Page 44 of Merrily Ever After
‘Um.’ Harley looked wrong-footed. ‘Control. It’s just a way of control.’
‘You don’t have to wear a tie if you don’t want to,’ I said casually. ‘Although your dad might be a bit disappointed.’
‘Why can’t I just wear something I’ve already got,’ groaned Harley, already having forgotten my Team Robinson pep talk.
‘And what have you already got, sir?’ asked Poppy.
Harley shrugged. ‘Nothing.’
‘It’s a look, I suppose,’ she said, pretending to consider it and then selecting a navy suit from the rail. ‘But wearing nothing on Christmas Eve might be a bit chilly.’
‘Haha,’ Freya piped up. ‘Chilly willy.’
Harley grabbed the suit from Poppy and sloped off to the changing room.
I stifled a giggle and Poppy gave me a reassuring smile. ‘You focus on the dress and leave me with the suit.’
Half an hour later, a pair of sequin party shoes, a blush-pink dress with a tulle skirt and matching velvet bolero, a sharp navy three-piece suit and co-ordinating tie, a shirt and a pair of smart shoes had been paid for and set aside for alterations and we were free to leave. Freya was happy, and although Harley pretended not to care, he’d spent an inordinately long time in the changing room, which I could only assume meant he was either admiring himself or taking selfies, both of which were fine by me.
We found a coffee shop which both the kids approved of and after polishing off cheese and ham toasties and hot chocolates, we headed back into the dark evening.
Bakewell was bigger than Wetherley and it was lovely to walk through the town centre and admire all the shop windows and Christmas decorations. I was in no rush now that the business of the day was over, especially as it had been a success, so when Freya spotted that there was virtually no queue outside Santa’s Grotto, I was happy to take her over.
‘I’ll wait outside,’ said Harley once I’d paid the entrance fee for Freya.
I shook my head. ‘Sorry. I need you to come in with me. It’s dark and I’m not having you hanging around on your own.’
Harley’s shoulders sank. ‘Merry, please don’t make me go in. Anyone from school could come past and see me. It would be so embarrassing.’
Freya was confused. ‘Don’t you want to tell Santa that you’d like a snowboard? That’s what you told me you wanted.’
‘Shush,’ Harley grunted. ‘You’re just a little kid, you don’t get it.’
The family in front of us disappeared into the grottoand we were up next.
‘Is it because you’ve been a naughty boy?’ Freya probed earnestly. ‘Are you on the naughty list?’
I could see that it was on the tip of Harley’s tongue to tell his little sister some home truths about Santa; I could only imagine the look on Lydia’s face when I took her little girl back in tears because she’d been told that Santa didn’t exist.
‘It’s been years since I got the chance to go and see Santa. Please. Just humour me.’
‘Fine,’ he grumbled. ‘But don’t expect me to speak to him.’
The elves waved us in, and Freya skipped ahead excitedly.
‘Thank you,’ I whispered, but he wasn’t listening. He was too busy checking the area to make sure nobody he knew was around.
‘Who is it you’re worried might see you?’ I asked.
Harley glanced at me defensively. ‘No one.’
‘Sure?’
‘Just boys from school.’ He studied his thumb and rubbed at a pen mark.
‘What are your friends’ names?’ I said casually, trying a different tactic. ‘You know my best friend is Nell, it’s only fair I know yours. Who do you hang out with?’
I held his gaze. His deep brown eyes, so like his father’s, looked away.
