Coming Home for Christmas (13 page)

Her head felt cotton-wool light from jet lag, so she took another gulp of the hot, strong coffee Michael had made for her. She should have come home a day earlier than the party, but when
she’d booked the ticket in September she’d had a job and was reluctant to be away from work too long. What good had it done her . . . none? Jobless and jet-lagged and worrying about
money on the night of her mother’s surprise seventieth-birthday party. Who would ever have thought it? If the family only knew, what a shock they’d all get. She just couldn’t bear
to let them know of her failure, Alison thought glumly, half dreading meeting the relatives, knowing that she’d have to bluff and lie her way through the night. It was difficult keeping up
the façade, much harder than she’d imagined. She longed to tell the family of her troubles, but the timing was disastrous and her pride was more of a problem than she cared to
admit.

She’d always liked being looked up to as the family success story. She liked the admiring glances she’d got as she walked down the village when she was home on holidays with Melora,
when the neighbours stopped to ask her how she was getting on in ‘the Big Apple’. It was hard to let go of that. Was that an indication of mega-immaturity? Alison wondered ruefully.

‘Now cam we have our lipstick?’ Ellie looked up at her, her big blue eyes shining with anticipation, interrupting Alison’s moment of introspection.

‘ “
Please!
” Don’t forget to say “please”,’ called Olivia, who was applying her make-up before drying her hair.

‘
Please
cam we?’ Ellie said in exasperation. Alison hid a smile.

‘Right, youngest first,’ she said firmly, having copped on to the fact that a note of authority worked wonders.

Ten minutes later the Hammond ladies marched downstairs, with Alison taking up the rear. ‘Is my harem ready then?’ Michael came out into the hall. Alison liked her brother-in-law, a
jovial, calm, kind-hearted man who was the perfect foil for her sister’s more uptight, edgy personality.

‘OK, I’m off to pick up Mam and Dad. I’ll delay as long as I can. I’ve told everyone to be on time, so have them all in the room and I’ll send you a text when
I’m leaving.’ Olivia gave her last-minute instructions. ‘And girls, remember your manners at the table, and no fighting and just one fizzy drink!’ she warned.

‘Oh my God!’ whispered Alison behind her. ‘You sound just like Mam when we were young.’

‘I know. It’s awful – no need to rub it in,’ Olivia hissed back, and they started to giggle as they walked out into the dark, cold night.

Leo Hammond fastened his best braces, put on his good navy jacket, made sure he had his glasses in case he needed them, and picked up his walking stick. Old age was the most
challenging age of all, he thought wearily as he sat on the end of his bed to catch his breath after his exertions. And now it was time to do something that would make his life easier, and would
give him a lot of satisfaction at the same time. He was looking forward to Esther’s party. It was the ideal place to make his announcement, and some people were going to get a right shock for
themselves. Yes, indeed – the cat would be set among the pigeons tonight, and the village gossips would have plenty to talk about tomorrow. His brother, Bert, and sister-in-law, Tessa,
wouldn’t be too happy, nor would those lazy lumps, his nephews. What was the old saying about assuming making an ass of u and me? Leo’s eyes twinkled with anticipation as he hauled
himself off the bed and went downstairs to wait for his lift. There’d be a few asses at the party tonight, but he wouldn’t be one of them!

‘Hello, Mrs Dunwoody, welcome. We give you nice small room for family upstairs, for your birthday.’ The petite, dark-haired Chinese manageress greeted Esther, Liam
and Olivia at the door of the restaurant as Esther went to walk into the dining area.

‘Oh, that’s very kind of you,’ Esther exclaimed. ‘How lovely to just be with the family. My daughter’s home from America, you know. It was a complete surprise, Mai
Linn.’

‘Yes, yes, we know, she upstairs with little girls. Follow me, please.’ Mai Linn led the way.

‘Did you know about this?’ Esther turned to Olivia.

‘Not at all. I didn’t even know there was a small private room upstairs. I know there’s a function room.’ Olivia pretended innocence.

‘I hope Leo didn’t find the stairs too taxing, he’s getting very stiff, God love him,’ Esther remarked as she walked ahead of her daughter. She was starving, and really
looking forward to her meal.

‘This way, this way.’ The manageress indicated a room with a double door.

She pushed the doors open and a loud ‘SURPRISE! SURPRISE!’ erupted from the waiting guests. Esther nearly got lockjaw with shock as she stood, open-mouthed, as family, friends and
neighbours burst into a roof-lifting rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’.

‘I’ll kill the pair of you,’ she said, half laughing, half crying as Olivia put her arm around her and Alison handed her a glass of champagne.

‘And were you in on this?’ She turned to her husband.

‘Guilty as charged.’ He grinned. ‘But thank God the night’s finally arrived. I don’t know how many times I’ve nearly let it slip.’

‘So that was why you were telling me to wear this dress, letting on it’s your favourite.’ She patted the elegant, ruby dress with the ruched bodice that fell in graceful folds
over her hips to mid-calf.

‘It
is
my favourite, and you look beautiful,’ he murmured, and Esther felt a warm little glow at his compliment because, although she loved him dearly, compliments were not
his forte.

She was immediately surrounded by friends, relations and neighbours kissing her and handing her presents. Even Mrs Harney came up and gave her a peck on the cheek and handed her a bottle of
champagne. ‘To drink with your daughters, because they’re good girls and lucky to have you,’ the old woman said with great sincerity. ‘But I might leave after the meal, if
you don’t mind, because I wouldn’t be into dancing now or anything like that.’

‘You leave whenever you want, Mrs Harney, and thank you so much for coming,’ Esther said warmly.

‘Thank Olivia – ’twas she issued the invitation. She’s turned into a grand neighbour herself, follying in your footsteps, Mrs Dunwoody,’ her neighbour assured her.
It was the height of a compliment, and Esther took it with pride. Olivia
was
a great daughter, she knew that, and the comparison was an affirmation that she had reared her well.

‘Many felicitations,’ Tessa Dunwoody, Esther’s sister-in-law, said primly at her elbow.

‘Ah, Tessa, thank you.’ Esther felt a wave of relief that Olivia had had the sense to invite her aunt, uncle and cousins. If they’d been left out, there would have been a huff.
Family politics could be so difficult at times. Tessa and Bert were prickly types. The sort you had to spit out your words and polish them before you uttered them.

‘Howya, Esther?’ Bert said sourly. And she knew it was the last place he wanted to be. He was so different to Liam and Leo. Bert felt the world owed him a living; he had a chip on
his shoulder because Leo had worked the small family farm while he had gone into the car business. He’d never worked a day on the farm but had been highly disgusted when their father had said
he was leaving it to Leo for all the work he’d put into it. Liam had been in perfect agreement with his dad, but Bert had carried a grudge that had got even bigger as Leo had added to the
farm over the years, leaving him now with a sizeable portion of land with good farming potential. He was, by now, the wealthiest of the brothers, although you’d never know it by him, she
thought fondly as she caught sight of him limping over to her to kiss her.

‘You look mighty well tonight, Esther,’ he bellowed. ‘Ya’d never think ye were seventy.’

‘Thanks,’ she said, half mortified. There was no need to rub her nose in it. ‘You look very smart yourself.’

‘Have me best braces on.’ Leo grinned as he caught sight of the children. ‘There’s my girlies,’ he said proudly as they galloped over to him.

‘On guard.’ Kate danced around with someone’s umbrella.

‘Parry and thrust.’ He struck a pose with his walking stick.

‘Cam I play?’ Ellie demanded, and Olivia went to intervene as Esther found herself in the middle of her book-club group, all delighted for her that Alison was home.

Later, as she sat at the top table watching everyone eating the tasty food, listening to the ebb and flow of conversation, seeing her two daughters chat to Liam and Leo and the children making
pictures on the table with chopsticks, Esther sent up a prayer of thanks for her great good fortune.

When she came to blow out the candles on the big two-tiered creamy sponge, she felt almost overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion. The expression of delight on her grandchildren’s faces at
the sight of the lighted candles – in the shape of a seven and a nought – as they urged her to blow them out would be one of her abiding memories.

‘I need your help,’ she told the children, and she wasn’t lying. She was so moved she could have wept as the last note of another rousing rendition of ‘Happy
Birthday’, and ‘For She’s a Jolly Good Fellow’ faded away.

‘Blow!’ everyone clamoured and she did, as Ellie, Lia and Kate whooshed great gusts of air to extinguish the candles with her.

She managed to regain her equilibrium, glad that all eyes were no longer upon her as the cake was borne away to be cut up. She took a sip of wine and looked up startled as Liam tapped his glass
for silence. ‘Don’t go making any speeches,’ she hissed.

‘Take what’s coming to you,’ he ribbed, but Esther knew it was hard for him; he was essentially a shy man.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, my daughters and myself are so pleased you could join us to celebrate my wife Esther’s birthday. My wife, as you all know, is a wonderful woman – you
don’t need me to tell you all that,’ he said to a big cheer, and Esther could feel herself blushing. Olivia and Alison were laughing at her discomfiture, knowing that she was
mortified.

‘A wonderful woman and a great companion and wife,’ he continued, to more cheers. Liam cleared his throat and turned to her. ‘Esther, you know I’m a man of few words,
despite your best efforts. But there is one thing I want to say to you.’ He swallowed, and a faint dusky red crept up his neck. ‘I love you very much,’ he said, staring into her
eyes, and this time she did cry. She stood up and hid her face in his shoulder as their guests hollered loudly.

‘Oh, Liam, Liam,’ she whispered.

‘Well, I do love you,’ he whispered back, ‘I’m just not good at mushy stuff. But I know how you value hearing it so I wanted to say it to you tonight.’

‘Ah, Liam, I know you love me.’ She wiped her eyes and kissed him, loving him more now than on the day she’d married him. Another tapping on a glass brought hush as Olivia and
Alison stood together, arms around each other’s waist.

‘We won’t embarrass you any more, Mother,’ Alison said, raising her glass.

‘But we just want to toast the best mother in the world,’ Olivia finished, and the toast ‘To Esther’ rippled around the room.

Esther was just about to say her thanks when Leo got to his feet. ‘I have an announcement of my own to make,’ he said, turning to look at her. ‘And I want to do it on your
birthday, because you’ve been a very kind sister-in-law to me over the years, especially since my dear wife died. And Olivia and Alison are like daughters to me and the girls are the greatest
gift of my old age. You all make me feel part of your family and I’m greatly indebted to you,’ Leo said earnestly, and his eyes were bright with emotion as he looked from one to the
other.

‘I’m telling you this here and now so everyone can hear it from my own lips, and so there won’t be any misunderstandings out there,’ he said, sternly glancing down at Ada
O’Connor, who had a propensity to gossip. ‘And I don’t want anyone saying I’m not compos mentis either,’ he added, staring over at Bert and Tessa’s table.
‘I’ve decided to sell the farm; I’ve been made a very, very good offer. I’m buying one of those little bungalows in that new nursing-home place on the Sea Road, and
I’m giving each of my girlies – that’s Olivia, Alison, Kate, Lia and Ellie – a plot of land to build a house on if ever they want it, and I’ll be giving them a bit of
money to go with it as well. And that’s what I’m doing, so, Esther, my birthday gift to you is to know that, in these difficult times, your children and grandchildren will always have a
place to come home to.’

‘Oh Leo,’ she protested, stunned as a wave of surprise spread around the room.

He held up his hand. ‘Don’t say anything now; you and Liam and your family have done more for me than you’ll ever know. If it weren’t for ye all, I’d never have got
over poor Kitty’s going. Ye took me under yer wing, and I’ve been there ever since. Now it’s my turn,’ he said firmly, and sat down.

Out of the corner of her eye, Esther could see the look of incredulous horror on Bert and Tessa’s faces. Bert was slowly turning a turkey-cock red. If they walked out, they’d be the
talk of the village. They were between a rock and a hard place for sure, Esther realized, as people began to clap and a few ‘Good on ya, Leo’s wafted across the room. Olivia and Alison
looked flabbergasted.

‘Are you sure, Uncle Leo?’ Esther heard Olivia say. ‘We love you for yourself and we don’t expect anything from you—’

‘That’s one of the reasons you’re so special to me, lassie, and those children of yours. And you’ll make me very happy if you take what I give you and say no more about
it.’

When Esther heard that, she knew they had to respect her brother-in-law’s wishes. Standing up, she lightly tapped her own glass.

‘Well, everybody,’ she said. ‘This has been a most eventful birthday, and a day that was full of surprises. First of all, Alison coming home this morning, secondly, this
wonderful party, which Olivia so carefully and thoughtfully arranged, thirdly, and very special to me, my beloved’s public declaration of love, and finally dear Leo’s precious gifts to
our girls. We’ve always considered him to be a very important part of our family and wish him well in this new chapter of his life. I think it’s a wonderful idea for him to buy a
bungalow with access to all the medical facilities of the nursing home. Maybe when we’re eighty, in ten years’ time, Liam and I will be buying the one next door to him.’ That got
a laugh, apart from Bert and Tessa, who looked as if they’d swallowed cyanide.