Downshire Diary – (60) A Christmas Tradition

Downshire is a relatively small English county but like a pocket battleship it packs a lot in, a short but beautiful coastline, a channel port, the Ancient forests of Dancingdean and Pepperstock, the craggy ridges and manmade lakes of the Pepperstock Hills National Park, the rolling hills of the Downshire Downs, the beautiful Finchbottom Vale and farm land as far as the eye can see from the Trotwood’s and the Grace’s in the south to the home of the Downshire Light infantry, Nettlefield, and their affluent neighbour’s, Roespring and Tipton but our story begins considerably further south in the former industrial power house of Northchapel where the Hayward clan were gathered for Christmas, with the exception of Christina Hayhoe but plans were afoot in that regard.

 

Principally the plan involved one member of the family driving to collect the absentee and Jack Hayward thought he had drawn the short straw when he had to drive from the family home in Northchapel to pick up his 2nd cousin Christina Hayhoe from the village of Roespring in the far northeastern corner of the county on December 23rd.

However it was the long standing family tradition for the clan to gather together at Christmas in the ancestral home and even though everyone thought Cousin Christina was a pain in the arse she had to be got and that year it was his turn.

Although they were the same age, 35ish, were both single and shared a great grandfather, they had nothing in common whatsoever because he was an outgoing, personable and fun loving guy, whereas Christina was a dried up old witch, in the opinion of most in the family at any rate.

Jack on the other hand had always felt a bit sorry for her and had always tried to engage with her.

 

Christina lived alone in a big house, which she once shared with her deceased brother and parents, she didn’t socialize, she had never had a boyfriend as far as anyone in the family was aware or even a girlfriend for that matter and it was true that apart from the annual sojourn to Northchapel for Christmas she was a bit of a recluse.  

She wasn’t really liked within the family in fact she was barely tolerated, but in the spirit of the season she had to be included.

But the truth of the matter was they didn’t really know her and made little or no attempt to rectify that situation, so no one knew what went on behind the façade that she presented to the world.

 

As he left Northchapel it started to snow, just lightly in the wind at first but it didn’t stay light, and the snow that had fallen ten days earlier was still evident on the ground so the fresh fall quickly settled.

He wasn’t keen on driving in the snow, and he didn’t like driving to Roespring either, doing it in the snow just made it worse so he drove very cautiously. 

It was apparent that the snow was coming from the direction he was heading because as he was driving between the Oakham’s and Nettlefield the snow on the road was getting significantly deeper so he went even more cautiously until he finally arrived in Roespring.

 

Jack parked the car on the drive and knocked on the door and when Christina opened it she looked the same as usual with her fine brunette hair scraped back off her face giving her a severe “Croydon facelift” appearance. 

She also wore the familiar black pinafore dress over a grey blouse and black wooly tights.

There was a polite though monosyllabic exchange of words on his arrival but he urged haste on the basis of the weather and she quickly locked her front door while Jack put her case in the car.

“I’m not sure how long it’s going to take to get to Northchapel in this mess” he said as they set off

“I like the snow” she remarked

“Me too” he agreed “but not for driving in”

 

The road back to the Expressway was impassable so they tried the cross country road to the Oakham’s, however they only got as far as Millmoor and they had to turn back.

There was another route that involved taking a very circuitous route but the likelihood that it was anymore passable was severely in question.

“It looks like we’ll have to stay at yours and try again in the morning” he said

“Ok” she responded and looked out of the window and smiled

 

When they got back to the house he couldn’t get the car all the way up the slope of the driveway so he had to leave it where he came to a stop.

It was only ten yards from the car to the front door but the snow was calf deep so by the time they reached the sanctuary of her house the snow had got into their footwear and Christina’s thick woolly tights were wet through.

“Make yourself at home” she said and ran upstairs

Jack took off his coat and wet shoes and walked into the lounge and took out his phone.

“Where are you?” His sister Karen asked crossly “we were getting worried”

“I’m at Christina’s” he replied

“What still?”

“Yes, the roads are blocked so I’m staying here for the night and we’ll try again in the morning”

“So you’re spending the night with Cruella?” Karen said and laughed

“I hope you’re going to behave yourself”

“Very funny” he retorted

“Good luck” Karen said

Just then he heard Christina descending the stairs so he said

“I’ll see you tomorrow”

Christina walked into the room and she had lost the “Croydon facelift” look as her hair had been shaken out and was tumbling onto her shoulders.

She had also lost the black pinafore dress, the grey blouse and black wooly tights, instead she had on a full length pink fluffy dressing gown, pink socks and pink bunny slippers, an altogether more frivolous version of Christina than he had ever seen before.

In her arms she was carrying some clothes.

“It’s only joggers and socks” she said “they were Clive’s, he was about your size”

Clive was her brother, who died in the same car accident that took her parents.

“Thanks” he said still reeling from the softer pinker Christina.

But despite the fluffy exterior she was still the same monosyllabic woman as before.

At least that was the case until she opened the first of several bottles of wine and then she didn’t stop talking.

 

Christina was still the same monosyllabic woman as before at least that was the case until she opened the first of several bottles of wine and then she didn’t stop talking.

 

Due to the snowy weather, which was showing no sign of abating, he was a captive audience as she sat and drank wine and as she did so she slowly revealed herself.

After Christina opened the third bottle of wine she proceeded to reveal more and more about herself with every drink, but the more she drank the more she tended to ramble and she spoke a lot about time and sands running through her fingers and choices and not knowing, but he couldn’t really follow her train of thought very easily as the alcohol had taken its toll, so before she could open a fourth bottle of wine he took the initiative and decided to steer her up to her room.

 

Once they reached her bedroom door he had to wedge her against the door jamb while he opened the door, unfortunately as the door swung open she fell into the room.

Dave instinctively reached out and grabbed her in an effort to prevent her from hurting herself but he unfortunately overreached and fell to the floor before she did and landed on his back just in time for Christina to land on top of him.

“If you wanted to kiss me all you had to do was ask” she slurred before planting an almost Labrador like kiss on his mouth.

“I’m too much of a gentleman” he said after extricating himself from her embrace and struggled to his feet and helped Christina to do the same before steering her into the bedroom.

“But you’re not a gentleman” she said as he plopped her onto the bed “so there’s nothing stopping you”

And she grabbed him by the lapels and planted another kiss on his mouth, much more controlled and unhurried than the first one and he started to reciprocate.

 

He had noticed before that despite the façade she presented to the world Christina was actually an attractive woman, but until the day he hadn’t realised quite how lovely she was and beneath her stern exterior she was a warm open person, with an altogether pleasant demeanour.

She was not the person that he and the family all thought she was, she was not the persona she projected to the world.

 

Christina began unbuttoning her dressing gown and her kissing became more intense and she snorted through her nose.

Jack couldn’t believe he was in Cousin Christina’s bedroom, kissing her while she was undressing herself, and enjoying it.

He thought his sister Karen would have laughed her socks off if she’d known he was snogging the “dried up old witch” and enjoying it.

But as he held her in his arms it didn’t feel to him like he was holding a witch, she was too warm, soft and tender, but he had to call a halt to proceedings before things went too far.

 

As soon as his lips left hers she sighed and said

“I thought this day would never come”

And then she kissed him again.

After a few minutes, and only due to his strength of character he stopped again, it would have been the easiest thing in the world to take advantage of her, but she wasn’t worldly and wouldn’t have been fare so he broke away.

“No don’t stop” she exclaimed

“I think we should” he said “before we go too far”

“But I want to go too far” she said

“I thought you liked me”

“I do that’s why we have to stop” he said

“That doesn’t make any sense” Christina said “you just don’t want me”

Christina got up and went into the bathroom and while he waited for her to come back he paused to gaze out of the bedroom window and the snow was still falling fast and then he sat on the edge of Christina’s bed until she trudged forlornly back towards him.

“Why are you still here?” she asked bluntly

“Because I want to make sure you’re alright” he replied and he stood up and held her and she gave a rather smug self-satisfied sigh as he cuddled her.

“Did you really not want to stop?” she asked

“I really didn’t want to,” he replied “and I enjoyed kissing you”

“When can we do it again then?” she asked with her head on his chest.

“Tomorrow” he replied “if you still want to”

“Why wouldn’t I still want to?” she asked

“You may feel differently in the cold light of day” he pointed out “Without any wine”

“I won’t” she assured him

“How can you be so sure?” he asked

“Because…”

“Because?” he queried

“Because I’ve always wanted you” she replied as she looked up at him

“In which case we can do it all day” he said and kissed her

“But we have to drive to Northchapel tomorrow” she pointed out

“It’s still snowing so we won’t be going anywhere tomorrow”

“What about the Family Christmas Tradition?” she asked

“I suppose we’re just going to start our own tradition” he said

Christina lifted her head from his chest and looked at him coyly and said

“Then I hope it snows until twelfth night”

 

That Christmas the roads to Roespring were impassable until the day after Boxing Day and by the time they finally reached Northchapel Jack and Christina were very much a couple and the rest of the clan had long since dispersed for another year so they got straight back in the car and returned to Christina’s house and they stayed there, just the two of them, until the New Year.