Page 134 of One More Christmas at the Castle
‘Well, Lucy and Nancy were watching the TV and Sophie seemed to be permanently playing with her phone.’
‘That all sounds fairly civilized.’
‘Not if you’d listened to Sabine’s comments on the bridge, she’s even more critical than Frank,’ he said. ‘Dom and Xan were playing billiards again, but they came out to snaffle a bit of gingerbread from the tree in the Great Hall.’
‘Good, it’s there to be eaten, as well as look decorative.’
‘Before I came away, I asked if I could freshen anyone’s drink – I really don’t know how Lucy can stomach that ghastly sweet sherry – and Mrs Powys wanted to know what was for dinner tomorrow. So I told her: roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. She said she hoped there would be horseradish sauce.’
‘There will, and mustard, too.’
Because of Christmas, dinner would be in the evening tomorrow, instead of its usual Sunday time of two o’clock.
‘I think I’ve done everything I need to, for tonight,’ I said, and suddenly found myself yawning hugely. ‘Sorry,’ I apologized.
‘You look tired out, though a whole lot happier now you’ve had things out with Xan!’
‘I am, but it’s been such a physically and emotionally exhausting day that I think I’ll have a soak in the tub and an early night.’
‘You do that, darling,’ he said. ‘If there are any gentlemen callers later, I’ll tell them you’re Not At Home.’
As usual, Xan came into the kitchen early next morning, to feed Plum, and then, sliding an arm around my waist, kissed me.
‘Don’t let my presence cramp your style,’ Henry said, flipping bacon over.
‘I won’t,’ Xan said. ‘Do you want me to take anything to the morning room with me?’
‘No, it’s OK – most of it’s already on the hotplates, and I’ll bring the rest through now.’
‘I’ll go and see who’s down, then,’ he said, but Plum remained behind in the hope of scraps.
Henry, having delivered the last of the hot breakfast dishes, said everyone was now down and discussing plans for the morning.
‘Or rather, Mrs Powys was telling them what she’d got planned, though Olive and Lucy are going to church. Frank told Mrs Powys he’s going to spend Sunday morning reading thepapers, just like he does every week. So, it’s just as well I fetched them as usual first thing, isn’t it?’
‘Perhaps that’s Mr Makepeace’s idea of fun, too?’
‘It might be, but Mrs Powys told him she expected him to join her in the library at ten, because they had a lot to discuss, but before that she’d just like a little private word with Xan.’
I stared at him. ‘Do you think it’s about last night and Sophie telling them all he was kissing me?’
‘Maybe. Perhaps she’s going to ask him if his intentions are honourable?’
‘While sincerely hoping they’re not, you mean?’
‘Probably, though in that case, she’s doomed to disappointment!’
‘I don’t know – I mean, Xan and I have only really just started to get to know each other, so it’s early days yet. It’s a pity Sophie had to blab about it, or Mrs Powys need never have known till after Christmas.’
‘Speaking of Sophie, I was just coming out of the morning room, when Mrs Powys suggested the “young people” take the sledges out to the slope below the Roman site, while the snow’s still deep enough. Then Dom said it would be great if I could go with them and take my snowboard, so he could have a go.’
‘And did she agree to that?’
‘Yes, she said very graciously: “Of course – if Henry has time to get his work done, first.”’
But of course, he did have time, because both Dom and Nancy helped him.
First, they carried the empty breakfast dishes into the kitchen, while Mrs Powys was talking to Xan in the library. Then Nancy said that since Sabine would be occupied with Mr Makepeace after that, she’d got plenty of time to help, and she and Henry could whip through the rest of the chores together.
