Staying Away at Christmas (2 page)

‘Yes,’ agreed Sheila, ‘but can I suggest you ask them all privately?’

‘Good idea,’ said Miranda. ‘I’ll ask Isa first, she’s my toughest.’

She went to where sofas were arranged round the wood burner. Isa was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her back against the sofa. It was how she
always
sat. Dan was on the sofa and looked pretty relaxed. Lulu was on the other sofa, playing a board game with Amy, her long fair hair hanging down over it. Amy was giggling.

‘Isa? Can I have a word?’ said Miranda. ‘It’s important.’

Isa frowned but didn’t argue and got up. Miranda drew her into the ground floor bedroom she had been looking forward to sleeping in – it had such a sumptuous en-suite bathroom. ‘Isa, there’s been a mix up. There’s nowhere else for that other family to go. They won’t find a hotel now and I don’t know how far they’d have to drive if they went back. Would you mind if they stayed here?’

‘What? And we’d have Christmas with them?’

Miranda nodded. ‘I’m not sure how we’ll work things out but there’s room for us all, in theory.’ She hesitated. ‘I know you think I’m mad but I really wouldn’t feel happy about turning them out into the snow – figurative snow –’ she added quickly, seeing her daughter’s eager glance towards the window. ‘But on the other hand, if it would ruin your Christmas to have them –’

‘No, it’s cool,’ said Isa with a flick of her hair. ‘Christmas has been pretty much ruined anyway since you and Dad split up. It’ll be different.’

‘Can you ask Lulu to come and see me?’ said Miranda, shocked that her daughter felt like that about Christmas, but relieved she had accepted the plan so easily.

Lulu came skipping in a moment later, a lock of hair now disguised as a Christmas decoration. ‘Yeah?’

‘Darling, those people have nowhere else to go. Would you mind very much if they stayed here and we all had Christmas together?’

‘No, that would be fine. It would be a bit “no room at the inn” if we threw them out now. And Amy is sweet and Isa fancies Dan.’

‘Lulu! How do you know? And don’t say that to anyone else. Isa would die.’ Miranda couldn’t help feeling sorry for Isa, having such a perceptive sister.

‘She wouldn’t actually die you know, Mum.’ Lulu skipped off again.

Miranda went back to the kitchen. Sheila was there with Anthony. She assumed he’d spoken to his two.

‘Well?’ asked Sheila, ‘are your girls happy to share their Christmas?’

‘With strangers?’ added Anthony.

‘What do your two feel about it?’ said Miranda. She didn’t want to say her girls were fine about it if his children had said they’d die rather than share Christmas with them.

‘They’re fine,’ said Anthony, tightly.

‘Excellent,’ said Sheila. ‘Now, have you got enough bedding? Do you need another put-you-up?’

‘We’ll be fine,’ said Miranda, ‘you go back to your party.’

‘But we might need a put-you-up,’ said Anthony. ‘I mean –’

‘There are four double bedrooms,’ Miranda reminded him, ‘and a put-you-up in a cupboard.’

‘How do you know?’ Anthony asked, apparently not pleased about her greater knowledge. ‘I mean about the cupboard?’

‘We stayed here in the summer.’

Anthony nodded. ‘Oh, OK.’

‘Are you sure you’ll be all right?’ said Sheila, addressing them both but looking at Miranda.

‘We will. We’ll be fine,’ said Miranda sounding more confident than she felt.

‘I’m only up the hill if you need me,’ said Sheila.

‘We will be fine,’ said Anthony, much more convincingly.

After a little more protest, Sheila left, clearly eager to be off now the crisis had been averted.

‘Right, well, we’d better sort out bedrooms,’ said Anthony.

Dan wandered into the kitchen. ‘We’ve done it,’ he said. ‘Miranda will have the downstairs bedroom. Dad’ll have the room at the end, I’ll have the other double and, and the girls are all going in together.’

Both adults looked at him in surprise. ‘I don’t think you should have a room on your own,’ said Anthony. ‘What about – Isa?’

‘She and Lulu always share at Christmas,’ explained Miranda.

‘Yeah, and they asked Amy if she wanted to go in with them. Isa said it was quite a big room.’

‘Right,’ said Anthony with a frown. He was obviously accustomed to doing the organising and now it had been done behind his back.

‘Why don’t you go and see where you’re sleeping?’ Miranda suggested to him. ‘I’ll unpack our car. I haven’t brought the groceries in yet.’

‘We’re getting hungry,’ said Dan.

‘Then help Miranda with her stuff,’ said Anthony. ‘You don’t mind if he calls you Miranda?’

‘Of course not.’

Miranda was a little embarrassed by the amount of food she’d brought, given that the shops would be open the day after Boxing Day and when she’d gone shopping, she’d only been shopping for three. But filling the house with food – be it her own home or this temporary one – made her feel more Christmassy. She didn’t need to do it when they went to her parents’ because her mother was of the same ilk and also bought far too much.

She hoped that Dan, being a boy, and about the same age as Isa, wouldn’t realise how much she had over-catered.

Her hope faded the moment she lifted the lid to the boot of her car.

‘Wow, were you going to have a party?’ asked Dan, hefting a large cardboard box.

Briefly, she considered making up a lie about her plans but abandoned them.

‘Nope. I just got a lot of stuff.’ She hefted a box of her own and followed Dan into the house.

She couldn’t criticise his helpfulness. He carried on unloading her car while she stowed things, grateful that the capacious cupboards got it out of sight quite quickly. She could hear giggling from upstairs and it made her smile.

Assuming Dan would go back to doing whatever other young men of his age would be doing in the circumstances, Miranda was surprised that he stayed in the kitchen, picking up bottles and cans at random. Then he opened the fridge and shut it again. ‘No turkey,’ he said. It wasn’t a question.

Miranda shook her head. ‘There are only three of us. I didn’t want to be eating it till the end of the holiday.’

‘No worries, we’ve got a turkey,’ he said.

At that moment, Isa and Lulu came into the kitchen. ‘We’re hungry,’ said Lulu, ‘and so is Amy.’

Miranda put the oven on. ‘I brought a lasagne. It’ll probably be enough. I’ve got garlic bread and I’ll make a salad.’

‘You make it yourself?’ asked Dan.

‘Don’t be rude,’ said Anthony, appearing from upstairs, presumably having been wrestling with the put-you-up.

‘No, it’s a fair question,’ said Miranda, not at all offended. ‘Yes, I did. It’s all home-made.’

Dan nodded approvingly. Miranda felt relieved.

‘Dan? Would you mind getting our stuff in?’ asked Anthony. It was more of a command than a request.

Dan sighed but went.

‘I’ve got wine – and some champagne. Would you like a glass? Or are you happy with the red?’ Anthony was making an effort but Miranda could tell he wasn’t yet resigned to the situation.

‘I’m fine. And there should be enough to have with the lasagne.’

‘We won’t run out, I have a case of it. Red, I mean. And white, and …’

‘Why?’ Miranda was suddenly worried that she was about to spend Christmas with an alcoholic.

‘I ordered a mixed case but didn’t have time to choose my favourites, so I just put the lot in the car.’ He raised his eyebrows, possibly reading her anxious thought. ‘I wasn’t intending to drink it all, and Dan always has a glass at Christmas.’

Miranda, who had the lasagne and the garlic bread in the oven, warming, was starting on a salad. ‘So, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you come away for Christmas?’

He hesitated before answering. ‘We usually go to my sister’s but this year she was also inviting her old friend, newly single, and on the lookout for a husband. I’m not in the market for a mother for my children just now.’

Miranda felt herself blush and opened a cupboard door at random, to hide her embarrassment. How awful if he thought she was on the lookout for a husband. And what had happened to his wife? There was no polite way of asking.

‘So, what about you?’ he said.

Miranda went back to grating carrot. The salad, if it was to feed six instead of three, would have to be substantial. ‘Oh, we usually go to my parents’ but they wanted to spend Christmas with friends this year.’ Without thinking, she went on, ‘If we’d just stayed at home it would have felt lonely without – my ex-husband.’

‘So he’s still alive then?’

‘We’re divorced. Two years ago. I don’t miss him at all but I do miss being a proper family.’

‘I do miss my wife but she died a long time ago, when Amy was a baby.’ His expression became set, reminding Miranda of how he had been when he had arrived. ‘Please don’t feel obliged to express your
deep
compassion – we’re fine as a unit, we don’t need to “complete it” by adding a stranger.’

‘Right,’ said Miranda, and looked in the fridge to find the celery she knew she’d packed. She was offended although she knew she shouldn’t be. It hadn’t occurred to her to make a move on him because he was a widower. She didn’t want a new relationship herself – life was tough enough holding it all together for the children without adding a random man who could cause all kinds of trouble.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said a couple of moments later. ‘I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.’

She looked at him, impressed by his quick, sincere apology that came with an endearingly shy smile. ‘It’s OK. And don’t worry. I’m not looking for a relationship either. I have enough on my plate.’

The smile broadened. ‘Now we’ve got that out of the way, I’d better go and wrap some presents.’

Alone in the kitchen Miranda thought, yes, it was Christmas Eve and you’re a man. You will have presents to wrap at the last minute. Her ex-husband had been spectacularly bad at present buying and Isa had always done his wrapping.

Miranda had finished making the salad and taken her glass of wine into the sitting room. She was enjoying the guilty pleasure of watching a celebratory special when Anthony appeared.

‘Sorry to disturb you, but have you seen Amy?’ It was not a casual enquiry. He looked worried.

‘She’s probably with my girls. Have you asked them?’

‘Of course,’ he said shortly and stalked away.

She was off the sofa and after him in seconds. ‘There’s a big cupboard on the landing. Have you looked in there?’

‘Yes,’ he snapped. Dan appeared in the hallway. ‘You should have kept an eye on her!’ said Anthony.

‘Excuse me, but you’re the dad here, Dad!’ said Dan.

‘I can’t be everywhere!’

‘Well nor can I! And it’s not fair to blame me because Amy’s gone missing. Again!’

‘She has a habit of wandering off on her own,’ said Anthony. ‘She’s always very surprised to find that we’ve been worried sick. I’ll ring her friends’ parents and see if she’s been in touch and said anything.’

He got out his phone and began scrolling through his address book. Dan scowled at his father, obviously just as concerned.

Isa and Lulu appeared at the top of the stairs looking anxious. Miranda hurried upstairs to join them.

‘Have you found her?’ Isa asked.

‘I didn’t mean to.’ Lulu’s voice caught on a sob.

‘What’s the matter, darling?’ said Miranda quietly. ‘If you know anything, tell us. No one’s going to be cross.’

‘I’m sure it’s nothing to do with you, Lu,’ said Isa, trying to be comforting.

‘I shouldn’t have told her –’

‘Excuse me!’ Anthony called up the stairs. ‘If we’re discussing Amy, could you please involve me?’

Miranda threw him a look and then returned her attention to the girls. He was desperately worried and it made him angry. She wanted to protect her girls from it if she could. ‘Have you any idea where Amy might be?’ she asked.

Isa shook her head. ‘Not really.’

‘We were telling Amy about how wonderful it is here. I mentioned the look-out point,’ Lulu said, fighting tears. ‘Amy got up … we thought she’d gone off
to
find Dan. You don’t think she’s gone there do you, Mum?’

‘OK, we’ll go and tell Anthony about this.’

Anthony listened while Isa explained what had happened. It was to his credit, Miranda thought, that he didn’t shout. ‘OK, can you tell me how to get there?’

‘It would make more sense for me to go,’ said Miranda. ‘I know where it is.’

‘Amy is my child! I’m responsible for her!’

Anthony obviously didn’t think it was so necessary to keep his temper when he was talking to Miranda.

‘But I know where she might be.’

‘Then we’ll both go,’ said Anthony.

‘Shall I come, Dad?’ said Dan.

Anthony considered. ‘No, you stay here and take any calls from her friends’ parents. I’ve left so many messages –’

‘I could do that, if you like,’ suggested Isa.

Anthony shook his head. ‘No. If she came home, it would be nice if Dan were here.’

The plan agreed on, Miranda hurried into her boots and coat, whilst Lulu and Isa hovered beside her.

‘Try not to worry, girls. We’ll find her, I’m sure. Now keep the fire going, Isa, we’ll need it when
Amy
comes back. Oh, and make sure the lasagne doesn’t burn.’

‘I’ll take care of that,’ said Dan.

After everyone had promised to call the moment there was news, Miranda and Anthony headed off into the night, torches in their hands. Anthony agreed to go in the direction of the village and then if he didn’t find her, he was going to drive round the lanes. Miranda was headed for the point.

Miranda didn’t much like the dark. It wasn’t a real phobia but at home she always made a point of putting a light on in her bedroom before she went to bed so she wouldn’t be going into a dark room on her own. She had a time switch on lamps in the sitting room too, so no matter how early the evenings were drawing in there would always be a light on when she got home from work. But now she set off up the path as fast as she safely could. She felt sick and her mouth was dry. She didn’t know Amy, she’d exchanged very few words with her, but she was a child and was lost – and because her own daughter might be inadvertently to blame for her disappearance, Miranda felt responsible. She must do everything she could to help.