Page 11 of Every Christmas Eve
Has my sister softened suddenly? She doesn’t do hearts and feelings. She’s a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants kind of gal who, and I mean this in the most endearing way, thinks ofno one but herself as she has absolutely zero responsibility in her life.
‘Cordelia, please slow down,’ I say to her, pinching the bridge of my nose, feeling more serious about it all now. ‘You’ve got to admit this is totally unexpected and not something any of us would have dared to as much as consider after the fiasco of the last one, when Dad pulled the plug for good. A party at Ballyheaney House is not what we need this Christmas. In fact, a party at Ballyheaney House is the very last thing anyone would want this Christmas. There’s no way Ava would agree to it.’
‘I think it’s a great idea,’ my daughter says.
I swoop around to see her behind me, dressed in a padded yellow jacket and a cosy blue hat, as if she’s now ready for that walk on the beach after all.
‘Wait a minute! Have you two been in cahoots behind my back?’ I ask.
Ava shakes her head while Cordelia goes into full-throttle denial all those miles away.
‘A Christmas Eve party for charity would be so much fun,’ says Ava.
‘You think so?’ I ask her, noticing how her previously tear-filled eyes are now trimmed with mascara, which gives me a gut-thump reminder of how she’s almost a teenager.
‘Grandma has told me all about those good old days, and I’ve seen some photos too,’ she tells me. ‘I can help organise it if you’ll let me. And maybe I could help pick the charity? Say yes, Daddy, please! I dare you to be spontaneous for once in your life.’
My sister bursts out laughing.
‘It would mean us uprooting for Christmas and I’ve just spent a clean fortune on fancy decorations for this place,’ I plead, hoping that might be a start in my defence. ‘I can’t waste all that.’
‘Take them up north with you,’ suggests Cordelia. ‘They’d look magnificent in Ballyheaney House, I’m sure.’
‘And we’d need to work out a budget and see what work needs to be done to the house before we fling open the doors to the general public,’ I remind my sister, who will no doubt swan in at the eleventh hour when all the hard work has been done and declare afterwards how easy it was to get the big house ready. ‘I’d need to resurrect my DIY skills, which to be honest I’ve missed quite a lot recently.’
‘Yes!’ they both cry in unison.
‘You’re the best!’ shouts Cordelia. ‘It’s going to be the best thing you’ve ever done, wait and see.’
I shake my head, feeling very much like I’ve been pushed into something I’m not quite prepared for. I also fear that in more than one way this evening, I’ve allowed the Pandora’s Box of Lou Doherty memories to be prised open again.
Thank goodness she lives in New York now.
‘So, you’ll go to Ballyheaney this weekend then and make a start?’ says Cordelia. ‘We only have two weekends before Christmas to pull it all together.’
‘I love how you say “we” when you’re not even in the same country,’ I remind her. ‘But yes, I’ll give Mum a call and we’ll see if she’s up for giving it a go.’
I’m not sure how this has happened, but it seems I’veagreed to organise a once legendary party at my childhood home with about two weeks to do so.
In many ways, I’m doing it to distract Ava. And I suppose it’s an excuse to get out of this empty, soulless house for the holidays.
It could be a blessing in disguise or a complete disaster. Only time will tell.
CHAPTER THREE
Lou
THEN
Christmas Eve, 24 Years Ago
I lay under my duvet, flipped open my red Motorola phone and said a quick prayer I’d already have a message from Ben now that our big day was finally here, even if it was still only 8 a.m.
It was Christmas Eve again at last. I had turned seventeen recently, and most importantly it was the day of the big Ballyheaney party.
I could almost breathe in the excitement from the moment I opened my eyes as I thought of the guests arriving at the big house, the crisp call of winter in the air and the romance on everyone’s lips, as we all succumbed to the charm and glamour of the Heaneys and their unrivalled hospitality.
But this year was already different, because this year I had an inside view of it all. I was part of the team, and it felt so good.
