Christmas at the Castle (11 page)

‘I don't think they've spoken to each other long enough to fall out.' Kit pulled her bag from its hiding place beneath the kitchen counter, ‘and you, Charlie, how about you and…'

‘I'm just fine, thank you. I'm better off on my own. I'll see you tomorrow.' Charlie scooped up her own bag. ‘I knew it was too good to be true. I mean; an author and a bookshop man. As if that would ever happen!'

As she left the room, Kit spoke under her breath, ‘It works for me.'

Strolling along Banchory High Street, Kit and Phil swung bags of heavily tartanned gifts to take back to their friends at Pickwicks and Phil's bookshop.

Despite it being late on Sunday afternoon, a light was on in Gervase's shop. As they came level with the large picture window, Kit saw Gervase sat behind his desk reading.

‘He's back. Thank goodness.' Kit peered through the window, ‘I think that's one of Charlie's books he's holding.'

‘Probably the one I threw at Cameron. I can't tell you how much I wish I hadn't done that.'

‘You didn't know the situation.'

Seeing his wife's need to give everyone a happy ending racing to the surface, Phil put a restraining hand on Kit's arm. ‘Don't you think you should let them sort out their own mess?'

‘Of course not. They could be as happy as us if they'd let themselves.' Kit pushed open the shop door, leaving a resigned Phil to follow her. ‘I didn't have you down as a chick fiction reader.'

Acting as though he'd been caught out, Gervase blushed. ‘Hello, Kit. Hi, Phil.' He brandished Charlie's book in the air, ‘I'd forgotten how engrossing this book is. She's good.'

‘Don't let her slip through your fingers, Gervase. Charlie's a good one.'

The bookshop owner laid down
The Love-Blind Boy
, ‘I was checking I hadn't missed something when I read it before. Sadly, I hadn't. It's incredible Charlie and Alice are still friends.'

‘I told you, Charlie is one of life's good guys. Anyway, I don't think either Alice or Cameron had any idea that Charlie was being hurt back then.'

‘Doesn't Cameron miss Charlie now? Romantically, I mean.'

‘What do you mean?'

Gervase waved the book at Kit. ‘They were an item in the end.'

‘Oh, Gervase, don't be an idiot! That's fiction. This is real life. Charlie and Cameron were never an item.' Kit pulled the book out of his hands, ‘Just go and talk to her, will you? And soon!'

Chapter Sixteen

Monday December 7
^th

‘This question is for Erin and Kit. Would you say you wrote romance, or would you say you wrote fiction that just happened to have an element of romance within it? I've read all your novels, and there is always much more going on than a love story.'

Charlie had to fight the urge to get up, run across the castle's High Hall, and kiss Mel for asking such an excellent question. After she and Kit had successfully been interviewed by Alice about life in romantic fiction, the floor had been thrown open to the audience for questions, and the question was a gift to them both, which they tackled with easy humour.

Ten minutes later, Kit was in the middle of giving a quirky reply to what she thought the difference between erotic romance and romance was when Charlie's mouth suddenly turned sandpaper-dry.

Her concentration evaporated as she saw that Gervase had sneaked into the hall. The Welshman's deep chocolate eyes levelled on her before he sat at a free chair. Thankful that Kit was still talking so she had a few seconds to compose herself, Charlie tried to steady her breathing.
How long has he been there?

The remainder of the panel, after zipping by so fast before, now seemed to take for ever. Charlie's smile felt fake as she made small talk with the guests while they walked from the castle to the Horsemill.

She had to escape.

The second the last wine-flushed guest had finished explaining why she
had
to write a sequel to
Love-Blind Boy
, Charlie slipped out through the door into the cold of the evening. Without bothering to retrieve her coat, Charlie got into her car. With only a mild pang of regret that she'd miss both the dance and talking to Kit and Phil on their final evening at the castle, she headed home at top speed.

Assuming it was Alice or Kit coming to see if she was alright, Charlie pulled the dressing gown cord tighter around her stomach and went to answer the knock on the front door.

‘Oh!'

Gervase stood there, handsome in his kilt and jacket. Apparently not noticing that Charlie was standing before him in robe and slippers, he dispensed with the pleasantries. ‘Do you have time for a walk?'

‘I'm working.'

‘It's late.'

‘I work long hours.'

‘In your dressing gown and slippers?' Gervase looked her up and down, and Charlie thought for a second, that she'd seen a suggestive gleam in his eye, but then dismissed it as wishful thinking.

‘Oh, you know us writers; we work in anything, anywhere, anytime.' Charlie's fingers itched to reach out and run her hands over him, but she squeezed her hands into fists inside her dressing gown pockets.

Gervase said, ‘Come on, come for a walk. Please. I want to talk to you about your work.'

‘My work?'

‘Yes.'

‘But aren't you supposed to be at the after-festival dinner and dance?'

‘That's not important.' Gervase asked his next question carefully, ‘I'd like to talk to you about
The Love-Blind Boy
.'

Charlie swallowed carefully. ‘I think I'd better get dressed so we can go for that walk.'

Alone in her bedroom, Charlie suddenly didn't know what to wear. She could hardly go for a walk with him in her usual dungarees and jumper when he looked so smart. Then, telling herself not to be stupid, Charlie chose jeans, a shirt, and her favourite thick, bottle green jumper.

Five minutes later she was pulling on her Doc Martens boots, and, with a twist of her scarf around her neck, Charlie declared herself ready. Looking like the least well-matched couple in the world, they walked out into the cool evening air.

Skirting the edge of the cemetery, down to the path that ran along the edge of the River Dee, Charlie glanced sideways at her companion. Gervase had kept his hands deep within the pockets of his jacket since they'd left the house, and had avoided all eye contact. The hope Charlie had felt flutter in her chest, that perhaps the fact he'd come to see her meant that he still liked her, died. Perhaps he was building up to saying that her long-extinguished crush on Cameron made a relationship with her impossible.

‘I'm glad you have sturdy shoes on.'

Charlie examined her clumpy boots. ‘Not exactly what I'd have worn to the dinner dance, but at least I won't skid on the icy pavement.'

‘Are they comfortable? Can you walk far in them?'

Charlie was confused; she hadn't expected to talk about footwear. ‘Miles. Why?'

‘Because we're walking to the castle. I want to dance with you.'

The beat of her heart went into overdrive. ‘Why?'

Gervase took his hand from his pocket and held it out for Charlie to take. ‘Why? Why do you think? You're beautiful and I want to dance with you. And I want to say sorry for going AWOL.'

Charlie took the offered hand. Gervase's palm immediately warmed her more than her gloves had. ‘Why did you disappear? You must know I got over my crush on Cameron years ago?'

‘It was such a shock, and let's face it; he's much better looking than I am.'

Charlie burst out laughing, ‘Seriously? That's why you walked out? I think you're bloody gorgeous, for the record! I thought you'd read my books? None of the heroes are gym bunnies. I hate all that male vanity stuff.'

Gervase spoke softly, ‘I have read them, and in
The Love-Blind Boy
, you get your man. You get your Cameron Hunter. It was only when Kit told me that bit wasn't true that I came to my senses.'

Stopping in her tracks, Charlie turned to face Gervase. ‘I was forced to write the ending of that bloody book because people like happy endings. God! If my publisher knew how much unhappiness that particular happy ending had caused …'

Charlie didn't have time to finish her sentence, because Gervase had cupped her chin and was kissing away her words in a manner that indicated he was never going to stop.

Chapter Seventeen

Monday December 7
^th

‘We can't go in there!' Charlie looked at Gervase in horror as they reached the castle's driveway. ‘I thought you were joking. Anyway, Kit originally dreamt this up to get Alice and Cameron together again, not us!'

Gervase smiled. ‘But they are back together again!'

‘They are?'

‘Yes. Since you walked out, things moved fast. Alice did try and call you, but your phone's been off. Come on.'

‘But I'm in my scruffy clothes and boots!'

‘So?'

‘I'm a mess. I haven't even brushed my hair!'

‘So?'

Charlie ran a hand through her unruly curls. ‘I ran away. My gran must be furious with me. Hardly the Spirit of the Blitz, is it?'

Pulling Charlie into his side, Gervase said, ‘You didn't have to run, you know.'

‘Nor did you.'

‘Touché!' Gervase squeezed her tight. ‘Let's accept we're both idiots and hurry up. If we're lucky then a portion of numbers two, three, and four on my “most delicious” list might be left for us.'

Charlie laughed as they headed up the spiral staircase to the Long Gallery, ‘How did you know I'd asked Gran and her team to do pie, mashed tatties, honeyed parsnips, and onion gravy for supper?'

‘Because between singing Christmas carols out of tune, Mrs Crippit can't keep a secret to save her life.'

‘You know the chance of there being any food left is slim, don't you?'

‘That doesn't matter.'

‘It doesn't?'

‘No, because I am about to spend the remainder of the evening with the number one item on my most delicious list – aren't I?'

Charlie beamed. ‘If you're a very good boy, then this time you may get a little taste of number one on your list for pudding!'

Kit couldn't stop laughing. Phil had seriously over-swirled her. In his enthusiasm to see if they could do the Gay Gordons as well as the locals, he'd got a little carried away, and Kit had been catapulted onto Cameron's lap, narrowly missing Alice, who only jumped off it in the nick of time.

‘I'm so sorry!'

Alice, stunning in a silver-grey cocktail dress, was laughing so hard her cheeks had coloured with spots of pink. Kit didn't think she'd ever seen her look so lovely, and judging from the expression on Cameron's face, he hadn't either.

‘I love how the English are so eager with Scottish dancing,' he said, smiling.

Phil, who'd caught his breath and removed himself from the whirl that was still in progress, said, ‘Is that a polite way of giving us ten out of ten for effort but zero for style?'

‘Pretty much.' Cameron raised his pint in salute to Phil's efforts.

Phil raised the bottle of lager he'd picked off the table in response. ‘Can't argue with that!'

Brushing her long, flowery dress into place, Kit picked up her own glass. ‘I was going to rescue Gwen from Mrs Crippit so we could toast the success of the very first Christmas at the Castle Literary Festival, but it doesn't seem right without Charlie.'

‘Do you think she's alright?' Alice, who'd snuggled back into Cameron's shoulder, said, ‘I'm so glad she's found someone, and I think she and Gervase would be perfect together, but if he hurts her I'll kill him.'

If Kit had had any qualms about whether Alice cared for her friend, or if Charlie was just a convenient sounding board for her, they were extinguished there and then. ‘I'm sure they'll be alright eventually. Let's hope they're quicker at sorting themselves out than you two, though!'

Cameron poked Alice playfully in the ribs as he said, ‘They're bound to be. Neither of them are as pig-headed as us.'

‘Speak for yourself!' Alice stuck her tongue out and climbed off Cameron's lap. ‘Thanks so much for being our fairy godmother, Kit.'

‘I'm glad you worked yourselves out before tonight.'

‘Me too!' Alice brushed down her dress. ‘I love surprises, but this one was even better for you telling me about it in advance. It would have been awful not to have had the chance to wear a good dress.'

Kit was just thinking that Alice hadn't changed as much as she'd thought when the blonde proved her wrong. ‘I think I'll go and rescue Gwen anyway. She's worked so hard, it doesn't seem fair that she should be cornered with Mrs Crippit's tales of Christmas disasters past.'

Watching her skip across the Horsemill, Kit smiled. Charlie had maintained all along that Alice was lovely when she wasn't playing businesswoman of the year. It was nice to see that she'd been right.

Charlie dropped Gervase's hand and hung back from the door to the Long Gallery.

‘You OK, love?'

‘Of course not! Look at me! Kit and Alice will be in there all glammed up! And look at you! In fact, I can't look at you too much because you're a bit too handsome in that outfit and it does weird things to my insides.'

Gervase's eyes lit up. ‘Weird things, huh? What sort of weird things?'

Charlie blushed. ‘You know what I mean!'

‘I hope so!' Gervase put his arm around her shoulders, ‘Charlie, Charlotte, Lottie, Erin Spence, or Davies, or whoever the hell you are, I wouldn't care if you were wearing nothing but bin bags, you'd still outshine every other person in there. Now, come on! I need a drink. Preferably with a side order of mashed tatties!'

Kissing Charlie on the nose, he offered her his arm as if she was the most regal of princesses, and escorted her into the converted café. As they went he said, ‘You can use that line about outshining everyone else in one of your books, if you like.'