Page 5 of Christmas Spirit
Georgie said nothing. At least Roland had a swanky meal to look forward to, which was a lot more than he had. It was on the tip of his tongue to say sorry, but he bit it back. Why the hell should he be sorry? It wasn’t his fault it was snowing. It wasn’t his fault the road was closed. It wasn’t his fault they had to take a diversion. None of it was his fault, but Roland was making him feel bad when he had no right to. Anger, too hot to hold in, bubbled and fizzed and burned in Georgie’s chest.
Fuckhis horrible job and horrible life.
Fuckbeing seen by everybody as the lowest of the low.
Fuckbeing ignored by everybody and treated like he didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as them.
AndfuckRoland Fletcher Jones for letting it happen.
If Pendleton Manor’s Golden Boy sacked him on the spot, he wouldn’t give aflying fuck.
“I’ve inconvenienced you. You didn’t want to give me a lift, I get it. The only reason you’re doing it was because Julia forced you to. Well, she isn’t here and your commitment ends. Stop the car. I’ll walk the rest of the way, because even this weather’s more forgiving than you. And before you sack me, I resign. Stuff your poxy, slave wages job. Stuff Pendleton Manor, and most of all, stuff you!”
Georgie’s face burned, his breath came in hard and ragged gasps. His blood rushed through his veins, itswhooshfilling his ears. He’d thrown away his job and the lodgings that went with it, but he didn’t care, he didn’t give a damn.
He didn’t give a fuck, flying or otherwise.
God, what had he just done?
The car lurched to a halt. In the front seat, Roland threw off his seatbelt and swung around.
White faced, his dark green eyes hard and glittering, Roland glared at Georgie.
“You’re right. I was cornered by Julia. I didn’t want to give you a lift. You irritate the hell out of me because you’re a waste of space in my kitchen. How many times have you broken the dishwasher? Three, four times? You screw up the simplest job, and I should have dismissed you long ago. But I haven’t, because Julia gave me some sob story about you needing a chance, a foot in the door to a professional kitchen. I went against my better judgement, but I agreed to give you six months to earn your place. Your first four months have been little short of disastrous and I don’t see the remaining two being any different. But I committed to giving you six months to prove yourself, just like I committed to giving you a lift to town. When I agree to something, I stick with it. You will stay in this car, understand?”
Georgie’s eyes burned and he pressed his lips tight.
He was a waste of space. He screwed up. He was a failure. Did Roland think he was telling him anything he didn’t already know?
Georgie’s anger rushed out like a wave, as humiliation flooded in to take its place.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, unable any longer to meet Roland’s eye. “I shouldn’t have—”
“If you’d spoken to me like that in the kitchen, you’d have been dismissed on the spot, promise or no promise to Julia, but,” Roland said, exhaling a deep sigh, “we’re not in the kitchen, and in this weather,” he added, peering out into the featureless whiteness, “you’d be stranded within minutes.”
Georgie nodded, his throat too thick to speak.
Roland swung around, rebuckled his seatbelt with a hard click, and started up the car.
Georgie, hunched up against the door, said nothing, gazing out of the window as Roland steered through the twisting, winding lane.
The way had become narrower, Georgie was sure of it, the hedges clawing at the car on both sides. Neither spoke, the silence heavy and tense.
Georgie felt stupid, he’d behaved like a child throwing a tantrum, but he was tired, so tired, of being seen and treated as little more than nothing. He wouldn’t last at Pendleton Manor beyond his probationary period, no way was that going to happen. Hadn’t Roland said that? But if Roland could see it out, then so could he. He’d come back in January, keep his head down, add as much as he could to his meagre savings, and then go back to London. But God alone knew what he was going to do, or where he would end up living.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake.” Roland braked hard, causing the car to skid a little, bumping Georgie out of his dark thoughts.
“What—?” Georgie leaned forward.
Anotherroad ahead closedsign. Just as before, there was also a smaller wooden sign, pointing them towards yet another narrow lane.
Georgie’s brow puckered. There was something not quite right about the smaller sign, which he hadn’t registered until now. It wasn’t official looking like the big red metal one, and he was sure he’d never seen wooden road signs before. He tilted his head. The worddiversion,and the arrow, had a hand-painted look about them, but he didn’t have time to think on it for too long as his gaze switched to the digital clock on the dashboard. Georgie’s eyes widened. They’d been on the road for almost two hours. How was that possible? There was no way, now, he was going to make his train. At least he’d booked an open ticket, so he could pick up a later one. It was his one sensible decision in what felt like a sea of blunders.
Roland took the turn because he had no choice, but whether it was taking them towards town, or away from it, Georgie had no idea.
Chapter Four
The land around them was barren and white with no sign of any living thing or any human habitation. Georgie shuddered, but he didn’t quite know why. Sure, this was the countryside but it was hardly remote. He’d explored the surrounding area when he first came to Pendleton, on his one day off a week, glad only to be as far away from the kitchen, Roland, and the rest of the staff as he could get. There were farms and small villages littered around every bend in the road, but today there was nothing, nothing but whiteness and the ever falling snow.
