I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day - Milly Johnson Page 0,74

do that for you,’ said Robin. ‘Any other disbursements? Do you want me to give Jack your car and Luke your Rolex?’

Charlie laughed. ‘I’ll think of something for them and write it down for you to execute. Now, in the locked left cupboard of my desk at home, you’ll find all the information you need on investments and bank accounts, national insurance number, insurances, passwords. I’ve got all the financial affairs organised. I’ve been in contact with the funeral director and given him a running order of the service already so you don’t need to bother about all that.’

‘You didn’t have to do this, Charlie.’

‘I wanted to. It helped me come to terms with things, gave me some control. In a way it was quite comforting. What would haunt me is looking down, seeing you flummoxed by having to make decisions your head just doesn’t want to deal with at that time. But there are some extras I wanted to talk to you about.’

‘Okay,’ said Robin, seeing how much this meant to Charlie and feeling a tinge of regret that he’d shied away from doing this before. It wasn’t as traumatic as he’d imagined – so far.

‘I want Christmas foliage on my basket coffin. Holly and poinsettia flowers. And mistletoe.’

‘If it’s available out of season,’ said Robin, tapping this into his phone.

‘We both know I’m not going to last until the bluebells come out, darling. Now music. There’s a change. I want, “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” and—’

‘You can’t have that,’ protested Robin. ‘It’s far too jolly.’

‘Every day has been Christmas with you, my dear capable Anne.’

Robin gave his head a wobble, a sharp intake of breath to steady himself.

‘You can stop that as well. Making me emotional. This is the longest half hour of my life already.’

Charlie nudged him affectionately with his shoulder.

‘I’ve left Dotty five thousand pounds in my will but I want her to have ten.’

‘Eh? She’ll be the richest cleaner in Hertfordshire.’

‘She’s been a godsend. And put her wage up.’

‘Shall I transfer the deeds of the house to her as well?’

‘It’ll be your house when I pass, you do what you like with it. What song did you think of having in the middle when everyone is supposed to have bowed heads and sentimental thoughts of me?’

‘ “Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead”,’ said Robin, which made Charlie hoot.

Robin drew his eyebrows together. ‘I don’t know. I don’t want to think about this stuff at all.’

‘You have to. And sorting it out now is better than after when it will be so much harder work because you’ll be tired and confused. Can’t you remember the state I was in when my mother passed?’

Robin could. He hadn’t been far behind Charlie in the upset stakes either. He’d adored Charlie’s mother.

‘Let me tell you what I’ve picked. It can only be Vera singing “We’ll Meet Again”,’ said Charlie.

‘Ooh, that’s naff.’ Robin winced.

‘I don’t care, I want it. And I want people to sing along, and to sway as they’re doing it. And don’t even try to negotiate probate, I’ve left instructions with Reuben to do all the legal stuff. You can trust him, you know you can.’

Reuben was Charlie’s nephew, both he and Robin were very fond of him. Not so much his sister Rosa who strangely had only started visiting when they’d heard Uncle Charlie was ill. Circling like a starving vulture, Robin had said. He wasn’t fooled by her sudden concern for her uncle’s well-being.

‘I’ve left the clothes I want to wear in the third bedroom wardrobe. In an old Savile Row suit box. I thought I’d meet my maker in the dark grey suit we got married in. Yellow cravat and I’d like a white Yorkshire rose in my buttonhole, just like on the day.’

They’d had bespoke matching suits, even down to the matching shoes.

‘Underwear, socks, it’s all in there. You can leave off the top hat. It made my head sweat.’

‘You’ve done that too?’ Robin looked at him incredulously.

‘Yes, Robin. I want to save you as many duties as possible. I know you, you’ll dither for ages worrying that you’ve picked the right things – are these the socks he would have chosen? – so I’ve taken it upon myself to do this. Don’t come and see me lying there inanimate in the Chapel of Rest, remember me as I was.’

Robin nodded. He was grateful for that because he didn’t think he could bear seeing Charlie lying there still. Charlie and still didn’t