Page 19 of Christmas off Script
‘And I’ll protect you if there are any burglars,’ Leo said.
Alarm flashed through her like lightning. ‘Is that likely?’
Bridget directed a terse sigh at Leo, then turned again to Ella. ‘We haven’t had a break-in for twenty-five years. The manor is very safe.’ She reached a panelled door and opened it. ‘This is you, dear.’ Inclining her head to the door beside hers, she sniffed. ‘Leo’s is that one. After you’ve unpacked, you can see for yourself how much of a state it is.’
Ella looked at Leo. His face had paled. ‘Bridge, can you help Ella out? I’ve got to, erm…’ Without waiting for a reply, he dropped the bags he was holding at their feet and dashed into the room next to Ella’s.
There was a scraping sound, as if he was pulling a large piece of furniture up against the door.
‘Don’t you dare mark the floorboards, young man!’ Bridget shouted.
‘Sorry!’ Leo called through, as Ella giggled.
Bridget rolled her eyes, but they were sparkling. ‘Don’t ever let him know,’ she whispered. ‘But I love the little scamp as if he were my own.’
‘I love him too,’ Ella replied. ‘There’s no-one quite like Leo.’
The two women smiled at each other.
‘Come on, let’s get you settled,’ Bridget said, leading Ella into the room next to Leo’s.
Half an hour later,Ella knocked on Leo’s door.
‘Hang on!’ he yelled from inside.
Smothering her grin, she waited.
A minute later, the door was flung open and Leo faced her, out of breath and red-faced, his dirty blond hair sticking up in all directions. ‘Hi!’
Ella snorted at the sight of him, her laugh getting bigger and bigger at his affronted expression, until she was bent over and howling.
Leo leant against the doorframe and crossed his arms. ‘I’ll have you know, this look is considered extremely attractive by many, many ladies.’
She tried to stop her laughter and failed. The stresses of the day had found one outlet through her tears and were now finding another through humour.
‘You’re… you’re very fexy,’ she finally managed.
‘I’m triple F fexy.’
‘Weren’t they your GCSE grades?’ she asked, before backing off a few paces as he raised an eyebrow. Her tummy turned over at the look he gave her. It was dark and dangerous in a wholly unexpected and surprisingly exciting way.
Then his sunny smile was back. ‘To be fair, that’s not far off. I’m not as clever as you.’
‘You are. You just didn’t make the effort.’
He shrugged. ‘Maybe. Anyway, are you ready to see my extremely clean and tidy room?’
‘I most certainly am.’
Leo backed inside and Ella followed, casting her eyes around the large, high-ceilinged room. It was a mirror of hers, with an en-suite bathroom on the left sharing a wall with her one, and tall windows that overlooked the formal gardens at the back of the manor.
But all the details flew out of her head as Ella stared at the walls, her jaw hanging slack.
‘You… I…’ She gazed at him in awed confusion. ‘Why?’
He gave her a look as if her question was nonsensical. ‘Why do you think? Because I love them.’
Ella’s feet moved of their own accord to the wall behind Leo’s bed and a framed A4 piece of paper she’d forgotten ever existed. Suddenly she was nine again, at Foxbrooke primary, sitting on a small plastic chair at a low formica table and letting her imagination fly out through her fingers.
