Page 72 of Escape for Christmas
‘It used to be my parents’ house,’ Brody explained, before moving away towards the hall coat-rack. ‘Please everyone, make yourself at home.’
Sophie made a meal of searching her bag for her phone charger. It was excruciating watching Tegan play lady of the manor with Brody. Any ‘bonding’ between her and Brody during the crisis of the previous evening had completely evaporated now. They’d only been at Felltop five minutes and she wasn’t sure she was going to last the day.
While Brody found charging spots for the phones, Tegan helped Sophie unwrap the food that the guests had carried over. She’d donned an apron over her sparkly outfit and was almost overflowing with bonhomie. Sophie told herself to be grateful. Without her neighbours, Christmas Day would have been miserable and cold.
The two of them unloaded cheeses, salamis and salads into Brody’s fridge, which was already pretty full.
‘I’m sorry that our contribution is such a mixture,’ Sophie said. ‘We were having paella, but the fridges have gone off. The house is freezing, but I didn’t want to risk the chickenand seafood now, just in case. The last thing I want – on top of everything else – is to give people food poisoning.’
‘Paella?’ Tegan’s eyebrows shot up, before she arranged her face into a sympathetic smile. ‘Oh yes, Brody did mention you were all having an anti-Christmas break.’
‘I’m not against Christmas …’ Sophie began. ‘We were planning analternativecelebration where people could escape the traditional festivities, if they wanted to. And,’ she added as lightly as she could, ‘that’s certainly how it’s turned out, though not quite in the way I’d expected.’
‘No, what a night, eh? Brody’s been downplaying the whole thing, but it sounds like he was quite the hero. I genuinely think he saved Anna and her baby.’
‘Well … I wouldn’t quite go that far,’ Sophie said, guessing Brody would be mortified to hear such praise. ‘But we’re all very glad he was on hand to help.’
‘He doesn’t like the limelight,’ Tegan went on, closing the fridge door. ‘He’s a quiet man, the strong and silent type. You have to know himverywell indeed to see the real Brody.’ With a smile, she handed Sophie a platter of cheese straws. ‘Would you mind taking these nibbles through to the snug? I thought we’d lay everything out in there, so people can help themselves.’ She frowned. ‘I wonder where Brody’s got to?’
Probably escaped the awkward atmosphere, Sophie thought, taking through the nibbles as requested, eager to get some breathing space from Tegan.
So many conflicted thoughts swirled around her head.She couldn’t warm to Tegan – and she was trying to – who was clearly besotted with Brody, which made it even sadder that she’d no idea there was another side to the man she was hero-worshipping.
On a more trivial note, Sophie also wasn’t enjoying her relegation from host to guest. She had to keep reminding herself how grateful she was that her neighbours had invited them all to share their home. Gritting her teeth, she handed around the snacks, before returning to the kitchen for more nibbles.
Tegan had already prepared a platter of olives and some of the leftover tapas from the previous evening.
‘Thanks. I think everyone’s enjoying themselves. I won’t put the Christmas mix-tape on,’ Tegan said when they were out of the guests’ hearing again. ‘I don’t want to offend anyone, though it’s a shame for the kids.’
‘Please put on any music you like,’ Sophie said, not wanting to make a fuss or be the target of any more pointed comments. ‘As long as it’s not Ed Sheeran, of course.’
Tegan’s eyes widened in horror. ‘Ed? Why not? I love him!’
‘I was joking,’ Sophie said, now feeling awkward that her attempt to lighten the mood had backfired. ‘He’s – er – great. Honestly. Please. This is your home. Brody’s home, I mean. Your home and Brody’s.’ Realising that she was digging a deeper and deeper hole, she grabbed the platter. ‘I’ll take these through!’
Tegan followed her with more plates, and then regaled the company with the history of Felltop Farm.
With everyone distracted, Sophie tugged on her bootsand coat and trudged into the stable yard for some fresh air. The sky was blue and she was sorely tempted to take off onto the fells and not come back until dark. They hadn’t even had lunch yet … and there was still the afternoon and evening to get through.
It was very cold in the yard but, with the sun shining, there were also tentative indications of a thaw. Snow dripped off the guttering around the outbuildings, and parts of the courtyard were slushy now. However, there were other signs that stopped her in her tracks.
Wasthat…? Could that be a trail of hoof-prints leading from the fields to the stable? Just as she was wondering, Brody, Pete and the children walked round the corner from the front of the house.
‘Oh, look at those mysterious marks in the snow!’ Pete said, coming to a dramatic halt a few yards away from the kitchen door. ‘They look like animal prints to me.’
He led the little one, Maria, by the hand. Baxter ran up to the prints, crouched down and began examining them.
He looked up at his father. ‘Is it a donkey, Daddy?’
‘Hmm, I’m not sure. Shall we ask Brody?’
Sophie smiled, as it began to dawn on her what had happened.
Brody arrived and crouched down next to the prints. Scratching his chin, he let out a loud ‘Hmm’, then dug his finger into the centre of the print and sighed again.
‘What is it?’ Baxter asked impatiently.
‘A tiger!’ Maria said and held up her hands to be carried again.
