A Proper Family Christmas (29 page)

“How's poor little Frances doing this morning?”

Oh dear, it was mean of her to feel irritated by Julia's concerned enquiry too, - especially as Stephen and Lesley had done nothing but complain about the inconvenience of having their nanny out of action.

“We're not sure yet. Daniel's up with her now.”

“It's so nice having her next door to us! She only has to call out, and we'll hear.” …Yes, that would be more reassuring if one could be sure they'd do anything about it! There had been a lot of sympathy from that quarter, but not a great deal of practical help so far.

Hilary chastised herself again for being unkind…The fact was that she was really rather worried about Frances. She couldn't help putting herself in the place of her absent mother, and had spent a restless night wondering whether they should have phoned her straight away, or left her in blissful ignorance. It would be a shame to spoil her Christmas if it was just a minor accident. But if Frances turned out to be really ill…

“I'll go up and visit her in a minute,” Julia was saying.

“No, don't!” Hilary found herself crying out. “I'd rather you didn't disturb her. - We'll see how she is first. I've got to decide whether or not to tell her mother.” …Oh why did the responsibility fall on her? It should have been Lesley and Stephen doing all this heart searching! But if they admitted to the problem, it would mean opening themselves to the possibility that they or their precious son was to blame for what had happened. …Bugger them! - And Julia for her specious sympathy. - And Kath, who was teasing Oliver in an odiously arch way for frying up plum pudding with the bacon. Why couldn't she just leave him alone?

But suddenly he was at Hilary's side. “Don't worry! Frances's mother will know you're doing everything you can. I can always drive over to Warwickshire and fetch her, if necessary, - it's not that far. But I'm sure there won't be any need.”

Simple words, but it was as if a burden had been taken from her shoulders. She smiled back, almost tearful with gratitude for his understanding her concern, and knowing what to say to reassure her.

“Fetch her mother down? Of course that won't be necessary!” exclaimed Stephen. “The girl's only twisted her ankle, for heaven's sake! She'll be right as rain in a day or two.”

“You'd better hope so!” Oliver told him, in an icy tone that Hilary had never heard him use before. “Because if it's anything more serious, the least of your problems is going to be breaking the news to her mother.”

Someone was holding her hand. - The doctor again? Frances had been vaguely aware of his visit last night, jarred back to consciousness by the jabbing pain as he examined her foot, and overheard the blessed words: ‘Keep her warm, and let her sleep'. Now there was a sensible man!

“Hello, - are you back with us now? How are you feeling?”

It was Daniel's voice, - Daniel who was holding her hand. She smiled weakly at him. “Better, thank you.”

“How's your foot?”

“Um - best not to move it,” she discovered.

“Well, there's nothing broken,” he informed her, “but it's very badly sprained, - and you're suffering from post-traumatic shock. The doctor says you're to stay in bed for the next few days.”

“What? No, I can't stay in bed!” Frances tried to sit up. “Who's going to look after Tobias?”

“His bloody parents, why not? …I don't know what those two have got to complain about!” Daniel went on impatiently. “They should be grateful you don't
sue
them for what that child did to you, but instead of punishing him for getting you into this mess, they're treating him like some kind of hero.”

“Well, he was rather brave in the end.” Frances gave a little shudder as she thought of what might have happened if Tobias
hadn't
found his way home. “…Oh dear, are they going up the wall?”

“Just a bit,” he grinned. “You've obviously made yourself indispensable! They're trying to persuade that dim bird Shelley to take over, but she's useless enough at looking after Posy.” …‘Dim' and ‘useless', - what delightful words, when applied by Daniel to Shelley!Hilary put her head round the door. Frances was surprised and touched to see how worried her face was. She relaxed a bit as soon as she saw that Frances was sitting up and chatting to Daniel.

“Well, you're a better colour than you were last night! How's the leg?”

“It hardly hurts now.”

“Except when she moves. I'm trying to get it into her stupid head that she mustn't get up.”

“No, of course you mustn't! The doctor said you had to rest. …And if Lesley and Stephen see you stir, they'll expect you to take charge of Tobias again, - and probably Posy too, as I gather poor Shelley's feeling tired this morning.”

Frances grinned. There was no mistaking the sarcasm of Hilary's tone.

“Could you manage some breakfast?”

“A bit later, perhaps, - though I'm sure I could fetch it myself.”

“For heavens sake!” Hilary sounded quite impatient. “It's such a relief to see you better. I was wondering what on earth we were going to say to your poor mother!”

“Oh! …Best not to worry her,” said Frances, after a moment's consideration. “I did manage to speak to her yesterday, just before…”

“Well, that's what I thought,” said Hilary, tactfully ignoring her sudden reluctance to recall what had happened next. “You can phone her yourself this evening. …Come on, Daniel. The girl needs to rest.”

Frances lay back on her pillows, grateful for the excuse not to move. She found that she was feeling rather weak and trembly. …What did that matter, though? - What if she did feel headachey, and slightly sick this morning? Last night, Daniel had realised she was in danger and had come to rescue her! Daniel had
kissed
her, and told her that he was never going to let her go again, as he carried her back to the car. - In fact, Daniel had made it clear, even to Frances's diffident soul, that he loved her! Frances would have sprained both ankles, - and another, if she'd had one, - if that was the price to pay for the secret happiness she was hugging to herself at this moment!

A brief knock woke her from a doze she hadn't realised she was having.

“Here we are, I've brought you some breakfast!” Julia triumphantly presented her with a plate laden with fried food, the mere smell of which made her feel queasy again. “We can't have you missing out on Oliver's wonderful cooking, just because you're stuck up here in bed! …Hilary said she didn't think you were well enough for visitors, so you must tell me to go away if you like…” Frances, of course, shook her head. “ - There, I knew you'd want to see your special friends!” She rested the tray on the coverlet and settled down beside it. “Tony sends tons of love, by the way.”

“That's kind.”

“Now, I want to hear everything about this terrible accident, - and the way Daniel came flying to the rescue. It sounds so romantic!”

“Oh yes, it was!” Frances was sorely tempted to tell Julia just how romantic it had been. Some members of Daniel's family might not approve of their relationship, - she was rather dreading what Hilary was going to say when she found out, - but the sympathetic Julia would understand entirely.

However it wasn't for Frances alone to divulge their secret, so she gave an expurgated version of her dramatic rescue, longing though she was to confide every wonderful detail. She was surprised to find herself shaking, as she described her lonely wait, trapped in that cold, eerie place for what had seemed like hours. For some reason, her voice kept breaking, as if she was about to cry. She didn't really want to go through it all again, but Julia kept asking more eager questions. “…And then I must have passed out or something,” she finished at last, “for suddenly Daniel was there, - and he got me home.”

“So you were barely conscious by the time he carried you up to bed? - What a fabulous story! …I expect you're dying to tell Shelley, aren't you? - I
know
you are! Let me go and fetch her.” She had gone before Frances could think of a way of explaining that she couldn't have been more wrong!

Hilary went back to her room, still not altogether happy about her patient. She'd heard that quaver in Frances's voice, and seen her hesitation when it came to talking about her ordeal. The doctor was right, - the accident had obviously taken its toll, and the best thing was for her to get some peace and quiet. The main problem would be keeping the Shirburns off her back, - if Oliver hadn't scared them into leaving her alone. …What a different side that easy-going man had showed to himself this morning! She had seen Lesley positively quail, - and Hilary didn't blame her. Oliver was extremely impressive when he was angry.

At times like that it was hard to believe… No, she mustn't kid herself. It was just that her conversation with Margery kept replaying itself in her mind. Margery seemed so sure that Oliver wasn't uninterested in women. And if she'd thought different, she wouldn't have hesitated to say so, - Margery wasn't prudish about such things. How come Julia and Tony, who, like Hilary, had only met Oliver for the first time the other night, knew so much more about him than the friend who had brought him down to Haseley?

“Hilary, darling…” Speak of the devil. Julia knocked briefly before coming in. “I've taken the poor little invalid some breakfast. - She's very pale, isn't she? …Still, it's not surprising, when you hear what she's been though. I made her tell me everything, and it was just too ghastly!”

“Julia,” Hilary tried to keep calm, “Frances is supposed to be
resting
. She needs absolute quiet.”

“Oh, of course! I wouldn't dream of getting her to do a thing, - even though it is a bit of a pain, having no one to keep Tobias under control. Stephen and Ratso should
never
have been allowed to have children! All they manage is to wind him up, - and then Posy gets going, bless her…”

“Frances shouldn't even have visitors,” Hilary interrupted firmly. “She's still very upset and shaken.”

“I know, poor little lamb. You could tell from her voice. - I think she was about to cry, at one point! Never mind, we'll soon cheer her up, won't we?” Julia made herself comfortable on Hilary's bed. “…And something tells me your Daniel's going to be the one to do that.” She raised her brows in a question.

“Yes, they do seem to have fallen for each other,” Hilary answered it, still wondering how to prevent this impossible woman from finishing poor Frances off completely.

“Oh, how lovely! I guessed she must be smitten, from the way she was talking about him. I'm so glad he feels the same way. …The gods of love are certainly smiling on Haseley this Christmas, aren't they? - Not only you and Leo,” she said, as Hilary pulled a face. “I was thinking of Kath Arncott and Oliver. …Who would have put money on her pulling that one off?”

“What do you mean?” said Hilary sharply. “Oliver's gay, isn't he?”

“Well, I know, - but it looks as if she must have turned him, doesn't it?”

“Oh don't be silly, Julia!” Hilary snapped. “It's not something you simply change your mind about!”

How typical of Julia to alter the facts to make a better piece of gossip, she thought crossly, when she'd finally gone off downstairs, having persisted in concocting an elaborate scenario with Oliver and Kath as lovers. …For heaven's sake, the man was either gay or he wasn't, - unless, God forbid, he was bisexual, - but in any case, he was hardly likely to have let himself be seduced by Kath! Even if she was a notorious predator, and apparently, for some reason, had a magnetic attraction for men, - and would no doubt be quite shameless about making it clear what was on offer. …Of course it was ridiculous to think that a man like Oliver might be tempted to take what a sexually attractive woman was handing to him on a plate, - with no emotional strings attached, - wasn't it?

“Well, look at
you
,” said Shelley, when Julia had left them alone to ‘have a nice gossip', “ - breakfast in bed like Lady Muck, while everyone else does your work!”

“Have this, if you want. I haven't touched it.”

Shelley obediently took the plate and started picking at the bacon.

“What is it that's supposed to be wrong with you? A sprained toe, or something? Ooh dear, - good idea to call the doctor out! Bet he had a right old laugh! …I've got to hand it you, babe,” she went on, “that was a very nice stroke you pulled!
Accidentally
getting yourself trapped, and making the kid run home and fetch
Daniel
to rescue you, - like there was no one else around who could have done it.”

Frances was too weak to argue. Let her think what she liked.

“…Who knows? I might even have come and pulled you out myself,” Shelley declared, with unabated sarcasm. “Oh! - but then
I'm
not in line to inherit a fortune, am I?”

“What do you mean?” Frances gazed at her.

“Oh,
right
! Of course, you're the only one who hasn't noticed how pally he and the old man have been getting lately, - special presents, secret little expeditions together… They've been like
that
this Christmas.” Shelley crossed her fingers to show how close she meant.

“They're fond of each other, that's all.”

“Yeah, - well it looks like paying off, in Daniel's case.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” said Frances wearily.

“Seems the old boy's thinking of leaving him everything when he pops his clogs,” Shelley explained, “ - all this house and stuff.” She waved her arm at the room.

“Oh come on, he'll leave it to Stephen, surely? - Or Julia, I suppose. Daniel isn't even his grandson.”

“Yeah well, from what I heard, the old man practically told them it was all going to Daniel. …So I tell you, babe, you've got more sense than I thought!”