Page 123 of The Christmas Invitation
She pouted charmingly and appealed to Sybil. ‘He’s such a grouch, isn’t he? You’d think he wasn’t pleased to see me again – and after all the fun we had together last time I was home, too!’
Sybil gave her a chilly smile that barely twitched her lips, but Mark flushed.
Zelda, though, was regarding Flora thoughtfully. Then she said, ‘How long are you staying in Starstone Edge, Flora?’
‘Until I find a new post, I suppose … unless something better offers.’
There was no mistaking the innuendo of this remark or who it was aimed at, though Mark avoided her eyes.
‘I expectyou’llhave to return to London straight after Christmas, Zelda?’ Flora asked with a glittering smile.
‘Oh, no, I don’t have to rush off again this time. In fact, I’ve been thinking about my future, now I’ve hit thirty.’
‘You don’t look thirty, you poor old thing,’ said Lex, and she made a face at him.
‘I don’t think you look old, Mummy,’ said Teddy, distracted from his dragon book.
‘Thank you, darling, that’s so sweet of you.’
‘Thirty’s nothing. You’re a mere slip of a thing,’ said Henry.
‘It’s a bit of a milestone when you’re an actor, though, and, let’s face it, my career has never really taken off. I didn’t even get into a panto this year.’
‘But you hated spending Christmas in digs,’ Clara reminded her.
‘It is a bit miserable, but this time I never even gotasked. And that advert I’ve just done was for toilet tissue – hardly the pinnacle of my career.’
‘Was it soft and strong and very long?’ asked Lex, and she threw a cushion at him, which he fielded neatly.
‘So, what would you do instead of acting, darling?’ asked Clara.
‘I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.’ She smiled. ‘Though I did have theglimmerof an idea a few minutes ago!’
‘You’re always welcome to move in here while you decide,’ said Henry, and Clara agreed.
‘That will be fun, Mummy,’ said Teddy, though since he’d previously told us that Zelda had described Starstone Edge as ‘the arse end of nowhere’, I couldn’t really see that happening.
Zelda appeared to feel the need to explain it, too. ‘I like fun, meeting new people and travelling, but of course I love being here as well. So I need to find a way of combining the two.’
‘If you discover how to have your cake and eat it, we’ll all be interested to know,’ Tottie said drily.
‘The idea I had came while I was talking to Mark about his plans for Underhill. I wondered if he might give me a job when his wedding reception business is up and running.’
He smiled at her and said, ‘I just might, at that! We can discuss it tomorrow, when you come over.’
‘Oh, are you going to Underhill tomorrow?’ Flora broke in jealously. ‘Perhaps you could pick me up on the way? You promised to show me what you’d been doing and all your plans, Mark.’
‘Did I?’ he said, breaking eye contact with Zelda with an effort and looking harassed.
‘Actually, Meg and I are going to Underhill with Zelda in the morning too,’ Lex said. ‘But to help out with the work for a couple of hours, not just look around.’
‘I could help, too,’ Flora said eagerly. ‘I may not be able to stay long, because of my visitors, but I can always walk back. My old Mini really isn’t good in the snow.’
There was no putting her off. When Mark said he really would have to go home now, she said she might as well walk back with him, because she needed time to get things ready for her unexpected visitor.
‘Poor Mark!’ said Clara obscurely as they left together.
‘He brought it on himself,’ Tottie pointed out fairly.
