Love Letters (49 page)

She didn’t tell her family that she’d invited Edward for Christmas. She hadn’t really meant to lie to them, but she didn’t work hard enough at finding an opportunity to do it. They were all so busy, preoccupied with deciding who should have what from the house.

Evie had two brothers, Bill and Derek, both married. Donna, the vegetarian who was causing Evie such food-stress, was married to Bill. Derek’s wife was much more practical but she always made Evie feel like a bit of an idiot. It was probably because Sarah never saw Evie in her working environment, running a team of sales staff, but only when she was being domestic, and not making a good job of it.

Evie’s own sister was the eldest of the family. Diane was married to a lovely man called William who always reminded Evie of a Labrador, friendly and always trying to be helpful – not always succeeding. Diana nagged him horribly, Evie felt. But then Diane nagged everyone, especially Evie.

They all had two children each, and Evie always called them the wrong names which caused huge offence although Evie had no idea why. She always got people’s names wrong – as had their mother before her.

Christmas Eve went well, Evie felt. She had bought things to add to the children’s stockings and had even bought stripy socks and filled them for the adults. This had kept everyone in bed for a bit longer than usual on Christmas morning, giving Evie time to defrost croissants and make Buck’s Fizz. Her sister would disapprove of champagne at breakfast, even if it was mixed with orange juice. Donna would sweetly but firmly refuse all the organic, wheat-free, stone-ground, air-dried, free-range cereals that Evie had bought on spec, and eat half a banana and some wheat germ, produced from her own bag of healthy supplies. The men would probably demand eggs and bacon and there was no telling what, if anything, the children would want for breakfast, they were probably full of chocolate already.

The present opening would go on after lunch so now, after breakfast, and with a huge effort, Evie managed to get them all to go for a walk. She didn’t go with them, she wanted to fiddle with the vegetables and wonder what to cook for Donna. Donna had asked her what she was getting for Christmas dinner. Evie had said it was a surprise.

Annoyingly a fine rain descended and the walkers came back early. Evie had depended on them being out until at least midday giving her plenty of time to cook. Edward, she decided, was a figment of her imagination. She’d so wanted to meet a nice man who’d cook a vegetarian dish for her she’d created one in her head.

She didn’t want sisterly help so she sent the women into the dining room to set the table and make it festive, the children into the den to watch telly – an illicit treat in the daytime for those particular ones. The men she sent down to the cellar to sort out wine. They could spend a happy time there discussing what her parents had bought over the years and if any of it was still decent.

When she heard the doorbell ring she was surprised but delighted to find Edward on the doorstep, his arms full of carrier bags. Not that she’d thought about him all morning. She’d gone for quite long spells – as much as ten minutes at a time – without giving him a thought.

It was hard to decide if he was actually more attractive than she’d remembered him or if he just seemed more attractive because she thought she’d made him up anyway. In her head she’d just made him a keen cook and didn’t allow him long legs or a quirky smile or anything else he seemed to have in reality.

‘Hello! I didn’t think you’d come!’ she said, instantly aware it made her sound terribly needy.

‘I didn’t think you’d be here. I thought I’d find the house empty and shuttered, or sold and half-converted.’

They laughed awkwardly. ‘Come in,’ said Evie. ‘Happy Christmas.’

He put down the large number of carrier bags he had with him. ‘Happy Christmas.’ He bent and kissed her cheek.

Evie flushed, hoping he’d just think it was slaving over a hot stove that made her so pink, and very glad she had dressed carefully for Christmas Day and was looking OK.

‘Come into the kitchen. Let me get you a drink.’ She didn’t say, ‘come quickly before the family see you,’ although she wanted to.

The kitchen was fairly tidy, in that the table was only partly covered in potatoes, carrots, parsnips and sprouts, some half-made stuffing and various attempts at vegetarian options.

‘Oh, so you had a go yourself then,’ said Edward, seeing the soaking bulgur wheat and the tofu, still in its bag. A packet of alfalfa looked very like duck weed.

‘I had to. In case.’

He didn’t ask ‘in case what.’ ‘Well, as I had the time I made a dish all ready. You just need to put it in the oven.’

Evie, who’d had her breakfast champagne without the sobering effects of orange juice embraced him. ‘You’re an angel!’

Just then the eldest child came in. Luke was ten. ‘Oh, Auntie Evie. Hey, everyone, Aunt Evie’s got a man in the kitchen!’

Had he shouted ‘fire’ they would not have appeared as quickly, but as it was the kitchen was filled with people within seconds. And they were all staring. They were so used to Evie being single that the sight of her with a very attractive man in the family kitchen threw them completely.

Evie was aware she had to take charge. ‘Everyone, this is Edward. I invited him for Christmas.’

‘Why didn’t you say anything about him coming?’ asked her sister. ‘Where did you meet?’

‘In the supermarket,’ said Edward. ‘Evie was looking for agar agar.’

‘What on earth is that?’ asked Bill.

‘A vegetarian setting agent,’ murmured Donna, ‘but I’m surprised you knew about it, Evie.’

‘Anyway it turned out that Edward was going to be alone for Christmas Day so I invited him.’

‘You’d better do the introductions,’ said Diane, and Evie obliged, pleased with herself for getting all the children’s names right for once.

‘But which one is your husband?’ asked Edward when the others had drifted away again, back to their tasks, wondering about their aunt or their sister depending on age.

Evie was confused for a moment. ‘Oh, I haven’t got a husband. Those men are my brothers.’

‘Your brothers? That is good news. I assumed you were married.’

‘Did you? Why?’

‘Single women don’t usually have shopping trolleys they can hardly push,’ he explained.

Evie bit her lip. ‘I hope you don’t mind that I’m single. I would hate you to think I was trying to entrap you or anything.’

‘Mind? That’s the best Christmas present I’ve had in years.’ Edward put his arm round Evie and hugged her.

‘I think I should tell you,’ said Luke, who had come back for a second look, ‘that my Auntie Evie is a rotten cook.’

‘But I’m a brilliant one, so that’s all right.’ He looked at Evie. ‘Did you say something about a drink?’