A Dad of His Own Page 11

  ‘Come out, Felix,’ Julius called. ‘So sorry, I was just passing and…’

  ‘Do come in, it’s so cold out there.’ Anna opened the door wider to let him in, wondering why he was here.

  Freddie, in his pyjamas, came into the hall. ‘I’ve opened the rest of my presents and I’ve got lots of Lego and an electric car that I’m going to run outside tomorrow.’

  ‘Sounds wonderful, I’d love to see it,’ Julius said, staying on the doormat in his boots while Felix did the rounds hoping to find Philly and Sidney, taking no notice when Julius called him to heel. While Freddie was fetching his car, Julius said quietly, ‘I’ve dealt with it, but one of the people in the castle has drunk too much and was banging on the castle door trying to get in to his room. Mattie rang me in case he’d disturbed you, so I thought I’d just reassure you, he’s back in his box.’ He smiled and said gently, ‘I just wanted to make sure you’re both OK.’

  She was touched by his concern and was about to thank him when Freddie appeared with his new car still in its packaging.

  ‘It’s from my uncle Robert, we don’t really know how to work it, it needs batteries and things,’ he said, lifting it up for Julius to see.

  He took the box off him and peered inside. ‘I think I know how this works, I’ll come by tomorrow and we’ll put it together,’ he said, handing it back, much to Freddie’s excitement. ‘It’s too late and too dark now to do it outside.’ He called for Felix and turned to open the door. ‘I hope you both enjoyed today.’

  ‘Yes, thank you, we did, despite the flood and all, it was a lovely day.’

  ‘Goodnight then,’ He opened the door and went out into the night.

  ‘Does Julius live in the castle too?’ Freddie asked.

  ‘No, he just came to see Mattie and say goodnight to us,’ Anna said, feeling strangely light-headed. He was just checking she hadn’t been bothered by whoever this overindulged person was, she told herself firmly, just doing his job.

  Anna settled Freddie in his bed and read him a story; he was very sleepy and once or twice she thought he was asleep and she stopped reading, but he opened his eyes again and told her to go on.

  When she’d finished, she shut the book, made sure he was warmly tucked it and hugged him to her. ‘Have you enjoyed today?’ she asked him.

  ‘Mmm, I have, but I didn’t get a dad, s’pose I’ll have to wait until my birthday now,’ he said sleepily, tearing at her heart.

  Sixteen

  Lucy rang Anna on Boxing Day morning and asked if it was OK to bring the wedding cake round to the flat to ice it.

  ‘I can manage here if it’s a problem, the parents are leaving tomorrow and we can eat at one end of the dining room table,’ she said. ’I’ll just need to put the cake out of the way so it sets and is not in danger of being knocked by pots and pans and wild children. I’d do it in the granny flat only I’ve promised Mattie she can go there when she moves out of the castle until she goes to Spain to stay with her old admirer.’

  ‘Of course, come whenever you want,’ Anna said. ‘I’ve got a friend coming here for a day or two, escaping her stepchildren.’

  ‘Oh, will it disturb you if the cake and I arrive?’

  ‘Course not,’ Anna said, wondering if the sight of a wedding cake might freak Grania out. She’d only just married James and it seemed to have hit the buffers already. ‘See you… and the cake, whenever. We’re staying in, it’s so cold and Freddie’s got all his new toys to play with.’ It was very bleak outside, the sky like a thick, grey blanket enclosing them. ‘Benny can come too if he likes,’ Anna added.

  ‘That’s very kind of you but perhaps another time. You know what boys are like, crashing around together, and I can’t risk anything happening to the cake.’

  ‘True, well see you soon then.’

  Lucy, Colin and the cake arrived shortly after her call. Freddie, excited by the amount of Lego he’d received from Anna and his grandparents, had great plans afoot and settled down happily on the living room carpet to build his empire.

  ‘You’re a star,’ Lucy hugged her, ‘I don’t know when I can use my shop again and fortunately there isn’t another wedding after this one until early March and I really hope we’ll be straight by then.’

  Colin heaved everything inside: the cake in two boxes, stands, icing sugar by the ton and various other bits and pieces needed to turn the plain marzipan cake into a fairy tale.

  ‘OK, I’ll be off, see you later,’ he said, his mind obviously elsewhere. He was meeting with people who might help with the flood damage.

  Lucy followed him to the door, reminding him of the repairs she needed done urgently to have the shop up and running as soon as possible.

  ‘I’ll do what I can,’ he kissed her, ‘and thanks, Anna. Hope to see you for supper or something very soon.’

  Back in the kitchen, Lucy took out the two cakes from their boxes, put the larger one on its silver board and started to make the icing. ‘They want a sort of latticework with flowers, which I’ve made already.’ She opened a box and there, nestled in paper, were exquisite flowers in pale colours: forget-me-nots, daisies, rose buds, violets and various others.

  ‘They are beautiful,’ Anna said in awe. ‘Have you always done this?’

  ‘I used to cook at the golf club and there were quite a few weddings there and I was often asked if I could make the cake. I’ve always liked baking, but it’s the decoration that must stand out on a wedding cake, isn’t it? Though naturally it must taste good. So I did a course in cake decoration. Then the shop came up, it was very run-down, and the rest, as they say, is history.’

  ‘Can’t wait to see it when it’s finished.’ Anna said.

  ‘So what’s up with your friend?’ Lucy asked as she worked.

  ‘Grania, it’s her first Christmas without her own children and with her new husband and she wants to escape her stepdaughters,’ Anna explained, the thought hitting her that if she found someone else they too might have impossible children to cope with.

  ‘Oh dear, she sounds desperate. But will this cake be in the way; it’s probably the last thing she’ll want to see if her marriage is up the spout,’ Lucy frowned.

  ‘I’m sure it’s nothing serious; she just couldn’t cope with the girls any more. Families often get a bit fractious if they are stuck in the house together.’

  ‘I sympathise, my girls can be right drama queens sometimes, but at least they’re mine and they remind me of myself at that age. I’d hate another woman being involved with the upbringing of my children,’ Lucy said with feeling. ‘But tell me, how was Christmas lunch in the castle?’ She went on as she mixed the icing, clouds of white sugar billowing over her bowl.

  ‘It was delicious. There were a couple of young girls there, so Freddie didn’t feel swamped by adults, though of course he knows Simon, Luke, Julius and Mattie already,’ Anna said. ‘Did your day go well?’

  ‘Yes, the in-laws get on with my parents, no granny-bashing there,’ she laughed. ‘They used to be so competitive when the children were little, both being first-time grandparents. But that’s all calmed down now and there were no meltdowns,’ Lucy said. ‘We’ve been to the castle lunches before; they’re such fun. But we’ve never had it actually in the castle. The Partridge is cosy, but it must have been a magnificent feast. I’d have loved to have gone.’

  ‘Perhaps they should always have it at the castle in future,’ Anna said.

  ‘Maybe, this has set a precedent.’ Lucy smiled. ‘So who did you sit next to?’ she asked.

  ‘Luke and Nell for the first course, Julius and Victor for the next,’ Anna said. ‘Apart from Victor, I don’t know if the others brought their own partners with them.’ She threw in the remark, hoping she didn’t sound nosey.

  Lucy carefully spread the second cake with icing and stood back to inspect it, before going to the sink to wash up her tools. ‘Quite a few people working at the castle keep their personal life out of it. I think Luke had someone last summer
, but it didn’t last. Work and love lives are often better kept apart, don’t you think?’

  ‘Yes, I do,’ Anna agreed, and why did it matter to her anyway, she and Freddie would be leaving in a few weeks and after Grania’s upset with her stepdaughters she felt that perhaps living near her brother might be a far better option than possibly hitching up with a man who already had children of his own.

  The doorbell rang stridently, and Anna opened the door to find Grania there.

  ‘Oh, the satnav,’ Grania complained, ‘if I hadn’t seen the castle on top of the hill I’d have been in the river.’

  ‘The river is now in the village,’ Lucy said, coming into the hall, having tidied up her corner in the kitchen and needing to leave the cake to settle. Anna introduced her to Grania.

  ‘Don’t leave on my account,’ Grania said, ‘it’s been a hell of a drive and the village looks as if there’s been a tsunami. I’m so sorry for you all.’

  ‘Thanks, it’s not far off one,’ Lucy said as she put on her coat to leave, saying she needed the walk back as she’d eaten so much yesterday. ‘Bye; thanks, Anna, and Freddie, come and play soon,’ she called to him. ‘Lovely to glimpse you Grania, maybe I’ll be back tomorrow to do the next step.’

  ‘Whenever you want, see you then.’ Anna hugged her.

  ‘It’s so good to be here,’ Grania said with feeling. She went out and opened the boot of her car, or rather James’s huge Jeep Wagoner, lifting out a large hamper. ‘This is for you and Freddie. I bought it for James and the girls, but they – not James, but the girls – were so rude about it, saying the things were full of additives and sugar and would give them spots and cancer and make them fat, so I took it away to bring to you.’

  ‘Oh, Grania, are you sure? It looks wonderful.’ Anna took it from her, feeling that she needn’t go shopping for food for ages now. ‘Very macho car,’ she said as they went in.

  ‘Mine hadn’t enough petrol so James let me borrow it; you know how he collects cars. I don’t really like it but it’s better than not being able to come,’ Grania explained as she followed her into the kitchen. ‘A wedding cake.’ She stared at the two cakes, one large, with the other smaller one on top of it. ’Or is it a late Christmas cake, rather ambitious for you and Freddie to eat, I’d have thought, or are you going to feed the whole village?’

  ‘No, you were right first time; it is a wedding cake.’

  Anna explained about it.

  Freddie appeared now, clutching a building with wheels he’d made in one hand, and Ozzie, who he’d just fetched from his home in the shed, in the other. He let Grania kiss him and ruffle his hair and Ozzie’s fur before explaining what he had made, squatting down on the hall floor and pushing the building/vehicle about.

  ‘So, how’s it going, met any nice people here?’ Grania flashed her a look.

  Anna knew exactly what Grania meant. She said, ‘Very nice people: a fascinating elderly lady called Mattie who wears wonderful hats, Lucy, who you’ve just met, and her family; their son Benny is Freddie’s age and they get on so well.’

  ‘That’s great,’ Grania said, ‘it sounds as if you are having a good time, Freddie.’

  ‘We are,’ Freddie replied, ‘only I haven’t found my dad yet, but Mum says not to talk about it to people here as they might not understand.’

  Grania threw Anna a look over his head. ‘Dads are extra special,’ she said. ‘You can’t just have anyone.’ And she sighed, clearly thinking of her stepdaughters.

  There was a sound of motors drawing up outside and Freddie ran to the hall window, climbing on a chair to look out.

  ‘It’s Luke and Julius,’ he said excitedly, thrusting Ozzie at Anna before pulling on his boots. ‘Can I go and see them, bring them to show them my new toys? Julius said he’d help me run that car.’ Freddie opened the door, letting in an icy draught.

  ‘Just a minute, Freddie, they probably have work to do,’ Anna said.

  Grania looked out of the window to see what the fuss was about. Her eyes sparkled when she saw Julius and Luke get out of their Land Rovers. She turned to Anna, ‘Well, which to choose – or are they both spoken for?’

  ‘I’ve no idea,’ Anna said, rather wishing now that Grania had not come to stay after all.

  Seventeen

  Freddie dashed outside, to join them. ‘Come in and see what I had for Christmas, there’s too much to bring out here, and,’ he carried on excitedly, ‘you said you’d help me with my car, Julius. You’ll like it too, Luke.’ He went on to describe it.

  ‘Hang on a minute, Freddie,’ Julius said, laughing. ‘Luke and I have come up to see what needs to be done for a wedding we’re having here. We have an appointment with Nell and Tessa, they’ve come in especially today and it’s bad manners to keep them waiting, but we’ll pop in after to sort out his car, if that’s OK.’ He smiled at Anna, who was still clutching Ozzie who was struggling to escape. ‘I did promise.’

  His eyes drifted over to the huge lump of metal that Grania had arrived in and he turned away, seemingly sunk in thought.

  ‘If you have time, Julius, that would be wonderful, thank you,’ Anna called after him before going back inside with Ozzie.

  Grania’s mobile rang and she went into the kitchen to answer it. Anna, guessing it was James, shut the door to give her some privacy.

  She told Freddie he could play outside, but not to bother Julius and Luke if they were busy and, leaving the front door on the latch, she returned Ozzie to his home.

  After a while Freddie came rushing back inside to fetch his car. ‘Julius is ready now to help me, and Luke said he’d had a car like mine once and he’s going to show me how it works,’ he exclaimed excitedly, running into the living room in his muddy boots, snatching up his car and running out again.

  The door to the kitchen was still shut, so Anna put on her coat and went outside. Julius had taken Freddie’s car from its box and was putting in some batteries, while Luke made a sort of track on the ground out of bits of twigs and small stones.

  Julius looked up as she approached them. ‘Haven’t seen one of these for ages,’ he said, ‘but you must be careful, Freddie, not to get it wet, or go into any puddles, though I can’t see any round here just now, but there will be if it rains again.’

  Luke seemed almost as excited as Freddie and took the now assembled car from Julius and showed Freddie how it worked, and it shot off down the track and Freddie laughed and jumped about and he and Luke raced it up and down together.

  Julius watched them, ‘We’re all children at heart. So,’ he looked over towards the Jeep. ‘You have a visitor?’

  ‘Yes, an old friend, come to visit for a few days,’ she said, wondering how long Grania would stay and if James would persuade her to return at once.

  Julius stayed silent, his hands thrust in his pockets vaguely watching Freddie and Luke chasing the car. He said, ‘So you and Freddie will stay here the whole month? If you need to leave earlier, let me know, won’t you, and I’ll try and get a rota together now everyone is back.’

  She looked at him in surprise. ‘No, it’s quite decided. You can see how much Freddie loves it here, all the fresh air and things going on.’

  ‘Good, I just wondered if you were missing your… friends,’ he said uncertainly, glancing again at the Jeep.

  ‘I’m enjoying it here, I’ve met lovely people like Mattie and Lucy.’ She would have said and you, Simon and Luke, but she didn’t.

  ‘Good, to hear it.’ He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes and he called for Luke, as there were other things to do.

  The door to the flat opened and Grania came out and took in the scene: two attractive men playing with Freddie. There was rather an annoying smile playing on her mouth. ‘Hi,’ she said, ‘I’m Grania, an old friend of Anna’s and one of Freddie’s godmothers.’

  Luke and Julius nodded at her. Julius gave her a wonderful smile, which made Grania blush and look delighted.

  ‘I’m heading back now,’ she tu
rned to Anna. ‘Sorry, I rather flounced out and now James has sent his girls back to their mother, told them he wouldn’t tolerate any rudeness from them. So the least I can do is to go back.’

  ‘S’pose so, well lovely to have a glimpse of you,’ Anna said, ‘you must take back your hamper.’

  ‘No, course not, keep it, James and I won’t have time to eat it.’ She winked.

  ‘Where have you got to get back to?’ Julius asked.

  ‘Near Peterborough, not too far,’ she said.

  ‘Well, it was nice to meet you briefly and we’d best be getting on ourselves. Luke, come along, we’ve got lots to do,’ Julius said cheerfully, smiling at Anna. ‘See you soon, Anna. We’ll be working quite often up here now, getting things ready for the wedding after the New Year.’

  ‘Oh, great,’ Freddie said, clutching his car to him. ‘Can I help?’

  ‘I expect we can find you things to do,’ Luke said before rather reluctantly following Julius to their vehicles.

  ‘I think it’s a good thing I’m leaving,’ Grania said, watching the two men drive away.

  ‘Perhaps it is,’ Anna said, suddenly feeling that she wanted to keep their time here to herself and not have her girlfriends blundering in trying to match-make.

  Eighteen

  After breakfast the following morning, feeling in need of fresh air, Anna and Freddie went down to the village.

  It was cold, though there was a softening in the cloud and a pale gleam of the sun. Freddie ran down the hill from the castle zigzagging across the road, though Anna warned him to take care in case a car came up the hill, which, indeed, two did – Simon followed by Luke in their Land Rovers. They both stopped when they saw Anna and Freddie.

  Simon wound down his window. ‘How are you both?’ he asked cheerfully.

  ‘We’re fine, thanks. We felt in need of a walk, so we’re going down to the village to see what’s going on.’

  ‘There’s a lot of action down there today, builders and cleaners and all, to see what can be done to get things back to normal as soon as possible.’ Luke had got out of his Land Rover and was play boxing with Freddie. ‘We’re just going up to the castle to help people move out. You know, the insurers said they could only stay until after Christmas.’