Page 40 of Christmas Chaos
‘Please? For me?’
She threw up her arms. ‘Okay, okay. I’ll do it. Can I get away with putting a coat over my pyjamas?’
He hesitated. ‘If you don’t mind the village seeing them?’
‘I don’t care right now. I’ve been trying for perfection, but everything’s gone tits up no matter what I do.’
She threw on her coat, hat and boots and followed Rory out to his truck, Bandit following. He’d been especially attentive recently and now wouldn’t leave her side. Rory drove into the back courtyard and led her through the castle into the great hall. It was already full of people, and everyone was holding a candle. With the main lights turned low, Zoe had to admit it was a beautiful sight. Rory led her to the front where one of the castle’s wooden thrones had been placed.
‘Are you sure I can sit?’ she whispered. ‘Everyone else is standing.’
‘It’s your castle, and no one else is eight and a half months pregnant,’ he whispered back.
She sank gratefully into the chair as the Kinloch community choir filed onto the raised dais at one end of the hall and began to sing.
‘The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
“All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favoured lady.” Gloria.’
Zoe held her breath as the music filled the space. In the half-light she could imagine this scene taking place hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago.
The carol ended and Brad’s voice rang out. ‘And in the sixth month, the angel Gabrielle was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth.’
The choir parted and a figure stepped forward, dressed all in white, with fairy wings and a tinsel halo.
Zoe’s mouth fell open.Sam?But wasn’t she meant to be working abroad?
Sam raised a magic wand in Zoe’s direction and a spotlight suddenly shone on her chair.
What the fuck?
‘Hail Mary, full of grace,’ Sam declaimed. ‘The Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou amongst women.’
Zoe turned to look at Rory, but he’d disappeared.
‘Fear not, Mary,’ Sam continued. ‘For your husband shall returneth sooneth. He might have just poppeth out for a quick bathroom breaketh.’ Laughter rippled around the room. ‘Behold! Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son or daughter, and thou shalt name him or her whatever the hell you chooseth.’
‘Babe! Stick to the script!’ Brad hissed from the side.
‘The child shall be great, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of Rory his father; and he shall reign in the house of Kinloch forever.’
The audience applauded loudly.
‘And Mary said unto the angel,’ said Brad, looking pointedly at Zoe.
‘Er,’ Zoe began, trying to rack her brains for the next line. ‘Um, but how has this happeneth? For I know not a man.’
‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,’ said Sam. ‘But in a totally consensual, non-creepy manner, so don’t freaketh out.’
‘And Mary said,’ continued Brad.
Fuck!WhatdidMary say? ‘Um, thanks for that,’ Zoe replied. ‘Now you’re here, anything else I should know?’
‘Not at all,’ replied Brad, quickly. ‘Then the angel departed from her.’ He gestured for Sam to move but she didn’t budge. ‘Forthwith, and at great speed!’ he continued.
