Page 52 of A Brambleberry Manor Christmas
‘I was going to make myself a hot chocolate.’ I cringeinside at the bare-faced fib. ‘Would you like one? I’ve got salted caramel.’
‘Oh, well, now you’ve done it.’ He grins. ‘I can never turndown anything that has salted caramel in the title.’
I smile and my heart gives a little skip, and I move back tolet Noah enter, unbuttoning my coat. The air feels suddenly thick with tension,as if we both sense he’s crossing a threshold in more ways than one. His eyesare locked on mine and he slightly misjudges the step, which means we bump intoeach other.
He laughs and apologises, which breaks the ice, and I tellhim it’s fine, although I don’t move away. Something keeps me rooted to thespot, right there next to him. And then suddenly his hands are touching mywaist, inside my coat, and the breath catches in my throat as he draws meclose. In the soft glow of the hall lamp, I stare up into the mesmerising bluedepths of Noah’s eyes, my entire body responding joyfully to his strong handson my back and the feel of his gloriously muscular body against me. I’vedreamed of this, I realise, although I’d never admit it to myself…
Noah’s eyes glitter with desire as his smile fades, and myheart leaps with longing as he bends his head to kiss me…
The hall light snaps on, flooding us in its stark beam.
We both turn and Tavie is standing at the top of the stairs,staring down at us.
‘I thought I heard someone laughing,’ she says, her facefull of questions.
I break away from Noah, like a thief caught in the act.‘Tavie. Hi.’ I smile up at her, trying to recover my composure. ‘Noah, this isTavie. My…step-daughter. Tavie, this is Noah. He gave me a lift back from themanor. Wasn’t that nice of him?’
She doesn’t reply, so I chat on, filling the silence,busying myself taking off my coat and laying it over the banister. ‘I was justabout to make some hot chocolate. Your favourite. Salted caramel. Would youlike some?’
Noah, clearly sensing the tension, says, ‘Actually, Jenny, Ishould really be getting back.’
‘Are you sure?’ I ask brightly, hoping to convey to Taviethat I really don’t mind one way or another if he stays or goes.
‘Don’t leave on my account,’ says Tavie stiffly. Then sheglares at me. ‘I started making you some hot chocolate but when you were late,I just drank it myself.’
My face falls. ‘Oh, sorry. I should have phoned to let youknow I’d be a little later than usual.’
Why does this feel as if we’ve swapped places and I’m nowthe awkward, misbehaving teenager? I feel so bad.
She says nothing, but even from here I can see her eyes areblazing with hurt and anger.
Without another word she runs off, back to her room, and thedoor clicks shut behind her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Menu – Day 6
A Taste of Greece
Lemon Chicken Soup
***
Honey-glazed roast lamb
Roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables
***
Baklava
After a restless night, I wake feeling battered andbruised emotionally.
I’ve imagined the situation from Tavie’s point of view atleast a hundred times. She obviously wanted to talk to me about the St Luciaholiday, having spent the whole day stewing over it. Expecting me back from themanor at the usual time, she’d make us hot chocolate. But I was late arrivingback so she’d drunk it herself and waited.
And then she came out of her room and saw me in a strangeman’s arms!
Every time I think about that, the headache that’s beenplaguing me all night throbs at my temples even more painfully. What must shehave thought?
