Page 89 of The Secret Christmas Library
‘I think he had a lot of time on his hands,’ said Mirren. ‘I think he enjoyed doing it. And he means it. And also . . . ’ She paused,thinking. ‘He might have wanted you to explore properly, explore the whole house, and see that you couldn’t save it, maybe.’
‘Huh,’ said Jamie. He leafed through the papers. ‘There’s nothing else,’ he said. ‘This is it. No more clues.’
She looked up at him. ‘It’s really not bad advice.’
‘I know. I totally get that,’ he said. ‘But . . . ’
They looked at the original poem again. ‘Understand, my friend . . . ’He frowned. ‘Do you think this is it? This is the end? He just wanted to be understood?’
‘Run towards joy,’ said Mirren. ‘I think that’s not a bad outcome.’
Jamie’s face was a mixture of bewilderment and hope.
‘I could just . . . walk away?’ he said. He looked at Mirren. ‘Do you think I could?’
Mirren shrugged. ‘I bet there’s a botanical garden somewhere that needs its spiders saving.’
‘But where would I live? What would I do?’
‘Those are questions,’ said Mirren, ‘that, believe it or not, most of us deal with every day.’
He blinked, and Mirren thought she could see new possibilities dancing in his eyes. ‘God,’ he said. ‘Esme is going to spit.’
‘Did she think you were going to find a pot of treasure and buy her a yacht?’
‘It’s not outside the realms of possibility.’
‘But there wasn’t really a book,’ said Mirren. ‘Or rather, it was a book of his letters. And valuable advice.’
‘Goodness . . . ’
Jamie looked around, stricken.Do it now, Mirren told herself.Take him by the hand. Kiss him if you have to, before you get interrupted again. And just as she had this thought, Bonnie walked into the kitchen, holding a live duck by the neck. The duck was loudly unimpressed.
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Mirren squawked almost as loudly as the duck and jumped backwards. Bonnie shot her a look.
‘Come on! This is Quackers. Don’t startle her, you’ll make it worse.’
‘Youknowthis duck?’ said Mirren.
Bonnie ignored her. ‘Jamie, could you . . . ’
‘Can’t Esme do it?’ said Jamie, walking over and reluctantly holding the bottom half of the duck. ‘Didn’t you want to do this outside?’
‘No, they’ve unionised,’ said Bonnie.
‘Are you going to . . .what are you going to do to the duck?’ asked Mirren.
‘Oh, God,’ said Bonnie. ‘I really don’t have time to explain the countryside. Jamie . . . Jamie . . . ’ she said in a warning tone of voice. ‘Would youstopbeing soft.Esme! ESME!’
Esme, as it turned out, was heading in, dressed in a sleek trouser suit. ‘Yes, yes, no need to holler,’ she said, then grinned. ‘Oh, God, is my brother being pathetic again? You’ll still eat it.’
‘I know,’ said Jamie. ‘I just don’t . . . ’
‘Come on, Bonnie, we’ll do it outside.’
‘Maybe the larder . . . ’ said Bonnie reluctantly.
