All three of us started for the doorway, shoulders jostling as Stephen and I both automatically tried to walk beside Nick.
‘Which “we” were you talking about?’ Stephen asked as we tumbled messily out into the lobby. ‘Me and you or you and Beth?’
Nick turned on his heel and raised his eyebrow at his brother. ‘Don’t be a dick, Stephen.’
I pressed my lips together at Stephen’s shocked expression. He rallied quickly, mumbling something to himself as we all headed for the stairs but I didn’t strain my hearing to figure out what it was.
‘Hang on a sec.’ I ran over to the lobby desk, unlocked the drawer and got out the universal card key that could override all the guest room doors. I didn’t want to think Dorie wasn’t capable of answering the door but if we did need to get in, it was better to go prepared.
We sounded like a SWAT team heading up the stairs ready to bust in on a drug deal. As soon as we got to Dorie’s door, Nick banged on it hard. He was breathing heavily, and I didn’t think it was from the exertion of running up the stairs.
‘Nan? Nan, are you in there?’ There was no answer. ‘Nan?’ He pressed his ear to the door and waited. When there was still no response, he started banging again.
‘Nick, take it easy.’ Stephen put his hand on Nick’s arm before he splintered the wood. Nick stared at him incredulously, arm still raised. The look in his blue eyes was a little wild and after what he told me last night about being with his mum, I wasn’t surprised it was stirring the panic inside him.
‘I can open the door, so we can check if she’s in there,’ I offered quickly, getting the card out to show them. Nick nodded and pulled gently free of Stephen’s grip. ‘Dorie,’ I called out as I squeezed in the space between them to reach the lock. ‘I’m going to open the door now, so we can make sure you’re okay.’
I only gave it a couple of seconds to see if there was a response and then slid the key in the slot at the top. When the light turned green, I went to step in, and Nick caught my hand.
‘Maybe I should go first.’
Before we could discuss it, the door swung open wider.
‘Hallo, what’s this? Are you here to sing me more Christmas carols?’ Dorie leaned heavily on the door handle. She was in a dark pink quilted dressing gown, but it was belted too far to one side, making one half touch her toes, and the other side ride up to her knees.
‘Nan.’ Stephen sighed. ‘Why didn’t you open the door, when we were knocking? We were worried.’
‘Were you now? Not worried enough to come and say Merry Christmas to me first thing this morning, were you?’ She turned her back, talking to us over her shoulder as she wandered back into her room. And wander she did. A little left and a little right, weaving her way over to the table and chairs by her window. ‘Well, no need to worry – I’ve not popped my clogs yet.’
I felt Nick wince beside me and squeezed his hand.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked her, following her into the room and towing me along with him. Stephen pushed the door over but didn’t shut it the whole way.
‘Oh, yes, I’m marvellous.’ She put her hands on the table to lower herself down, hung suspended for a minute, her bottom dangling over the chair and then fell down into it. ‘Why shouldn’t I be?’ She groped for a tall glass bottle, missing it twice before catching it around the neck. She waggled it at us. ‘Drink anyone?’
‘Nan, are you drunk?’ Stephen overtook us and swiped the bottle off her, looking at the label. It was gin, the same brand we carried in the bar.
‘What of it? It’s Christmas Day.’ She sounded as sullen as a teenager. The rounded shape of our hotel chairs engulfed her tiny frame and she appeared to be sliding down further and further into the seat.
Stephen opened his mouth to say something but came up at a loss and looked over at Nick.
‘Nan.’ Nick let go of my hand and went over to crouch by Dorie’s chair. ‘Of course, it’s normal to have a drink at Christmas…but you’ve been on your own and it’s only just midday. Have you drunk all that by yourself this morning?’
‘No – I don’t think so anyway. I had a little nap, and then carried on. Surely it’s afternoon now?’ Nick and Stephen exchanged another look. ‘Oh, do stop that.’ She waved her hand over her head, like they were flies disturbing her.
‘Maybe we should make you some coffee and talk about this.’ Stephen went to put the bottle down on the table but Dorie immediately reached for it, so he snatched it back.
‘I don’t want to drinkcoffee, Stephen.’ She stood up suddenly and then lost her balance, her hand landing on top of Nick’s head, pressing down hard and messing up his curls further, as she steadied herself. She staggered past him and crawled up onto the bed, sprawling across it, one slipper falling off as her little legs jutted diagonally off the mattress.
This was not the elegant, sharp-eyed Dorie I’d come to know from her stay in the hotel…but I remembered that little silver flask she had last night, when she’d been talking to me. And I remembered the nights of endless sherry top-ups. And the bottle of wine she drank half of all to herself while Nick and I made mince pies. This drinking was not a new thing, and judging by the chagrined looks on both Nick’s and Stephen’s faces as they regarded one another, they were coming to similar conclusions as I was.
‘What do we do now?’ Nick stood up slowly and put his hands on his hips.
‘Why don’t I go get that coffee?’ I offered. They needed some family privacy – my presence was most definitely making an awkward moment even more awkward.
‘There’s coffee here—’ Nick started, looking at the tiny kettle and coffee sachets on the tray on the desk.
‘I think you may need something with a bit more kick than instant.’ I backed towards the door and he nodded reluctantly. ‘I’ll be back in ten.’
