A Proper Family Christmas (35 page)

“Frances, come next door a moment, will you? We need to have a little talk.”

When Oliver had gone, Hilary sat down on her bed, pondering about what had just happened. Daniel had been fine when she'd left him in the kitchen, mischievously throwing the cat among the pigeons with that ridiculous idea about Kath marrying William. She hadn't stopped to listen to the resultant outcry, wanting to come up and pack, and think about Oliver. And then Oliver had come in, and kissed her again, and made everything wonderful! …But it wasn't, was it? Hilary's ever mercurial spirits sank at the foreboding storm. There could only be one reason for the sudden cloud on Daniel's thunderous brow. He had seen them together, embracing outside her door.

Recently she had begun to think that Daniel wouldn't mind her beginning a relationship with Oliver. He clearly liked him, and wanted her to like him, - he'd been upset when they'd seemed to quarrel. …But being on friendly terms with a nice person was one thing. Falling in love with someone who wasn't Daniel's father was to cross altogether a different boundary. Even Oliver had intimated that it might be too soon, that she would still be grieving for Ben. Well, - was she? Of course. She would never stop loving Ben or feeling his loss, but somehow that no longer stopped her from loving another, quite different, person too.

All Hilary's old feelings of guilt overwhelmed her. Of course Daniel would see this as a betrayal, - after everything they'd been through together! Perhaps grief and suffering was the only bond that attached them so closely. If she was beginning to find the strength to release herself, would she lose Daniel in the process? Should she really have to choose, of course it would be her son over a man she had met less than a week ago. …Perhaps she ought to tell Oliver that she couldn't see him again after all.

Frances looked up in alarm. She knew the significance of a ‘little talk' in William's family. …And Oliver and Margery were getting up too! She heard Lesley utter a protest, as her nanny was marched away under close arrest.

They sat her down in the drawing-room, and drew up chairs to face her.

“Now,” said William, “what's all this nonsense about?”

It did no good to pretend her ignorance.

“Why on earth have you given Daniel the heave-ho?” Margery accused her. “The poor boy's heartbroken!”

“According to Lesley, it was for ‘financial considerations' …Wasn't he rich enough for you?”

“Oh for God's sake, Oliver!” exclaimed Margery, as this salt in the wound proved too much for Frances's fragile self-control. The poor man looked aghast at the effect of what had obviously been intended as a joke.

After that, she had to try and explain how she'd done what she thought was best for Daniel, - breaking off in confusion when it meant expanding upon the snobbishness of his relatives. “It was something Julia said…”

“Good heavens, haven't you learnt to ignore anything those two say by now?” snorted Margery.

But William was more persistent. “What
did
Julia say?”

She told them. It didn't go down well.

Margery visibly blew up, her cheeks expanding, half-rising in her chair like a balloon about to hit the roof.

“Who the
devil
is Julia to tell people what I'm going to do with my money? As if I'd
dream
of trying to influence Daniel's choice, - well, unless it was someone like Lesley, I suppose, or that creature he's flirting with in the kitchen at the moment. …I never interfere, - everyone knows that!”

“Frances, I'm sure you needn't worry about Hilary.” Oliver took her hands in his. “She was almost as upset as Daniel when you had your accident. Anyone can see she's really fond of you.”

“Don't look at me!” said William crossly, as his sister clearly expected him to take his turn at reassurance. “If you want to find out who I'm leaving my property to, you can read my will after I'm gone, - if I bother to make one. …But I'd certainly want to be sure it didn't fall into the hands of a miserable little creature like this!” he indicated Frances disdainfully. “If it had been the nice, cheerful girl who kept everyone in order, and looked after my interests, - now that would be a different matter! …That's better,” he said, as Frances gave a watery smile. “That's more the sort of person I'd consider a fit companion for Daniel. …Now, let's go and sort this mess out, shall we?”

“Hilary, you're wanted downstairs… Hey! What's wrong?”

It didn't help her resolution when he put his arms round her.

“Oliver, I'm sorry, but I don't think we can see each other in London after all,” she managed to tell him, in between gulps of distress.

“For God's sake…! Why not?”

It was terrible to do this to him, after all the ups and downs of their short relationship.

“It's Daniel. …He must have seen us earlier. He was looking
so
angry! I can't… I just
can't
!” Oliver was a hero if he could make sense of this disjointed description of her feelings.

But apparently he could. “Are you trying to say you think Daniel's upset about us getting together?”

She nodded against his shoulder. How could she let go of this wonderful man?

“Darling, your son isn't the slightest bit interested in what you and I are up to at the moment! He's just had a stupid quarrel with Frances. That's why he's looking daggers at everyone.”

“What? …Oh no, what happened?” She daren't acknowledge her relief.

“Your cousins spreading a little of their poison, I gather.”

“Not
my
cousins, thank you!” …No good, her heart was lifting by the minute.

“Anyway, William's got every intention of sorting it out. That's why he wants you downstairs. - I think it's a kind of family meeting.”

“Surely you don't need the children here?”

“Why not? They're part of the family.” There was no reason at all, except to add to Lesley's obvious paranoia. William wondered what she thought he was about to do, - line them up for a mass execution? Well, he did have something like that in mind.

“Right, then.” His eyes travelled round them all sternly. What a lot of them there were, every chair and stool taken, the children sitting on knees, Daniel and Oliver perched on the kitchen table. Only Kath missing, who didn't count as family, whatever they seemed to think, - and one other. “Now, I didn't invite any of you for Christmas,” …Hilary, perhaps, but she would forgive him, in the interests of the point he had to make, “and as I'm sure you know, Scratch and I would much rather have spent it on our own.” …Where was Scratch? At the heart of the action, of course, sniffing for discarded cocoa-pops under everybody's feet. He picked him up and set him in the middle of the table, - witness for the prosecution. “I won't say that having you here has done anything to change my mind. You've been a thorough nuisance, the lot of you!” …Even poor Oliver seemed to be taking this meekly. “I gather you're all going home today, and it can't be soon enough for me.
However
,” He raked them with his gaze, - a headmaster with reprimands to dole out before the end of term, “you can't be allowed to disappear with your lives in such appalling confusion, so let's get a few things straight before you go.” …Who was going to stir? No, even the children quiet as mice. Oh dear, this was rather too much fun!

“Frances,” - mean to pick on her, but he had to start somewhere, “what on earth possessed you to lend any credence to the stupid remarks of two people who'd already given you every reason to distrust them?” He glared in the direction of his scheming daughter and her husband. “Daniel, the same goes for you! Surely you have more faith in the girl you're supposed to love than to think she'd suddenly turn into a gold-digger? Why believe Lesley's version of events, when you must know that family would go to any devious lengths to keep her as their nanny, even at the expense of your happiness and hers?” It was the Shirburns' turn to quail under his accusing frown. “Hilary,” - yes, her too, “it's high time you stopped punishing yourself for losing Ben. Nobody's going to blame you for moving on with your life. …Oliver, if this woman still thinks you're a homosexual, I despair of you! …Tobias,” who had begun to wriggle now, “contrary to what you've been led to think, you are
not
the most important thing on the planet, and the sooner you realise that, the less of an unpleasant shock it will be when you do find out. …Posy, my advice to you is to leave off playing at a teenager until you have all the equipment, - much more fun! …Margery, I don't want the builders in. …Stephen, I've no intention of moving into a home. …Who else, is there? - Oh dear, left out of things again! Never mind. There wouldn't have been any point in asking him to stop being a bore. I believe he's the only one of you who is actually incorrigible!”

“…Where
is
Leo?” wondered Hilary, when William, with a satisfied nod and an enjoinment not to bother saying goodbye, had departed, and everyone dared move once more.

“Oh Mum!” Her son, now content, with his Frances under his arm, gave her a look of amused compassion. “I'm afraid your ex admirer has deserted you for another. - Kath's missing as well, you realise?”

“He's deserted me for Kath? I'm heartbroken! …But why?”

“Because,” said Daniel happily, “he now thinks that she's more likely to inherit Uncle William's money than you are!”

“Time we were off. Would you mind bringing Tobias's luggage down to the car, please, Nanny?”

“No, sorry, Lesley,” Daniel intervened, before Frances could say a word, “she's not going to be working for you any longer.”

“What? But she can't…”

“She's coming back to London with me.” The information was new to Frances, but she hadn't the slightest desire to argue. “She can live with us, and get a much better job, - one where she won't be exploited. Nannies get something like the respect they deserve up there.”

“Oh yes, darling, come and work for us!” - Could she believe her ears? “Posy would simply love it.”

“But what about Shelley?” …Just one of a few factors that Julia seemed to have forgotten.

“Oh, she's dreadful! I know quite well she's sleeping with Tony, - and it's not as if she's even good at her job.”

Tobias, who had been listening eagerly, piped up with a suggestion. “I'd like to have Shelley for
my
nanny.”

“There you are, Lesley,” Daniel grinned, “problem solved!”

“Did you know you were getting a lodger?” Oliver murmured to Hilary.

“No,” she chuckled, “but Daniel's Margery's grandson, isn't he? And actually, I love the idea of having Frances in the house. Stop me being too lonely!” …He rose to the bait admirably. Hilary could be pretty sure she would never be lonely again.

“For God's sake, you two!” came the voice of her disgusted son. “Better make Gran drive, if you're going to do that all the way home.”

“Well, it
has
been an exciting Christmas!” Julia declared, as they headed for their car, after affectionate kisses all round. “Not quite in the way we intended, but still. …Oh yes, I'm afraid we did mean to stir things up a bit,” she confessed. “You see, we thought by getting you all down to Haseley and inundating poor Daddy with relatives, it wouldn't be very difficult to set him against each one of you in turn, and make him see how absolutely dreadful everybody was, except us. Aren't we beastly pigs? …Never mind, we'll have a proper family Christmas next year.”

Back in the sitting-room, William heard the last car depart down the drive, with a sigh of relief. Scratch jumped up and settled on his knee, suggesting he felt the same. Scratch wasn't averse to a bit of excitement, but this was where he liked to be best.

William reached for the remote control, - no, a bit early. Still the blasted Christmas schedule, messing everything up! …What was that on the table? Oh yes, one of those blank will-forms people had been so anxious to thrust under this nose. He supposed he'd be tripping over the things for months. Well, this one could go in the bin. …Or, wait a moment. Margery had said he ought to make a will out to somebody, hadn't she? Right then! William grinned as he picked up a pen. “Sorry to disturb you, Scratch, but I need the table. …No, you needn't sulk at having to move your fat bum. - It is in your own interest, after all!”

END

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