Page 103 of Christmas off Script
Ella: I hope you got to work okay? Xxx
Leo: All good. I’m going to work a bit later tonight, so I’ll see you this evening? xxx
Ella: I’m going to try out the rags-to-riches dress, so I should be in the ballroom. Do you want me to save you some dinner? Xxx
Leo: Don’t worry. I’m going to grab something in town before I leave xxx
Ella: Okay. Thank you for this morning xxx
Leo: Thank you for last night… X
Movingfrom task to task during the day, Ella’s cheeks heated every time she thought of Leo, to the point where a colleague asked if she had a fever, and a cheeky sixth former asked who she had a crush on. By the time she entered the ballroom after dinner, she was jumpier than a cricket on a hot tin roof, convinced that everyone could see her thoughts as she replayed what had happened with Leo the previous night.
‘There’s our star!’ Libby said excitedly as she came forward to give her a hug.
Ella glanced around to check Arthur wasn’t in the room to object.
Libby grinned. ‘The other star is on his way.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Apparently he’s got a surprise for me.’
‘You’ll love it!’ Dervla called from the stage. ‘He’s been working on it for months now.’
Ella shared a look with Libby. What did Arthur have up his sleeve this time?
‘And is there any reason why you can’t tell me what it is?’ Libby asked Dervla.
‘He likes to make a grand entrance,’ she replied. ‘And surprises. But I promise you, this one is completely safe.’
Libby took a big breath and squared her shoulders. ‘In which case, I am cautiously excited.’ She turned back to Ella. ‘Right, let’s get you into this dress and see if it works.’
On a table in front of the stage was a pale blue gown adorned with sparkling crystals. Libby rummaged under the voluminous skirts. ‘I just need to get into the middle—’ She broke off at the sound of barking. ‘Oh no.’
The ballroom door opened, and Ella breathed a sigh of relief when Steve entered, a large, shaggy dog by his side. Chewy was a Briard; a French herding and hunting dog who Steve and Jan had bought because of his resemblance to Chewbacca. Despite his size, he was well trained, unlike Arthur’s demon hounds, Caligula and Borgia, who were not only big, but bonkers and extremely badly behaved. They only ever paid attention to Estelle Foxbrooke’s boyfriend, James, however unfortunately he lived with Estelle at her livery on the other side of the estate park.
‘Hi everyone!’ Steve said. ‘I was about to pick up Jan and thought I’d pop by and see if anyone’s heard how Zach is getting on?’
A pang of guilt hit Ella’s stomach. Since last night, she hadn’t thought about him once.
Chewy came to her side and pushed his head against her leg. Tangling her fingers into his long coat, she scratched behind his ears.
‘He’s not great,’ Dervla replied. ‘But it was a clean break and he should be out of plaster in a few weeks.’
‘We’ve got him a get-well card for everyone to sign,’ Libby added. ‘And Willow’s putting together a food hamper which I’m going to take to the hospital tomorrow.’
Steve frowned. ‘Poor lad. Do you think people will want their money back once they find out he’s not in the panto anymore?’
‘Hopefully not, but we’ve put out a press release, and Zach still wants to come and support us. I’m going to create the role of a narrator and give him some of Dervla’s lines.’
‘Good idea.’ Steve nodded his head at the dress. ‘Is that the magic one?’
Libby smiled. ‘Yes! Want to see how it works? Ella was just about to test it.’
‘Absolutely!’
Putting her hands back under the skirts, Libby lifted the dress and helped it over Ella’s head. ‘Now pick up the first layer of the skirt and pull it to the top of your head like a scarf,’ she instructed.
The underside of the blue fabric was brown, and another skirt lay underneath, a copy of her patchwork Cinderella dress. It meant it now looked like she was wearing her tattered dress with a shawl over her head and shoulders. All she needed to do to transform herself was drop the skirt back into place to reveal the ballgown.
‘That’s so clever,’ Steve said. ‘Are we still having some fireworks go off? Arthur said—’
