A Merry Little Christmas

Chapter 14

Merry

‘As I say, that’s my top-line valuation, Mrs Robinson. I’ll firm it up and send everything in writing, of course.’ Steve Mann, estate agent from Home and Castle, handed her a glossy brochure. ‘Here’s a summary of our comprehensive services, both for rental and property sales.’

‘Thank you, and thanks for dropping in at short notice.’ Merry tucked the brochure underneath a pile of magazines on the table next to the sofa. She’d read that later when Cole wasn’t around.

‘No problem. Although it’s a shame your husband wasn’t available.’ He zipped up his portfolio case and snapped the lid in place on his pen. ‘We generally like to see couples together, just in case one half is planning on selling from under the other’s nose.’

He laughed heartily and Merry shifted in her seat.

‘He’ll be sorry to have missed you,’ she said, not meeting his eye.

She had every intention of telling Cole about this appointment, just as soon as she’d got all the details in front of her. She wanted to be able to answer the questions she knew he’d have. He liked facts and figures, whereas Merry was more into hunches, feelings and spontaneous decisions. She liked to think that that was why they got on so well: yin and yang in marriage form. It wasn’t as if she was being completely deceitful; they’d have to do something with Holly Cottage once they’d moved out. She was simply making herself useful while she was sitting around doing nothing. Moving things on.

‘Anything else you want to ask before I leave you to it?’ He reached for the last Lebkuchen gingerbread cookie and bit into it. It was one of Astrid’s recipes, which she and Emily had had a go at this morning. They weren’t as chewy as Astrid’s and her icing was thicker, but making them had kept her occupied for a while and, more importantly, had distracted her from the fact that Nell hadn’t returned any of her messages since the incident on Zoom the other day. Emily had taken the rest with her for afternoon tea with an ex-colleague.

Merry had hoped to be back at work by now and able to go in and smooth over things with her oldest friend, but Pip had prescribed another forty-eight hours’ rest. She’d argued that she was fine, but her midwife had joked that at least she was getting used to losing her freedom – a taste of what was to come once baby arrived. Merry had not found that funny at all.

Steve was awaiting her response. Did she have any questions …?

Merry looked around the living room at Holly Cottage and felt a wave of nostalgia; she’d been here a little over two years and had nothing but fond memories. Her life had changed beyond compare in that time. She’d been heartbroken and single when she’d moved in, trying to get her small candle-making business off the ground to make ends meet. She’d done that and more, turning it into a successful brand with a shop on the high street and a thriving online presence. But even more important, she’d met and married Cole and their lives had become one here in her tiny home. Even though things were a little tense between them now, she wouldn’t change a thing.

‘I don’t think so,’ she said finally, ‘but I hope that whoever moves in here next takes good care of it and loves it as much as we have.’

‘Home and Castle can’t guarantee that, I’m afraid.’ Steve put his coat on and wrapped a Burberry scarf around his neck. ‘But I can promise we’ll find either good-quality tenants or a buyer with solid financial credentials. You’ll have no problem selling or renting a character cottage like this, I assure you. Do you have any idea which way you’ll swing?’

‘We want to keep our options open at this stage,’ said Merry, ushering the estate agent into the hallway and opening the front door. Cole was unlikely to be home for another hour, but it would be Sod’s Law if today he arrived home early.

That last thought was still fresh in her mind when she spotted Cole’s van in the distance heading their way.

‘Quite right. And I hope that you’ll choose Home and Castle to help you do so.’ Steve pumped her hand; he had soft hands, almost feminine. Give her the rough, calloused, strong hands of a builder any day. The sound of Cole’s van made him look up. ‘Good luck with the baby. Is that your husband, by any chance? I could wait.’

‘Yes, possibly, but it looks like he’s on a call and he could be a while. You’d better hurry, I think it’s about to rain.’

She almost shoved the poor man outside, who glanced up at the clear sky looking very puzzled. She waved at Cole, who was in fact on a call, and went inside to manufacture an identity for the man who’d just left.

It was another couple of minutes before he let himself in and found her in the kitchen clearing away their mugs and the biscuit plate.

He dropped a kiss on her cheek and wrapped an arm around her waist. ‘Was that Steve Mann the estate agent I just saw?’

‘Um … yes. You know him?’ Her heart sank. Of course he bloody did. Cole probably knew everyone involved in residential property in a fifteen-mile radius. ‘It was. He just popped in on the off chance.’

‘Merry.’ Cole gave her a look which was part bemused and part stern. ‘Please don’t ever take up poker, you’ll lose everything we own. Besides, I’ve known Steve a long time, he doesn’t make house calls unless he can smell a fee.’

She sighed in resignation. ‘Fine. You got me. I thought I’d make some initial enquiries, to move things along a bit.’

‘I love how resourceful you are,’ he said carefully, ‘and you’re right, we do need to think about the future of Holly Cottage.’

She sensed a ‘but’ and jumped in quickly. ‘Exactly. Make a decision and move on.’

‘What did Steve say?’ he asked.

‘That he could find a tenant or a buyer quickly.’

Cole shook his head. ‘Standard Steve. He likes clients to think that his is the only estate agency which can deliver the goods.’

‘So what do you think: sell or let?’ Merry had planned on having this conversation later, snuggled up in front of the fire rather than leaning up against the kitchen sink, but it was what it was.

He pondered before answering. ‘The last time I rented it out, I found the most gorgeous tenant. So gorgeous in fact that I married her, and we’re expecting our first baby any day.’

‘Hopefully not any day ,’ she put in.

‘But,’ he continued, ‘we’re in the lucky position of being able to leave this place vacant for the time being while we get ourselves sorted. There’s no need to rush. Estate agents can wait. Let’s just do one thing at a time, hey?’

Merry frowned. Why did they have to wait? Why do something next week, or next month, when she could do it today?

‘Says he,’ she muttered.

He frowned. ‘Meaning?’

‘Seriously?’ she said crossly. ‘Here’s a question for you. Is Meadow View your priority?’

She stepped back from him and folded her arms, which wasn’t as easy as it once had been thanks to her bump.

Cole cleared his throat. ‘Yes, but—’

‘But,’ she interrupted, ‘there’s a project so urgent that you moved our electricians on to it, thus putting our home behind schedule. I know I’m not the builder in the family, but that doesn’t look like priorities to me.’

‘Not this again.’ He picked up the kettle, shook it and switched it on.

‘Again?’ she bristled with indignation. ‘We haven’t even talked about it yet.’

‘True, but only because you’ve been worried about your dad. And then you had that candle workshop on your mind. It’s not as if I’ve been avoiding it. And it’s sorted now. The electricians will be there on Friday, Monday at the latest. Problem solved.’

‘Problem which you created.’

‘Technically speaking—’ he began.

‘Stop. I’m not interested in the technical.’ Merry held up her hand. ‘I’m interested in fact. And the fact is that I want to be out of this house and into Meadow View before the baby arrives.’

‘I know, but it’s looking increasingly unlikely.’ Cole was doing his low, soothingly reassuring voice, which normally had the effect of making her insides melt. But today all she wanted to do was yell at him. ‘Far better to plan it properly, stay stress-free and be in for January.’

‘No, Cole, wrong answer.’ Frustratingly, she felt tears prick at the back of her eyes. ‘You promised. We took that pregnancy test eight months ago, and you swore that you’d get us moved in. You’re moving the goalposts. And I’m moving them back.’

The two of them stared at each other. Merry’s heart was thumping, and she was itching to press her hand to her chest to calm her heartbeat, but she daren’t in case Cole asked if she was OK. And she didn’t think she could stomach one more enquiry about her health, especially not now, as she wasn’t OK, not at all.

‘Merry, can I …’ Cole took a step towards her, but before he could finish his sentence, there was a ring on the doorbell.

‘Saved by the bell,’ Merry said grimly as Cole went to see who it was.

The door opened and she heard him greet Fred and Astrid. There was a scamper of paws on the tiles and Otto appeared wearing a tartan coat, he jumped up for some fuss.

Merry squatted down to scratch the little dog under his chin where he liked it. This was going to be awkward; now she and Cole were going to have to pretend they weren’t in the middle of a row.

‘Come in,’ she heard Cole say. ‘Merry and I were just … Go on through, we’re in the kitchen.’

‘And the kettle is already on,’ said Fred, rubbing his hands together. ‘We must have a sixth sense. Any tea going?’

‘I’ll make you one,’ said Merry, reaching for the tea caddy.

‘ I’ll make tea,’ Cole countered.

‘You look like a blooming rose.’ Astrid kissed Merry’s cheek, forced her to take a seat and placed a wicker basket on the kitchen table. She was wearing a magnificent emerald cape with a tartan lining.

‘If you mean prickly and red in the face,’ Merry muttered. ‘That sounds about right.’

‘It is a compliment, mein Schatz ,’ Astrid chided. ‘You should take them gracefully; they get scarcer as you get older.’

She gave Fred a side eye.

‘May I say, Astrid,’ he said immediately, ‘you look ravishing in that coat thingy, and match Otto perfectly.’

Astrid inclined her head at her partner. ‘Thank you, mein B?rchen . Although, next time, I’d prefer not to be compared to the dog.’ Despite her dark mood, Merry let out a giggle. ‘Now,’ Astrid continued, ‘I’ve brought soup, a goulash and a chicken and leek pie. And some little Stollen bites because I know you love those.’

‘So do I,’ Fred grumbled, unbuttoning his heavy overcoat and handing it to his son. ‘But you didn’t make any for me.’

‘I am making a large one just for you.’ Astrid patted his cheek, making him blush.

The romance between them put Merry and Cole to shame; she couldn’t even look at her husband at the moment without feeling cross.

‘It’s lovely of you to bring food for us,’ she said, giving her old friend a hug. ‘But you needn’t. I’m not an invalid, and even if I was, Cole can cook.’

Astrid flapped a hand. ‘ Mein Schatz , I know that, but this is my way of showing you that I care.’

‘Thank you,’ Merry replied, dangerously close to tears. ‘I’m touched, really.’

‘It all smells amazing,’ said Cole, lifting the lid on the goulash. ‘Shall I put this one in the freezer for now, Merry?’

‘Why not?’ she said, unable to keep the edge out of her voice. ‘I was trying to keep the freezer contents to a minimum as I thought we’d be moving soon, but I guess it doesn’t matter now.’

Fred looked between Cole and Merry and frowned. ‘Is this a bad time? We can leave the food parcel with you and be on our way.’

‘Well …’ Merry began. That was exactly what she wanted; she and Cole needed to finish this conversation and get rid of the tension that crackled between them.

‘It’s not a bad time, Dad. There’s no need for you to go.’ Cole put a hand on his father’s shoulder. ‘We were discussing our moving date, that’s all. It makes sense to stay here until January and things are a bit less busy.’

Astrid caught Merry’s eye and pulled a face. ‘I know you wanted to be in before Christmas, but that does make sense.’

Fred pulled out a chair and sat down heavily. ‘Rubbish. By January, you’ll have a new baby and a second trip to Germany coming up. I’d move heaven and earth to get in now, if I were you, son.’

‘What?’ Merry stiffened and glared at Cole, who squirmed. ‘A second trip?’

‘Thanks, Dad,’ he muttered through gritted teeth.

‘Oops.’ Fred winced. ‘Have I put my size tens in it?’

‘So,’ Merry fumed, ‘you’re off to Germany, leaving me at home with the baby? When were you going to tell me?’

‘This afternoon,’ he said darkly. ‘Which was why I came home early. So imagine my surprise when I walked in to find you getting the house valued behind my back.’

Astrid’s head was swivelling between everyone. ‘This is my fault. I’m sorry. Merry, don’t blame Cole, he is doing this to help me.’

She loved Astrid dearly, but this was between her and Cole. She fixed her husband in her gaze. ‘You’re making it sound more underhand than it is. I was doing it for us.’

‘No, you were doing it because, for some reason, you don’t think I have the best interests of my family at heart anymore. And you feel compelled to take matters into your own hands.’

‘And disappearing off to Germany just after your new baby has been born demonstrates otherwise?’ She was so angry that she could feel a pulse throbbing in her neck. ‘You’d better just hope that your trip doesn’t coincide with my trip to Jersey to see Emily, because you’ll be looking after the baby while I’m away.’

She tilted her chin defiantly and folded her arms. The full effect of her arm folding was diluted thanks to having to balance her forearms on her bump, but still. He got the message.

‘You can’t go away without the baby!’ Cole looked horrified.

‘But apparently you can,’ she retorted. ‘It seems to me that motherhood has a whole different set of rules to fatherhood. I’m not sure I like it.’

‘Too late for that now.’ Cole’s face was as dark as a rain cloud.

‘And don’t I know it.’ Merry pushed herself up from the chair, stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. ‘Don’t I just bloody know it.’

She stomped upstairs, determined not to cry. This pregnancy was not going to plan at all. She’d had enough of today, she was going to bed and shutting everyone out. Including Cole.