In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (131) – Christmas Eve

 

December

 

The Dulcets were a collection of villages and hamlets comprising of Dulcet Meadow, Dulcet St Mary, Dulcet Green and Dulcet-on-Brooke, to name but a few, and of course Dulcet-on-Willow which was a large sprawling village beside the gentle shallow River Willow, which ran unhurriedly from the Pepperstock Hills to the more vibrant River Brooke, and 30 years old, Louise Sexton woke up very early on Christmas Eve feeling apprehensive.

It was the first time she’d spent the night in her own home since November, she had spent the time in between at the Ocean View Hotel in Pipershaven, where she and her best friend Jade Edwards were appearing at the Heartstone Theatre in Cinderella.

The theatre was dark on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so she returned home after the last performance on the 23rd.

But it was not her return home, nor her waking alone that had left her feeling apprehensive, it was something that had first begun on St Andrew’s Day at a dinner party.

 

Popular Children’s Writer, Chania Campbell, had made her home in the village of Pepperstock Green and on St Andrews Day she was hosting a dinner party, and among the guests were Louise Sexton and Jade Edwards, a pair of visiting thespians.

The hostess had first met Louise after they both took part in the World Book Day events at Pipershaven Library, and they became friends, but that evening was the first time Jade and Chania had met.

 

Also at the party was Harry Smedley, Chania’s Literary agent, who Louise first met just after the World Book Day events, when she was starring in a play at the Heartstone Theatre, and there was an instant attraction, but Louise found out he was married to his business partner Tracey, so she backed off, however she had since discovered that they were not a couple.

Harry and Tracey had divorced the year before, but it was a completely amicable split, because after eight years of marriage they both realized it wasn’t really working, they loved each other, and still did, but they were not in love.

In fact, they still lived under the same roof, in the same house, after the split, and planned to sell the house, or buy the other one out, if, and when their personal circumstances changed.

So domestic life for them wasn’t really very different to when they were married, and it really should have been if they belonged together as a couple, so they knew they had made the right decision, and even after the divorce they were still best friends, and of course they still worked together at the Literary Agency they founded, Smedley and associates.

Even after they stopped living as man and wife, the split was so amicable that they kept up their long-standing routine of travelling to and from work together.

So, it was no wonder that Louise jumped to the wrong conclusion, and she’d left Sharpington when the theatre Company took the play to Abbottsford, when she discovered the truth of the arrangement.

But when she was back in Pipershaven, so was he and he was in touching distance, although his ex was also at the dinner party, so she thought she should be forgiven for getting the wrong end of the stick again.

From the first moment she got “eyes on” she kept them on and when the time came for them to take their seats she found that she was seated opposite him and focused all her attention on him and made it patently obvious she only had eyes for him.

 

At the end of the evening and they had said good night to Chania her BFF Jade had “Eyes on” a man of her own so Harry offered to drive them back to the hotel.

 

Louise and Harry chatted as much as they had all evening and then they were suddenly at the hotel almost before they had time to blink and were getting out of the car.

Aiden suggested they go round the corner to a club, but they declined and then she asked desperately

“Do you want to come in for a nightcap?”

“Ok just a quick one” he said, and she was feeling very smug as they went inside

 

When she was halfway down the glass of wine she said

“Perhaps we can do something over the weekend, dinner, maybe” she suggested

“The Panto doesn’t open until Monday, so I’m completely free”

“Ah” he responded

“Ah?” she repeated “I don’t like the sound of “Ah”, is it an “Ah” I’m back with my wife or “Ah” I’m with someone else or “Ah” I’m gay”

“None of the above” he said

“Phew”

“Do you remember me telling you during dinner that my sister Lizzie had twins?”

“Yes” she replied, “Oh God are they ill?”

“Not them” he replied.

“Lizzie has PPD, Postpartum depression” he replied “and she’s not coping and nor is her husband”

“Oh dear”

The upshot was that he had to go to Millmoor to help out and would be away for a couple of weeks.

She knew that her next day off wasn’t until the 13th so she invited him to dinner, and he said he would try and make it back.

 

They parted company in reception where he kissed her cheek and then she watched him leave, and it hurt, it really hurt and that really surprised her, why did it hurt? She knew she liked him, but obviously it was more than that if it hurt.

“Why does it hurt?” she asked herself as she walked towards the stairs and then she stopped.

“My God I love him” she exclaimed.

 

The time hung heavy until the 13th, St Lucy’s Day, but he did make it back for their dinner date.

She was sitting at the bar, perched on a barstool drinking brandy, and feeling its warmth spread through her, still wearing jeans and a sweater, when Harry arrived.

“Hi” he said as he leant in and kissed her cheek and breathed in the fragrance of apples on her hair, the aroma of coconut on her skin and an overall presence of expensive perfume.

“Oh bugger” she screamed inside her head, she had planned to wear a brand-new white silk dress decorated with tiny pink roses, over some recently purchased very classy lingerie, and be made up to perfection, and instead she was wearing jeans and a sweater.

“You look lovely” he said as he sat down on the vacant stool.

“And you smell good enough to eat.”

“I am supposed to look gorgeous” she said sadly.

“You do look gorgeous” he said, “And you smell delicious, not like me, I look like I haven’t slept for two weeks, hang on, I haven’t slept for two weeks, and I smell of baby sick.”

She leant close into him and breathed in his aftershave and its effect on her was almost sensual, so much so that she almost buried her face in his neck before she sat up again.

“Not a hint of baby sick” she declared. 

“Honestly?” he asked.

“Honestly” she replied as she caught the barman’s eye “Another please, and whatever my…. guest wants?”

“I’ll have the same” he said.

“I don’t know about you but I’m starving, shall eat now?”

“Hmm good idea” she replied and when the drinks appeared they made their way to the restaurant.

 

When they were seated at the table she asked

“How’s your sister?”

“She’s getting better, slowly” he replied.

“And the twins?”

“They are fantastic, smelly, but fantastic.”

He said and as they ate he explained in detail.

After that the conversation was more general, but as much as the conversation flowed, so did the wine and Louise, who had always been a lightweight drank too much, and when she drinks too much she is too honest.

“I’ve really missed you” she said, and he was both surprised and pleased by the revelation and he wondered if he had heard her correctly or if it was just the wines effect on his processing ability, in the end he decided he hadn’t misheard and responded.

“I missed you too.”

“Really?”

“Really” he confirmed.

“Oh, good because I was really worried that I loved you and you didn’t love me back” she said and giggled, but then she realized he was just looking at her and not speaking and she began to back track.

“What I meant to say is… um… err… I… erm… oh I’m sorry” she said “I used the “L” word didn’t I.”

“Yes, you did” he confirmed “and it’s ok because I think I love you too, but”

“But….”

“Oh shit, why is there, a but, I don’t like the “but”, one little bit.”

 “But….” He continued “I have to go back to Millmoor tomorrow, and I’ll probably won’t be back until Christmas.”

She looked crestfallen, so he took hold of her hand.

“I have to be there for my sister’s family right now, but I want there to be an “us”, but I can’t give you that right now” he said as he held her hand “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to, do you understand?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Can you wait?”

“Yes” she said, “on one condition.”

“Name it”

“That you give me your mobile number, so I can talk to you or text you or something” she said.

“I’ve already put it in your phone.”

“You have?”

“Yes” he replied, “Now I think it’s time to get you to bed.”

“Oh goody, I like the sound of that.”

“Calm down hot stuff” he said, “I need to get you to bed so you have a good night’s sleep and then we can spend an enjoyable few hours together tomorrow morning, before I have to leave for Millmoor and you have to be at the theatre.”

 

Louise tottered along the corridor beside him but when they paused to allow an elderly lady to go through the fire doors ahead of them, she looked up at him through soulful eyes and he kissed her, a kiss she had longed for since the moment she first met him.

After the long-awaited kiss, they walked hand in hand to the door of her room where they kissed again before he unlocked the door and pushed it open, but Louise paused in the doorway.

“I’m sorry” she said.

“For what?”

“For being so needy.”

“You’re not needy, so don’t apologize for being you” he said and kissed her once more.

 

They met for breakfast the next morning and stayed together until lunchtime when he had to leave and it was heart-breaking to watch him drive away but she knew he was doing the right thing and it was only going to be ten days, she had done longer before and this time she could contact him, and she had the memory of hearing her declaration of love returned in word and deed and that would sustain her.

The panto kept her distracted as did Jade, when she wasn’t off with her new man, but it was impossible of course to exclude him from her thoughts or stop him invading her dreams.

They were in constant touch via text, phone and email, though it wasn’t easy to find a mutually convenient time for a lengthy converse, due to her keeping different hours, but they managed somehow.

 

It was just before lunch on Christmas Eve when he phoned, she had just finished putting the last of the decorations up, and she didn’t look at the caller ID she just took a deep breath and hit the button.

“Hello” she said

“Hey Louise” he said

“Harry?” she asked “God it’s good to hear your voice”

“Ditto” he replied, “Where are you?”

“I’m in the Dulcets” she replied, “Are you still in Millmoor?”

“No, I’m back in Pepperstock” he replied

“When are you coming?”

“Tonight” he replied “I need to spend a couple of hours in the office first”

“I can’t wait” she said “Have you made a decision? About us”

“Yes, I have” he replied

“And?” she enquired trying to keep the anxiety out of her voice

“Well let me put it this way, you remember that sexy outfit you were going to wear when we went out for dinner?”

“Yes”

“Wear it tonight” he said

“Really?”

“Really” he confirmed

“So, what time tonight?”

“Around seven” he replied

“I’d better get to the shop; I’ve got nothing in” she said excitedly

“Let yourself in if I’m not back, I’ll email you a map to the house and the secret hiding place, so you know where the key is”

“Ok, I’ll see you tonight then” he said

“Ok, bye”

 

She immediately left the house after hanging up the phone and drove to the nearest Stephenson’s Supermarket to stock up on essentials and while she was there, she bought the makings of a Christmas dinner, just in case Harry stayed over, and to make sure she made an unrelated purchase.

After the shopping expedition, she put the groceries away and tidied up, then she changed the bedding before having a shower, she would have preferred a leisurely bath but she didn’t have time, and then she got perfumed, powdered, preened and made up to perfection, then she put on the outfit she had planned to wear when they met for dinner at the Hotel, her brand new bought for the occasion white silk dress decorated with tiny pink roses, over the very classy lingerie she bought at the same time, the only addition were the stockings she’d bought that afternoon.

After slipping on her shoes, she looked at the slim figure in the mirror and smiled at her reflection.

“Not bad” she declared and flicked at her shoulder length brunette hair.

Then she looked at the clock and realized she had almost an hour before he was due, so she sat in the armchair and checked her phone.

 

It was after six o’clock when Harry left Pipershaven and travelled the short distance to Dulcet-on-Willow.

He had used the post code Louise had given him, and almost as soon as it informed him

“You have arrived”

Her house came into view, so he indicated and pulled onto the drive, there were lights on downstairs, so he knocked on the door, but there was no answer.

So as per Louise’s instructions he reached up under the right-hand side of the porch and retrieved the key and let himself in.

He dropped his bag quietly in the hall and opened the lounge door and when he walked into the room he saw her, and his heart soared.

She was wearing a beautiful silk dress and was curled up in an armchair with her feet tucked beneath her, and beneath the folds of her dress he could just make out her stocking top.

Louise was hugging a cushion to her chest, and instantly an unabated wave of love washed over him, and he immediately knew he wanted her in his life forever.

He had missed her so much while he was away, but there she was, stunningly attractive, and staggeringly sexy, and furthermore she loved him.
The first time he saw her he thought she was the sexiest girl he’d ever seen, and he thought so still.

He stood over Louise and stared affectionately down at her for the longest time, as she slept so soundly.
He didn’t really want to wake her, she looked so at peace, he should have let her sleep, but if he had she would not have thanked him, in fact she would have been very miffed.
So he knelt beside her and roused her gently and as she stirred from her slumber, her eyes slowly opened and then widened.

“Hello Darling” he said and when she saw him, she smiled.

“I fell asleep” she said “While I was waiting for you”

“I know honey” he said

“I was having a lovely dream”

“Were you? What was it about?”

“It was about you” she replied

“Tell me about it?” he asked

“I can’t”

“Why not?”

“It was rude” she replied coyly and blushed

“Tell me later then” he said and kissed her

“Hmmm” she responded “I’ve missed you”

“I missed you too” he replied and then he scooped the woman he loved in his arms and carried her to bed.