Page 98 of Kiss Me at Christmas
Evaline’s eyes grew so wide with outrage that Harriet feared they might pop right out like two hard-boiled eggs. The old woman pushed on the arms of her chair, hands shaking as she made to stand. Austin immediately moved to one side of her and James to the other, like sentries.
Any great declarations she might have been about to make were swallowed by the swing doors opening—pushing in the sounds of a trombone and trumpet being played badly—and several joyful humans carrying trays of hot snacks.
“Right, nosh is up, people!” Josef called. “To the auditorium!”
At this, dominoes and historical artifacts were discarded as everyone followed the Pied Pipers up the grand staircase.
“Evaline, perhaps you’d like to try the new lift to take us down to the auditorium?” Harriet asked. “I’m sure you’d like to see how the production is coming along.”
Evaline gave her a cold, hard stare.
“Very well. Since it pertains to my reason for being here, I may as well.”
She allowed herself to be gingerly lowered back into her wheelchair and did her utmost not to show that she was impressed by the restoration of the beautiful Art Deco interior of the lift.
As the doors swished closed Harriet began, “I don’t want to sound rude, but why are you here?”
“I came to inform you that as of tomorrow the box office will be open.”
“I’d thought the production was going to be free—why do people need tickets?” Harriet queried.
“It’s a fire safety thing,” James answered. “Legally we can only have a certain number of bodies in the building. It makes sense to ticket the event, so that we can be sure we are meeting fire safety standards.”
“Oh, okay. But the tickets are still free, right?”
“Almost. There is a two-pound charge, one hundred percent of which goes to the local food bank,” said James. Evaline sniffed disdainfully. Harriet wanted to press herself against James and tell him he was wonderful.
“It would appear that your obsessive do-gooding has rubbed off on my solicitor and made him soft in the head. You are like a snowball, Ms. Smith, rolling downhill, gathering up waifs and strays as you go before thundering like an avalanche intomytheater.”
“Ummm, thank you?” Harriet said.
“Be quiet! I am not finished.”
Harriet bit her lip and stared down at the carpet.
“However,” Evaline continued, “my accountant willsee that my generosity to local charities works favorably on my tax return.”
The lift opened and despite being in her chair, Evaline used her stick to hit at the ankles of anyone who got in her way. When they reached the front row of the dress circle, Austin helped Evaline to a seat in the center. Harriet seated herself beside Evaline, with James on her other side. Austin settled in a few rows behind.
Smells of hot mince pies and gingerbread mixed and mingled with honey-sweet and cumin-savory pastries laid out on tables below the stage. All over the theater, people stopped what they were doing to grab a hot morsel or three and got comfortable in the stalls while they ate. Under the stage lights, Ahmed as Scrooge and Odette as the Ghost of Christmas Present played out their roles.
“Spirit! Are they yours?” Ahmed fell to his knees, hands clasped in supplication, looking up at Odette.
“They are man’s,” Odette replied.
As the scene came to its dramatic end, a bell rang twelve times and a shiver ran down Harriet’s spine. Then the theater erupted into rapturous applause. Harriet joined in, but it didn’t surprise her to note that Evaline’s gloved hands remained folded in her lap. She found herself reciting one of the lines she had helped Carly to learn in her role as Belle.You fear the world too much. All your other hopes have merged into the hope of being beyond the chance of its sordid reproach.Without turning fully, she cast her eyes sideways at Evaline in time to see a single tear run down the old woman’s softly crumpled cheek and drip down onto the fur collar of her coat.
Twenty-six
Harriet and James sat onher sofa, a scented candle burning, the nutcrackers standing sentinel on the fireplace andLove Actuallyplaying on the TV above it. She’d cooked them a meal, from scratch. It felt very decadent for a Monday. She felt contented, with his arm draped loosely around her, her head resting on his chest.
“I should go soon,” James said, kissing the top of her head.
“Oh.” She snuggled in deeper. “Stay to the end of the film.”
“It’s already half past eleven.”
“Did you always want to be a solicitor?”
