Last Christmas (14 page)

Ella, feeling rather smug and proud of herself had a new burst of energy. This was going to be the best Christmas ever! She had saved herself and now she was going to save her new relationship. Ella put her coat back on, got in the car and started the engine.

*

Fergus’ driveway was longer than Ella had expected it to be. It was lined with gigantic oak trees that looked as if they reached right up to the sky. Snowy fields looked magical and reminded her of the set of the
Nutcracker
. Eventually the trees thinned out and the drive opened up into a clearing where a gorgeous Georgian rectory stood. Warm orange light from inside the windows made the golden stone look like it was glowing. Ella stopped her car a few hundred yards before the house and took in its grandeur. The portico with it’s extended pillars and black door was so stately. Ella was suddenly hit by the stupidity of her trip. Was she going to knock on the front door and just ask whoever opened it if she could see Fergus? Ella drove her car a little further and stopped it next to a collection of bushes on the right of the house. She stepped out of the car sheepishly and could just make out a face look out of one of the bedrooms at the top of the house. She heard a rustling through the trees in front of her and then a crunching of footsteps on the gravel as Fergus turned the corner. He was holding a pile of logs in his arms and was using his chin to keep the top logs from falling. He had heard a car approaching and was curious to see which family members had arrived for lunch when he saw Ella. He dropped some of the logs on the floor in suprise. Ella smiled nervously and said hello.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, putting all the logs on the floor. “You look freezing. Your face is blue!”

“I am! Look Fergus, I know this is mad me coming to see you and on Christmas too, but I felt I owed you an explanation. You rushed off so quickly last night and you weren’t answering my calls and I couldn’t bear to think that you were upset with me.”

Fergus’ eyes widened. She had his full attention so she moved one step closer to him.

“The man who showed up last night and at my exhibition is called Robbie Newton. He is my ex-boyfriend.” Ella explained her entire history with Robbie in as few a words as she could. She told him about their split and how he had returned and proposed to her. She explained that nothing had happened between them last night; she had put Robbie to bed on her sofa and this morning they had left things amicably. Then, she had decided she had to drive and explain the whole situation to Fergus, although a flat tyre had held her back.

“I didn’t tell you at the exhibition who he was because I didn’t want to drag him into our new relationship and I didn’t know why he was back. I met with him on Saturday night to understand why he had come back and to finally talk with him face to face about the end of our relationship. I never expected him to propose and I didn’t foresee the kiss. I’m afraid I got caught up in the moment, but I knew as soon as I kissed him that it was wrong. I said no and I actually ran away laughing because I was happy in the knowledge that there was only one person I wanted to see and kiss.” Ella stepped closer to Fergus now and put her hands on his upper arms and looked into his eyes as she spoke. “I know we haven’t known each other long and you must think I’m bonkers for coming here but … well Fergus Lamb, I’m falling for you and would like nothing more than for us to be together.”

Fergus sighed with a smile and pulled her in close to his chest. Ella could see figures forming in the window behind him but she didn’t care. Right now, she just wanted to be held by Fergus. He looked down at her so tenderly, this beautiful woman with such a frozen face, her dimples seemed to be eternally stuck.

“Oh Ella,” he said finally. “I have completely and utterly fallen for you too. I love you,” he said as he brushed a curl from over her eye.

Ella’s insides melted.

“I love you too,” she said barely able to contain her glee. Fergus dipped down to kiss her and ran his hand through her icy hair. Their eyes locked and they smiled at each other until Fergus spoke again. “I’m sorry I left so suddenly last night and didn’t answer your calls. I thought it best to remove myself from the equation. Thought that perhaps I was holding you back from saying yes and if I stepped back you’d be able to make your decision with no guilt. I guess I was trying to be noble about it but it was killing me not knowing what was happening.”

“I didn’t want to say yes Fergus,” she said, nuzzling into the warmth of his neck. “I wanted you,” she whispered.

“I’m so glad you did. And I can’t believe you drove all the way out here for me and had to change a tyre in the snow!”

Ella laughed into his chest and then stepped back from him.

“Now, I’m sure my family are dying to meet the mysterious girl I’m kissing in the drive. Let’s go inside.”

“That’s so sweet of you, but I can’t gate-crash your Christmas.”

“Nonsense Ell. You’re freezing and I want to spend Christmas with you. Let’s go in and have some eggnog. My mum makes an excellent home-made one.”

Ella giggled and kissed him tenderly on his cheek.

“What is it?” he asked, a smile spreading through his red silvery stubble.

Ella was chuckling at his mention of eggnog; little did Fergus know that only seconds before she had met him for the first time twelve days ago, she had been thinking about eggnog.

“Nothing,” she said sweetly. “I was just thinking that this Christmas is already the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

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Last Christmas
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