A Proper Family Christmas (31 page)

‘Yeah,’ said Ronnie. ‘You’re a great sister too.’

‘We’re family, aren’t we?’ said Annabel.

‘We are.’

Ronnie patted Annabel on the back to signal that it was time to let go now.

Annabel watched until Ronnie was safely in the house, then she drove home, singing along to the Christmas songs on the radio. Richard was waiting up for her when she got in.

‘That went really well,’ she said. ‘We talked about so many things. I just know she’s going to help us. I’m going to ask someone from the hospital to call her in the morning and answer any questions she’s got about the process.’

‘That’s great,’ said Richard.

He poured himself another glass of wine from the bottle he had opened earlier that evening. He found Annabel some elderflower cordial.

‘Here’s to my lovely sister.’

They toasted Ronnie in her absence.

‘Who would have believed it?’

The atmosphere in Ronnie’s house was less festive. Ronnie didn’t wait for her husband to fetch her a drink. She helped herself to his newly opened bottle of beer and downed it in one.

‘Did you tell her?’ Mark asked.

‘What do you think? You saw the way she hugged me when I got out of the car.’

‘You didn’t tell her!’

‘I couldn’t. I was going to. I swear I was all ready to come out with it the minute we finished our dinner but then she launched into this speech about how much it means to her that I would give up my kidney for Izzy and how she now truly understands what it means to be a sister and what people are really on about when they say blood is thicker than water.’

Mark pinched the bridge of his nose.

‘So she still thinks you’re going to do it.’

‘She says she’s going to arrange for me to see the transplant surgeon this week! They’re going to pay for it all to be done privately and she’s going to make sure I see the best psychologist and have the best surgeon and the best aftercare. Then she said that when I’m feeling up to it again, she and Richard would like to pay for us to have a holiday – all of us. You, me and the children – at this resort they’ve been to in the Caribbean. All-inclusive. Seven stars! It’s where all the celebs go and they’re paying for the lot. Mum and Dad too. She’s got it all planned out.’

‘Ronnie, you’ve got to tell her.’

‘Don’t you think I know that?’ Ronnie wailed. ‘But do you know what it’s going to do to her? She thinks I’m her last chance. She thinks her daughter is going to die without my kidney. Can you imagine if it was the other way round and our Sophie needed her? I’d be desperate for her to help us. She’s going to be devastated when we say no.’

‘Sooner the better.’

‘I know! But you’ve got to come with me, Mark. I’m not telling her on my own. I can’t. I need some backup. If you say all the things that you’ve said to me over this last week, all those reasons why you don’t think I should, then perhaps she’ll take it more calmly. It won’t look like I’m just too scared. If it’s both of us and both of them too, Richard will keep a lid on it. He always seems pretty reasonable.’

Mark agreed. ‘We’ll have to invite them round.’

‘No. I don’t think I can stand it, having them here. Shouldn’t we meet them somewhere neutral?’

‘What about the Ridgeview?’

‘Yes. The Ridgeview will have to do. I’ll arrange it with Annabel tomorrow.’

As it was, Ronnie didn’t have to wait to make the phone call. Annabel called her first thing the following day to ask when might be a good time for them all to go to see Dr Devon and the transplant surgeon.

‘This week’s bad,’ said Ronnie. ‘One of the girls at work is having a hysterectomy. I’ve got to do her shifts. But I was wondering if we could have Sunday lunch somewhere together.’

‘Yes!’ Annabel leapt at the chance.

‘The Ridgeview?’ Ronnie suggested. ‘Where you first met Mum and Dad?’

‘No. Not the Ridgeview. Come here.’

‘To yours?’

‘Why not? It’ll just be a casual lunch. Between sisters. No bother at all.’

Nothing was too much bother for Annabel now.

Of course it wouldn’t be casual in the least. This was no ordinary catch-up between siblings. As soon as she had Ronnie’s acceptance, Annabel went into overdrive. She called the organic butcher and ordered a fabulous joint, big enough for Ronnie, Mark, their kids and Jacqui, Dave and Granddad Bill if they wanted to come too. She could even ask if Chelsea wanted to come up from London and stay overnight. Annabel was feeling extremely warm towards the whole Benson clan.

But Ronnie texted her that afternoon to say that it would just be her and Mark. Jack had a birthday party to go to on Sunday afternoon and Sophie had very generously offered to take him there. It was only a short walk from their house.

‘Oh,’ said Annabel. ‘Izzy will be disappointed.’

So, it was just lunch for five. The Buchanans, Mark and Ronnie. Never mind. Leander would be more than happy to help polish off the surplus meat. And it would definitely be easier to talk transplant logistics if Jack wasn’t around. Jack was an adorable child, but he required a lot of attention. If they didn’t have to worry about whether he was breaking some Buchanan family heirloom, then Mark and Ronnie would be much more relaxed and able to concentrate on more important matters. On the only thing that mattered: Izzy’s transplant.

Though the numbers had dwindled, Annabel still bought a big chocolate gateau for pudding. She’d noticed that Ronnie had a sweet tooth. She asked Richard to bring up something really special from the cellar. They would pull out all the stops.

On the day, Mark and Ronnie arrived a little early. They had brought a bottle of wine of their own. Annabel subtly spirited it away into the kitchen. She might be able to use it for cooking.

Richard played host again, settling the Benson-Edwards in front of the fire. It was a cold day outside and there was nothing nicer than sitting by a real log fire with a glass of champagne and some smoked salmon canapés while you waited for lunch. If you were feeling nice and relaxed, perhaps.

Izzy came downstairs a little later. She made small talk with her aunt and uncle about schoolwork and the upcoming festive season.

Annabel noticed that Izzy looked far younger than her years that day in the black velvet dress that she had bought her a year earlier in Peter Jones. Having been lukewarm about it at the time the dress was new, for some reason, Izzy had decided that it was the perfect thing to wear all the time that winter. Annabel suspected she had been somewhat influenced by Sophie’s gothic look. Or perhaps it was simply that it was loose around the waist, which was more comfortable with the catheter. Annabel shook that thought off. Still, if it made Izzy look a little vulnerable, that wasn’t such a bad thing. Not today. They needed to get the transplant possibilities nailed down.

Annabel had chosen the lunch menu specifically to appeal to Ronnie, so she was disappointed when her sister all but turned her nose up at everything she was offered. Ronnie even put her hand over the mouth of her wine glass when Richard offered her a top-up.

‘Not today, thanks, Richard. I’ve got to keep a clear head.’

‘But Mark’s driving, isn’t he?’ asked Annabel.

‘Yes, but you know what it’s like. You can’t process booze like you used to when you get to our age. I don’t want to be feeling bad when I go into work tomorrow. I’ve got an early start.’

‘Then how about some more beef? You’ll have some more of that?’

‘Actually, I won’t.’

Annabel tilted her head questioningly.

‘Oh, it isn’t that I don’t like it. It’s really lovely and you’ve cooked it just right.’

Annabel considered the beef practically cremated but she knew that Ronnie liked it well done.

‘I just don’t feel all that hungry right now.’

‘You don’t think you’re coming down with that winter vomiting bug, do you?’ Annabel asked.

That would be awkward. If Ronnie was ill, they would have to ask her to leave. They couldn’t risk Izzy coming down with anything, least of all the norovirus. But Ronnie said, ‘It’s nothing physical. I’ve just got something on my mind.’

‘Then perhaps we’ll have some pudding later. Perhaps you’d like to go and sit by the fire again for a bit?’

Ronnie looked at Mark in a way that immediately set alarm bells ringing in Annabel’s head. Ronnie opened her mouth as if to say something but then she looked back at Annabel and smiled.

‘I’m OK here.’

‘Does anyone mind if I go back upstairs?’ Izzy asked. ‘I’m feeling a bit tired.’

None of the adults present objected. In fact, they positively encouraged her to go and lie down for as long as she wanted. While Izzy made her excuses, Annabel could feel her throat tightening. Something was going on and she had a feeling that she wasn’t going to like whatever it was when she finally found out.

With Izzy safely out of the way, the four adults made awkward small talk for a little longer.

‘Can’t believe it’s Christmas in four weeks,’ said Mark.

‘I know,’ said Richard. ‘It creeps up on you. Seems like we’ve only just taken the decorations down.’

‘Ronnie.’ Annabel could stand it no longer. ‘Is everything all right?’

Ronnie opened and closed her mouth a few times, like a goldfish that had leapt out of the tank and found itself on the carpet.

‘Mark,’ she said. ‘You tell them.’

Mark suddenly looked equally distressed.

‘What is it?’ Annabel tried to keep her own panic out of her voice. ‘Tell us what?’

‘Look,’ Mark said. ‘I don’t know how to say this. You’ve been so generous to us today with this lovely lunch. It isn’t really what we wanted. We wanted to take you out somewhere because we’ve got to tell you—’

‘What?’ asked Annabel. Her focus was all on Ronnie but it was Mark who kept talking. Ronnie just stared at her plate.

‘We’ve been talking. Me and Ronnie. We’ve looked at all the information and we’ve been giving it some serious thought and we’ve decided that we can’t go through with it.’

‘With what?’ Annabel asked, as if she didn’t already know.

‘With the transplant. We’re sorry but it’s too big a risk. We’ve got our own children to think about. We can’t risk them losing their mum.’

‘Are you serious?’ asked Annabel.

‘Annabel,’ Richard laid a calming hand on her arm. ‘Let Mark finish talking.’

‘Ronnie, well, she’s been in good health all her life and she’s never had any kind of operation and we’re worried that she might have some kind of reaction to the anaesthetic. We just don’t know. And then there’s the practical aspect of it. Jack’s only young. He needs to be picked up from school and—’

‘The school run? This is about the school run? Can’t Jacqui do that?’

‘Well, I suppose she could but—’

Ronnie found her voice. ‘I just don’t want to do it, Annabel. I’m scared. I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to tell you for weeks. I tried to tell you at the restaurant the other night but you were so happy and I couldn’t do it to you then. I know I should have done but …’

Ronnie’s eyes were swimming with tears.

‘Oh, Annabel. I feel like a total cow. I’ve been really struggling with this, I promise you. I know that if I was in your position, I’d want to punch me in the face right now. Believe me, I know how you must be feeling.’

No you don’t
, thought Annabel.
You don’t have any idea how murderous I am
.

Ronnie looked at her beseechingly.

‘It’s OK,’ said Richard. ‘It’s fine. We understand. We’ve been asking a great deal of you and you have every right to consider it from your point of view, looking at the impact on your family. Isn’t that right, Annabel?’

Just at that moment, a timer in the kitchen pinged to let Annabel know that the French bread she had been heating up for the cheese course was ready. She was out of the dining room like a greyhound from a trap. Richard followed her, catching the kitchen door before she had time to slam it. He closed it quietly. Annabel crashed around the kitchen. She got the bread out of the oven and dropped it on to the work surface without any concern for the heat of the baking tray.

‘Well, this is a disaster,’ she all but shouted. ‘How can she turn up here and tell me that she’s not going to do it now?’

‘Come on. We always knew this might happen,’ Richard reminded her. ‘The transplant wouldn’t be without risk for Ronnie and she’s got her own children to think about.’

‘The risk is tiny!’ Annabel protested. ‘While our daughter is so ill.’

‘We have to let it go.’

‘We can’t let it go. Richard, she’s a match. A proper match. Our little girl wouldn’t have to have dialysis any more. Go back in there and persuade her.’

Richard took Annabel by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. ‘But their fears are legitimate. Ronnie is right to wonder how it would affect her own health and she would have to take time off work. She wouldn’t be able to look after Sophie and Jack.’

‘Sophie doesn’t need looking after. She’s nearly an adult. And surely Mark can look after his own son for a few days. Ronnie wouldn’t have to be in hospital for long. A week, max.’

‘Look. We can’t keep pushing it. Let’s forget it for now. We’ll keep in touch and maybe at some point in the future she’ll change her mind.’

‘For God’s sake, Richard. You’re being ridiculous. The longer Izzy stays on dialysis, the less chance she has of a successful transplant. You can’t do it. I don’t know whether this pregnancy will have ruled me out too. We have to persuade Ronnie to give her a kidney now.’

‘Darling, we can’t keep pushing. And in my opinion, the more we push, the less likely it is to happen. Perhaps in time they’ll change their minds but we don’t want to scare them away.’

‘Bollocks, Richard. You know what this is really about? It’s about money. Ronnie isn’t scared about the transplant. She’s wondering how much it’s worth. I’ve known that about her from the first time we met, when she came round here and looked the place over like she was an insurance salesman. It’s obvious. They’re waiting for us to make them an offer. I thought the all-expenses-paid holiday might be enough but clearly I was wrong. She’s waiting for us to write a cheque. See how quickly she changes her mind then.’