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I give my head as gentle shake, "No, actually. I'm more tired than anything. It’s still very early in the morning my time." I tell her, relieved at the reprieve from Freya’s questioning. I suspect she knows I’m uncomfortable, but I give her a grateful smile and she pats my shoulder again softly.
"So, why didn't you get here with the rest of your family?" Freya’s cheery but demanding tone breaks my moment of serenity and I turn back to face the front as Jan’s hand slips from my shoulder.
I stare out of the front window as I try think of an answer that will satisfy her.
There's a thin but dense layer of snow on the ground. It's obvious she is used to driving under these treacherous conditions. She looks completely relaxed and has even taken her eyes off the road long enough to look at me after each question.
"Work is crazy. I couldn't get away until now," I respond. I’m trying to make sure my teeth aren’t clenched.
"Oh, I bet. My brother wasn't home for Christmas either. Work kept him away, too. But, I know he wanted to be here," she says with an empathetic smile, which makes me feel guilty because the same could not be said for me.
Jan chirps from the back seat. "Your mother loved the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding we served for Christmas dinner. She told me you're the cook in the family, I'll have to give you the recipe. You can make it next year."
"Oh, they said she never spends Christmas with them, remember?" Freya says to Jan, as if I'm not there.
And, why is my family talking about me?
"What do you do instead? Since you don’t go home," Freya asks. She shoots me a smile and for the first time I see a hint of malice behind her cheery exterior.
But when I blink, whatever I saw is gone and her smile is as friendly as it has been since I got in the car. I give myself a silent reprimand for being so cynical. She probably thinks playing twenty questions is breaking the ice.
So, I give her a small smile and shrug, “I worked. And read a little.”
My younger sister, Addie, and Cara has been best friends since they were five and reconnected when they were in college. They’re still as close as two friends can be. We all love Cara, even me. Her family was the only one that didn’t turn their backs on us when my father disappeared. They've also welcomed my parents back to Houston with open arms. Maybe Freya just wants to show that she cares about Cara and the people who love her too.
"Do you not eat Christmas dinner at all? It's the most important meal of the year, you know," Jan calls from the backseat.
"I eat whatever. I don't know. I'm usually working," I lie.
"Well, we've got plenty of leftovers. It's been such a thrill to have the great kitchen operating again. The house spends most of the year as tourist attraction or movie set. You'll have to come down and see it. Seeing how you like to cook and all," Jan says.
“A movie set?” I ask and turn around to look at her. Her smile is broad and excited with her eyes rolled dreamily to the car’s ceiling. I guess she lo
ves the kitchen.
"Yes! Castle Burne is used for movies all the time. Didn't you do any research before you came? It's one of the country’s great houses. Cathrine Howard herself lived here," Freya interjects.
"Catherine Howard?" I ask dumbly.
"Yes, you know. Henry the Eighth's fifth wife," Freya informs me haughtily.
"Lost 'er head she did. But the Earl of Carlisle was her uncle and so before she married that maniac, she lived here," Jan chortles.
"I see," I say, genuinely intrigued. My mother is obsessed with the Tudors. She must be in heaven here.
"There's a huge original portrait of Henry in the house,” Jan says with pride.
“We have a day trip to Richmond planned for after the wedding. Your mother's been telling us all about her Tudor obsession," Freya chimes in and my head starts to hurt. They are changing subjects faster than my jet lagged brain can handle.
"You can help me with lunch," Jan informs me. I turn around to look at her again. She's smiling at me, but watching me keenly.
"I don't really cook anymore." I tell her.
"This is a perfect opportunity for you to get back into it. I don't do the cooking myself, mind you, but, I plan all the menus and oversee the presentation. We've brought in a cook for the next few weeks so I've got to keep a keen on eye on her. She's liable to burn the place down. Everything's got to be just so, especially with his Lordship and her Ladyship in residence."
Leave it to Cara to marry a member of the British Aristocracy. Louis, her intended, is the youngest son of an Earl. Which is why even though Cara is a Texas native and her parents still make their home in Houston, she is getting married here. Apparently, tradition demands that all weddings take place in their family’s chapel.
"You'll love the Castle, Lilly. We're all staying there while you're here. My children have loved playing with your nephews and your parents have had a real holiday." I listen to Freya prattle on about her children—with Jan interrupting to tell me what their favorite foods are—as I watch the picturesque countryside go by in a blur.
