Читать книгу Christmas at Strand House: A gorgeously uplifting festive romance! - Linda Mitchelmore - Страница 17

‘This feels a bit strange, doesn’t it?’ Janey said now she was alone with Xander. Bobbie had gone for a walk saying she needed exercise and fresh air after the journey, but Janey had the suspicion she’d gone present-buying for them all, which Janey hoped she hadn’t as she had no money with which to reciprocate. Lissy was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches to the evening meal, so she said, and she’d also said she didn’t need help doing it. She’d told Janey to sit with Xander and chat. She’d given Janey a bottle of Pinot Grigio and two glasses to chat over. ‘That’ll loosen my tongue,’ Janey had said nervously. She wasn’t used to small talk, or very much talk at all to be honest.

‘Would that be good strange, or bad strange?’ Xander said. ‘Hey, give me that bottle because you’re in dire danger of snapping the neck off. Your knuckles have gone white.’ He reached towards her for the bottle that Lissy had already uncorked. ‘And the glasses, Janey. They look like rather fragile, quality glasses from where I’m standing.’

Janey did as she was told. She was used to doing what she was told around Stuart because to resist only exacerbated whatever terrible situation she was in.

‘I think, Janey,’ Xander said, setting the glasses down on a side-table in the sitting room and filling them, and handing one to Janey, ‘that Lissy won’t mind if we sit down.’ He patted the couch nearest him, but there were four in the vast room from which to choose, plus a single arm chair by the window. All were covered in some sort of white linen, like the boiled and bleached teatowels Janey remembered from visits to her grandmother when she’d been small.

Janey sat on the nearest one.

‘So, back to strange – what’s strange, Janey?’

‘Us being here,’ Janey said, taking a sip of wine. ‘I mean, we’ve been friends on Facebook and you’ve messaged me about my paintings, so we sort of know one another, but not really.’

‘Time to make amends, then. And four days to do it in.’

Janey pressed her lips together, fearful emotion would spill out. Xander was being so kind, so courteous of her, and doing his best to put her at her ease when ease was the last thing she felt at that moment – she was tense, everyting pulled tight, wondering if Stuart had found her note yet and what his reaction would be when he did.

‘I only had four days getting to know Claire, but it felt as though I’d known her forever,’ Janey said. ‘She was so kind inviting me to join her and Lissy for a drink after the first class. Bobbie came, too, because Claire said the others seemed in awe of her, how beautiful she was to paint. People were going off in little groups to go for a meal or a drink or a walk or something and Claire said Bobbie looked lonely so she invited her along too and … oh God, sorry. It must hurt to have her name brought up at every turn and now I have.’

Janey took a huge gulp of wine so words that perhaps ought not to be said didn’t come splurting out.

‘It’s okay. People around me, who knew Claire well, and who break their necks not to mention her so that it seems for them, and me, she never existed, upset me more. You’ve mentioned her name for the first time and I haven’t gone to pieces, have I?’

Janey shook her head.

‘And I expect, over this Christmas break we’re all on, her name will be mentioned a few more times as well before we all leave again on the 27^th. Shall we have a little toast, you and me?’ Xander sat down beside Janey and raised his glass. ‘To memories of Claire, whatever form those memories take.’

God, how kind he was. His kindness was like some sort of balm to Janey’s bruised soul. She hadn’t known men as kind as this existed.

‘To memories of Claire,’ Janey said, as they clinked glasses. Her memories of Claire were all good ones. How vibrant and full of life she’d been. How beautiful. How she was absolutely rubbish at art on that weekend workshop but it didn’t seem to matter. She was with her friend, Lissy, and learning something new, and she was having fun. And laughing. It seemed to Janey that Claire had laughed constantly that weekend, her head thrown back with the weight of her laugh so that her café au lait curls rippled. And she’d been generous in her praise of Janey’s life-drawing, urging her to do something with it. Sell her work, or teach, but – Claire had said – Janey had to do something, or Claire would come and shake a big stick at her … that last over more than a few glasses of wine in the White Hart. But now she could never come and shake that stick, could she? And Janey was yet to do something with her art.

‘Now, tell me about you. What have you been doing since I last saw you?’

‘Um …’ Janey said and then clammed up.

‘Which was at Claire’s funeral. So, now we’ve got that word out of the way as well.’ Xander smiled gently at her. ‘And that was three years ago. It’s a myth, you know, that men only ever want to talk about themselves. I know you’re good at art because Claire was full of how good you are when she got back from the workshop, or whatever it was.’

‘Was she?’

‘She was, indeed. And it must have been fulsome praise if I’ve remembered. So, how’s that going? I’d like to buy something but you’ll never sell me anything. Any reason?’

Because Stuart says it’s no better than a six-year-old could do. Because stupidly I let myself believe that. Because to go against his wishes would have meant another tirade of abusive words and possibly some fists thrown in as well.

Janey couldn’t tell Xander any of that, could she? And neither should she. She blinked back tears, but one escaped and she brushed it away hastily with the back of her hand.

But Xander saw.

‘Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me a thing. I must be right out of practice at talking to women if I’m making you cry. I’m sorry. Here, have a top-up.’

Xander reached for the bottle and topped up her glass.

And then Bobbie came breezing in, filling the room with her vibrant clothes and her even more vibrant personality and Janey had never been so pleased to see anyone in her life. She felt herself relax. For now.