Page 48 of Christmas, Actually

‘Hudson’s gone back to New York,’ she blurted. Liam wasn’t looking at her… Why wasn’t he looking at her?

‘Ah, well, that’s good.’ He gazed at his feet.

‘So, I thought perhaps you might like to come over this evening,’ she said, feeling her insides swing when his gaze didn’t shift. ‘I baked some brownies this morning. I thought you could bring Charlie and Figgy too?’

‘Look, Clara,’ Liam said. ‘I think we need⁠—’

But he didn’t get a chance to say more because Eleanor suddenly clapped her hands and pointed to her watch. ‘We’d better get ready. We’ve got children arriving in the next few minutes. Best if you all take your places.’ She looked at Ezra, Nora and Joe just as the ding at the front of the shop sounded and Clara realised she’d have to wait until later to ask Liam what was wrong. But she had a bad feeling she already knew…

‘So, who wants Figgy and Bugs to visit the elves in the North Pole?’ Joe asked the audience as the rabbit and dog stared up at him from the stage.

The children cheered.

‘I do!’ Charlie said, wriggling from side to side. ‘Figgy will love the North Pole, he can bring me back an elf!’ He was sitting in the front row surrounded by children who were all sitting cross-legged in a large clump. Behind him Jenny waved at Clara. She’d been looking at her since she’d arrived with Charlie, her face filled with sympathy, which confirmed something was very wrong.

Liam hadn’t spoken to her since the show began. Even when they’d sung ‘Christmas Is All Around’, he’d avoided her gaze. Instead, he’d fixed his attention on the audience, turning away when she’d been used to him leaning into her, accustomed to him joking around, flirting and whispering in her ear.

She tried to focus on the magic show. Joe had mentioned he’d perform for a maximum of twenty minutes and then the children would be able to let them know what they wanted for Christmas. She glanced across at Liam, but he was staring at the stage. She wished she’d grabbed one of the mugs holding Nora’s mulled wine, because she needed something to help numb this fear.

‘Right, I’m going to start by making Bugs disappear,’ Joe announced, scooping the rabbit up from the floor and placing him carefully on the table, before grabbing a large silver bowl and positioning it over the rabbit. ‘Everyone stay quiet, this is going to take all my concentration.’ He shut his eyes and the children fell silent. Clara watched their small faces as they stopped chattering and watched.

‘Abracadabra!’ Joe said loudly, tapping the bowl with his wand three times before raising it slowly to reveal Bugs had disappeared.

There was a hushed ‘Ahhhhhhh’, from the children and Doris bounced on her chair.

‘You really are magic!’ she declared, her eyes shining as Stan and Ethel began to clap.

‘Now do Figgy!’ Charlie yelled excitedly, his eyes wide. ‘Send him to the North Pole too. He might bring some presents back!’

Behind the children, Clara saw Ezra take a couple of photos. He pointed his camera at Eleanor and took a couple of shots before dropping it again. When was he going to tell her godmother that he was sorry? What was wrong with everyone today?

‘And now for Figgy!’ Joe boomed. ‘He’s far too big to sit on the table, so I’m going to put him inside my magical cage.’ He dragged the black cloth up to reveal a large dog crate. Figgy stared at it suspiciously before slowly climbing inside. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be in the North Pole in a few ticks!’ Joe said, earning himself another loud cheer.

He dropped the cloth and tapped his wand on the top of the table three times. ‘Abracadabra, now everyone join in when I say it again!’ He beamed at the audience, in his element.

‘Abracadabra!’ the children yelled and Clara noticed Doris, Stan and Ethel shouting too.

Then Joe ripped the black cloth aside to reveal an empty crate. ‘Ta da!’ he said, his sparkly cheeks bright.

‘Figgy’s at the North Pole!’ Charlie yelled, bouncing on his bum. Then his smile dropped as he stared at the empty space. ‘When’s he coming back?’ he squeaked and Clara heard Liam shift.

‘I think it might be a good time for Figgy to return,’ he warned.

‘It’s time for Figgy to come back!’ the children repeated, clapping loudly.

Joe nodded. ‘Let’s start with Bugs because he’s been gone longest,’ he said, placing the silver bowl back on the top of the table and smiling at the children before he banged his wand on the top three times. ‘Abracadabra!’ he said and the children echoed him. He grinned down at the bowl before pulling it up. Then his face dropped because the table was empty.

‘Ah,’ he said. ‘Seems Bugs might have decided to stay at the North Pole a while longer. We can try to bring him back in a few moments, give him time to get his bearings.’

‘What about Figgy?’ Charlie piped up. His bottom lip wobbled.

‘I’m sure Joe’s going to bring him back soon,’ Liam said. ‘I hear the elves have some very fancy outfits. He’s probably sniffing them and stopping them from doing any work.’

Joe cleared his throat. ‘Of course, you’re right. Santa won’t be happy.’ He smiled widely and took the bowl from the top of the table before ensuring the edges of the black tablecloth were covering the crate. Then he tapped the top of the tabletop dramatically and boomed, ‘Abracadabra!’ while all the children echoed the magic word.

But when Joe lifted the edge of the black cloth, the cage was empty and Figgy was nowhere to be seen…

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