Page 140 of The Christmas Invitation
‘Not on Sybil’s side at least, Henry, though Piers may have some ideas in that direction. But I expect Sybil’s just wondering how to repulse him, without hurting his non-existent feelings.’
‘She definitely looked repulsed when he kissed her last night,’ Lex said.
‘Let’s not do anything hasty, but take a couple of days to think over the situation,’ Henry suggested. ‘Put it out of our minds till after Christmas.’
‘I’d be happy just to forget about what happened altogether,’ I said. ‘I’m sure you’re right: it was just an unbalanced moment and she’ll never do anything like that again.’
‘I think we’ll still need to get to the bottom of it eventually,’ Clara said. ‘But Henry’s right, we should just carry on as normal over Christmas and not let it spoil the festivities. After all, it’s Christmas Eve tomorrow, so it’s almost upon us.’
‘And here come some of the others … and Den with tea, because I can hear the trolley rattling,’ said Henry.
Since there was no sign of Sybil, Tottie took a cup of tea and a scone up to her room and reported that she was feeling slightly better and hoped to come down for dinner.
Teddy and Henry went into his study afterwards, to unpack the box of baubles that had arrived yesterday, and I felt strangely tired, so went up to my room with Pansy in attendance.
I gave Fliss a quick ring and she said she was looking forward to Cal coming home next morning and she was going to tell him about the baby then.
‘He’s going to be so excited, but we’ll really have to get going with the house search, because it’s sooner than we planned.’
I updated her on the Sybil Saga and how I was sure now it hadn’t been an accident and it all sounded more like the plot of a bad thriller than reality.
Then when she’d finished exclaiming over that, I said that I’d finished Tottie’s portrait and was going to paint Lex next.
‘So … you’re friends now?’
‘I suppose we are. He’s being … very kind.’
‘Hmm,’ she said noncommittally. ‘If your other possible romantic lead has gone off with Lex’s sister, then that leaves only him for the part, doesn’t it? And there you both are, snowed in at a remote house for Christmas – so romantic!’
‘It might have been, if we didn’t have a shared painful past to come to terms with and a whole house party looking on! I think you’ll have to abandon this whole rom-com idea of yours, Fliss.’
When I’d rung off, I lay back on the bed with Pansy curled up close and just closed my eyes for a moment … The next thing I knew was when I was woken by the sound of the dinner gong.
It was just as well I was not high maintenance, because I’d changed, brushed my hair, applied lip gloss and was downstairs so quickly that I’m sure the air was still reverberating in the hall from the gong.
It was a strange evening. Sybil came down, but was very quiet at dinner, while Zelda was dreamy and preoccupied. Mark had dropped her off while I was sleeping, but not stayed, because the roads were freezing over again already.
Back in the drawing room we all gathered round the fire while Henry read us the opening chapters ofA Christmas Carol, apparently another family tradition. He read so beautifully and Teddy, who had been allowed to stay up for it for the first time, was enthralled.
‘I only hope it doesn’t give him nightmares,’ Henry said, when Teddy had gone up to bed with Zelda and Tottie. Tonight River had been commanded by Teddy to go up later and read the bedtime story.
‘I don’t think so,’ said Lex. ‘He’s got the Muppets version of it on DVD, hasn’t he? So he’s used to the idea of the ghosts and the chains and all that.’
‘They’re exposed to a lot worse than that these days,’ said Clara. ‘We can only protect him to a certain extent.’
‘He’ll find his own way through life, as we did,’ Henry said. ‘He’s a clever, sensible child.’
Since Sybil had gone to bed early, Lex and I let the dogs out last thing.
It was bitterly cold and all was silent, except for the sound of the snow crisply scrunching under the dogs’ feet.
The sky was a clear, translucent ultramarine, scattered with sequin stars, one of them very bright.
‘That’s a wishing star,’ Lex said, when I pointed it out. ‘What will you wish for, Meg?’
I wish I could stay here for ever, with you, a traitorous voice in my head whispered.
‘If I told you, it wouldn’t happen,’ I said quickly. ‘What aboutyourwish?’
