Christmas at a Highland Castle

Chapter 33

Jess felt an unexpected level of nerves as she took her place in the choir line-up. She hadn’t performed in front of an audience in a while and however much she told herself she was surrounded by the other singers, including Vivi, there was no getting away from the fact she was performing all the solos. Jess’s music booklet shook in her hand.

Most of the village had turned out to listen to the choir. Seating and snacks – there were plenty of vol-au-vents and cheesy whirls left, even though plating them up did make Jess blush like a tomato – were already in position. Visitors were handed a glass of mulled wine on arrival and the atmosphere was upbeat.

The grand piano had been wheeled through into the picture gallery and, along with the huge Christmas tree, it framed one end of the room, leaving space for the lines of choir members to stand in front.

Aggie grinned like a maniac as she took her place at the piano, Sebastian beside her to turn the pages of her music.

The performance passed in a blur, and afterwards Jess was aware of people congratulating her, of villagers saying how much they’d enjoyed the performance, how lovely her solos had been. People were munching on snacks and milling around, empty glasses abandoned on surfaces.

She and Sebastian had hardly had a moment together since they’d woken up, and as she began to tidy some glasses, she scanned the sea of faces for him. He wasn’t anywhere to be seen, but then arms encircled her from behind and as she swung around, she realised it was him. Grinning broadly, he took a surreptitious glance around before leaning in to kiss her.

‘You were fantastic,’ he said, arms dropping to his sides as Aggie bustled past, thanking him for his help – and the chance to play the grand piano. ‘Any time,’ he replied. ‘Happy Christmas!’

‘Happy Christmas!’

The phrase was repeated throughout the room as the assembled crowd began to disperse back to their homes, their present swapping, their lunch preparations.

As Jess headed for the kitchen with a trayful of glasses, Aunt Vivi joined her, an empty plate in her grasp.

‘Let me give you a hand,’ she said, gathering another plate and dumping both on the table once they were in the kitchen. Digby climbed from his bed, bouncing on his back feet at the sight of Vivi. Once she’d fussed the dog, she set her attentions on Jess again.

‘You and Sebastian. How’s it going?’

Jess did her best to deflect. ‘How is what going? Everything’s fine.’

‘Oh, Jess. You always were wilful in your misunderstanding. And there’s that word again. Fine? I saw him kiss you out there, so tell me really. How is it going?’

Jess did her best to press her lips together, squashing the ridiculous grin which wanted to occupy her face. ‘I’ve never had anyone make me feel like this before.’

Vivi’s eyebrows arched. ‘Sounds promising. And is he any good in bed?’

Her aunt’s question shouldn’t really have caught Jess off guard; she knew Vivi well enough to know her forthright attitude to – well, to everything. Nevertheless, Jess’s cheeks flared with nuclear-grade heat.

‘Vivi! You can’t ask me that!’

‘I take it from that he is. Shouldn’t be underestimated, in my opinion. They can be taught, of course, but if they have a natural propensity for giving pleasure, it’s a good starting point.’

‘Oh, my God. You are incorrigible.’

‘Of course I am. What’s the point, otherwise?’ Vivi rinsed a plate under the cold tap. ‘Any fool can see how that delicious young man looks at you. Well, good for you, Jess. If I were fifty years younger, I’d have given you a run for your money.’

‘Vivi!’

‘Just saying.’ Vivi rinsed the other plate, then added, ‘I didn’t have any of the mulled wine – can’t stand the stuff, personally. Could I have a coffee instead? My mouth is as dry as a Weetabix after all that singing.’

Dee struggled to hide her disappointment. Robbie hadn’t come to listen to the carols, and she supposed she had nobody to blame except herself. She’d done her best to chat and mingle – something she hadn’t done with any relish for a long time – but her attention had been elsewhere. She’d been watching the doorway, hoping he might just have been held up, that he was on his way, rather than a no-show.

And, now that preparations for lunch were in full swing, she was losing hope. To distract herself, she’d made a Lego monster truck with Freddie, played Crazy Chefs with Karl – twice – and had been very happy to accept a glass of champagne from Christian.

With the children safely corralled in the snug, toys everywhere, but beginning to complain about being hungry, Dee headed for the kitchen to find out when the food would be ready.

She walked in on Sebastian and Jess, kissing one another as though they were the only two people in existence. As though they didn’t care who saw them, didn’t have a care in the world. Anger flared in Dee, or perhaps it was jealousy – either way, she rattled at the lid of a pan on the Aga to gain their attention.

Breaking apart, at least Jess had the decency to look sheepish.

‘If you have a moment,’ Dee said, her throat as tight as the words stalking their way from her lips, ‘do you think we could get on with lunch? The children are extremely hungry.’

‘Of course,’ Jess said, looking chastened. ‘I’m so sorry.’

Dee was losing control. The disappointment she was feeling at Robbie’s decision to stay away from the castle was mixing with an overwhelming sense of vulnerability. Added to which, the sight of her son and the housekeeper – however different these circumstances might be from the past – was firing all sorts of synapses in Dee’s brain, like a starburst of different emotions. However much she tried to rein it in, she was painfully aware she was losing her temper as she switched her attention onto her son. ‘Do you think this is appropriate? Anybody could walk in: the children … And after everything we’ve been through, Sebastian – do you really think this is the right move? Do you care at all about how I feel in all this?’

‘I’m not doing this to hurt you,’ Sebastian said, his tone conciliatory as he looked between the two women. ‘None of this has been easy, for any of us. But I’ve found a moment of happiness with Jess. Can’t you just be pleased for me?’

Dee tried to laugh, but the sound caught in her throat. ‘If only finding happiness was that simple for all of us.’

Turning on her heel, she stalked from the room.

Despite Dee’s outburst in the kitchen, Jess was determined to make Christmas lunch in Kirkshield Castle a meal everyone would remember for years to come. She wasn’t going to let Sebastian’s mother put a damper on the festivities, and each course was met with enthusiasm. Even Vivi – installed in pride of place at one end of the table at Sebastian’s insistence – had very little in the way of complaint.

Jess had even thought to have a few extra crackers in reserve, which was as well after Freddie and Karl pulled all the ones they could get their hands on before the turkey was carved.

Although she was seated at the table alongside Vivi, Jess found herself avoiding much of the conversation, especially with Sebastian. After Dee’s words in the kitchen, Jess tried to work out how to navigate a way through the situation without ruffling anyone else’s feathers. It was one thing to feel comfortable with Sebastian when they were one-on-one, but it seemed to Jess there would be a long way to go to make inroads with the rest of the family. Olivia had been civil since the shooting incident but was yet to display much in the way of warmth towards her, while Dee was clearly fighting her own demons, demons which Jess only seemed to have managed to add to.

In fact, apart from Sebastian, the only family members who seemed to have welcomed her without rancour were Freya, her husband and her children.

As if on cue, Freddie poked her in the arm from his seat beside her. ‘Look what I got in my cracker. It’s a pencil sharpener. You put the broken pencil in here,’ he pointed to the barrel, ‘and then twist it around. My pencils are always broken, so this is a really good cracker gift. What did you get, Jess?’

Jess waved a key ring at the little boy. ‘I got this.’

‘Nice. I haven’t got a key ring.’ Freddie stared at the shiny disc hanging from a clip with the gaze of a magpie.

‘Would you like it?’ Jess said, handing it over.

‘Jess gave me her key ring!’ he shouted, waving it in the air in triumph. ‘I’ve got a key ring, and Karl hasn’t.’

‘World War Three initiated,’ Olivia said as Karl began to protest, making Jess feel as though she’d made the wrong move yet again.

As everyone began leaning back in their chairs, refusing a second helping of Mrs Keel’s beautifully spiced and remarkably light plum pudding, and the meal began to wind down, Jess started to think she might be on the home straight, with the food at least.

Olivia stood, gathering up the bowls. She turned to Candida.

‘Are you going to help me, then?’

Candida rolled her eyes. ‘Oh my God, anybody would think I was your wife, or something.’

‘Well, someone’s going to have to take on the role, sooner or later.’

Candida’s brows pinched together. ‘Is that your way of asking me?’

Olivia shrugged. ‘Maybe.’

‘Dear God, that’s the worst proposal I think I’ve ever heard,’ Freya said, crossing her arms as she stared at the two of them.

‘Are you getting down on one knee, then?’ Candida said, her focus entirely on Olivia now, all thoughts of dishes clearly forgotten.

‘You can sod right off,’ Olivia said, grinning. ‘But after you’ve finished sodding off, can you come back, because yes, I would very much like to marry you, Candy.’

‘At last,’ Freya said, clapping her hands.

‘Congratulations,’ Christian said as Dee swooped in and hugged Olivia, an arm around Candida, too.

‘I’m so thrilled for you,’ she said, her words thick with emotion.

Jess glanced at Sebastian, wondering if he felt it, too. The rejection she’d felt from Dee in the kitchen had stung, even though she’d done her best to make light of it. But he was caught up in the celebrations, too. Up on his feet and clamouring for his turn to hug the pair.

Quietly, Jess began to collect dishes and was about to head for the kitchen when the bell for the castle’s front door sounded. She slipped away, using the walk along the passageway to get herself under control, to do her best to push away the feeling that maybe she didn’t belong here after all.

She pulled on the heavy lever, hefting open the solid oak door, wondering who on earth could be calling in on them, unannounced, on Christmas Day.

At the door was someone Jess didn’t recognise, someone completely unfamiliar: a stunningly beautiful young woman with green eyes framed by delicate features, long glossy auburn hair tucked unselfconsciously behind one ear. She was taller than Jess by a good deal, and slimmer too.

‘Hi,’ the stranger said, greeting Jess with a stunning smile. ‘I’m so sorry to call in like this on Christmas Day, but I was hoping to catch Sebastian. Is he at home?’

‘He is. They’re just finishing lunch. Would you like to come in?’

‘Aye, that would be great, thank you.’

‘I’ll go and find him – who shall I say is here?’

‘No, don’t worry about all that formality, I’ll come with you. He knows I’m coming to visit, and it’s not like I don’t know the way.’

As the woman smiled again, and Jess frowned at the familiarity she seemed to have with Sebastian, the realisation dawned, and was reinforced when she added, ‘I’m Catriona, by the way.’