A simple Christmas just got complicated …
Amy’s in love. She’s looking forward to spending her first Christmas together, as a blended family, with Matt and their two sons, Harry and Oliver. What could be more perfect than a romantic escape to the remote and beautiful Lake District farm where Matt and Amy met?
However, an unexpected and difficult guest threatens to disrupt the festivities, and undermine her relationship with Matt. With Harry and Oliver around to create mayhem, and a snowstorm closing in, it seems that nothing is going to be romantic about Christmas at Elder Fell Farm.
Can their relationship weather the storm?
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winter-Snowfall-Elder-Fell-Farm-ebook/dp/B0DCKFMPHY
https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Snowfall-Elder-Fell-Farm-ebook/dp/B0DCKFMPHY
EXTRACT
Amy and Matt are planning their first Christmas together with their sons Oliver and Harry as a blended family. At the school Christmas Fair, Amy meets Diane, Matt’s mother-in-law for the first time. Diane is still struggling with the grief of losing her daughter Stella (Matt’s first wife) and Amy is keen to make a good impression. Diane, however, doesn’t know that Amy and Matt are more than just friends, and Matt doesn’t want to ruin her Christmas by telling her that he’s found someone else – so she’s under the impression that Amy is happily married and that her (ex)-husband (James) is also going to be part of the Christmas holiday. As they drink cups of tea and eat mince pies in an overheated classroom, the subject of Christmas Day comes up.
‘I hate to think of you being all on your own on Christmas Day,’ Amy said, politely. ‘It’s a shame you can’t be with us.’
‘When you put it like that …’ Diane paused to watch Oliver picking up paper cups, ‘… perhaps you have a point.’
‘I do?’ Amy wondered what point she had just made. She had only been trying to be polite.
‘What’s that?’ Matt asked.
‘Is there really any reason why I can’t be with you?’ She turned to Matt. ‘I couldn’t ask you and Oliver to drive all the way back from the Lake District, but I could come over to see you on Christmas Day!’ Diane said, triumphantly. ‘The Lake District isn’t far. I could be there and back in a day; drive over in the morning and have Christmas dinner with you all, and then head home in the afternoon.’
‘No!’ Matt said, panic in his eyes. ‘That wouldn’t work out at all.’
‘You surely wouldn’t want to miss your Christmas morning service,’ Amy burst in, remembering what Diane had told her.
‘I’m sure God – and the congregation – would understand, just this once,’ Diane’s face was bright with pleasure. ‘It would be marvellous to see little Oliver open his presents.’ She was clearly excited. Matt, however, was not. He looked grey and drained. Instantly Amy felt guilty. She should’ve left this to Matt, she shouldn’t have interfered.
‘How would it be if I offered to cook the Christmas dinner?’ Diane said, grandly.
‘Oh, no! I mean, it’s very kind of you, Diane, but I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that. You’ve done so much for us already,’ Matt said. ‘What about Veronica? [Diane’s younger daughter] Wouldn’t you want to see her this Christmas?’
‘It’s unlikely that she would welcome me with open arms after everything that has passed between us in recent years. So unlike her sister, and so far away.’
‘Huddersfield isn’t any further than the Lake District.’
‘It isn’t the miles that create the distance.’ Diane wore a martyred expression. ‘No, visiting my daughter is sadly not an option. Oliver is the only family I have left. And he does so love my roast dinners, he’ll be delighted.’
‘But you don’t like driving at night, do you? By the time we’ve had dinner it would be practically dark,’ Matt said. ‘I wouldn’t want to think of you driving over Stainmore on your own at night.’
‘I hadn’t thought of that. You’re right, of course …’
Relief flooded Matt’s face, and he shot a much more relaxed grin at Amy.
‘… I’d have to stay over.’
‘That isn’t what I meant.’ Matt looked confused and Amy’s polite smile froze on her face.
‘It’s the perfect solution,’ said Diane.
‘I don’t think it’s a good idea,’ he said. ‘The cottage is so small. And spartan. There’s no central heating, for a start. I don’t think you’d be comfortable.’
‘Nonsense! When I was a girl we had no central heating. I went to bed in my dressing gown some nights, it was so cold. It’ll be a little adventure.’
‘But there’s nowhere for you to sleep,’ Amy said.
‘I can sleep on a sofa, it’s only one night. Although if I’m cooking, I need to be there in plenty of time on Christmas morning. I wouldn’t want to worry about getting stuck if the weather is bad, and you wouldn’t get your Christmas dinners. The turkey will have to go into the oven very early. Perhaps it would make more sense to come over on Christmas Eve? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?’
‘Diane, I don’t think –’ Matt spoke kindly but firmly, the voice he used when Oliver was being unreasonable. Oliver usually acquiesced with some grace, but Diane didn’t. Diane kept on talking.
‘Two nights might be too much for me to sleep on the sofa, of course. Perhaps it would be better if you slept on the sofa, Matt, and I could have your bedroom? You wouldn’t mind, would you if it’s only for a couple of nights? I couldn’t put you and James out of your bedroom, Annie.’
‘Amy.’ Matt corrected her but she didn’t seem to hear.
Oliver and Harry had finished picking up cups and came bounding over to their families. Diane turned to Oliver with a smile.
‘Oliver, dear, it seems we shall be able to spend our Christmas day together after all. I’m coming to stay at your little cottage with you and your daddy, to make your Christmas dinner. Isn’t that marvellous?’
‘Yay! Granny Diane’s coming!’ Oliver’s face lit up. ‘Awesome!’
‘Awesome.’ Matt replied.
Liz has always surrounded herself with books.
As a child, she was always to be found with her head in one and she treasures a bookcase full of her childhood favourites to this day. She went on to work in a library, cataloguing early printed books – but as most of the books turned out to be volumes of sermons, she wasn’t tempted to read them all.
She now works as an administrator for her local parish church and is a little more attentive when it comes to sermons.
Her childhood dream of being an author came true with her first published novel The Little Church by the Sea (there are several others in a shoebox under the bed.) It’s the story of a lonely vicar whose vicarage falls off a cliff. Liz hastens to point out that this was written before she was employed by the church!
Winter Snowfall at Elder Fell Farm is the second of a trilogy of novels set in the Lake District. After that, she’s thinking it might be time to write another book about a vicar – featuring a hard-working and incredibly efficient parish administrator, of course.
In what remains of her free time Liz is an avid reader, a keen theatre goer, and is also half of the team behind 376 miles, a slightly quirky blog about travelling Britain and watching football.
You’ll find it at https://376miles.substack.com and it’s free.
Social Media Links
https://www.facebook.com/TaylorsonLiz
Website
My Threads name is @taylorsonl
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