Page 135 of One More Christmas at the Castle
‘Then you can take your snowboard and join the others on the slope,’ she told him. ‘Xan’s going to ring Simon before he goes out, to suggest he comes back to the Castle with them afterwards. They can put his luggage on one of the sledges.’
‘That’s a good idea.’
‘I realize it’s no use trying to persuade you to go with them, Dido,’ Nancy said. ‘You’re such a whirlwind of activity now we’re counting down to Christmas and I’m sure you have your morning planned out to the very last second.’
‘Almost, though if Xan wants to leave Plum with me, I’m sure I’ll have time to give him a little run later in the morning.’
The snowboarding and sledging party returned just before lunch and Simon popped into the kitchen to say hello, before Henry showed him to his room.
I’d noticed when I took Plum out that the temperature had started to rise, and Henry said that a bit of a thaw was setting in, so it was just as well they’d gone out on the slope today.
While Henry changed into his black tunic and trousers, I poured the minestrone soup into a large blue and white tureen, then he carried it through and gave the gong a hammering. He seems to derive a lot of enjoyment out of these simple activities.
I followed him with a basket of warm bread rolls, before hurrying back to the kitchen to put my cheese and onion flan in the oven to warm. There was just coleslaw to go with that – thoughmycoleslaw is extra special and delicious.
Afterwards, Dom and Xan helped clear the table.
‘Sabine keeps telling us there’s no need to help, but I’m not used to sitting about being waited on,’ said Dom, ‘and I’m sure Xan isn’t, either.’
‘I expect Simon would have helped, too, but he’s otherwise engaged,’ Xan said, grinning. ‘Sophie has literally got a grip onhim and I heard her tell him she’s madly keen on Roman history and wants to know all about the site.’
‘I expect he’ll enjoy that a lot more than she does, because experts do love to talk about their subject,’ I said, putting the lid on the coffee pot. ‘There, that’s ready now.’
Henry and Dom went off together with the coffee tray – the heavenly twins – but Xan lingered.
‘Aren’t you dying to know what Sabine asked me this morning when we had our little talk?’
‘I think I can guess. She wanted to know how involved we are.’
‘That’s it in a nutshell. So I said I hoped we’d soon be even more involved, because I love you, but since you didn’t think she’d like the idea, you’d suggested we just be friends until after you’d fulfilled your contract.’
‘And thenshesaid, “So why were you and Dido having a passionate clinch in the study last night?”’ I suggested.
‘More or less. I told her that was entirely my fault and it was unfortunate that Sophie saw us and decided to broadcast the news.’
‘Yes, that was really spiteful of her,’ I agreed. ‘Was that it?’
‘No, she said I’d probably think it none of her business, but she had my best interest at heart. Then she asked me if I meant to marry you.’
He came closer and pulled me into his arms, looking gravely down at me. ‘So I said I would if you’d have me.Willyou have me, Dido?’
‘I might, if after Christmas you get down on one knee, holding a ring, in the traditional manner.’
‘In that case, I hope I find one in my Christmas cracker.’
‘You won’t, because they’re Marwood’s Magical ones, so they’ll be full of tricks and jokes, instead of the usual bits of unidentifiable plastic.’
‘I might have to borrow a curtain ring, then,’ he said, and we had a long and satisfactory kiss.
When I finally surfaced, I said, ‘But still, Xan, let’s keep it all low-key for now. I don’t want anything to spoil Mrs Powys’s last Christmas and the festivitiesreallykick off tomorrow afternoon: there will be carols, mulled wine and mince pies round the tree, just as Mrs Powys remembered from her childhood.’
‘You know, you really are a kind, unselfish, caring person,’ he said. ‘Areyou likely to accept my proposal after Christmas?’
‘I think I’ll have to, because Plum’s stolen my heart and I really don’t want to be parted from him.’
‘I think you’ve already won his. He seems to spend more time with you than with me, now.’
‘Cupboard love,’ I said. ‘And perhaps, like Henry’s cousin Hector,youonly want me for my treacle tart and suet dumplings, too?’
