The Twelve Days of Christmas

Chapter 19

I kept at it for days. Keeping my head down and only interesting myself in the work. Although that was tough. There was constantly kick offs going on between the contestants. Someone borrowing someone else’s piping bag and the like. It was like being surrounded by a bunch of teenagers.

Ben stuck to my side like glue, and it brought me too much attention. I was the only person there with a minder and it made everyone gossip as to why. I had heard two of the girls suggesting that I was some sort of wayward woman. The sort that had been given the opportunity despite being locked up in Bullwood Hall. Another rumour was that I was some sort of celebrity or even a royal.

It might have been ridiculous, but it was better than them knowing the truth. The top mean girl was Sasha. Her black, sharp bob was just as dangerous as her mouth. She looked the part, designer clothes, made up perfectly every single day. Even when she was cooking, she never seem to get so much as a sprinkling of flour on her perfect red apron.

Sasha was the worst by far. She was regularly spouting nasty bile that I chose to ignore. She had told everyone that I had been invited to dinner with the king because I was sleeping with Prince William. That he had dumped me and that was why no further invitations had been issued and why I had to be watched. She made out like I was some bunny boiling ex that would trash the entire palace in order to feel better about being dumped.

Work was tiring and stressful because of it all, but even that was better than me having to go back to my room each night. Every single time I got back, there was a new gift waiting on my bed for me. The night after the meal, it was three golden coloured whisks. I just hoped they weren’t actual gold, but I had my doubts. He was a prince, after all. The next night was a four-piece set, all diamonds. A relatively simple heart-shaped necklace with the largest diamond I had ever seen at its centre, a tennis bracelet, earrings and a rather too flashy watch. I refused to have them in my room. Ben took care of them. I didn’t know how and I didn’t care.

Ben wasn’t best pleased about Alex and his chuntering made it crystal clear what he thought about the situation. Agnes regularly came down to check on me and it almost felt like the pair had adopted me. It wasn’t necessary for them to keep such an eye on me. I was fine, but I knew they needed it more than me. They felt like they were righting the mistakes of the past and they deserved that. So, I played along and let them both take care of me in whatever way they wished.

Ben essentially only stood guard over me, other than him occasionally being insistent on carrying heavy items for me. Agnes was quite the mother hen. She was forever bringing me cups of tea, or hot cocoa in the evenings. The night before, she had come in and insisted on running me a bath because I looked so tired and run down. They were such good people and having them around me helped me stay sane.

I still missed Alice too much. I had considered many times about asking Ben to take me back to see her, but I knew he wouldn’t. He was too much of a stickler for the rules.

Even still, it was Christmas Eve, and being away from the people I considered family was hard. It would be even harder not seeing them on Christmas Day.

It might have been hard, but that didn’t stop me from dragging myself from my pit and dressing. The kitchen was calling me and it wouldn’t stop. That was the one thing I was enjoying about my time at the palace, being able to indulge in baking all day long. No customers, no business responsibilities, no worries, just baking.

I opened the door to find Ben at his post like always, although it was a little later than usual. I had been getting into the kitchen for six every morning, but for Christmas Eve seven felt like a more reasonable time. “Morning, Benjimin. How are you this morning?”

“I would be a whole lot better if you quit calling me Benjamin.” Ben was no longer quite as stuffy about the way he spoke to me. He had relaxed so much and was almost conversational. He even called me Noelle a few times, but it was still normally miss for the most part.

“You know you love it, really. Are you seeing your boys tomorrow?” I started almost bouncing down the hall, more than anything, to annoy Ben. He was constantly concerned I was going to knock something over, like the first time we had met. I loved trying to get him to let himself go a little. The best way to do it was to put him on edge. He was so busy concentrating on what could happen that he talked much more freely.

There was a slight look of regret on his face, and I knew what was coming. “Unfortunately not. Danny is still in the states. Andrew has his own family to be dealing with, but we will be heading to see the grandkids in the new year. Then George is away skiing in Italy this year. It will be a much more quiet affair than we are used to.”

“I doubt that.”

“Why?”

I turned back to him and gave him my most cheesy grin. “Because it is never quiet with me around. You should know that by now.” I felt my back hit something and panicked. Knowing instantly that Ben was right to be concerned. His arm came around me instantly and steadied something behind me. I waited until I was sure he had whatever it was before bobbing under his arm out of the way. There on a mahogany sideboard there was a white and blue vase at a dangerous angle.

“What is it with you and vases? Every single time.” He straightened it up with ease and turned to me with his stern face on.

“Sorry, Ben. I’ll slow down, I promise.” I meant it too. It was meant to be fun and games, not damaging priceless artifacts. All the way to the kitchen, he gave me the silent treatment and the ‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed’ face. It did the trick, and I felt like the naughty little child I was.