One Christmas Morning (Short Story) by Tilly Bagshawe

Author:Tilly Bagshawe [Tilly Bagshawe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2012-11-01T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

Friday, 23 December, was always going to be a big day for Laura Tiverton. It was the day that Daniel Smart was arriving to spend Christmas with her, a huge leap forward in their relationship. It was also the day of the Furlings Hunt Ball. Most importantly of all, it was the dress rehearsal for the Nativity play, an event that had raised Laura’s anxiety levels to borderline insanity.

She woke at 4 a.m., haunted by dreams of collapsing sets, children singing out-of-tune carols, live animals running amok through the audience and Gabriel Baxter having disturbingly graphic sex with Lisa James on the straw-strewn stage.

Drenched in sweat, she got herself a glass of water and tried to go back to sleep, but it was useless. The image of Gabe’s handsome, mocking face refused to leave her mind. He knew his lines and was perfectly capable of giving a good performance. But he wasn’t above messing things up on purpose just to get a laugh out of the audience, or to irritate Laura.

Ever since Laura heard that Graham Kenley, a hugely successful TV producer with a house in Chichester, would be in the audience (he was in Fittlescombe for the Furlings Hunt Ball, and had a niece at St Hilda’s playing one of the angels), she’d been in paroxysms of doubt and terror. Graham Kenley was bound to have heard rumours about Laura’s swift, unexpected exit from the BBC. Her name was featured prominently on the programmes as both writer and director of this year’s Nativity. That was an embarrassing enough comedown in itself. But, if the play was awful, if Gabe Baxter ruined it, Laura would never be able to show her face in the British television world again.

By six o’clock, exhausted but unable to lie staring at the ceiling a minute longer, Laura had a hot bath, dressed and went down to the kitchen to brew herself a strong coffee. Daniel’s arrival had given her all the excuse she needed to go wild with the Christmas decorations at Briar Cottage, which now glittered with more tinsel and baubles than Santa’s grotto. Pressing play on her iPod speakers to allow the calming opening bars of ‘In Dulce Jubilo’ to fill the room, Laura opened the bread bin, tore off a huge chunk of Marks & Spencer’s panettone, and lit a White Company ‘Winter’ candle to lift her spirits. She threw a piece of the sweet bread to Peggy the pug, who ate it, lifting her head momentarily from the comfort of her fireside basket before lowering it again with a disgusted snuffle. It was pitch dark outside and clearly far too early for any sane person, or dog, to be awake.

By the time Laura had cleared away breakfast, plumped the sofa cushions and arranged fresh logs and kindling in the grate (Daniel’s imminent arrival had brought on a rare burst of domesticity), the sun had finally peeped its head up over the horizon. Outside, the air was cold and crisp, but the usual blue skies had been replaced by a thick, brooding blanket of clouds.

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