As the twins scampered past him he ruffled each head of curls and then, to Kay’s horror, came further into the room, walking across to the bed. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ she yelped weakly.
‘Saying good morning.’ He bent and kissed her, hard. ‘Good morning,’ he said softly.
‘You shouldn’t be here.’ She hadn’t even brushed her hair or cleaned her teeth, and with the twins and her mother next door…
Mitchell raised mocking eyebrows. ‘Excuse me, but I was under the impression I live here?’ he said lazily, purposely misunderstanding. ‘Besides, it’s not the first time I’ve seen you in bed. You’ve been here three days.’
‘I was ill before.’
‘Don’t be so school-marmish,’ he reproved her sternly.
‘Mitchell, please.’
‘I’m going to have to work on those inhibitions of yours.’ He gave her one last swift kiss on the tip of her nose and walked over to the door, saying, ‘You were more fun when you were ill, tossing and turning quite deliciously at times, I might add. Are you wearing that nightie with the very thin straps that’s almost transparent?’
‘You…you peeping Tom!’ She was blushing crimson and furious with herself for doing so.
‘Could I help it if you kept throwing off your covers in gay abandon?’ he protested innocently.
‘You, you…’
‘Get your dressing gown on and make yourself decent, woman. There’s children around.’
He grinned at her and she glared at him.
‘Tut-tut.’ He shook his head sorrowfully. ‘Where’s your Christmas spirit, Kay? Goodwill to all men and so on.’ He shut the door on her splutterings but not before he added, ‘And you’d better be quick; Georgia and Emily are raring to go.’
They all went down together in the end, even Henry joining them on the landing and looking very distinguished in a pair of dark aubergine cotton pyjamas and a striped dressing gown.
Once the twins had indulged in an orgy of unwrapping, delving into their pillowcases until they were empty, Mitchell nodded to Henry and the older man left the room briefly to return with the most enormous brightly wrapped package.
‘This is from Henry and myself, girls,’ Mitchell said softly. ‘Happy Christmas.’
It was a doll’s house, complete with beautifully fashioned furniture and a little family of dolls right down to a baby in a crib. The twins were ecstatic.
The adults then exchanged gifts, and Kay was thankful she had bought something for Mitchell, and a little present for Henry, before she’d fallen ill. However, the leather driving gloves and cashmere scarf that Mitchell seemed to receive with genuine pleasure paled into insignificance beside the dainty white-gold and diamond watch he presented her with.
‘Oh, Mitchell, it’s beautiful.’ As he fastened it on her wrist she stared down in wonder. She had never thought to own anything so exquisite, but it must have cost a fortune. And gloves and a scarf… ‘But I didn’t get you anything nearly so nice.’
He shushed her by putting a finger on her lips. ‘I needed new gloves and the scarf is perfect,’ he said softly. ‘You needed a new watch. I noticed your present one was always stopping or told the wrong time.’
Kay thought it was very nice of him not to mention at this point that her old one also had the gilt flaking off. It had been a quick buy off a market stall the year before but all she could afford at the time, the twins just having needed new shoes and a winter coat each. She looked at him, her eyes enormous. ‘Thank you,’ she said tremblingly, wondering why—after such a marvellous gift—she should want to cry.
‘Tea, toast and croissants everyone?’ Henry cut across the moment, suddenly reverting to housekeeper and cook. ‘I’m not going to cook a full English breakfast because I want you to do justice to Christmas dinner, which will be served promptly at one o’clock. And woe betide anyone who says they’re not hungry. No excuses about post-flu appetites either,’ he added warningly.
‘Can I come and help you?’
This was from Leonora, and when Henry said, ‘That would be most welcome, thank you,’ in his old-fashioned way, Kay caught Mitchell staring at his friend in open astonishment.
‘What is it?’ she whispered when the other two had disappeared in the direction of the kitchen, and only the girls remained, playing contentedly with the doll’s house. ‘Why did you look at Henry like that?’
Mitchell smiled, a curiously satisfied smile. ‘Because in all my years of knowing Henry he’s never allowed anyone to storm the bastion of his kitchen,’ he said thoughtfully, ‘and I mean no one, full stop.’
Kay stared at him as the import of his words dawned. ‘You don’t mean…’
‘I think Henry rather likes your mother.’ He watched her for a minute, seeing her absorb the idea. ‘Would you mind?’ he asked quietly.
Would she? It might make things a little difficult when she and Mitchell stopped seeing each other, but if her mother liked Henry and the feeling was reciprocated, that was wonderful. If nothing else it would give her mother an interest beyond that of her own family. ‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘I wouldn’t mind at all.’