Christmas at the Farmhouse - Rebecca Boxall Page 0,28

drink and be merry with us. Then came the predictable spanner in the works: the doorbell rang again. And there, on the front doorstep, stood Astrid’s new man: Jack.

‘You’d better come in,’ I said. ‘It’s freezing!’

‘I’m so sorry just to drop in like this. I tried calling Astrid’s mobile but there was no answer…’

‘She’s been baking,’ I explained. In the kitchen everyone still stood about, munching on biscuits and cakes and chatting away. When Astrid saw who was behind me her cheeks started to turn pink. She glanced guiltily at Xav.

‘Hi,’ Xav said, holding out a hand to Jack with a quizzical look on his face. ‘I’m Xav. Are you one of Freja’s friends?’

‘No,’ Astrid jumped in. ‘Actually, he’s my friend. From work. This is Jack.’

All credit to Xav, he kept the smile on his face. ‘Ah, Jack… yes, Astrid mentioned she was going out with you at the weekend. I hope you had a good evening.’

‘Really good, thanks,’ Jack said, shaking Xav’s hand. ‘Nice to meet you.’ Then he turned to Astrid. ‘I’m so sorry, turning up like this. It’s just… could we have a quiet word?’

‘Of course,’ Astrid said, smiling, and she led Jack out of the kitchen.

‘Well, that was awkward,’ said Xav, helping himself to another æbleskiver as if for consolation.

‘You did well,’ I re-assured him.

‘It was like a kick in the stomach,’ he said and Freja abandoned her biscuit and pulled him into a hug.

Sunny looked completely confused, as well he might, while Magnus looked like he was about to cry. He slapped Xav on the back.

‘I’m so sorry old boy,’ he said. ‘That things haven’t worked out.’

‘Me too,’ Xav replied. ‘But it’s not like it wasn’t mutual. We both decided it wasn’t working. I guess I just didn’t expect her to move on so soon.’

‘I don’t think it’s anything serious,’ I said, trying to comfort him. ‘They’ve only just met.’

Xav looked slightly mollified by this and said his goodbyes to us, while I packed him up a paper bag full of pancake balls to take with him. ‘We’ll see you on Christmas Eve!’ I shouted out to him, as he jumped into his car.

When I returned to the kitchen I saw that Astrid and Jack were back. Astrid’s eyes were red.

‘Has Xav gone?’ she asked.

‘Yes, I was just waving him off. What’s the matter, sweetheart?’

‘Jack’s got a new job,’ she said glumly.

‘Oh, well congratulations!’ I said brightly, turning to Jack.

‘As a foreign correspondent in Iran for the BBC,’ Astrid explained and the red eyes suddenly made sense.

‘Oh!’

‘I applied for the job at the same time as the one in Jersey. I’d had interviews for the Iranian one but hadn’t heard anything so I said ‘yes’ to the one I was offered over here. Then this morning I had a phone call saying I’d got the job as foreign correspondent. It’s a big job. A dream job! I couldn’t say no.’ Though poor Jack looked as upset as Astrid.

‘When do you have to leave?’ I asked.

‘The day after Boxing Day,’ he admitted and I saw Astrid’s eyes fill with tears.

‘Mum, can Jack have Christmas with us? Please! We need to make the most of the time we’ve got left. And Jack hasn’t got any family over here. He was going to go to a café for lunch on Christmas Day!’

I couldn’t have that, whether or not Jack was leaving, and, regardless of the complications the prospect threw up, I immediately smiled at him and said, ‘Of course!’

‘We’d love that, wouldn’t we?’ I added, turning to Magnus and Freja and, indeed Sunny. Suddenly, I felt supremely magnanimous. ‘And you, Sunny! Would you like to come for Christmas, too? We have a bit of hybrid Danish-Jersey affair, so we’ll have a big meal on Christmas Eve and then lunch on Christmas Day, too. Come for both!’

Freja shot me one of her looks but I ignored her. It was no time for anyone to be on their own. The politics and dynamics could be considered later. For now, as Sunny smiled and said he’d love to, and as Astrid and Jack kissed, I decided to put the kettle on and offer round more cakes.

Chapter Fifteen

March 1969

Susan

At the end of March, shortly after my seventeenth birthday, Mr Jenners’ mother died. He disappeared to the funeral, Robin having decided not to go with him, as he’d never been close to his grandmother. Mr Jenners was away for two nights. On the second evening I said goodnight to my parents and then