I'll Miss You This Christmas by Lucy Mitchell

Author:Lucy Mitchell [Mitchell, Lucy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloodhound Books

CHAPTER 23

RORY

I’m freezing my bollocks off on this platform. I’ve lost all sensation in my nose. I think it might have turned into a block of ice. Even though my hands are dug deep into my coat pockets there’s no escape from the grip of the bone-chilling temperature. A gloomy train guard is walking up and down the platform. His face is a lifeless blue colour.

Fuck me – it’s cold! The train to London King’s Cross is delayed due to the snow.

This isn’t the best start to my journey. A gloomy train announcer keeps reminding everyone about the hazardous conditions for train travel.

No one around me is taking any notice of what the train announcer has to say or the late running of the train; two young children holding on to their father’s hands are busy singing an out of tune rendition of ‘Little Donkey’, a teenage couple to the left of me is locked in a passionate embrace, a noisy family from Newcastle is practically shouting what they’re going to do when they get to ‘Nana George’s house for Christmas’, a gang of young, giggling women, clutching huge shopping bags, are busy taking selfies of themselves and two men stood next to me are talking about what sort of meat one of their mothers is going to cook for Christmas dinner – a close call between beef and turkey, but lamb could be an outside runner.

Earlier as I raced down the steps to the platform, I did wonder whether I was going to be the only brave (some might say stupid given the weather warnings) soul daring to travel during the snowstorm. The sad-faced man behind the glass ticket booth, who kept shaking his head with disapproval, had told me I wouldn’t get very far in these conditions, and he said it was unlikely I would reach Brighton. According to him everyone was cancelling and by tonight there would be no trains. I mentally prepared myself for standing on a deserted platform and attracting crazed looks from train staff.

So, you can imagine my shock when I stepped onto a bustling platform.

I’ve just booked a room in a Brighton Travelodge on my phone as I have no idea what time I will arrive in Brighton and Emily will not thank me for turning up on her doorstep in the early hours.

It’s still snowing. The train announcer is back. A loud cheer erupts as the announcer tells us the delayed London train is approaching the station. My heart starts to pound at the bright yellow glow of the train lights coming into view.

In a few minutes I am going to board a train for London. It’s the day before Christmas Eve, there is a huge snowstorm battering the country and I’ve no idea what Emily is going to do or say when I turn up on her doorstep clutching Vivi’s locket.

Have I lost my marbles? I have just used my emergency credit card on a train ticket and hotel room, money which I don’t really have, and all because of a message from Emily and a gold chain and locket.

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