A Dad of His Own Page 8

Ten

  So this was Julius. Surreptitiously Anna studied him as he came into the hall, shutting the door behind him. He was tall with dark hair blown by the wind, and clear blue eyes that searched round the place as if to check all was in order and she hadn’t trashed it.

  ‘Of course… come in,’ she said, though wishing she’d thought of an excuse to postpone their meeting. ‘I’m sure you know the way to the living room, I just want to check on my son who’s asleep in bed. We’ve been with Colin and Lucy and he’s crashed out.’

  ‘Fine,’ Julius made for the living room, telling Felix to settle down and not to be a nuisance. ‘He’s very fond of Philly and Sidney,’ he explained. ‘He can’t understand why they are not here.’

  ‘Difficult to explain to him, I suppose,’ Anna said, ‘I understand from Simon and Marian it was decided not to spoil their holiday and tell them about the flood. There’s not much they can do about it in Boston anyway and luckily it hasn’t come near the castle.’

  ‘They are right; there’s no point in upsetting them. Sidney’s father is in his nineties now so they need to spend precious time with him, and whatever can they do about it, being so far away?’ Julius said.

  She felt as if he were scolding her for mentioning such a thing and left him to go into Freddie’s room.

  The soft glow from his night-light shone on to him; he was fast asleep, cuddled up with one of his teddy bears. If they’d been alone, she’d have undressed him and put on his pyjamas, but she wouldn’t now. She’d better go and see her visitor and hear what he had to say.

  Julius was prowling round the living room as though he were caged up, which perhaps was how he felt coming back here after spending days skiing free on the vast mountains in the fresh, clean air.

  ‘Sorry you had to come back early,’ she said, ‘was the skiing good?’ She wondered if she should offer him a drink, but she sat down on an armchair beside the fireplace, sinking back into its velvet cushions, wishing she were tucked up in bed asleep like Freddie. It had been a troubled night and a horrific day. She hoped Mattie had settled in her room in the castle, but it was too late to try and find out now.

  ‘It was,’ he sat down opposite her, ‘but I came back as soon as I could. I was skiing with friends quite off piste and didn’t get Simon’s call for some time, so he made the arrangements he did.’ He threw her a petulant glance. ‘I’m sure he meant well, but using rooms in the castle is not as easy as it might appear.’

  ‘As there are so many empty rooms in the castle, it seemed like the best idea in the circumstances. Those poor people had nowhere else to go. People like Mattie are a bit old to camp out in the church hall for the whole of Christmas or even one night; I’d have had her here, used the other bed in Freddie’s room, but it’s not fun for anyone is it?’ She regarded him sternly.

  ‘None of this is fun,’ He said wearily. ‘But I suppose I understand that people didn’t want to stay miles away from their homes, over Christmas. Unfortunately I’ve just moved into a house that needs a lot of work done on it, so I can’t be of any help putting people up.’

  ‘Simon knew that, but as no one could get in touch with you and everyone was traumatised with the destruction of their shops and cottages, their homes,’ she emphasised the word, ‘with all those rooms sitting begging in the castle, which is part of the village, I’d have thought it’s an obvious place in an emergency.’ Anna felt grumpy and rather homesick now. ‘Besides, they wanted to stay near their homes to keep an eye on them in case they are vandalised or even flooded again.’

  Julius looked exhausted and she felt guilty giving him a hard time; he had hurried back as fast as he could from his holiday to cope with this disaster.

  ‘But what if we have a problem in the castle…?’ he said.

  ‘Simon did his best; he and Luke are sleeping there to make sure everything is safe,’ Anna went on, determined to support Simon.

  Felix, obviously bored of this conversation, got up and made for the door. Anna, afraid he might frighten Freddie, got up to field him back into the room.

  ‘He’s always a bit restless when I get back.’ Julius called him to heel or rather to lie down again. ‘He stays with my brother, who lives a few miles away. Couldn’t take him skiing this time as I didn’t drive there which I often do.’

  ‘Well I’m sure everyone’s relieved you’re back,’ she said. ‘Simon… and Luke coped wonderfully and it was a terrible shock for everybody,’ she said, realising she sounded bad-tempered, but she too was tired and emotional from everything that had happened and missing her family and Gary at this festive time.

  He got up. ‘I know that, but he… well let’s not say any more about it. Seeing your door open and Felix go in, I thought I’d introduce myself.’ Felix hovered round him in case he might be forgotten. ‘I understand you were very helpful, especially with Mattie. It’s tragic her cottage, and indeed the others, were affected, but knowing Mattie she’ll get over it. Is her cottage ruined?’ He faced her, watching for her reaction and she saw now how tired and concerned Julius was and she very nearly put out her hand to touch him. She clasped her hands tightly together as if they might take on a life of their own and stroke his face or his arm in comfort. It must be this place, she thought, causing her to reach out and touch people she hardly knew.

  ‘Mattie’s cottage is ruined,’ she said more gently, ‘at least downstairs, the water came right through the ground floor, and it smells dreadful.’

  ‘Poor Mattie and the others,’ he sighed, ‘I’ll see what I can do tomorrow. I’ll leave you in peace now, goodnight. I’ll see myself out.’

  ‘Goodnight,’ she said, staying there in the middle of the room while he went into the hall. Felix, taking one more look round for Philly and Sidney, followed him.

  The door opened, letting in a gust of icy air, and then it shut and she was alone in the living room feeling homesick again and wishing she hadn’t taken on this job, spending Christmas among strangers, however nice they were, instead of being in the bosom of her family as she’d always been before.

  Eleven

  After the dramas of the day before, Anna slept in late before she made Freddie their special Christmas Eve breakfast, bacon and eggs and mince pies. She put his Advent calendar by his place, so he could open the last door, the largest on the card, revealing baby Jesus in the stable, with his family and animals around the manger.

  They were halfway through breakfast when there was a knock on her door and Anna jumped up to open it.

  ‘Sorry if I’m disturbing you,’ Mattie stood there. ‘I suppose I should have rung you first, but I don’t carry a mobile everywhere I go. It’s somewhere at home, hopefully not drowned. I’ve never felt the need to be constantly in touch with people as you youngsters are.’

  ‘You’re not disturbing us at all, it’s lovely to see you. Come in. We’re just having breakfast; would you like to join us? I could make you eggs and bacon if you like and there’s mince pies.’ Anna smiled at her.

  Mattie looked better than she had yesterday but still quite drawn and anxious. Today she was wearing a sort of pixie hood in cobalt blue with a swirl of ribbons over one ear.

  ‘Oh… well… a boiled egg would be lovely, if it’s no trouble. I’ve had a coffee, but I’m yet to venture to the kitchen in the bowels of the castle.’

  ‘Come and join us,’ Anna led the way into the kitchen, where Freddie was devouring his second mince pie.

  ‘I like your hat; it’s a different one to the red one,’ Freddie said between mouthfuls.

  ‘Thank you, Freddie.’ Mattie sat down at the kitchen table. ‘My mother was a milliner; do you know what that is?’

  Freddie goggled. ‘A millionaire?’

  Mattie laughed, ‘Sadly not. No, a milliner is someone who makes hats. She had a hat shop in Bury St Edmunds, which is a lovely town, not far from here. People wore hats a lot more in those days and she made all sorts for everyday and special days.’

  ‘Is yours a special day h
at?’ Freddie regarded it intently.

  ‘Yes, I kept the special ones; I like to make a splash, cheer everyone up,’ Mattie said.

  ‘And you do, Mattie,’ Anna said as she put an egg into boiling water from the kettle and bread in the toaster. ‘Do sit down.’ She pulled out a chair for her, ‘It won’t take long. I hope you slept well?’

  Before Mattie could answer her, the doorbell went again and this time it was Luke.

  ‘I was passing, so I thought I’d drop in to say that there is a carol service in the Church at five o’clock this evening in case you both want to come. With all the commotion yesterday, you perhaps weren’t told about it.’

  ‘Oh, thanks Luke, that sounds great, Lucy told us about it and we’d love to come. Mattie is here, would you like a coffee, breakfast, mince pie?’

  He hovered a moment as if he were shy of intruding.

  ‘If you’ve got a moment,’ she said, ‘or have you too much on?’

  ‘I’ve already had breakfast, but I’d love a cup of tea and a mince pie if one’s going. It’s bitter out there,’ he said gratefully. He bent down to take off his boots in the hall after shutting the front door behind him to keep out the cold. ‘The people from the council and the insurance company are coming to see Julius in the village today.’

  ‘On Christmas Eve? That’s good of them, you must tell Mattie,’ Anna said as Luke followed her into the kitchen.

  Mattie smiled at him, ‘Hello, Luke, did I hear you say people from the council and all are coming here today?’

  ‘Yes, you did. They wouldn’t have come out if it weren’t for Julius. He was on the phone at dawn to all sorts of people, blaming the council for not seeing to the river properly, threatening to go to the press, anything to get things sorted out fairly for everyone affected. They are meeting around lunchtime and the people staying in the castle ought to be there.’ He sat down beside Freddie.

  Freddie said, ‘Are they in trouble for making the river flood?’

  ‘Not exactly, Freddie, but we have had an awful lot of rain this year, and the river needs to be looked after to make sure there’s room for the water to flow and it’s not full of weeds.’

  ‘So they need to use diggers and things?’ Freddie asked.

  ‘Yes, things like that, and it hasn’t been done, so all this rain had nowhere to go.’

  ‘Except for in the streets and Mattie’s cottage,’ Freddie said thoughtfully.

  ‘I’m afraid so,’ Mattie said, slicing the top of her boiled egg before turning to Luke. ‘So might we get compensation?’

  Luke cradled his mug of tea in his hands to warm them. ‘I don’t understand these things enough to be much help, but Julius will fight for you, ask him what they might do.’

  Seeing they were fast disappearing, Anna put some more mince pies on the plate; glad she’d baked a double batch. ‘Are you comfortable in your room in the castle, Mattie?’

  She offered the plate to Luke to take another.

  ‘Yes, it’s one of those old-fashioned beds, or rather mattress, I suppose, that you sink into. I slept a bit but couldn’t help worrying about what will happen after Christmas. I mean we can’t all stay here while our cottages dry out and get cleaned up, and a hotel costs such a lot. I can’t wait to get back to my cottage, I’ve lived there so long and I couldn’t bear to lose it.’ Mattie smiled but Anna could see her fear lurking in her eyes. What would people do who suddenly could not live in their own home, the only one they possessed, and for whatever reason had nowhere else to go. She wondered if Mattie had children somewhere who could help out, but she didn’t like to ask, to seem as if she were prying.

  ‘I’ve lived here all my life and so have my parents and we’ve never had a flood like this before,’ Luke said.

  ‘Nor me, and I’ve been here much longer than you,’ Mattie said, going on to explain to Freddie about the life here when she was his age. ‘Much more land was farmed then, we even had those wonderful old shire horses that pulled the plough,’ she smiled. ‘All gone now though, taken over by machinery.’

  ‘The Partridge has photos and paintings of those times on the wall,’ Luke said. He smiled at Anna. ‘If they get it cleaned up, I’ll take you there for a drink, it’s a great place and it’s such a shame we can’t have Christmas lunch there.’

  ‘Thank you, Luke, I’d like that,’ she said, feeling suddenly rather flushed, then seeing that Freddie was regarding them with some interest, she quickly changed the subject back to the meeting with the council and such. The last thing she wanted was Freddie saying he was on the lookout for a dad.

  ‘I’d love a lift into the village, Luke, if you’re going,’ Mattie said, getting up from the table. ‘I’ll dash to my room to fetch my coat and bag, if that’s all right.’

  ‘I can go with you if you want,’ Anna suggested, feeling she might need support seeing her ruined cottage again in the light of day. Also she needed to buy some more milk and fruit. ‘Will you be all right?’

  ‘No, I’m fine Anna, thanks for asking.’ She stood tall and resolute, determined to meet this challenge full on.

  When Mattie had gone back to her room to fetch her bag and key to her cottage, Anna turned to Luke, ‘So you think Julius will sort it for them? He came here last night, in fact,’ she smiled at Freddie, who had now got down from the table. ‘I forgot to tell you we had a visitor, Felix, a black Labrador who came in.’

  ‘Came in here… to the flat?’ Freddie said amazed.

  ‘You were sound asleep and I was just about to close the front door after Colin dropped us off and Felix came in. He hoped to see Philly and Sidney but only found me.’

  ‘I wish I’d woken up, I’d like to see him,’ Freddie said eagerly

  ‘You’ll see him again, lots of times, I’m sure.’ Luke smiled at him. ‘Wherever Julius goes, Felix is usually with him.’

  ‘Julius came in after him, he…’ she paused, then said lightly, ‘well, he wasn’t very pleased that people are sleeping in the castle.’

  ‘I thought it a good idea,’ Freddie said. ‘I suggested it, didn’t I?’

  ‘You did, and it was a good idea.’ They were interrupted when the telephone rang and Anna went to answer it. It was Lucy.

  ‘Just to remind you about the carol service and having supper with us afterwards tonight. It won’t be late, we must get home and asleep before Father Christmas comes.’

  ‘Of course we must, we are looking forward to it, thanks Lucy, can I bring anything, wine or a pudding, I can make something today.’ She added quickly, ‘And you’re sure it’s no trouble with all those cakes?’

  ‘Ah, you’ve sussed me out. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts and all that. I genuinely want you – the whole family want you – both to come to supper, but also I was going to take you up on the offer of letting me decorate the wedding cake in your kitchen and…’ she paused.

  ‘And making some Gateau des Rois,’ Anna laughed. ‘Of course, as long as you give me the recipe.’

  ‘Well, let’s get Christmas Day over first, then if you can bear it, I’ll bring the cakes round and extra flour and things for the Gateaux des Rois.’

  ‘No problem, Lucy, I’ll be happy to help.’

  ‘You’re a star,’ Lucy said. ‘Now, I’ve got to go to the shop, the council have called to say they are coming to assess the damage, I can’t miss that.’ She rang off and Anna went back into the kitchen and told Freddie about their invitation in case he hadn’t heard it yesterday when he’d gone off with Benny.

  Freddie and Luke were getting on like a house on fire, playing a game of rock, paper, scissors, which Freddie won by having a flat hand, representing paper, to Luke’s fist, representing rock.

  Mattie came back with her keys to the cottage and Luke, promising Freddie another game later, left them and drove her down to the village.

  ‘I like Luke,’ Freddie said meaningfully after he’d fetched Ozzie to let him run round a track he’d made for him out of Lego.

  Anna kept q
uiet, though it worried her that Freddie might get carried away with the idea that someone here could become his dad. So far everyone they’d met here seemed nice and so welcoming. Even Julius, who she’d assumed from listening to snippets dropped about him could sometimes be difficult, though perhaps for good reason. Being in charge of the whole estate carried a heavy load of responsibility and now with the flood happening just before Christmas, it was an added nightmare for him.

  She said gently, ‘Freddie, as your real dad’s not here, I know you want one of your own, but let’s keep it as our special secret while we are here, just the two of us. OK?’

  ‘OK’, Freddie said, more interested in running after Ozzie.

  *

  The sun was out so soon after Luke and Mattie had left, Anna and Freddie went out to explore more of the estate. She took him up the steep path to the tilting ground and told him it was used long ago for jousting, men in armour trying to unseat other horsemen.

  ‘Do they do it now?’ Freddie asked, looking round as if a horse and rider would suddenly appear like ghosts from another age.

  ‘I think it is still done somewhere, people dressing up as knights and trying to knock the other person off their horse, but I don’t know if they re-enact it here.’

  ‘They’d fall in the swimming pool,’ Freddie walked round it. It was covered now, a few dried leaves scattered on the top. ‘Do you think there are ghosts of them?’ he went on.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ she said and then they both jumped as a door creaked open. They turned to see who it was, but instead of it being a knight in shining armour astride a horse, a man with untidy hair blowing round his bald pate, who Anna remembered seeing in the church hall yesterday, came out, bundled up in a coat and scarf.

  ‘Hello there,’ he called and came over to them,

  ‘We thought you might be a ghost, or a knight,’ Freddie said.

  ‘No. Not yet anyway.’ He smiled. ‘Jolly cold, could be snow.’

  ‘Do you think there will be?’ Freddie asked excitedly.

  ‘Bit much if we have that and floods,’ the man said. ‘I’m Everard Manton by the way; I know who you are, young Freddie – we met at the church hall yesterday. Hello, Anna, can’t stop to chat as I’m going down now to tackle these bug—’ He stopped short, placing his hand over his mouth in mock contrition. ‘These rotten people who should have prevented this flood and now must pay for it. Could do with a spear and a horse as I head to my battle with the council folk,’ he added, before stomping off towards the path down to the village, leaving Freddie in fits of giggles.