I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day - Milly Johnson Page 0,57

the fire, everything washed down with red wine except for Charlie who had a gin and tonic with a maraschino cherry dropped in it.

‘Charlie has a real thing for cherries,’ said Robin. ‘I brought a jar with me in case they didn’t have any in Aviemore. Emergency cherries, as I call them.’

‘Maraschino cherries always smell of Christmas, I think,’ said Charlie. ‘I don’t have them at any other time of year but in December, because it makes me giddy and full of silly anticipation. Plus they count as one of my five a day. Along with the juniper berries in the gin, I’ve got two covered.’ He gave a little-boy chuckle and Robin rolled his eyes.

‘Three if you count the potato, Charlie,’ said Jack, tucking in to his.

‘Ooh yes, of course,’ Charlie’s musical chuckle extended a few bars.

‘These jacket spuds are wonderful,’ said Luke. ‘Simple and fabulous grub.’

‘I usually have cheese on mine but I’m not missing it at all,’ said Bridge.

‘We’re developing a vegan cheese,’ said Luke. ‘The ones out there presently are awful. I’m determined to crack a good recipe. I’m working with an actor whose roles dried up so he learned how to make cheese and started his own company, Praise Cheeses – terrible name; terrific cheese, though.’

Bridge noticed how fired up he was talking about his business. He really was unrecognisable from the Luke she married, who once nearly set the kitchen on fire when trying to make cheese on toast by using a toaster upended onto its side. The Luke she knew.

Jack licked some butter off his fingers, then scrunched up the tin foil.

‘That was perfection,’ he said. ‘We used to do these at school. We’d sneak out through the dorm windows and make a fire, bake potatoes in the hot coals. The whole process used to take up half the night.’

‘Boarding school?’ asked Luke.

‘Yes.’

‘Posh sod.’

‘Was it brutal?’ asked Charlie.

‘No, it was good. First year was a bit tough, when we were all pushed around a lot by the bigger boys. But I liked it. I’m still friends with a lot of them who were in my year. Plus I had an excellent education.’

‘Uni?’ asked Bridge.

‘Oxford.’

‘Posh sod,’ said Luke again.

Jack laughed. ‘Bit of a waste really. I was always going to join the family firm and not become a history professor. But I loved the subject and I enjoyed my time there.’

‘Did you go to university, Mary?’ asked Charlie.

‘No, I left college and went to work at Butterly’s,’ she replied. ‘I was lucky really because Jack’s father was looking for a secretary and I walked straight into the job.’ She knew she wouldn’t have got it had anyone else applied for it. Especially someone older and therefore ‘more sensible’ – and not being a brunette helped. ‘I’d had enough of studying, I wanted to get out there and earn some money.’

‘I’d have read English had I gone to university,’ said Charlie. ‘I would have taken my fill of Jane Austen and her works until my appetite was slaked. Robin would have read geography.’

‘How do you know what I’d have done?’ asked Robin, giving him a dirty look.

‘Because you love to travel and you know everything about everywhere.’

Robin contested that suggestion. ‘I might have done theology, for all you know. My mother wanted me to be a priest. Well, she did before she knew what my proclivities were.’

Charlie laughed at that. ‘You’d have made a wonderful cardinal whatever your proclivities. You look so fetching in red. Cardinal sin.’

‘Oh do stop, my sides are splitting,’ said Robin, holding himself, pretending to be in pain.

‘You’re like a double act, you two,’ said Bridge, smiling along with the others, enjoying the interchange between their two most senior members.

‘We have a lot of fun together, don’t we?’ Charlie grinned across at Robin, his eyes full of laughter.

‘We do, Captain, we do,’ said Robin. The moment hung between them for a long second, full of warmth and affection.

‘Right, I’ll clear up…’ began Luke.

‘No, you will not. I’ll clear up the dishes,’ said Charlie and would not be stopped.

‘I’ll make my crackers then,’ said Luke and went off hunting for things to make them with.

Bridge decided to go and find something for her secret Santa present. She’d pulled Luke’s name out of the hat, which was the one she really didn’t want.

‘Fancy a game of chess?’ Jack asked anyone who’d answer.

‘I will,’ said Mary. She already knew what to give for her Secret Santa present. It was a bit corny, but she