‘How is the little chap?’ David was the one to ask gently.
‘Much better, thank you.’ Crys sighed her relief, looking less strained than she had earlier this afternoon. The colour was back in her cheeks, too. ‘He’s sleeping quietly at the moment, so Sam should be down in a minute or two. What were you talking about when I came in?’ she prompted interestedly, smiling her thanks as she sat down and accepted the glass of red wine Gideon poured for her.
‘Church later tonight,’ David explained.
‘Oh, yes—you must all go,’ Crys insisted warmly. ‘Sam and I went last year and it was very beautiful, with all the candles alight and decorated with holly. You—’ She broke off as the telephone began to ring.
Molly froze at the sound, turning sharply to Gideon and finding her look returned frowningly as he, too, obviously wondered if this was yet another of those hang-up calls.
‘I’ll get it,’ Sam told them as he came into the kitchen, and plucked the receiver from the wall. ‘Yes? Speaking. Oh, fine thanks,’ he answered warmly seconds later.
Much to Molly’s relief, and Gideon’s, too, if his smile was anything to go by, this obviously wasn’t another of those calls.
‘Much better,’ Sam continued. ‘No, I’m sure there’s no need for you to do that. Although…’ He put his hand over the mouthpiece. ‘Is there enough dinner for one extra?’ he prompted softly.
‘Molly?’ Crys turned to her.
‘I’m sure there is,’ she confirmed lightly, wondering exactly who the ‘one extra’ was going to be; Sam’s tone was extremely warm and cordial, so it certainly wasn’t a reporter.
Sam removed his hand from the mouthpiece. ‘Why don’t you come over anyway and join us for dinner? No, of course you wouldn’t be intruding,’ he added firmly. ‘We’re eating about eight, so come about seven-thirtyish. I believe several of us are going to church later, if you would like to join us for that, too…? Fine, we’ll see you later, then.’ He rang off. ‘Diana Chisholm is going to join us for dinner,’ he announced happily.
‘Oh, that’s wonderful.’ Crys smiled her pleasure. ‘I didn’t like the idea of her spending Christmas on her own.’
‘You may as well open this house up for all waifs and strays!’ David remarked caustically, scowling. Then he seemed to realise what he had just said. ‘Sorry,’ he muttered harshly. ‘If you’ll all excuse me?’ He turned and strode purposefully from the kitchen.
‘What’s wrong with him?’ Sam looked as dazed by the other man’s abrupt departure as they had all been by the remark that had preceded it.
‘My insensitivity, I think.’ Crys gave a grimacing sigh. ‘After all, it’s David’s first Christmas without Cathy, which can’t be easy after all those years of marriage.’ She stood up. ‘I’ll go and talk to him.’
‘No, I’ll go,’ Gideon offered, putting down his wineglass. ‘It’s a man thing,’ he assured Crys gently as she would have protested. ‘Less embarrassing all round if I go, and especially for David,’ he added ruefully.
It might be less embarrassing for David, but Molly had serious doubts about Gideon being the one to deal with such a sensitive subject.
‘Unless you would like to go?’ Gideon paused beside Molly, obviously guessing at least some of her thoughts.
Although the mockery in his gaze seemed to imply he had completely misconstrued the reason for her expression of doubt. As usual.
‘Not at all,’ she assured him lightly. ‘As you say, it’s a man thing.’ She looked up at him challengingly.
She was not in the least interested in David in the way this man seemed to be implying she was, but if he wanted to go on thinking that, that was his problem.
Gideon continued to look at her for several long seconds, then with an abrupt nod of his head he followed the other man from the room.
‘Phew,’ Sam breathed ruefully. ‘Exactly what’s been going on here today while Crys and I have been otherwise occupied?’ He looked questioningly at Molly.
Apart from Gideon insulting her at every opportunity, then almost kissing her, and a photograph of them all being spread all over the newspaper—giving yet another excuse for Gideon to be insulting to her—and then being inundated with strange hang-up calls, absolutely nothing had been happening today!
All of which she had no intention of so much as mentioning to either Sam or Crys.
‘Just normal Christmas Eve tensions,’ she dismissed lightly. ‘Now, tell me, Crys.’ She turned to her friend and sister-in-law. ‘Do you want me to serve an orange or an apple sauce with the duck this evening?’
Anything to do with cooking was guaranteed to distract Crys, and the two women discussed the merits of both sauces before deciding on apple. All the time Molly was aware of Sam watching her with amused green eyes, as if completely aware of her distracting tactics—and not fooled by them for a moment.
But then she and Sam had always been as close, if not closer, than real brother and sister. Sam was often able to tell what she was thinking before she was aware of it herself. She only hoped he didn’t pick up on some of the things she had been thinking about Gideon Webber today. They were too contrary for her to make any sense of, let alone anyone else.
Think of the devil…
Molly felt herself stiffen defensively as Gideon strode back into the room, his good humour restored if his grin was anything to go by. Hopefully he had had the same success with David.
‘Everything okay?’ Crys prompted concernedly.
‘He’ll be down shortly,’ Gideon reassured her. ‘He’s decided to shower and change before dinner.’
‘Well, at least he is joining us.’ Sam grimaced.
‘Of course he is.’ Gideon’s grin widened. ‘I only had to point out the advantages of having such a lovely and accomplished woman join us for dinner for him to agree to that.’
Oh, and what was she? Molly wondered disgruntledly. Chopped liver?
Probably, as far as Gideon was concerned, she accepted heavily.
Sam’s actress sister—at the moment splattered with grease from basting the duck, her face flushed from the Aga, her hair frizzed up from the heat—couldn’t really compare to someone as coolly beautiful and caring as the doctor she had met earlier today.
Rather depressing, really, she acknowledged ruefully. Even if it was true.
‘You two lovely ladies apart, of course,’ Gideon added dryly. Rather too tardily, as far as Molly was concerned.
‘Too late, I’m afraid, Gideon,’ Crys told him laughingly, turning to link her arm with Molly’s. ‘Let’s all have a bit of fun and dress up for dinner. After all, it is Christmas. Molly, what say you and I leave these two men to lay the table while we go upstairs and change before dinner?’
‘Sounds good to me!’ Molly grinned conspiratorially, deliberately putting her nose in the air as the two of them swept out of the room.
Crys gave a rueful shake of her head as they climbed the wide staircase together. ‘So tell me, what’s really been happening today while Sam and I have been upstairs with Peter?’ she prompted dryly.
‘Not a lot,’ Molly said lightly, deliberately keeping her expression deadpan.
‘Liar!’ Her friend laughed softly. ‘You and Gideon seem to be getting along together?’
‘If