‘Technically speaking, it’s electricity,’ her brother corrected her. ‘Not magic.’

Freya stuck her tongue out and Merry hid her amusement. Harley loved to display his superior knowledge where his sister was concerned. ‘I think Christmas lights are magical too, Freya.’

This event was always popular, signalling as it did the start of the festive season, and Merry wouldn’t have skipped it for the world. Cole had been disappointed not to be there, and she was missing him very much. Hopefully, next year, the whole family would be here together, her half-sister Emily and Emily’s boyfriend, Will, too.

Merry, having never known her father’s name or whereabouts after her mother’s suicide, had assumed that she didn’t have any living relatives. When Emily had got in touch last year with her suspicions that they might possibly be related, Merry had been overjoyed. She’d gained a much-loved younger sister, whom she was now close to, despite Emily living in Jersey, and the father she had always wondered about. He suffered with dementia, which had worsened this year, but he was her sole source of information about her mother. Every so often, he’d come out with a tiny snippet about the young woman he’d been in love with and whom Merry had had so briefly in her life. And when he did, she felt as if she was discovering priceless treasure every time.

The thought of all being together warmed her. She slipped a hand inside her coat and felt her bump.

Less than seven weeks until you’re due, little one. My life has changed so much in the last two years, and once you arrive, it’ll change all over again. I hope … well, I hope I’m up to the job, that’s all.

What sort of mother would she be? She wanted to be laid-back and fluster-free, but she had a sneaking suspicion that she might be the sort to be perpetually on the phone to the doctors’ surgery, needing constant reassurance that all was well, holding her face to the baby’s to check it was still breathing, fretting that she was making a bad job of it all.

She felt a tap on her arm and turned to see Fred beside her, looking concerned.

‘OK, love?’ he asked.

She blinked back any telltale tears and mustered up a smile for her beloved father-in-law.

‘Absolutely fine!’ She pulled her hand out from her coat and reached to stroke Otto’s curly head. ‘Wish Cole was here.’

‘Hmm,’ Fred grunted, ‘so do I. He shouldn’t be gadding about overseas, not with you in this condition.’

Merry suppressed her amusement. Fred’s objection was mostly down to the fact that his partner, Astrid, was also ‘gadding about’ with Cole, in Germany. Astrid had recently inherited a Bauernhof – a small farmhouse with land attached – from a distant cousin of her father’s. The letter from the Bavarian solicitor had come so completely out of the blue that Astrid had ignored it, assuming it to be a scam, but after two more had followed, she’d called the office and was told that she had an inheritance in her home town of Schongau, an hour south-west of Munich. It had taken a while for everything to be registered in Astrid’s name and now that it was, she had absolutely no idea what she was going to do with it. Cole had suggested that they go over there together and he’d give her the benefit of his two decades of construction experience and help her decide.

‘Cole’s working, remember,’ she pointed out. ‘And Astrid’s reason for going is valid too. Also, I’m not ill, I’m pregnant.’

‘I don’t know why she doesn’t just sell it,’ Fred grumbled to himself. ‘Wetherley is her home now. Take the money and enjoy it, I say.’

Merry was inclined to agree. She was proud of Cole for offering to advise her oldest friend and mentor, but the timing couldn’t be worse. His own building company was as busy as ever and he was project managing the renovation of their new house, which – as far as Merry was concerned – should be his top priority.

‘Dad was always working when we were little,’ said Harley. ‘He said he regrets that now. So, don’t worry, Merry, I think he’ll be around more for this child.’

Merry marvelled at how mature he was these days. ‘Good to know, but I’m not worried. He’s already a great dad, you two are great kids.’ She nudged him playfully. ‘Most of the time.’

‘I think it’s a boy,’ Freya said sagely. ‘My teacher had a baby boy, and she was always grumpy too.’

Nell gave a snort. ‘Out of the mouths of babes.’

‘I’m not always grumpy, am I?’ Merry asked, mildly offended.

‘Not always. But you do this a lot.’ Freya rolled her eyes comically and let out a huff of exasperation.

‘And you swore at work on Saturday,’ Harley said slyly under his breath.

Merry feigned a gasp. ‘Only a tiny one, and in my defence, I was provoked.’ A customer had entered the shop with three dogs, one of which had cocked its leg against the counter. Not the ideal aroma for a scented candle shop, and bending down to clean it up had not been the ideal job for Merry now that her body resembled a bowling ball.

Harley grinned. ‘Your secret’s safe with me. I might be looking for a pay rise soon, though. If you get my drift.’

‘Cheeky,’ Merry muttered. Not a bad idea actually; it was coming up to twelve months since he’d started working for them, and he was a big help. He’d be needed even more once the baby came, and she didn’t want to lose him to a better-paid job. She made a mental note to chat to Nell about it; they made staffing decisions together.

‘I thought Ray was coming this evening?’ Hester said.

Merry winced. ‘Dad’s got a nasty cough. I popped round to see him in the home earlier. His carer and I agreed it wasn’t a good idea for him to be out in the cold.’

‘And you don’t want to be exposed to any germs either,’ Nell put in. ‘The last thing you need is to catch something.’

‘Quite,’ she agreed. ‘There’s too much to do, I haven’t got time to be ill.’

This time last year, she’d been planning their last-minute wedding. The year before that, she’d taken on the organisation of the town’s Christmas celebrations. She’d hoped that this year would be quieter, but, if anything, life was even busier, especially now her sister was living in Jersey and Merry was the main contact for their father’s care home. His dementia had worsened over the last couple of months; the last two times she’d seen him, he hadn’t known who she was. If she thought about everything too much, she could literally feel her blood pressure spiking.

‘I’m going to take some photos to send Dad,’ said Harley, ‘like he did for us when we were in Whistler.’

‘FaceTime him!’ said Freya excitedly, waving her mug of hot chocolate precariously. ‘Then I can tell him about the magic lights.’

Harley pulled out his phone and the two of them bent over it while he called Cole.

‘When are the property tycoons back in the country?’ Hester asked.

‘Two more sleeps,’ Merry told her.

‘Thank goodness,’ Fred said wistfully. ‘Otto misses Astrid like mad. He sits in her place on the sofa and whines all through the six-o’clock evening news.’

Merry, Nell and Hester exchanged looks. The dog wasn’t the only one pining for Astrid. They might be in their seventies, but there was no mistaking how in love Fred and Astrid were. Love knew nothing about age, thought Merry; the colour of its flame may change over time, but its power to warm hearts never did.

‘Hey, Dad,’ Harley shouted, holding the phone high above his sister’s reach. ‘Thought you’d like to see the Christmas lights.’

Merry strained to see Cole, but the image of him on Harley’s screen was too small from where she was standing. ‘Hello, darling,’ she called, waving a hand in case he could see her.

‘Let me see him!’ Freya jumped up to grab the phone. ‘Dad, the tree’s got a massive star on the top. Can we have one like that?’

‘Just wait a minute,’ Harley grumbled, blocking her with his arm.

Freya leapt up again and this time stumbled back into Merry, knocking into Merry. It didn’t hurt, but all the same, Merry’s arm flew to her stomach protectively.

‘Careful, darling,’ Hester chided. ‘You need to be gentle with Merry now, especially her tummy.’

‘Oh dear,’ said Merry as a warm sensation soaked through her maternity jeans. ‘You didn’t hurt me, but I think you just spilled your hot chocolate on me.’

‘Sorry about bumping you. But it wasn’t my drink, I’d finished it all.’ Freya looked round at her and giggled. ‘Oops. It looks like you’ve wet yourself.’

‘But you must have done …’ Merry reached a hand to the top of her legs and froze. For a second, her mind went blank, until a shudder of dread ran through her. ‘Oh no.’

Nell and Hester picked up on her reaction straight away.

‘What’s happened?’ Nell asked, grabbing her arm.

‘Could that be what I think it is?’ Hester’s eyes were wide.

Merry’s heart thudded. ‘I don’t know. Possibly?’

‘Dad!’ Freya pulled Harley’s arm towards her to get closer to his phone. ‘Merry’s weed!’

‘Stop yanking me, you idiot,’ Harley said with a scowl.

‘At the risk of stating the obvious,’ Fred cleared his throat, ‘I think your waters may have broken, my dear.’

‘I’m not even thirty-four weeks.’ Merry could feel a sob forming in her throat. ‘It’s too early.’

‘What’s happening?’ She heard Cole’s alarmed voice in the distance. ‘Merry?’

‘Harley, may I?’ Paul reached for the phone and Harley surrendered it straight away. ‘Cole, looks as if you might need to come home, pronto, mate. We’ve got a situation here.’

Merry felt hot and panicky as everyone started talking at her, asking questions, making suggestions, and her head began to spin. She gripped Nell’s hand tightly; Hester took her other arm as her knees went weak beneath her. Suddenly, Cole’s face appeared in front of her as Paul held the phone out.

‘Darling, I’ll be there as soon as I can.’ His brown eyes were huge with worry.

‘I’m scared,’ she whispered. ‘I wish you were here.’

Why was this happening now? She hadn’t had any contractions, no warning signs.

‘I’m packing now, and I’ll be on the first flight,’ he promised.

‘Me too,’ Astrid piped up somewhere in the background.

‘I love you,’ said Cole.

‘I love you too. Please hurry.’ Merry’s lip trembled before the screen went blank.

Olek put a hand on her back. ‘I think we should take you to the hospital.’

‘Agreed,’ said Nell.

‘We’ll take the children back with us,’ Hester offered. ‘Come on, kids.’

‘Oh crikey,’ said Fred, shaking his head. ‘I feel helpless.’

‘Snap,’ said Merry, tears trickling down her face. ‘If the baby’s coming, I don’t suppose there’s anything I can do about it.’

‘Is this my fault?’ Freya said in a small voice. ‘Because I knocked into you?’

‘No, darling, there’s no need to worry, I promise,’ Merry replied with as much conviction as she could muster.

‘Let’s go.’ Nell’s voice was firm. ‘We need to get you to a doctor and see what’s going on.’

Merry nodded, unable to speak for the second time this evening. This was not how she’d planned it. She wasn’t ready to be a mother. Not tonight. Not yet.