Maddie had been staring out of the window for at least the last fifteen minutes. It was ridiculous to be as excited as she was, but she couldn’t help it; she’d always been that way about Christmas, and she was about to enjoy her first at Joy’s Acre.
The kitchen was blissfully warm and suffused with the smell of sliced oranges and cinnamon coming from a pan on the stove. At the sound of wheels on gravel, she flashed Trixie a huge grin and shot through into the hallway and out the front door, practically running across the courtyard to where Seth had just manoeuvred the pickup truck into its usual spot. She let it come to a complete stop before opening the gate and hurrying through.
She opened the cab door and waited impatiently while Tom climbed from the passenger seat.
‘I thought you’d never get here,’ she said. ‘Talk about keeping a girl in suspense.’
Seth emerged from the other side of the truck. ‘It took rather longer than expected,’ he said, grinning at Tom. ‘I swear this tree is even bigger than the one we had last year. Are you sure it’s going to fit?’
Tom pulled on a pair of thick leather gloves. ‘I think we’re about to find out.’ He moved to the rear of the truck and let down the tailgate, turning his head to one side as the branches of a huge twelve-foot-tall tree brushed across his face. ‘Although, we probably shouldn’t worry. Angus will just pick it up and thrust it into the ground with his bare hands anyway,’ he joked.
‘There is that,’ replied Seth, nodding as a battered Land Rover turned across the parking area and pulled up beside them. ‘Speak of the devil…’
Maddie turned and watched while the other vehicle drew up alongside them. She’d only met Angus the woodcutter once so far and had been so in awe that she’d hardly said a word; he was quite possibly the biggest man she had ever seen. By contrast, he was also the most softly spoken, with a quiet and utterly beguiling manner that seemed totally at odds with his size.
A couple of moments later all four of them were standing at the rear of the truck contemplating the task at hand.
‘Good morning, Maddie,’ said Angus. ‘Isn’t she beautiful?’
Maddie returned the greeting, nodding at the huge tree.
‘I can’t wait to see it in place. It will be like our very own Trafalgar Square.’
Angus nodded. ‘Well, Summersmeade Hall has provided the tree for Joy’s Acre for quite a number of years now. It will look beautiful, that I can guarantee. Did you ever see the tree in London when you were there, Maddie?’
She beamed at him in excitement. ‘Every year,’ she said, ‘without fail. It wouldn’t have been Christmas without it.’ She glanced at Seth. ‘In fact, this year will be the first in a very long time that I won’t get to see it, but you know what, I don’t mind one little bit. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.’
‘Then we must make sure she looks her very best. Just for you.’
Angus laid a huge hand on the tree trunk. ‘Gentlemen, are we ready?’
He tugged on the trunk and the tree slithered gracefully from the back of the truck onto the ground. ‘I’ll take the thick end,’ he said. ‘And if I might suggest, Seth, as the shortest among us, that you go in the middle, leaving Tom to take the top end. If we can get her up on our shoulders it will save the branches from snagging on the ground. If not, gently does it please.’
Seth grimaced at Tom as Maddie smothered a smile. Not only was Angus about six inches taller than even Tom, he was also very broad and muscular from years of working outdoors. He completely dwarfed them all.
‘And one last thing,’ said Angus, directing a look at Tom. ‘No swearing please, there is a lady present.’ But his words were delivered with a wink and Tom just laughed.
The three men grunted and groaned as the tree was hefted into the air, branches completely engulfing them, and Maddie ran on ahead to grab Trixie, taking a deep appreciative breath as she re-entered the kitchen; the aroma was just as intoxicating as before.
‘I always think the smell of mulled wine is like Christmas bottled, don’t you?’ she said as Trixie turned away from the huge saucepan she was stirring to greet her.
‘And with perfect timing, this is just about ready. I’ll let it steep for a bit and then once the tree is up, we can all have a glass and offer up a toast.’ Her dark eyes were shining. ‘Christmas at Joy’s Acre, Maddie. Who’d have thought it?’
Maddie crossed the room to give her a hug. ‘I know,’ she said, pulling away. ‘The year has gone so fast since we came in the spring, and now it’s the first of December. I still can’t believe everything that’s happened. Tom is working on thatching the last of the holiday cottages, the other three are all occupied, the barn is almost ready… Some days I really do think I’m dreaming. Honestly, could it get any better than this?’
She gave Trixie a warm smile as the room darkened for a moment, the light through the window blocked momentarily as the huge tree passed by.
‘Come on, I can’t wait to see it up.’
Maddie pulled at Trixie’s arm and the two of them practically ran down the hallway to the other end of the house and out of the back door, where the full extent of Joy’s Acre opened out in front of them.
Across the gardens, in a rough semi-circle, stood the farm’s four holiday cottages, three of which were now finished, leaving the fourth, to their left, still to be renovated. Its half-finished thatch stuck up like tufts of badly cut hair, but it wouldn’t be long before it too was complete. Come the new year, with the barn done as well, a whole raft of new plans would be ready to put into place. Even on a bitterly cold day like today, the sight of it all warmed Maddie’s heart.
As resident cook, the kitchen was very definitely Trixie’s domain, but out here was where Clara lavished her care and attention, and there wasn’t an inch of the garden that hadn’t flourished as a result. Clara had been at Joy’s Acre for several years and had transformed the badly neglected area, returning it to its original Victorian splendour. In the very centre of the garden was a lawn, but on every side, bisected by numerous paths, were large beds planted with so many different flowers and shrubs that Maddie still didn’t know the names of half of them. Between these were numerous vegetable patches, and it was deep in one of these that Maddie spied Clara now, her long blonde hair tied into two thick plaits that hung underneath a bright red knitted hat. Maddie didn’t know how Clara could stand being outside in all weathers, but Clara seemed to thrive on it. It was a full-time job ensuring that the garden produced a constant stream of vegetables for the kitchen.
Intent on her digging, Clara didn’t notice Maddie and Trixie until they were both nearly standing in front of her and she pulled a pair of headphones from her ears, laughing.
‘Michael Bublé,’ she explained. ‘I’m not allowed him on until December as I have a tendency to overdose, so today…’ she smiled, ‘he is on repeat.’
Trixie rolled her eyes. ‘You’ll be sorry,’ she said.
‘I know, I’ll probably be sick of him by next week, but you’ve got to, haven’t you; it’s Christmas!’
Maddie nodded, her eyes catching on something over Clara’s shoulder. ‘It most certainly is, and here it comes now.’
Clara thrust the fork she was digging with into the soil, turned, and stood with her hands on her hips.
‘There’s nothing quite like the sight of three gorgeous men carrying a Christmas tree to warm the cockles, is there?’
‘Clara! Wash your mouth out,’ said Trixie. ‘You’re spoken for. As are Seth and Tom for that matter.’
Clara blushed. ‘Oh, I didn’t mean it like that. Just that it’s such a quintessential Christmas scene, isn’t it? Declan would love it.’
Maddie exchanged a look with Trixie and smiled. Declan was a TV producer who had arrived at Joy’s Acre a couple of months ago with a view to making a television series. Although it had caused no end of problems, it had also sparked a relationship between Clara and Declan, which was still going strong.
‘And how is the lovely Declan?’ asked Maddie, her eyes twinkling.
Clara blushed again. ‘Well, he’s… lovely!’ she exclaimed. ‘And he moves in two weeks! I still can’t quite get my head around the fact that he’s going to be living next door.’
Trixie nodded several times. ‘Like I said, it won’t be long before you’re Lady of the Manor…’
‘Nuh-uh,’ she replied. ‘It ought to be Maddie’s turn first.’
Maddie just grinned and turned her attention back towards the three men and the Christmas tree. ‘I’m not sure I dare watch, in case it all goes horribly wrong.’
‘It doesn’t usually,’ replied Clara. ‘We’ve pretty much got it down to a fine art over the years, and besides, I’ve never met a tree yet who would dare argue with Angus.’
‘That’s practically what Seth said,’ Maddie replied. ‘I know he’s a giant, but he seems really nice, and it will be a big help to us having him around. I can’t help but wonder if there’s a story there though; Seth mentioned that he lives alone and has done for quite some time. I’m not sure how old he is exactly, but doesn’t that strike you as odd?’
Clara looked anguished. ‘Don’t even go there, Maddie,’ she warned. ‘Seriously. He is a lovely man, the gentlest you could ever wish to meet, but he’s a very private person, so don’t go prying.’
Trixie picked up on her tone of voice. ‘That sounds to me like you know an awful lot more than you’re letting on.’
‘How perceptive,’ Clara replied, then seamlessly changed the subject. ‘Oh, I love it when the tree goes up. Somehow it quite transforms the garden, especially at night with its lights on. The last hour before I go home, when the dusk is just settling, is the best. Quiet and still, but hopeful somehow, like a beacon in the night. Seth usually strings fairylights right along the side of the main house, but this year, imagine how beautiful it will look with all the cottages lit up as well.’
Maddie followed her line of sight, feeling a sudden rush of happiness. These next few weeks could well prove to be some of their busiest yet, but no one at Joy’s Acre was afraid of hard work, and she couldn’t think of anywhere she’d rather be, or any group of people she’d rather be with. She’d often had cause to think about why things worked the way they did at Joy’s Acre, but in the end she had come to the conclusion that sometimes the right people just came together at the right time. Put them in the right place also and what you had was… well, it was the closest thing to magic Maddie could think of.
A shout went up from across the garden and, as one, the three women made their way across the grass to where the tree was now erected – its branches still trussed, but the trunk firmly anchored in its base. It towered above their heads.
‘Can you give me a hand with the ladder, Seth?’ asked Tom, grinning at them all as he moved past. As a thatcher, Tom had no shortage of ladders, and one of them was nearby, leaning against the roof of the Woodcutter’s Cottage.
Maddie stared up at the top of the tree and inwardly shuddered. She had been up Tom’s ladders a few times in the past, but the experience always left her with legs feeling like jelly. Rather him than me, she thought. Tom scaled ladders like he was running up stairs and came down them the same way too. With absolutely no fear of heights, he was the perfect person to not only cut the ties from the tree, but also to adorn it with its first decoration: a handmade willow star for the very top, which Maddie had helped Clara to make the previous weekend. She’d watched in awe as Clara had deftly woven together whips of willow, bending them into two triangles which she then laid against one another to form a six-pointed star. Where the triangles met, she had tied each joint with bright red ribbon. Once the basic shape was formed the star was decorated with foliage and berries, much like a wreath.
It had seemed to take Clara only a matter of minutes, and when she was done she started all over again on four smaller versions; one for the door of the main house and the other three for each of the cottages ahead of the arrival of a new party of guests. By then of course, each of the cottages would also have its own, smaller Christmas tree set up in the living room.
Trixie gave Maddie’s arm a sudden nudge. ‘Back in a minute,’ she said. ‘Don’t let Tom put the star up until I’m back, will you? I want to see it go up.’
Maddie nodded, suspecting that Trixie would be returning with a glass of mulled wine for each of them.
‘I’ll come with you,’ said Clara, and Maddie smiled. Clara and Trixie had had their friendship tested to the limits by the arrival of the film crew a few months back, but their generosity of spirit had won out and made them realise what a perfect double act they were. Joy’s Acre would simply not function without either of them.
Ten minutes later, and it was all done. As soon as Trixie and Clara had returned, Tom had shinned up the ladder and firmly tied the star to the top before carefully cutting through the ropes that bound the tree’s branches. A collective ‘aahhh’ went up as soon as the last were released, revealing the spectacular tree in all its glory.
Tom returned to stand with them, accepting his glass of mulled wine from Angus and raising it to him. ‘You’ve done us proud,’ he said, ‘and no mistake.’
‘Well, I can’t take all the credit; Mother Nature did most of the work. But she is a fine tree, I can’t argue with that.’ Angus raised his own glass, and was about to say something further when Seth cut in.
‘I know you always toast the tree, Angus, but this year I wondered if I might say something?’
‘Of course… Christmas will be a little… different than usual,’ he replied, smiling in Maddie’s direction.
She frowned slightly, confused by his words, and was about to ask what he meant when Seth cut in again.
‘It’s definitely been a year that’s seen a lot of firsts—’
‘Yeah, you’ve stopped being such a grumpy bugger for one,’ quipped Tom, winking at Maddie.
Seth pretended to look hurt. ‘Me?’ he queried. ‘When we all know that you’re a changed man since a certain lady violinist began to tug at your heart strings…’
Tom blushed. ‘Well, I walked straight into that one, didn’t I?’ he muttered. ‘Carry on. As you were, Seth.’
‘Christmas has always been a happy time at Joy’s Acre and now, with Maddie and Trixie here too, this year looks set to go off the scale.’ He gave Maddie a look that made her insides somersault.
‘And now things are changing up at the Hall as well. With Agatha moving out and gifting us part of the estate, it could have caused huge problems for Angus so I’m mightily relieved that he’s agreed to come and work for me, lending us another pair of – extraordinarily large – hands. So, I’d like to officially welcome Angus to Joy’s Acre, and indeed thank Mother Nature for providing us with a little of her Christmas spirit.’ He paused to raise his glass in the air.
‘It’s going to be a very busy few weeks, but… Happy Christmas everyone.’
‘Happy Christmas!’
‘Oh, this is heaven, isn’t it?’
Maddie lay back on the sofa, snuggling closer to Seth and stretching her feet out towards the fire. Even with her thick stripy socks on, her toes were only just beginning to thaw out.
After the tree had gone up, she and Clara had spent the remainder of the afternoon collecting holly and ivy from the woodland behind Joy’s Acre. Most of it would be used to provide decoration for the cottages, wreaths for the front doors, or garlands for the mantelpieces in each living room. Even though they had carried it all back to one of the greenhouses to begin their work, the panes of glass there afforded little protection from the bitter chill of the day outside and the stone floor was as cold as ice. Maddie had hardly been able to feel her toes all through dinner.
Now though, she leaned her head against Seth’s shoulder, and felt the delicious waves of warmth wash over her. One hand lay in her lap, the other entwined with Seth’s beside her. There were a million and one things to think about, but her mind was blissfully empty as she savoured a rare evening off.
Her breathing became heavier and heavier. She was about to close her eyes when she realised that Seth had not answered her. She lifted her head slightly, wondering if he had already nodded off, and was surprised to find him staring at the fire, an oddly intense expression on his face.
‘Penny for them?’ she said, nudging him gently.
It wasn’t unusual for Seth to be lost in thought – there was so much still to attend to with the renovations, and always one problem or another to tackle – and he often had to be reminded to share his concerns instead of keeping them to himself. Maddie knew that he was anxious to get the barn finished as soon as possible, not only because he had promised Clara and Trixie that they could move in there after the new year, but also with Christmas looming…
‘Is it the party?’ she prompted when he still didn’t reply. ‘Because if it is, I know it’s utter madness, but it will happen, Seth. You know what we can do if we put our minds to it, and I’m pretty sure that we can count on the villagers to help as well. Everyone I’ve spoken to is madly excited.’
‘Please tell me you love me?’
The question came so out of the blue that Maddie’s stomach flipped in shock. She sat up and stared at Seth, feeling her heart beat faster. What on earth had happened to cause him to doubt her? He had seemed so happy earlier…
She took one look at his face and broke into a broad smile, a wave of love rushing over her. She pushed against him, her lips finding his.
‘Of course I love you, you muppet,’ she said. ‘Why wouldn’t I?’ She kissed him again. ‘Besides, didn’t anyone tell you that it’s Christmas soon, which is probably the most romantic time of year. And I get to spend it with you…’
‘Except that we’re going to be so busy, by the time Christmas actually arrives we’ll be too knackered to enjoy it.’
He looked a little happier, even if his words were still filled with doubt. Perhaps he was just tired himself; they had had rather a busy day.
‘I know,’ she agreed. ‘We never seem to do things by halves, do we? But think about it… would we really want it any other way? I know throwing a party for the whole of Summersmeade isn’t just going to happen all by itself, but with Declan moving in to the Hall, it’s the perfect time to resurrect the village tradition. After all, we’d already decided to go ahead with the annual summer fete next year, and this is what makes life here so wonderful. It’s hard work but it doesn’t have to feel like it. In fact, with all of us pulling together, it rarely does. Not many people get to do something they love day in, day out.’ She took hold of his hand. ‘And with someone they love…’
To her surprise, Seth didn’t look totally convinced as he stared back towards the fire. She felt a flicker of unease in the pit of her stomach. He cleared his throat, and she suddenly realised that he looked nervous more than stressed.
‘The trouble is though, it’s not just the party…’ He paused, then turned back to her, his face soft in the dim light, his eyes dark with longing. ‘I think I’ve landed everyone with a whole lot more work, and you’ll probably never forgive me, but it seemed such a brilliant idea at the time… I hope it still is…’
She frowned gently, catching the wistful note in his voice. ‘What did, Seth?’ she asked.
He suddenly let go of her hand, shuffling forward until he was perched right on the edge of the sofa, almost on his knees.
‘I can’t imagine doing any of this without you, Maddie. And I really don’t want to have to. When I first moved to Joy’s Acre with Jen we had such hopes for the future, yet when she died so soon after I thought my life was over, that I was being punished in some way for daring to dream.’
‘Oh, Seth…’
He put a finger on her lips. ‘Shhh,’ he said, softly. ‘I know that sounds melodramatic, but I’d sunk so low I didn’t think there would ever be a way to get out of the pit I’d fallen into, and frankly I didn’t much care.’
He paused briefly to compose himself. ‘It took you to make me realise that I had everything I needed to start climbing out. It was right here under my nose all the time, I just couldn’t see it. But once I understood what I needed to make me happy, I realised that there was just one thing missing. Or rather, that there wasn’t anything missing, because you were right there in front of me… no, at my side. I hope you’ll never leave.’
His words caught in Maddie’s throat as she breathed them in, forming a lump that grew with every passing second. There were tears shining in his eyes, just as there were in hers. She opened her mouth to speak, but Seth gave a slight shake of his head.
‘I love you so much,’ he said, this time sinking to his knees in front of her. ‘I know it’s Christmas and there are already a million and one things to do… It’s possibly the worst timing ever, but… Would you marry me, Maddie Porter?’ He wrinkled up his face. ‘And please say yes, because, dear God, it’s all arranged.’
Her hand flew to her mouth as a rush of emotion threatened to spill out, and then she just let it anyway, because she didn’t care what she looked like. She nodded, grabbing hold of his hands, and then nodding again, laughing, crying, sniffing all at the same time.
‘Yes!’ she finally managed. ‘Yes! Oh God, Seth… you really scared me, you looked so serious. I thought something was wrong…’
‘So, you don’t mind then?’
‘Mind? Why on earth would I mind?’ She shook her head, laughing.
‘Because we’re already so busy trying to organise the Christmas Eve party for the village and now there will be a whole heap of others things to do. I couldn’t organise any of it because it was meant to be a surprise—’
‘Hang on… run that by me again. Did you say it was all arranged?’ She held her hands to her cheeks. ‘When are we actually getting married, Seth?’
He put a hand over his eyes. ‘The twenty-third of December… I didn’t want it to be on the same day as the party – with us all at the wedding it would make organising it an impossibility. Besides, this way we can spread the celebrations out over two days; have something quieter and more intimate on the day of the wedding, and then a fabulous party for the whole village to share in our happiness the day after…’
It was quite possible the whole house heard Maddie’s squeal. ‘Oh my God, that’s brilliant! Oh, I can’t believe it… getting married at Christmas! How on earth did you pull that off?’
Seth rolled his eyes. ‘I’m still not entirely sure,’ he said. ‘I think I had luck on my side. Or perhaps it was just that no one else is mad enough to get married two days before Christmas.’
She stared at him then. ‘But that’s in less than a month! And there’s flowers, and a dress… and… a cake, and photographers, and… and…’ She ground to a halt, suddenly struck by the enormity of trying to organise a wedding at such short notice. But not just any wedding… her wedding. To Seth. ‘And it’s still bloody brilliant!’
She clasped both hands around his face and gently drew him nearer. ‘I love you, Mr Thomas,’ she said. ‘And nothing would make me happier than becoming your wife.’
He closed his eyes. ‘Oh, thank heavens,’ he murmured. ‘I was terrified you were going to say no, or at the very least kill me for going ahead and organising it without asking you first.’ He shook his head. ‘At the time it seemed like the most romantic gesture, but now—’
‘It still is. It’s incredible. Getting married here at Christmas is a dream come true,’ she said, firmly. ‘Joy’s Acre is our home, the village is our village, why would I want to get married anywhere else? It’s honestly perfect.’ She gave him a cheeky smile. ‘And like you said, we have an army of people to help us, what could possibly go wrong?’
Seth chewed at his lip. ‘There is just one other thing…’
She raised her eyebrows, watching in amusement as he pulled away from her, thrusting a hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out a cream coloured, small, square box.
She held her brea. . .
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