Kester smiles as Helen opens the door and tilts his head to peer through the small gap she has allowed. ‘Hello. Sorry, I know it’s a bit early. My jacket?’

‘Yes, yes’ she mumbles and pushes the door to while she retreats into the living room.

‘I wouldn’t have bothered only it’s got my whole life in there’ he calls from the step ‘Well, my money and my cards at any rate…and my diary.’

‘I’m sure your diary is your whole life’ Helen remarks with a tinge of sarcasm as she opens the door again and thrusts the jacket at him.

‘My business diary’ he replies with a smile, amused at her oblique reference to his personal life. ‘Always got that with me in case anybody tries to get me on my mobile. You had that as well.’

‘An oversight on my part, I’m sure I wouldn’t have deprived you of your lifelines on purpose.’ She glares and makes to close the door.

Kester halts its progress with the back if his hand. ‘Hey, it’s ok. It didn’t matter. I just hoped you hadn’t gone away for the weekend or something. I could’ve got by. Are you…okay…this morning?’ he asks cautiously, seeing her pale drawn face and obviously puffy eyes.

‘I’m sure I can get by just as well as you can.’

‘I don’t doubt you can but I didn’t like leaving you, not the state you were in last night. I was worried about you.’

‘There was no need for you to be worried on my account’

‘No, no need at all, but it didn’t stop it happening.’ He gives a little shrug. ‘I felt you needed a friend.’

‘And you thought you were it?’

Kester continues determinedly, ignoring her sneer. ‘You know, this is the longest conversation we’ve ever had? It’s nice, isn’t it?’

‘Don’t patronise me, Mister James.’

‘I’m not patronising. I’m glad I forgot about my jacket, it’s given me the chance to check up on you again. I was concerned about you’ he says sincerely. ‘I don’t want to know what went on or what happened to make you so upset but I do want you to know that you can always count on me to listen if you do need that friend. Okay?’

‘I don’t need the likes of you bothering about me!’ she snaps.

Kester flushes angrily. ‘The likes of me? What do you know about me, eh? Bugger all!  Same as you haven’t bothered to get to know anything about anyone much in this damn vil….’ He stops as a single tear slides down her cheek. ‘Helen?’

‘Go!’ She slams the door.

Kester sighs with bewildered acceptance.

Pennywell, Bower Lane

The Old Mill Cafe

‘Not sure what I’m doing yet. I shall probably get myself a nice bottle of sherry and stay in bed all day watching television.’ Jessie decides with a smile. ‘That would suit me down to the ground.’

‘You’ve got a telly in your bedroom?’ Kathleen sighs enviously

‘One of the last things my Tom sorted out before he died.’ Jessie nods sadly as she stirs her tea. ‘We used to love snuggling down and watching a late night film together. We could just drop off and the timer thingy would do the rest.’ She lifts her cup, sipping thoughtfully. ‘I do miss that. I miss him, full stop. Especially at this time of the year.’

‘You’d be very welcome to come to us.’ Kathleen says quietly, putting a hand on Jessie’s arm. ‘You do know that don’t you? We’ve got such a houseful; one more mouth won’t make no difference. Rowdy, mind’ she chortles. ‘But that wouldn’t put you off, would it?’

Jessie chuckles and shakes her head, her good humour restored. ‘Bless you. That’s really nice but I’ll be alright’ she assures her friend as she sets her cup in its saucer. ’It’s not that I haven’t been invited anywhere. I don’t think there’s a square mile of England without a relative of some sort in it that wants me to go to them but how the heck do you choose?’ she spreads her hands. ‘What it is to be popular, eh?’ she giggles.

The sparkle in her eyes dims as she glimpses Evelyn arching an eyebrow at Kathleen to express her doubt over what has been said.

’I shall probably cook a bit of chicken Christmas Eve and have it cold.’ She ignores Evelyn. ‘That and a plate of mince pies and I shall be well set. Save faffing about. Then there’s only myself to please. Not that coming to you wouldn’t have been lovely but there’s getting home again and it’s not fair to ask somebody to do without a drink just because they’re driving me back’

‘They wouldn’t mind.’

‘Thanks all the same but I’m quite looking forward to curling up with James Bond. Bound to be a James Bond film on.’ Jessie hunches her shoulders and gives a shiver of excitement.

‘You will be attending the morning service, surely?’ Evelyn interrupts with a sharp rebuke.

‘Of course I will. I never miss.’ Jessie keeps her annoyance with Evelyn in check. ‘I was thinking of hibernating after that. I suppose you’re off to some posh hotel again with that brother of yours?’

‘No, not this year, some business acquaintance of his has invited them to spend the holiday at his ski lodge or something.’ Evelyn sniffs disdainfully. ‘Ridiculous I call it.’

‘Sounds wonderful to me, I love snow.’ Sandra offers shyly. ’But we don’t seem to get it like we used to do we?’

‘Skiing at his age!’ Evelyn purses her lips.

‘You got this thing about age haven’t you?’ Jessie huffs. ‘Life doesn’t have to fizzle out when you hit fifty you know. And he might not go skiing. It’s all about log fires and a real Christmassy setting, snow, mulled wine…’ she says dreamily ‘…or a tot or two of brandy. Woolly jumpers and things’

‘Oh, for goodness sake! You and your fairytale mentality.’

‘Damn sight better than being as miserable as sin’ she retorts immediately ‘I’d have a bash at skiing, I can tell you that!’

‘She would an’ all.’ Kathleen nudges Sandra with her elbow and grins at Jessie. ‘I shall never forget you on that skateboard!’

‘Wasn’t quite the same being tugged along by your grandson but gawd it was fun.’ Jessie lifts her forefinger, her eyes wide with a good idea. ‘I could do snowboarding! At least the snow would be softer than that pavement when I fell off.’

‘You were lucky you didn’t break your neck!’ Evelyn voices her disdain.

‘Well, I didn’t, did I? And I lived to tell the tale.’

‘Yes, over and over again.’

Jessie quivers with annoyance. ‘Oh….’ she eventually finds acceptable words. ‘Bog off! Beats swapping knitting patterns.’ She turns to Sandra ‘What you doing then, our Sandra?’

Sandra timidly raises her eyes from her lap. ‘It’s always very quiet what with it just being the two of us but it’s nice.’

‘No kiddies around at all? Me and Tom didn’t have any of our own but I loved seeing my nieces and nephews on Christmas Day. There’s something special about children and Christmas. Makes it more magical somehow.’

Evelyn sighs and rolls her eyes.

‘Yes’ Sandra agrees, looking uncomfortable at the change in the atmosphere around the table. ‘One day. Maybe.  Sorry, I’d better dash. Loads to do this morning.’

‘Me too, I’m afraid.’ Kathleen gathers her bag and gloves together, draining the last of her coffee before standing up. ‘Farmer’s market in Woodbury and I want to get me a bit of pork for the freezer and change the order for my turkey.’ She laughs ‘With everybody coming to me now, I shall need something the size of an ostrich!’

‘Right’ Jessie says, pushing her chair back. ‘Goodbye, Evelyn, more tea in the pot, do enjoy it. It won’t have cost you anything.’

She follows the other two women to the door. ‘And I’m off to give Mary and Joseph a new coat of paint. Meeting George at the village hall. He’s got to try and do something with the animals, somebody left the storeroom open and a cow and a donkey have become very friendly thanks to the little sods from the scout group and a tube of superglue!’

Chapter Two