Winter’s Fairytale Read online

  ‘I know, I know,’ she said, patting my hands, ‘but I hate to think of you alone in that flat, even if it’s not as bad as Rob says. And we’d love to have you! You already said you’d need to do a couple of final fittings for Jenny – that way she’d be on hand whenever you needed her. Of course, you could bring anything you needed to work on it. We can give the conservatory over entirely to you as your “studio away from home”.’

  ‘It’s really kind of you to ask, Eleanor.’

  ‘Aren’t you going to Mags’?’ Rob asked. We all looked over. He was the one person in the room at that moment who really didn’t look thrilled with his mum’s suggestion for my holiday arrangements. I had to admit at being a little bit confused by his reaction. One minute he was asking me to stay, but the next it seemed he was attempting to find options for me at Christmas that didn’t involve me being with him, or his family.

  ‘Um, no.’ I replied, a little unnerved, and if I admitted, the tiniest bit upset by his complete lack of enthusiasm. ‘Mags’ whole family is getting together this year. They did invite me but I just fancied a bit of a quieter one this year.’

  This was true. Mags’ family were just as much family to me as my own. We had the bond of having shared the same lifestyle and continued to build upon it. My dad and hers were as close as Mags and I. And whilst I loved her and her brothers dearly, and all the little ones, I’d only recently returned from spending the weekend with them for her twin nephews’ birthday bash. This involved spending far too much time than was good for me, or my stomach, on an indoor bouncy castle, followed by a week and a half of daily hair washing to remove smooshed up jelly beans that had ended up there during the many, apparently sticky, cuddles I’d indulged in. I was also fairly sure that my latest vintage bag acquisition was never going to be the same again after a helpful five-year-old overheard my declaration that I was going to save my piece of cake to take home with me, and promptly put a slice direct from the gateau straight into my bag. Something I hadn’t discovered until later when I got home and reached in for my keys.

  ‘But Rob’s right. I’ll probably head up to see them at some point.’ I hadn’t actually had any plans to do this. Mags and I would speak on the phone and text every day anyway, but I wasn’t going to let Rob Winchester know that I was a little hurt, not to mention confused, by his attitude. ‘Really, don’t worry about me. What with seeing Mags, watching Christmas TV, and finishing anything I need to on Jenny’s dress, I’m sure that the time is going to fly by!’ I beamed at Eleanor.

  ‘Please come, Izzy.’ Jenny now joined in.

  ‘It’d be lovely to have you,’ Rob’s dad added his voice.

  To my right, Mike was nodding heartily, agreeing with his fiancée and soon-to-be in-laws. The only person who hadn’t added anything in the way of encouragement was the one person who, ever since I’d known him, and certainly in the last couple of weeks, was the one person I’d thought I could count on to offer it.

  ‘And I’m sure your parents would be much happier if they knew you were somewhere safe, and with friends.’ Eleanor added.

  ‘Please say you’ll come!’ Jenny repeated her plea.

  I chewed the inside of my cheek in thought. Mrs W had hit a weak spot. I’d had to, almost literally, wrestle my parents into not cancelling their holiday, hiding their laptop until they promised me they wouldn’t. They’d waited such a long time for this trip, and had planned it so carefully, catching up with friends and finally seeing places they’d dreamed of for years. But I knew that they hated the thought of me staying at home, alone, especially in that flat. They, unfortunately, held the same opinion of the place as Rob did. Spending the week with the Winchesters down in the beautiful New Forest certainly would take a weight off their mind. But I knew I couldn’t accept the invitation if there was going to be an atmosphere thanks to Rob’s attitude.

  Eleanor took advantage of my hesitation, ‘That’s settled then! Oh wonderful!’ she said, clapping her hands in joy again as she seemed wont to do. I couldn’t help smiling at the others, as pleased as they seemed with the news. Rob, however, had his eyes down, his expression hidden by the coffee cup he’d now refilled.

  I’d really enjoyed my afternoon, once the drama had been got out of the way, spending time with Jenny and Eleanor and then later, laughing over dinner with the whole group. Why shouldn’t I accept their invitation if they’d been kind enough to extend it? I knew I’d still have some final work to do on Jenny’s dress but I was planning to pull in every single favour I had from my seamstress in order to get as much as we could done between us before I left for Dorset. Wrangling a wedding dress and associated gubbins onto a busy festive period train definitely wasn’t a viable option but if Mike and Jenny didn’t mind coming over and collecting the dress and everything else I might possibly need and taking it down to her parents in their car, then I could just hop on the train after work the day before Christmas Eve, and meet them all down there. I stole a glance at Rob but he was now talking to his dad about something and I couldn’t catch his eye. I really wanted to ask him if he was ok with the whole deal. As it was, he soon made his position a bit more clear without me asking.

  ‘Mum. You know Isabel and I aren’t a couple, right?’

  ‘Of course I do, dear. We all know your tastes run a little more towards the…obvious. I’d already planned to put Izzy in the guest room. Don’t worry. I shan’t be making any accommodation faux pas!’

  I was intently studying my fuchsia pink painted toenails. Of course we weren’t a couple. That much was obvious. We were friends, or at least so I thought. So why bring it up like that, in front of everybody. If he’d thought I was mad with him before, then boy was he in for a shocker now!

  ‘I really do need to be going.’ I stood, gathering my things quickly. ‘Thank you so much for the invitation, Eleanor, John, I think it would be lovely and I very much look forward to it!’

  Jenny beamed.

  ‘I’ll be seeing Jenny a few times in the week anyway and we can make arrangements then about getting everything to you and I’ll get a train down on the evening of the twenty-third if that’s ok? If you could let me know the name of a local taxi firm I can call from the station, that’d be great.’

  ‘Oh, John can pick you up from the station. It’s not far at all, don’t worry about that.’

  ‘I’ll drive you down.’ Rob entered the conversation. His tone was, like that expression he wore sometimes, completely indecipherable. ‘I can’t get away until the day before Christmas Eve either, so it makes sense if I’m already going down.’

  ‘Oh!’ I said brightly, covering the agitation and confusion I felt towards him right at the moment, ‘It’s no bother. I quite like the train. It’ll give me a chance to read the book I’ve been wanting to start for ages.’

  I knew I was rambling but he’d thrown me with his attitude change once the subject of me spending Christmas with his family had been raised. In fact, he hadn’t just been unenthusiastic, he’d been positively determined to find an alternative option for me. And what was with him suddenly calling me Isabel? Hardly anyone called me that and certainly Rob didn’t.

  ‘Don’t be silly. It’s a waste of your money. I’m driving down anyway. I’ll just pick you up after work. You can put everything you need in the boot and we’ll head down.’

  Did he just accuse me of being ‘silly’? I sent him a glare. He saw it but made no apology or alteration to the expression on his face. This was very far from over but I wasn’t about to make a scene in front of everyone, so I let it go, for the moment.

  ‘All right then.’ I said, smiling sweetly at him to cover up the fact I was gritting my teeth. If he thought he was going to get a thank you, he had another think coming.

  ‘Perfect!’ his mum said, seemingly completely unaware of the undercurrent of the conversation. ‘I’ll expect you both around eight-ish then. Oh, it’s going to be so lovely!’

  I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm and really hope
d that she was right.

  I said my goodbyes, complete with hugs, and Rob said that he would walk me to the lift. I told him it wasn’t necessary but, as seemed to be his inclination this evening, he did it anyway. He grabbed the keys to his flat from the bowl on the console table and stood waiting as I forced my feet into my still very damp shoes. I picked up the stockings I’d shed earlier and tucked them in a side pocket of my bag so that they wouldn’t dampen anything else. As I did so, I thought back to the hours previously when I’d leant against the wall and taken them off, and the cheeky look on Rob’s face at the time. It couldn’t have been more different to the impassive one he wore now. I wasn’t generally one for taking the blame when I knew I hadn’t done wrong. I was more than willing to hold my hand up when I’d cocked up but I couldn’t for the life of me think of what I’d done here so I wasn’t about to apologise for anything! For God’s sake, I’d come running, quite literally, in five-inch heels that were now probably entirely ruined to help Rob out and this was the thanks I got? I took my coat from him silently and rammed my arms down the sleeves, becoming more and more annoyed as I replayed things in my head.

  Chapter Eleven

  Stepping out into the main hallway, I threw a glance back.

  ‘I’m pretty sure I can make it from here without getting lost, thanks.’ I said, a little snarkily, and began walking down the corridor.

  ‘What’s up with you?’

  I spun on my damp heeled shoe. ‘Seriously?’

  He shrugged his shoulders. ‘Yes. Seriously.’

  ‘You! You’re what’s wrong with me! I dropped everything and came round here because you asked me to, without having any idea as to what I was stepping into.’

  ‘Which I appreciate.’

  ‘Good. And then, when the drama is over, we all appear to have a very pleasant evening, and you even ask me to stay a little longer, which I do. But right now I really wish I’d just left, because first off, I’m now going to be home much later and secondly, ever since your mum invited me to spend Christmas at their home, you’ve been acting like a total arse.’

  ‘Excuse me?’

  ‘You heard me.’ I said, punching the lift call button several more times – my fingertip going white, under the shell pink nail varnish I wore, from the effort I was putting into it.

  ‘I’ve not been acting like an arse, as you so delicately put it.’

  ‘Really? You’re going to start criticising the way I talk now?’

  ‘No. I’m just saying that I wasn’t acting in that way. I just thought you’d have other plans. I have to say that I was a little surprised that you’d want to spend the week with strangers anyway.’

  I opened my mouth to reply but nothing came out. I closed it and tried again.

  ‘Strangers?’

  ‘Well, it’s not like you know them all that well. You only just met my sister last week, and my parents today.’

  ‘Well, lucky for me your mum doesn’t seem to abide by the same rules as you in terms of length of association when it comes to being hospitable.’

  ‘Mum loves having guests.’

  ‘And you don’t. Apparently. Or perhaps you’d just have preferred them to have been someone more “obvious”?’ I said, remembering the description Eleanor had used when describing Rob’s taste in women. And now I thought about it, she had a point. Whenever I’d seen him with a woman, said woman pretty much always looked like a model – and often actually was. But what the hell did that have to do with me being at their house for Christmas? I was hardly going to cramp his style!

  ‘There’s nothing wrong with my taste in women.’

  ‘I don’t believe anybody said that there was. You just might not have been in quite such a rush to clarify that we aren’t a couple!’

  ‘Why not? You don’t want to be part of a couple. You always make that perfectly clear to everyone, what with your five-year business plan. And I wanted to make sure that there were no embarrassing mix-ups with the sleeping arrangements. I’m not keen on sleeping on the floor when there’s a perfectly good bed in the room.’

  ‘What the hell is wrong with these lifts?’ I pressed the button again.

  ‘There’s nothing wrong with them. You’re just being impatient.’

  ‘Well, I tell you what.’ I said, rounding on him, ‘Why don’t you just add that to the list of why you don’t want me spending the holidays at your parents’ house and give it to your mum. Then she can decide what she wants to do. Perhaps you could tell her to let me know.’

  The lift arrived and I stepped in. I could feel my face glowing from anger with Rob, but mostly, I was just hurt. I didn’t understand his behaviour. All I knew is that he wanted me nowhere near him this Christmas. The door started to close and I breathed a sigh of relief. Just then a hand clamped on one side and they slid noiselessly open again.

  ‘I’ll pick you up on the twenty-third. What time will you be ready?’

  ‘Thanks but I think I’m going to get the train after all.’

  ‘Don’t be childish.’

  ‘Childish? Me? This from the man who’s sat sulking ever since I got invited.’

  ‘I wasn’t sulking. I was just considering whether this was the best option for you.’

  ‘Oh give me a break, Rob. Look, tell you what. I’ll make it easy for you. Just go back in and tell your mum I changed my mind. Ok? I’ll speak to your sister in the week when she comes to the studio, even though we’re “practically strangers”, and work out the best plan for her final fitting. If you could just do that, I’d appreciate it. Now, if you’d be kind enough to get your bloody great hand off the door, I’d really, really like to go home.’

  Rob gave me a look, said nothing and let the door go. Having stood to attention the whole time I’d been ranting at him, I suddenly felt bone tired. I slumped against the rail in the car and leant there until it slowed to the gentlest of stops at lobby level. The doors slid open. I grabbed my bag, lighter now that I’d given my copies of all the wedding magazines I had to Jenny. My heels echoed as I made the walk from the lifts to the door where a liveried doorman opened one for me. I thanked him and turned back towards the nearest tube station. It wasn’t on my line but I couldn’t be bothered with getting a taxi. I needed the anonymity of the tube right now, banking on the almost cast iron guarantee that no one was going to speak to me.

  I changed lines and caught a train that would lead me in the direction of the overground station where I could then make my last connection home. The tube train pulled off and sped up, its familiar rhythm soothing me, the occasional jolts as we got to a steeper corner assuring me that I was moving away from the city and from the day that had gone from bad to good and then plunged right back into the heart of bad again.

  The overground train trundled through the rain, the droplets making streams along the window as we moved through the darkness. Eventually the announcement came for my station and I got up and headed towards the door. It was quiet here now around this time so I was the only one to exit. Stepping off, I began to walk down the platform as the train doors beeped to signal their closure and the engine noise spun up once again and powered off down the line. I shoved my bag up onto my shoulder, aware of an ache in my neck, probably caused by said bag. But I had a feeling that the confrontation with Rob, if I could call it that, bearing in mind he’d made little effort to become too involved, probably had a certain amount to do with it too.

  I reached the front door of the flats just as Peter was heading out with a bag of rubbish to put in the bins. Part of me was interested to see which one he’d pick, bearing in mind the possibility of what ‘organic’ remnants might be in his bag. But most of me just wanted to run a hot bath, and lay in it for a long time. He froze for a moment when he saw me. I saw his eyes dart about. Probably I ought to have put him out of his misery and told him that the big scary guy wasn’t there but unfortunately he’d caught me in a shitty mood and I wasn’t feeling generous, so I let him squirm. God knew he’d made me f
eel uncomfortable on enough occasions. I carried on walking.

  ‘Peter.’ I said.

  ‘Isabel. All right?’ He was heading towards the bins but in a strange sort of crablike motion, his gaze still darting around.

  I didn’t reply, just carried on inside, kicking the door closed behind me. I heard the shout of ‘hey’ outside, but ignored it. I wandered to the post cubbies, pulled out a bill – perfect – and then went back towards the stairs. As I put my soaking foot on the bottom stair, Peter began hammering on the stained glass panel of the front door. All I needed now was for him to put his hand through that. I muttered something unladylike under my breath and stepped back down, returned to the door and flicked the latch to open it. Peter shoved himself in out of the heavy rain, bumping into me. I stumbled back and managed to catch myself on the banister before I nearly fell straight on my backside. Peter stood there, looking at me, a strange expression on his face, which for him was really saying something. He’d unnerved me before but he’d never frightened me. Until now.

  ‘Watch it!’ I said, my army brat side shoving itself to the fore to cover up anything else I was feeling.

  ‘You shut that door on me on purpose.’

  ‘I assumed you had your key. The rain was blowing in. Anyway, you’re in now so what’s the problem?’

  I fought to keep my breathing even and turned my back on him, effectively ending the conversation. I took a step up the stairs. A hefty tug on my coat brought me stumbling down backwards. My hand shot out, making a grab for the banister, I missed, whacking my forearm on it hard instead. Quickly, I tried again, this time getting a purchase and managed to steady myself, remaining on the step, but turning quickly and meeting my neighbour at eye level.

  ‘Get away from me!’ I screamed at him, the fear now coming out, mixed with emotions from earlier that were already bubbling way too near the surface.

  ‘No boyfriend here to defend you this time, I see.’ Peter sneered and made pantomime gestures of looking around for someone.