Page 114 of Winter With You

EPILOGUE

THE FELIX MANSION

New Year’s Eve

The fake bay trees had gone. In fact, the whole frontage of the Felix home looked remarkably understated, if a large mansion in this area of London could, in any way, look understated. Even still trimmed with Christmas decorations, it wasn’t an in-your-face show of wealth for the rest of the street to admire or, as was more likely, compete with.

‘Shall I ring the doorbell?’ Phoebe asked.

‘Just wait a second, Pheebs,’ Gabriella said, putting a hand on her niece’s arm. ‘Can you promise me that Grandmama really hasn’t invited half the neighbourhood and the bowls club tonight? That it’s really going to be just the four of us?’

Phoebe nodded. ‘Yes, I promise. And Grandmama has got picky bits from Marks and Spencer.’

Gabriella baulked at this information. Never before had there been a Felix event without outside catering that could have put in a tender for a royal wedding. ‘I don’t believe it.’

‘I swear,’ Phoebe said. ‘On Mr Darcy’s life.’

Mr Darcy was coming to the UK but it had been a bit of a process getting all the necessary documentation, jabs and treatments done before he could travel. There wasn’t an exact date for his arrival yet and Gabriella knew that Phoebe was wondering whether it was ever really going to happen. But, when Gabriella made a promise, she kept it. In the meantime, the dog was staying with Sybille as Luca had a no pets clause at his apartment. There were regular FaceTime updates featuring park walks, French movies and ice cream.

‘OK,’ she said. ‘Press the bell but, I swear, if Milo answers the door and there’s a dull hum of drivel about Brexit flowing through from the drawing room I am getting an Uber straight to Burger King.’

‘OK,’ Phoebe said. She stepped up to the bell and pressed. ‘Oh, and Milo’s gone too by the way.’

‘What?’

‘Grandmama said that having a butler wasn’t de rigeur in these times of austerity.’

Gabriella was astounded. ‘She said what?’ And then she regrouped. ‘But he was here working on Christmas Day.’

‘Because Grandmama didn’t want to deprive him of the bonus she’d promised him and apparently he didn’t want to spend Christmas Day dinner with his mother-in-law.’

Gabriella hadn’t wanted to spend Christmas Day dinner here with her parents, but it had been surprisingly OK. There had been turkey not goose. Crackers with stupid jokes not anagrams. And no artichoke dip with the cheese. There had also been a FaceTime with Luca when time zones had allowed and that and a few coffee-flavoured Baileys had made the event a step up from bearable for the first time in a long time.

The front door opened and there was her mother, dressed up like a mince pie. From the pastry-coloured rotund belly, silver tights to represent the metal tin you’d get in a shop-bought version, Gabriella guessed, white powder face make-up – icing sugar? And a sprig of holly on her head. What the hell was going on?

‘Hello,’ Monica greeted.

‘Grandmama!’ Phoebe exclaimed. ‘Is that really you?’

‘Or do we have the wrong house?’ Gabriella asked. ‘Excuse me, do the Felixes live here anymore?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Gabriella. Have you never seen anyone in fancy dress for New Year’s Eve before?’ Monica asked.

‘Well, yes,’ Gabriella answered. ‘I have seen many people in fancy dress at New Year’s Eve before at all the parties you told me not to go to, but I’ve never seen you in fancy dress before and⁠—’

‘Hello, girls!’

‘Jesus Christ, who ordered Jim Carrey from Temu?’ Gabriella remarked as her father appeared alongside her mother spray-painted green like The Grinch.

‘Pop-Pop! You look amazing! But you didn’t say it was fancy dress and I love dressing up,’ Phoebe reminded.

‘Well,’ Monica said as she gave Phoebe an awkward hug. ‘We wanted it to be a surprise and there are outfits for you too. In the living room.’

‘Don’t you mean the drawing room, Grandmama?’

‘No, darling, tonight we are in the living room. Let Pop-Pop show you what there is.’

Phoebe high-fived her grandfather and they both went off into the house, leaving Gabriella with the mince pie…