Chloë noted that the Christmas-morning service was thinly attended: older members of the congregation feared falls on the ice and snow. She, Alexa and Simon had arrived with Gary and Kelly, who had stayed the night after the carol concert, not wanting to make the trek to the Bunker. Ariadne and Hebe had made it, too, with Clive and Natalie.
Father Dennis kept it brief, for the church was cold, and he invited them all back to the vicarage for hot drinks and mince pies. Chloë was in a rush to get her dinner going, but stayed to be polite. ‘I’ve got the colonel coming. I don’t suppose he’ll want to venture out on foot. I hope he’s warm in that old stone house. Simon will give him a lift later.’
‘He’ll be on his first noggin, if I know him. Didn’t we all do well last night?’ said Father Dennis. ‘And now, with no lights or power, we’ll have to fall on our own initiative. I’ll light the barbecue for grilled turkey steaks this year.’
Thank goodness for the wood-burning stove. It’s not quite an Aga, but it’ll pot-roast the turkey and trimmings given time, Chloë thought, as they plodded through the lanes. But on second thoughts, maybe the vicar’s idea was a good one…The snow was slushy and slippery so she held onto Alexa in case she fell. It would be a bigger gathering than usual, with Alexa, Clive, Natalie, Gary, Kelly, Ariadne and Hebe, but Chloë loved a houseful of friends old and new. It was made all the more special by having her daughter with her to help prepare the table and entertain the guests.
She was bursting to announce the secret that she would become a grandmother in the coming year. All those months of anxiety had evaporated with Alexa’s news. Chloë would take on her duties with joy because Alexa, for all her independence, would need her support. However, if she had learnt anything these past few months, it was that Alexa was a grown-up, with her own ideas and plans. Chloë must step back and wait to be asked, not barge in uninvited.
This was turning out to be one of the best Christmases ever and there was still New Year and Epiphany to come. How glad she was that they had persevered with the Christmas choir. Ariadne had done them proud, after all the dramas of the fire and the snow. No one could accuse island life of being boring. Ariadne had told them how she had discovered Elodie’s private notebooks and that Simon and Gary had plans to put them up as an ebook, to raise more funds for the appeal. Gary had ideas for marketing and planned to contact Elodie’s publishers with a view to reissuing some of her best novels and reviving her profile with new readers.
Even Kelly was coming round to the idea of joining in, thanks to Alexa. She had brought some of her lovely knitwear for babies and toddlers to sell for the appeal. Not the usual pink and blue but colourful, jazzy designs, which Alexa said would sell well. She had squirrelled away some for herself, with a generous donation to the fund.
As they relaxed in front of the fire, Simon looked at the clock. ‘I’ll collect Arthur and bring him over,’ he said.
‘Can I join you?’ said Ariadne. ‘I have a plant to give him and I want to thank him for supporting us. He asked me to call in, said he had something private to discuss, but I never got round to it.’
‘Don’t be long – I’ve just decided to cut up the turkey and cook the pieces on the barbecue, like the vicar. It’ll be quicker and the veg can go on the stove. Make sure the old man wraps up well.’
Alexa served champagne with canapés, while Hebe helped prepare the vegetables and Chloë dealt with the turkey.
‘Did you enjoy the concert?’ Chloë asked, as they chopped.
‘What concert was that?’ Hebe replied, smiling.
‘Last night’s carol concert in the hall. You were playing the piano,’ Chloë said.
‘Did it go well? I heard it on the radio. The carols from King’s College. We always listen to the World Service,’ Hebe replied.
Chloë said nothing. Poor Hebe had forgotten that she was at the front, playing her heart out. Ariadne must be carrying this burden alone. No wonder she looked so grey and exhausted. Chloë glanced at the clock. They had been gone nearly half an hour. Had they got stuck in the snow or had an accident? What could be keeping them?