Page 127 of One More Christmas at the Castle
‘Ah!’ he said. ‘You never told me that bit.’
‘I was too ashamed. And I couldn’t bring myself to tell Xan, either.’ I swallowed hard and then wailed, ‘Henry, you should have seen his face just now, when he first set eyes on her! It was as if time had rolled right back and he is just as dazzled by her now as he was then!’
‘I’m sure that was only momentary surprise and you’ve read too much into it,’ he said soothingly. ‘It’syouhe really loves; you must know that by now!’
‘I thought I did,’ I said miserably.
‘Look, you get that soup on while I go and see what’s happening. I should probably take their luggage up, anyway.’
‘OK,’ I agreed dully, and he hugged me comfortingly before going out.
He’d found Xan and Sophie alone in the sitting room, deep in conversation, he told me.
‘But Xan was exactly like he always is. He introduced me to Sophie and then said she’d get a surprise when she met you later, too, Dido.’
‘Nice of him to remember me,’ I said sourly, and he gave me another of his slightly rib-cracking hugs.
‘Don’t be silly. It’s you hereallycares about; you can’t mistake it.’
‘But, Henry,youdidn’t see his face when she arrived – and I didn’t imagine it! He looked bewitched.’
‘If he did, it was only a momentary thing and he’s over it now, you’ll see.’
I summoned up a watery smile, even though I wasn’t at all sure he was right.
‘Is there any dessert after lunch, other than cheese and fruit?’
‘No, let them eat cake,’ I said, and he grinned.
‘Nice to see the old Dido back again!’
Of course, with a party of ten, I was in and out of the dining room a couple of times, but I didn’t linger, especially after I caught a glimpse of Xan and Sophie sitting next to each other, their dark heads close together.
Henry kept coming back with snippets of information, like a retriever displaying a dubious collection of bones.
‘Lucy held forth about what a huge success Nigel had been as Father Christmas, and then, when he could get a word in,Xan told them all that he and Sophie had met many years before, when they were still teenagers.’
‘Like Romeo and Juliet,’ I said sourly.
‘Mrs Powys thought it was nice that they were old friends,’ he continued, ignoring this interruption. ‘And then Xan said that oddly enough,youhad been there at the time, too, but you’d been very young and changed so much since that it had taken him a while to recognize you.’
‘Not a problem he had with Sophie,’ I said.
‘Mrs Powys suggested the young people go skating on the lake this afternoon – by which, of course, she meant Dom, Xan and Sophie.’
I bet Sophie could skate like an Olympic champion!
The next time I went into the dining room, everyone was just getting up from the table.
‘Ah – Dido,’ Mrs Powys said. ‘Xan has told me that the gas boiler in Simon’s cottage has broken down completely, so I’ve told him to ring him up and invite him to come for lunch tomorrow and then stay with us over Christmas, till it can be repaired.’
‘That’s such a kind thought, Sabine,’ Nancy said, beaming fondly at her friend.
‘Which room shall I get ready for him, Mrs Powys?’ I asked.
‘The small bedroom opposite Xan’s, in the old wing.’
‘I’llsee to that this afternoon,’ Henry said, and she followed the others out, quelling a suggestion by Dom that he stay and help us clear the table.
