A glance that grated on Jed. ‘Not all of it, obviously,’ he drawled, easily meeting Sonia’s cool gaze.
Her mouth tightened. ‘Obviously not. So how did you two meet?’ she persisted.
Jed easily sensed Meg’s tension on his other side, one of her hands clenched on the table beside her plate. He reached out and placed his own hand over that tell-tale tension. ‘Mutual friends,’ he answered Sonia dismissively.
‘Really?’ Sonia looked surprised.
‘Yes, really,’ he echoed hardly. ‘Meg called at my friends’ cottage when I happened to be visiting. We’ve been inseparable ever since.’ It was stretching the truth a little, although the last part was definitely true; he and Meg had rarely been apart since they’d met yesterday.
‘How romantic,’ Sonia drawled.
‘Very.’ Jed deliberately raised Meg’s hand to skim his lips across the knuckles, his fingers tightening about hers as she would have instinctively pulled away from the intimacy. ‘Scott’s a cute kid, too.’
That hardness disappeared from Sonia’s gaze to be replaced by cool blankness. ‘As children go, I suppose he is.’
Jed maintained his grip on Meg’s fingers, liking the feel of that tiny hand in his much larger one. ‘You don’t like kids?’
‘I don’t dislike them.’ Sonia shrugged bare creamy shoulders before turning to bestow a smile on her husband. ‘Although I have to admit I’m rather pleased Jeremy has children from his previous marriage and so isn’t interested in having any more.’
‘David, would you care to pour some more wine?’ Lydia Hamilton cut firmly across what she obviously considered inappropriate dinner conversation.
And maybe it was, Jed accepted frowningly as a still silent Meg finally managed to free her hand, a hand that had trembled slightly, from his. Inappropriate, but interesting.
One twin was secure in a successful career and wealthy marriage, and obviously didn’t want children to interfere with that lifestyle, whereas the other twin was unmarried and obviously not wealthy at all, and could so easily have given up the baby she would have to bring up alone, but instead was prepared to make any personal sacrifice to keep him.
He knew which twin he admired more.
Damn it.
‘More wine, Jed?’ David prompted lightly, bottle poised over Jed’s almost empty glass.
‘Why not?’ Jed accepted.
Although he didn’t think there was enough wine in the whole house to help him fall asleep when he went to bed later tonight.
But at least he wouldn’t be alone in that wakefulness; children all over the world would be sleepless tonight as they anticipated the arrival of Santa Claus.
The difference was, his sleeplessness would have nothing to do with a jolly man in a red suit, and everything to do with a green-eyed witch called Meg Hamilton.
He could spend the time praying for an overnight thaw.
Chapter 7
Meg had never been so pleased to see the end of an evening as she was this one.
The whole thing had been awful, from the embarrassing scene in Jed’s bedroom, through that awkward dinner, to the equally awkward conversation when they had moved back into the sitting-room, Meg studiously avoiding so much as looking at Jed after the way he had kissed her hand in front of her whole family.
And goodness knew what he had made of the evening.
Perhaps in future he would know better than to avoid his own noisy family, if he had any sense. Tonight had been awful enough to send him running back into their midst.
Had her family always been like this? She didn’t think so. It was the undercurrents of the things not being said creating the tension.
But if she was lucky she would only have to spend one more day here and then she and Scott could leave. Never to return, if she had her way. There must be a way she could arrange further meetings between Scott and her father without putting them through this again. She would find a way.
Although for the moment she had another role to play—Father Christmas to her sleeping son. Which was proving a little more difficult to do than she had anticipated. Because they had decided when they’d brought everything in earlier to hide the presents in Jed’s bedroom until later tonight.
They were still there.
She had left him downstairs in conversation with her father, so perhaps if she were to just sneak in and get them…It might be a little embarrassing if he returned while she was doing the sneaking, but if she was quick…
This was ridiculous.
She was a twenty-seven-year-old woman, with a responsible job and a young son; she wasn’t going to sneak anywhere in her own family home.
Not after the humiliation she had suffered earlier when Jed had warned her quite bluntly not to expect love and for ever from him. Especially not because of that. She would go where she pleased, when she pleased, and if Jed didn’t like it, then tough.
But before she could make a move towards the communicating door her bedroom door opened abruptly, Sonia stepping into the room and shutting the door quietly shut behind her, her face pale as she looked across the room at Meg.
‘What have you told Jed?’ her sister demanded without preamble. ‘Oh, don’t worry,’ she said impatiently as Meg glanced towards the communicating door. ‘I left Jed and Daddy downstairs enjoying a brandy together.’
Sonia was so stunningly beautiful, even her present paleness giving her a look of fragile loveliness.
A look Meg knew was completely deceptive, because Sonia was hard and unyielding, caring for no one else’s comfort but her own.
Meg stood up, viewing her sister dispassionately. ‘I haven’t told Jed anything,’ she assured her with quiet dignity. ‘And I never will. Not to him or anyone else. That was the idea, wasn’t it?’ she added contemptuously.
If anything her sister paled even more. ‘You think I don’t care, don’t you?’
‘I know you don’t care,’ Meg cut in purposefully. ‘Who better?’
Sonia shook her head, her movements restless as she began to pace the room. ‘Can I help it if I’m not like you, Meg?’ she finally groaned emotionally. ‘Why did you never understand?’
‘But I do understand, Sonia,’ she said coldly, none of her inner turmoil showing on her face. She and Sonia just didn’t have conversations like this, not any more. ‘You have what you wanted: your successful career and marriage.’ She sighed. ‘Admittedly, it’s unfortunate that we’ve all met up in this way, but I can assure you that once we all leave here I don’t care if I never see you again.’ In fact, she would prefer it.
Sonia stopped her pacing, her face full of unreadable emotion, tears in her eyes. ‘I miss you, Meg,’ she choked.
Meg drew in a sharp, painful breath at this unexpected admission. Because the truth was, she missed her twin too. Yes, they were different, they always had been, Sonia the adventurous one, Meg usually trailing along behind in whatever mischief Sonia had dreamed up for them to do next. Yes, they were different, but as children, even initially as adults, they had shared a bond.
But it was that bond that now kept them apart.
Meg shrugged. ‘You made your choices, Sonia.’
‘I made a choice,’ her sister corrected. ‘And I still don’t regret making it,’ she assured softly. ‘Do you?’ she challenged huskily.
‘Never,’ Meg replied unhesitantly.
‘Then why—?’ Sonia groaned. ‘Can’t we be friends again, Meg? Daddy’s illness was a shock, it made me realize life is too short, Meg.’ Her twin looked at her imploringly.
This wasn’t at all what she had expected from the conversation Sonia had said she wanted to have with her.
‘I know what I did was wrong.’ Sonia sighed emotionally. ‘I know I hurt people. I hurt you. But I never meant to, Meg, it just, it just happened, and, it’s Christmas, Meg, surely a time for forgiveness if ever there is one?’ she encouraged softly.
This was so not what she had expected. And she didn’t know what to say, what to do.
She drew in a ragged breath as Sonia continued to look at her beseechingly. ‘I forgave you long ago, Sonia,’ she admitted quietly. ‘I think it’s you, and not me, who needs to forgive yourself.’
‘I’ve tried.’ Sonia closed her eyes, a single tear escaping down the paleness of her cheek. ‘Sometimes I can go for days and not—and not remember what I did.’ She looked at Meg. ‘But I know, all the time I know, that, given those same choices, I would do exactly the same all over again.’
Meg swallowed hard. ‘Maybe acceptance is a form of forgiveness.’
‘I want to be your sister again, Meg. And I want, more than anything—’ her gaze was unwavering ‘—to be Scott’s aunt.’
She frowned warily. ‘You’ve never stopped being my sister, Sonia.’ She spoke huskily. ‘As for Scott—you are his aunt.’
Her sister gave a shaky smile. ‘So will you try, Meg?’ she asked softly. ‘Will you try? For my sake if not for yours.’
Meg felt confused and uncertain. There had been antagonism between her twin and herself for so long now that she wasn’t sure, in the life she had made for Scott and herself, that there was room for any other relationship with Sonia than the one they already had.