Underneath the Christmas Tree

As I went through my cleanse, tone and moisturise routine that night, I played over the conversation I’d just had with Ned. I was deeply touched that he wanted to make my final December connected to Wynter’s Trees so special, but my appreciation was marked by an unexpected hint of sadness.

I hardly dared to entertain the idea, but was I feeling upset because he wasn’t fighting for me? I should have been delighted that he wasn’t thinking I’d be seduced by the sight of the place bedecked in its seasonal finery, like I guessed David still was, but I felt as far from thrilled as it was possible to get. It was irrational and infuriating. Aside from not letting me tell everyone my plans, Ned was behaving exactly how I had initially wanted him to, but for some reason his kind and considerate conduct didn’t satisfy me.

Perhaps I should have another chat with him and David and see if I could persuade him to let me talk about my intentions to Sue at least? The future I was attempting to create didn’t feel real all the while I was cocooned inside the lodge and spinning out these surreal few weeks helping in the huts. Maybe putting the cat among the pigeons would be the wake-up call I needed to bring my emotions to heel, and launching my ‘get Ned and Maya together’ plan of action might help too.

Unfortunately, my freshly formed plan didn’t get off to the best of starts. Maya’s truck was nowhere to be seen the next morning and neither was she. I initially panicked that she hadn’t turned up because of what I’d said in the pub, but then David reminded me it was Sunday and she wouldn’t be in. I wanted to ring her mobile but he said he couldn’t let me have the number, which was fair enough. Thwarted in my quest, I headed back to the lodge and, noticing the date on the calendar, grabbed an apron, determined to make the most of the day, in spite of the less than satisfactory start.

‘What’s going on?’ Ned frowned, when he came back for lunch and surveyed the chaos in the kitchen. ‘It smells like Christmas in here.’

His expression was transformed as the heady fruit and alcohol enhanced scent filled his nostrils.

‘Good,’ I said, blowing my fringe out of my face. ‘It’s supposed to.’

Even my desire to embrace stir-up Sunday hadn’t been straightforward, because I’d forgotten the kitchen cupboards wouldn’t be stocked in the same way Dad used to keep them. However, rather than give up, I’d speedily swapped the apron for my car keys and dashed to the nearest supermarket for supplies. My little banger appreciated the extra run and since arriving back, I’d been going great guns, hence the fabulous festive scent. The whole lodge smelt reminiscent of Christmases past, so I knew I’d got something right.

‘What exactly are you doing?’ Ned asked, picking up Mum’s ancient recipe book which was open on the counter and covered in a light dusting of flour.

‘Playing my part in making my last Christmas here memorable,’ I told him, my voice cracking as I added. ‘I want to make my dad proud, too.’

Ned put the book down again and I knew he was watching me. I kept my eyes firmly fixed on the huge bowl of rum soaked fruit I was mixing. My arm was beginning to throb, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t want to do anything that might betray the mystifying feelings I was doing my utmost to control.

‘It’s stir-up Sunday,’ I elaborated. ‘Mum always used to make our cake and pudding today and after she died, Dad carried on, so in line with the tradition, I thought I would too.’

The words came out in a rush.

‘What size are you making?’ asked Ned.

I was pleased he hadn’t said something sympathetic.

‘This isn’t for just one pudding,’ I told him. ‘I thought they would make nice parting gifts. I’m going to give everyone in the huts one, along with your dad, Nick and Edith and Maya, of course.’

I risked a glance and the smile Ned gave me made my heart flutter in response. Clearly, it was going to take a while for it to toe the same line as my head was trying to.

‘That’s a really lovely idea,’ he beamed.

‘I’m pleased you think so,’ I puffed. ‘And as you’re so impressed, and my arms are about to drop off, you can go and wash your hands, then come back to help. You’ll be able to make your wish while you’re helping me out.’

‘My wish?’

‘Yes,’ I said, checking Mum’s recipe again. ‘It’s another tradition. You make a wish when you stir the pudding. Mum, Dad and I always used to do it.’

‘Does that mean we get a wish for each pudding?’

‘No,’ I laughed, realising there were going to be close to a dozen, ‘don’t be so greedy. We’ll both wish on the one I’m making for the lodge.’

‘All right,’ he agreed, looking deep into my eyes, ‘if there’s really any magic in it, one should be enough, shouldn’t it?’

‘I’d say so,’ I nodded, longing to know what he was going to wish for.

Making good on my commitment to help Ned make my last Christmas at Wynter’s Trees a memorable one and my dad proud, I was up extra early on Monday morning, ready to apologise to Maya the moment she arrived. I also wanted to throw myself into another creative idea which had landed the evening before and would require both artistic and practical skill and distract me from my more unsettling thoughts.

‘Now what are you up to?’ Ned asked, when he found me taping sheets of paper together on the floor in front of the log burner.

Bandit, keen to get involved, was getting in the way, but I didn’t have the heart to push him aside and consequently the paper was becoming rather crumpled.

‘It’s a surprise,’ I said as Bandit took an exploratory bite of the sheet he was laying on. ‘Hey,’ I tutted. ‘That’s not helping, hound.’

‘Come on,’ said Ned, patting his leg. ‘Let’s go for a run and leave Liza to her crafting session.’

I soon finished drawing up the outline of what I had in mind and was rifling through the barn stores when I heard someone behind me. It was still rather dark and thanks to the inadequate overhead light, I was struggling to see what was there.

‘Do you know if there are any sheets of MDF or bits of ply kicking about anywhere?’ I called over my shoulder, assuming it was Ned. ‘I don’t want to go and buy new, if there’s some leftover.’

‘I wouldn’t know,’ said Maya’s voice. ‘My forte is trees that are still growing.’

‘Maya,’ I said, jumping down from the stepladder. ‘Just the person I wanted to see.’

‘I am?’ she asked, sounding surprised.

‘Yes,’ I said, brushing dust off my jeans. ‘Of course, you are. I owe you an apology.’

‘That’s funny,’ she smiled. ‘That’s exactly what I was going to say to you.’

‘You were?’

I knew what I was sorry about, but she had nothing to apologise for.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I shouldn’t have called Ned after I heard you talking in the pub. I’m sorry I did that.’

‘No,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘I’m sorry, Maya. I’m sorry I said something that made you feel bad, but I promise you, we weren’t being mean. Far from it in fact. I was actually telling the others that I think you’re perfect. Little Miss Perfect might have sounded like an insult, but it wasn’t meant that way.’

‘You really think I’m perfect?’ Maya asked, her beautiful eyes widening and her cheeks flushing prettily.

There was absolutely no false modesty attached to her question and I realised that what you saw was very definitely not what you got where Maya was concerned. She might have looked catwalk-ready, but she didn’t have the confidence to strut down it.

‘Well, yeah,’ I said, as if it should have been obvious. ‘Have you seen you, Maya?’

Her cheeks burned brighter but she didn’t say anything.

‘You’ve got brains and beauty,’ I told her. ‘Not forgetting six-foot long legs that I’d kill for and you’re lovely too. Now I think about it,’ I added, ‘I should hate you really.’

She laughed at that, but then looked sad.

‘If I’m as perfect as you seem to think I am,’ she quietly said, ‘then how come I’m not inundated with admirers? I haven’t had a date in forever.’

My guess was that the guys who wanted to ask her out were probably a bit intimidated by her looks, but if they found the courage to have a conversation with her, then they’d soon realise what a pussycat she was. Not that I was going to tell her that, because my plan was to get her and Ned together!

‘Oh, I shouldn’t worry,’ I told her. ‘I think that situation’s going to change soon.’

‘Chance would be a fine thing,’ she sighed. ‘I think that was why I went and told Ned that I’d heard you talking about me. I thought he might feel sorry for me and pay me a bit more attention.’

‘Well,’ I said, ‘if it makes you feel any better, he was quick to jump to your defence.’

‘He was?’

‘I hadn’t even got in the door before he was demanding to know what I’d been saying.’

Maya brightened considerably after that and told me she’d got a few missed calls from him, and Abbie, registered on her phone when she’d turned it back on.

‘There,’ I said, ‘I daresay he wanted to make sure you were okay.’

‘And Abbie probably did too,’ she pointed out. ‘But there were more calls from Ned.’

I tried not to feel jealous and instead focused on the fact that stage one of my matchmaking mission was finally launched.

‘Did you say you were looking for wood offcuts?’ Maya asked. ‘I’ll give you a hand if you like.’

I was happy to return to my new project and once she’d helped me dig out some sheets of ply, I explained what I hoped to achieve, even though I had no idea how to do some of it.

‘I can help you there,’ she said, quickly gathering the wood and sketches together. ‘Leave it with me and I’ll bring them back before you know it.’

True to her word she arrived back a short while later.

‘Are these what you had in mind?’ she asked, when she beckoned me over to show me, out of sight of the office.

‘Oh yes,’ I said, clapping my hands together. ‘They’re perfect. Thank you so much.’

‘It was no bother,’ she said. ‘My dad had the equipment to cut them and they’ve turned out really well.’

‘They’ll look even better when they’re painted up. Do you fancy giving me a hand?’

‘Oh no,’ she laughed, shaking her head so hard her ponytail bounced. ‘I’ll help you fix them in place, but if you want them to look half decent, don’t even think about passing me a paintbrush.’

When we knew Ned had gone back to the lodge and David had gone home, Maya helped me carry everything back to the barn where I hid it all away, ready for the next day. Ned had already told me he was going to be off-site and I thought I could easily set something up which would keep my clandestine crafting out of sight.

‘Will you get them all finished tomorrow?’ Maya asked.

‘No,’ I told her, ‘but I’ll be able to make a good start. Hopefully they’ll be done and fixed in place by the end of the week.’

‘I can’t wait to see them.’

‘Me neither,’ I said, wondering if Bandit might be able to give the idea the launch it deserved.

‘So,’ Maya said, following me out of the barn. ‘We are okay, aren’t we, Liza?’

‘Yes,’ I said, locking the door behind me. ‘Of course, we are. It was just a silly misunderstanding and entirely my fault. Although I’m pleased it happened.’

‘You are?’

‘Yes,’ I told her, ‘because if nothing else it’s proved how much Ned thinks of you, hasn’t it?’

‘Has it?’

‘Believe me,’ I said seriously, ‘he wouldn’t have reacted the way he did if you didn’t mean something to him, Maya.’

‘Well,’ she dreamily said, ‘we are friends.’

I looked at her, rosy cheeked and so pretty and knew there was potential for them to be much more than that. They worked so seamlessly together. How could Ned not find that combination of brains and beauty irresistible?

‘I think there’s rather more than friendship between you,’ I said, fleetingly wishing I was on the receiving end of those words, rather than dishing them out.

Maya looked thoughtful.

‘Sometimes I do too,’ she nodded, ‘but we only ever seem to get so far before he backs off. The closest we’ve ever been was the result of a tipsy Christmas kiss last year.’

‘I daresay he’s mindful of your professional relationship,’ I pointed out. ‘You’re his employee and he’s your boss, so he’s probably reluctant to cross the line. I know he values the work you do here and wouldn’t want to lose you if you did start something up and it went wrong.’

Maya mulled that over for a moment or two, before linking her arm through mine.

‘In that case,’ she grinned, ‘I’ll have to find a way to convince him that nothing will go wrong, won’t I?’

I nodded but couldn’t bring myself to agree. In my head, I was all for getting Ned and Maya together, but my heart still felt nowhere near as keen.