Page 115 of The Christmas Invitation
Den and Billy had now brought in the luggage and Zelda told Teddy he wasn’t to look at the big bag with parcels sticking out of the top. ‘And no touching them to see if you can feel what they are.’
‘Are they all for me?’ he asked, eyes shining.
‘You’ll just have to wait and see, darling, won’t you?’
A small figure emerged from the kitchen passage, seemingly borne along on a zephyr of deliciously aniseed-scented air.
River was wearing one of Den’s huge striped blue and white aprons over his tunic and trousers, which enveloped him from head to toes. A fetching smudge of flour lay across one cheek and he’d tied a red and white checkedtea towel pirate-fashion over his head to hold back his long silver hair.
‘Greetings of the Goddess be upon you,’ he said to Zelda, who smiled enchantingly at him. He turned his limpid azure gaze on Piers and added, generously in the face of an affronted glare, ‘And upon you, too.’
‘This was always a madhouse,’ Piers muttered, tossing his coat and scarf over a chair.
Billy was holding a very large canvas sack, the last thing to be brought in. ‘This is the mail for Starstone. I told the postie I’d drop it off here and take anything for the farms on with me.’
‘Okey-doke,’ said Den. ‘I’ll sort it and someone can walk down and deliver it tomorrer.’ Then he added, ‘Yer going to stay fer an ’ot drink, or maybe a cup of soup to thaw you out, Billy?’
‘No, thanks. I’d better get off.’ Billy jerked a thumb at Piers. ‘What about him?’
‘I don’t know …’ sighed Tottie. ‘I expect you’d better leave him here and we’ll see what Clara and Henry say when they get back. We’ll have to dosomethingwith him.’
‘I’dcertainly like some of that soup, and perhaps a snifter of brandy,’ Piers said autocratically.
‘The only brandy yer likely to get in this ’ouse is the drop I put in the Christmas pud,’ Den said. ‘I’ll put yer stuff in yer room, Zelda.’
She protested and said she could carry it up herself, but he insisted, so the rest of us went into the kitchen and had coffee and mince pies, while Zelda and Piers drank their soup. Lass, having expressed her pleasure at seeing Zelda again, now seemed compelled to keep a wary eye on Piers, though I’m not sure what she thought he might get up to.
‘That mutt keeps staring at me,’ he said.
‘She’s not a mutt, she’s a cocker spaniel,’ Teddy told him in surprise. ‘Didn’t youknowthat?’
‘Lass probably suspects you’re going to steal the family silver,’ Tottie suggested.
‘Do we have any?’ asked Teddy. ‘Is it in a box, like treasure?’
‘No, only a set of fish knives somewhere in the attic,’ she said. ‘Oh, and that silver wine coaster in the dining room.’
Piers brightened. ‘I wouldn’t mind a drop of something now, but whisky for preference.’
No one took him up on this and, after a moment, he took a hip flask out of his pocket, shook it, then upended it over his coffee cup till a few slow drops trickled out.
‘Those cakes smell wonderful,’ Zelda said.
‘Yer can have some fer tea,’ Den said. ‘They’re seed cakes. River gave me the recipe.’
‘And you would be … ?’ said Piers, looking at River with disfavour.
‘He’s sort of Meg’s grandfather, Teddy told me,’ Zelda said, smiling at River. ‘Since Meg is my new cousin, then I suppose he’s my sort-of great-uncle!’
‘I think I’m only a remote connection by marriage,’ I said. ‘It’s all a bit complicated to work out.’
‘Meg’s sort-of grandfather? Curiouser and curiouser!’ said Piers, staring at River.
‘I came for the Solstice, but the snow is delaying my departure.’
‘Well, no rush fer yer to go, is there?’ said Den, with a pointed look at Piers. I’d initially felt rather sorry for Piers after his chilly reception, but really, his attitude did him no favours!
‘Will anyone still want any tea this afternoon, after the soup and all these mince pies?’ Tottie asked.
