Page 49 of Christmas for the Village Midwife (The Village Midwife #2)

Zoe left some final tasks to the paramedic team, who had notes to write up and a report to send back to base.

Georgia hadn’t wanted to be taken to hospital, and Zoe was content, after weighing up the risks of her staying in Thimblebury against an arduous journey in an ambulance in the snow, that she’d be better off where she was.

She’d stay, so she’d be on hand for any emergency, though she didn’t anticipate anything.

So they left after having a quick word with her to check she was OK to manage anything that might crop up once they’d gone, and the church suddenly seemed a lot emptier without their high-vis suits and masses of equipment.

In fact, as they all settled down with the hum of low conversations here and there, it was quite peaceful.

Holy even, Zoe might have said, had she not been far too practical for that sort of thing.

Victor joked that the vicar ought to go and empty out the manger on the nativity display so they could put Georgia’s baby in it, but for the first time that night, the vicar looked less than affable at the suggestion.

Victor seemed to consider himself told and went to sit in a corner to talk to Alex like a boy being sent to the naughty step.

While Georgia and Brett spent some time alone with their baby, Zoe sat nursing a cup of tea, watching them.

Nobody had left the church to go home yet.

The vicar had offered the opinion that it wasn’t safe for those who lived much further out to leave, and to a point Zoe agreed with him.

The church was hardly ideal, but it was better than trying to get home in the blizzard conditions that had caused so much trouble on the way down.

Not only that, but there was no way she was letting anyone take a newborn out into the snow.

Georgia seemed content in her makeshift bed, sleepy and comfortable with her baby in her arms and Brett close by, giving her so much adoring attention it was hard to believe there had ever been any conflict between them.

Emilia hovered, seemingly not knowing what to do with herself.

And while Georgia was here, Zoe wanted to be here too, keeping a close eye on things.

Which meant Alex wanted to be here to be close to Zoe, and Billie wanted to be here to be with her dad.

After an hour of hanging around and chatting, Victor and Leon decided to go home.

‘We can take you back with us,’ Victor said to Billie and Alex.

‘Go,’ Zoe said. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch.’

‘You’re staying?’

‘I’d rather. Georgia might need me again.’

‘Oh…’ Alex looked at Billie, who nodded. ‘Then we’ll stay.’

‘There’s no need.’

‘I know, but we want to.’

Zoe raised her eyebrows at Billie. ‘I can’t see it being a very comfortable night for you.’

‘I might be able to help with that,’ the vicar said. He disappeared through a side door and then came back with his arms full of pillows and duvets. ‘It’s supposed to be going abroad for charity,’ he explained. ‘It’s all clean. You’re welcome to sleep on it if you want to stay the night.’

‘Like a sleepover,’ Alex said with a grin.

‘The weirdest sleepover ever,’ Zoe replied. ‘We won’t forget our first Christmas together in a hurry.’

‘Perhaps someone can come and help me get more out,’ the vicar said. ‘There’s plenty, so you ought to be comfortable enough.’

‘Stay there,’ Alex said to Zoe. ‘Keep the weight off that ankle. It must be hurting.’

‘It’s throbbing a bit, I won’t lie. I haven’t really thought about it so much until now.’

‘I bet you’ve been running on adrenaline though. You know, like they say, when the moment is highly stressful and you forget to feel pain.’

‘Probably. And ignoring it a bit too, so I could focus.’

While Alex went to help, Emilia sat next to Zoe. ‘Want me to take a look at your ankle?’

Zoe glanced at it and then shook her head. ‘It’s only a sprain; it’ll be fine.’

‘You’re sure?’

‘Positive. If it gets worse, don’t worry, I’ll tell you.’

Emilia nodded slowly and then fell to silence for a moment before she took a breath and spoke again. ‘I haven’t thanked you properly.’

‘I think you have.’

‘You absolutely went above and beyond today. I don’t know how to express how grateful I am.’

‘I’m sure you would have done the same.’

‘Still, I appreciate it. We all do. I owe you an explanation?—’

‘You don’t. I mean, I don’t know what for, but I don’t feel like there’s any explanation needed for anything.’ She gave the tiniest nod at Brett and Georgia. ‘Do you think they’ll be OK?’

‘I hope so. They had a big bust-up earlier…that’s why they left the church during the service and I followed, and I suspect that’s where the trouble started with Georgia.

But…I think all this has shocked Brett into some kind of epiphany.

I’ve spoken to him – he knows the drinking and the wallowing in self-pity can’t go on, not now he has a son. ’

Zoe couldn’t help but feel that, despite Emilia’s good intentions, her intervention was a bit heavy-handed.

Georgia and Brett would work things out by themselves, as he’d come to his own conclusions about the changes he needed to make to be the man Georgia and their little boy needed.

In the circumstances, perhaps Zoe could also understand why Emilia would feel the need to get involved.

They were living with her, after all, and what they did affected her too.

Emilia pulled out her phone. ‘Signal’s been dropping out all night.’

‘I know. It’s caused havoc in one way or another. What time do you make it? I’m too tired to get my phone out to look.’

‘Almost midnight,’ Emilia said. ‘Give it a few minutes and I’ll be able to wish you a happy Christmas.’

‘I thought you didn’t like Christmas.’

Emilia gave her a rueful look. ‘It’s a difficult time for me, but I don’t hate it…and other people like it. The least I can do right now is respect that.’

‘Why is it difficult? Seems like you have a proper love–hate relationship with this time of year. You don’t have to tell me, but…’

‘I suppose you’ve earned that much, being such a star tonight.

Last Christmas, Todd was having an affair.

I’d known about it for a few weeks, but I didn’t say anything.

I wanted him to at least have enough respect for me to come clean.

I waited. He lied all through Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day…

and then it got to New Year and I knew he wasn’t going to tell me.

When I finally confronted him, you know what he said? ’

Zoe shook her head.

‘Told me it was my fault. I didn’t pay him enough attention. I was always at work. I put everyone else before him. I was possessive and distrustful, and I had no right to spy on him, and that I shouldn’t have lied to him about not knowing. Can you imagine that?’

‘Wow,’ Zoe said. ‘No wonder you’re not a fan.’

‘Perhaps,’ Emilia said, her gaze going to Georgia and Brett with their baby, ‘I might like it better next year. I’ve certainly made some new Christmas memories.’

‘We all have,’ Zoe said with a tired smile. ‘We won’t forget this one in a hurry.’

‘You must be exhausted,’ Emilia said.

‘A bit, but I’m too wired to sleep at the moment. Give me an hour and I’m sure I’ll get there.’

They both looked up as Brett came over with the baby in his arms. ‘Georgia’s going to sleep,’ he said, gazing down at his son with such love that Zoe was almost overwhelmed to see it. ‘I said I’d take care of him while she gets her rest.’

‘We can make him a little bed,’ Emilia said. ‘You must be tired too.’

He shook his head. ‘I’m not tired. I said I’d watch him while she slept, and I will. If she can’t trust me now, she’s never going to, and I want…well, I want her to have faith in me again. I haven’t given her much reason to over the past few months.’

‘She loves you,’ Zoe said. ‘That much is obvious.’

‘I love her too. I’ve been blinded by…’ He let out a sigh.

‘I’ve been selfish, too wrapped up in how our change of fortunes have affected me and not thinking about how they might be affecting her.

We both made sacrifices, but to me she’d fallen on her feet because at least she was living with her sister, but…

Sorry, Em. I’ve been an absolute nightmare, haven’t I? ’

‘Yes,’ Emilia said. ‘But new year, new start, eh?’

‘That’s the intention,’ he said. ‘I’m going to swallow my pride, get some work and support this family. It doesn’t matter what the work is as long as I do my best to look after them.’

‘Good,’ Emilia said. ‘I’ll help, if I can. If you let me this time.’

He gave a sheepish smile, and then all three of them were distracted by Alex and the vicar coming out of the store room with more bedding.

‘Right,’ he said. ‘Who needs a bed, and where do you want to hunker down?’

‘I’m staying up for a while,’ Brett said then looked at Emilia. ‘You could go home.’

‘You could,’ Zoe agreed. ‘There’s no reason for you to stay, you could probably make it back, and you’re not far away if we do need you for anything, though I doubt we will. It’ll be nice to be in your own bed, and you look like you need some peace and quiet.’

‘It would be nice,’ Emilia agreed.

‘I could walk you home,’ Alex said.

‘There’s no need,’ Emilia began, but Zoe stopped her.

‘Let him. We’d all be happier knowing you’re home safe.’

‘OK,’ Emilia said. ‘I’ll call early in the morning to see how things are.’

‘I’m sure you will,’ Zoe said. She gave Emilia a quick hug, one that her friend’s older sister seemed taken aback by, and then offered Alex a brief, grateful smile as he put down the bedding and went to get his coat, Emilia following.

Zoe noticed Billie have a brief word with her dad, and then she came to get some of the bedding.

‘Are you sure you’re going to be comfortable enough?’ Zoe asked. ‘Because I’m sure Emilia won’t mind you going back with her and staying over tonight.’

‘I want to stay here. I’ll be fine – there’s loads of stuff here.’ She pulled at a duvet. ‘I can make a mattress out of about three of these and then put one on top – it’ll be warm enough.’

‘I can’t say I think it’s the best idea, but I can hardly tell you what to do,’ Zoe said.

‘Exactly, so shut up about it.’

Zoe gave a tired smile. It held as she noticed Billie’s attention switch to the baby in Brett’s arms.

‘Have you got the name yet?’ she asked softly, peering down at the little boy.

‘I’m still working on it, but Georgia’s asleep anyway, so I’d have to wait to get her approval.’

‘He’s cute,’ Billie said. ‘What’s your middle name?’

‘Mine?’ Brett asked.

Billie nodded.

‘I don’t have one.’

‘Oh, well what about your dad’s name?’

‘Ah, I see. We’ve been through all the family names, and Georgia doesn’t like any of them.’

‘Shame. I think I would have my dad’s,’ Billie said.

‘What about your baby’s dad?’ Brett asked, and then Zoe watched as Billie instantly disengaged.

‘I’ve got to make my bed,’ she said, grabbing a duvet and some pillows and taking them to the other side of the room.

Brett looked helplessly at Zoe. ‘What did I do?’

‘It’s not your fault,’ Zoe said. ‘You weren’t to know.’

‘Know what? Shit, have I put my foot in it again?’ He lowered his voice. ‘He’s left her in the lurch?’

‘He died.’

‘Oh.’ Brett looked across the room to where Billie was putting together a makeshift bed.

‘I’d leave her if I were you,’ Zoe said, guessing that he might want to go and make amends. ‘She’ll be all right by tomorrow.’

Brett looked doubtful, and perhaps he had good reason.

Zoe wanted him to feel better about his faux pas, but the truth was, Billie was still struggling to come to terms with her situation.

She was better than she’d been when she’d first arrived in Thimblebury during the autumn, but there was a way to go.

And there was also the not so small matter of what she was planning to do when her own baby arrived.

Brett turned back to the little boy in his arms, and perhaps he was thinking about how it might be if his son didn’t have a father.

Zoe liked to imagine this was strengthening his resolve to be the best dad he could.

The vicar came over to her with another duvet and more pillows. ‘Where would you like to bed down, Zoe?’

‘I’ll take those,’ she said. ‘No need for you to worry. Does it matter where I go? Anywhere out of bounds?’

‘Perhaps try not to turf the baby Jesus out of his manger to get in there,’ he said wryly, and Zoe laughed.

‘Poor Victor. I’m sure he’s mortified about his joke falling so flat.’

‘Perhaps I was a bit harsh on him,’ the vicar said. ‘I’m not quite at my best and brightest now.’

‘I don’t think any of us are. We can look after everything else here if you want to go and get some sleep.’

‘I might walk along to the vicarage,’ he said. ‘If you don’t mind. I’ll keep my phone to hand so you can call if you need anything overnight. I won’t lock up. Of course, anyone who wants to is welcome to come and stay at the vicarage. There’s a spare bedroom.’

‘I think everyone who is here now wants to stay put,’ Zoe said. ‘But thank you.’

‘Yes, well…’ He looked at his watch. ‘Merry Christmas then. I’ll be back in a few hours to get you up – don’t want you sleeping through the Christmas Day service, do we?’

‘Oh!’ Zoe put a hand over her mouth. ‘I hadn’t even thought of that! Will it be a problem?’

‘I’m sure it won’t, but I will need to come and get the church ready.’

‘Of course. I’ll make sure we’re awake and everything is tidy for you.’

‘Oh dear, that’s not what I meant?—’

‘I know, but we will. At least we’ll do our best. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done today.’

‘I have to say it’s been one of my more eventful Christmas Eves.’

‘I’m sure it has.’

‘Well…’ He held up a weary hand. ‘I’ll bid you goodnight. I hope you have everything you need, but if not call me.’

‘Thanks,’ Brett said. He turned to Zoe as the vicar left them. ‘You should go and get some sleep if we’ve got to get up early.’

‘What about you? Do you want me to switch with you in a few hours?’

He looked down at his baby. ‘I’ve got the rest of my life to sleep; tonight is all about this little one. I’ll happily sit and watch him until the sun rises.’