Page 104 of The Secret Christmas Library
‘This is something very, very special,’ said Theo, in awe, wrapping it up carefully. ‘Can you look after it?’ he said to Jamie.
‘God, no,’ said Jamie. ‘We’ve already lost something precious tonight. Mirren, can you hold on to it?’
Mirren looked at Theo.
‘You take it,’ she said softly. ‘Then you can have your name in the British Museum too.’
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Roger came bounding up delightedly as they returned; the road had been ploughed to let the fire engines through, and they had successfully secured everything. The hedge was a black ruin, and the smell hung heavy, but the shape was still there. It could grow back.
Jamie made such a fuss of the dog, Mirren couldn’t help but laugh. ‘I thought he was a working dog!’
Roger came up for his rightful cuddle from her too.
‘He is,’ said Jamie. ‘From now on, he’s working as a petting animal.’
They advanced cautiously towards the ruins, having been warned by the fire brigade not to go anywhere near it or inside. It was a huge mass of rubble and mulch: all that money, all that wealth and power, now just so much muck and dust.
Esme had spirited Theo and the book off to the halt in the Land Rover. Just before they’d left, there had been a roaring noise from the gates, and, charging up, there came a huge black motorbike ridden by someone in a leather jacket. The noise was incredible as it came to a stop that sprayed ice everywhere.
‘Ian!’ came a yell as Bonnie, normally so staid, careered towards him.
The tall youth pulled off his helmet, revealing a shock of bright red hair, grabbed Bonnie as she ran to him, and gaveher a full deep-throated snog in front of everyone. They eventually came up for air and Ian gave them all a cursory glance. ‘Awright, aye?’ he said nonchalantly, as if he’d just popped by on his way somewhere else. Bonnie put the spare helmet on excitedly, hopped up on the back of the bike, and they’d departed in a roar of smoke and gravel and snow.
‘What is it?’ said Jamie, seeing Mirren’s face.
‘I just . . . at one point I thought maybe she kept working here because she was in love with you.’
Jamie had thrown back his head and laughed. ‘Oh, my God. No. No, I don’t think it was that.’
‘I don’t know,’ said Mirren, moving closer to him again. ‘I don’t know why you think someone liking you is that funny.’
And he’d pulled her to him, very tightly.
Afterwards, back at Joy’s cottage, where they were staying, he paced up and down.
‘What are you thinking?’ she asked. ‘You need sleep.’
‘I can’t sleep,’ said Jamie. ‘I’m too wired.’
He looked at the photos on Mrs Airdrie’s old dresser.
‘You know,’ he said, ‘Bonnie’s three months older than me.’
Mirren raised her eyebrows. ‘Uh-huh,’ she said.
There was a pause, while she processed what he was trying to tell her.
‘Are you sure you don’t want to sleep on it?’
Jamie shook his head.
‘She tended him every day. My –ourgrandfather. She kept the house going, kept his room warm, tended him while the rest of us just complained. This is her home. What’s left of it.’
Mirren smiled. ‘Are you sure she won’t think you’re just giving her a pile of old rubble?’
‘I’m not so sure about that,’ said Jamie.
