There was no reply from Ben as Grace went across to the stairs. She switched off the light and headed up, holding the box awkwardly in front of her and navigating by the strip of illumination coming through the doorway at the top.
Suddenly, the door slammed shut with a loud bang and she was plunged into blackness. Shock made her drop the box, and she heard it tumbling away down the stairs. Panic seized her, and she scrambled blindly up the rest of the steps until she felt the wood of the door solid against her palms. She began to hammer on it with her fists, until it swung open.
Ben and Millie stared worriedly at her frightened face.
‘Grace, are you all right?’ Ben asked, as Millie reached out for her.
She clutched the door frame as she gulped in air. ‘I’m fine,’ she said, taking Millie. ‘The door slammed and gave me a fright.’
‘Sorry.’ Ben sounded contrite. ‘I’d taken Millie outside to say hi to Bess, and I heard the bang – the draught must have blown it closed.’ He noticed her empty hands. ‘You didn’t find anything?’
‘There’s a Christmas box, but I dropped it.’ She wavered, reluctant to go down there again.
‘I’ll get it.’ Ben headed down into the darkness.
Grace stroked Millie’s hair while they waited, saying, ‘Mummy got a fright, but it’s fine now,’ as Millie clung tightly to her.
A moment later, Ben reappeared. ‘Here you go,’ he said, carrying the box through to the living room. He set it down on the floor and stood up, dusting off his hands.
He was getting ready to leave, and Grace realised how much she didn’t want to be alone.
‘Would you like to stay while we decorate the tree?’ she asked. ‘I have beer.’
Ben smiled. ‘That would be good, but I don’t want to leave Bess out in this weather for too long …’
‘Bring her in, then.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course.’
Ben went to the front door and a moment later Bess bounded inside and began sniffing at everything in sight. To Grace’s surprise, Millie struggled to be free, and once on the ground the little girl gawped at the dog in amazement, and even chuckled briefly when Bess licked her face. Grace knelt down and patted Bess, feeling herself warming to the dog. She couldn’t be too nervous of an animal that could make her daughter giggle like that.
When Annabel and James arrived home they found Bess curled up in front of the fireplace, looking on as Grace and Ben put the final touches to the Christmas tree. Millie sat beside them, playing with an assortment of baubles that she had commandeered.
‘What are you doing here, Ben?’ Annabel asked as she began pulling off her gloves.
‘You told me you didn’t have a Christmas tree,’ he said. ‘So I brought you one.’
Grace felt her face fall as she saw Annabel’s light up. She’d thought the tree was for Millie’s benefit. Why did she care? she asked herself, as she began to help them with the bags.
‘I think we’ve got enough food to feed the whole village,’ Annabel announced as she went across to give Bess a stroke. ‘You should have seen the town, Grace, it was like one of those olde-worlde postcards – the market was on a cobbled street, everyone was wearing Christmas hats, and all the shops were decorated with multicoloured twinkling lights and streams of tinsel.’
As she listened, Grace noticed that the two men were eyeing each other, waiting for introductions. ‘James, this is Ben.’
They shook hands. ‘Been hearing a lot about you,’ James said.
‘Oh?’ Ben looked wary.
James smiled. ‘All good, don’t worry. Annabel’s been telling me about your daytrips. Local, are you?’
‘Used to be.’ Ben went across to get his coat. ‘Not lived here for a long time now, but I know some of the old stories.’
‘Are you coming to the ball tonight?’
‘No.’ Ben shook his head. ‘Not my thing. Come on, Bess.’
The dog sprang to her feet.
‘I’ll see you all tomorrow then?’ Ben looked around the room at them before he turned to leave.
Grace went to see him out. She wished he were coming to the ball. She enjoyed his unobtrusive company, and wanted to get to know him better.
‘Thanks again for the tree,’ she called after him belatedly as he neared the gate, with Bess trotting behind him.
He didn’t turn, just waved a hand in reply.
Freeborough Hall loomed sturdy and imposing at the end of a long circular driveway, lights blazing from the downstairs rooms. Grace grasped the skirt of her long black satin dress so that it wouldn’t trail along the wet ground, and headed towards the ornate doorway with the others.
Annabel had borrowed a sparkly silver number that Grace hadn’t worn in years, while James had managed to hire a tuxedo in town. He fiddled with his cufflinks as they made their way up the steps. At the top they were greeted by two elderly women, in similar royal blue knee-length dresses that looked more appropriate for church than for a ball.