“That’s wonderful, Toby.” She pushed aside her own feelings to give her brother a congratulatory hug. “I’m really pleased for you both,” she added with total sincerity, taking the glass of pink champagne her brother handed her. “To you and Tess,” she toasted warmly.
Toby took a sip of the champagne before lifting up his own glass. “To the best Christmas ever,” he returned with feeling.
Ellie took another sip of her drink. Christmas. Despite knowing that it was quickly looming, she hadn’t really given it much thought. But now that Toby was engaged to Tess it posed the problem of whether she and Toby would actually even celebrate Christmas together this year.
Christmas always tended to be rather a quiet affair for the two of them anyway, with them having no really close relatives. It promised to be even quieter than usual for Ellie this year!
“We’re both invited to spend Christmas with the McGraths too,” Toby informed her as he turned to pick up the bottle of champagne and replenish their glasses.
Ellie was relieved that her brother was actually turning away as he made this announcement, otherwise he wouldn’t have failed to notice the look of complete dismay that she wasn’t quick enough to hide.
Christmas with the McGraths. With Patrick.
Much as Ellie longed to see him, to be with him, she hated the thought of being invited to spend Christmas with his family as if she were some sort of charity case!
“It’s very nice of them to ask me, Toby,” she said slowly, at the same time shaking her head. “But I really don’t think—”
“If you don’t go, sis, then neither do I,” her brother told her with a frown.
Blackmail. Of the emotional kind. But not deviously so; Ellie knew it was only that Toby just wouldn’t be happy leaving her here on her own over the Christmas period. Even if she would have preferred it!
She drew in a controlling breath. “Perhaps for Christmas lunch,” she conceded reluctantly.
“I understand the invitation is for the whole of the Christmas period,” drawled an all too familiar voice from behind her.
Ellie turned sharply to look at Patrick as he stood in the doorway. She really would have to get a lock put on that door, one that came into effect automatically as it closed. In fact several of them, just to be sure!
“We were just drinking a toast to Tess and our engagement.” Toby felt none of the dismay at Patrick’s presence that Ellie did, turning to pour some of the bubbly champagne into the third glass he had put out on the work surface.
Three glasses. Which meant Toby had already been aware that the other man was about to join them…
“Cheers.” Patrick toasted the younger man before sipping the champagne. But his gaze, enigmatic over the rim of his glass, remained firmly fixed on Ellie. Who just continued to stare back at him. Toby had obviously known the other man was coming here this evening, but for what reason?
Toby put his empty glass down on the worktop. “I’m just going upstairs to change; I won’t be long.”
“Not exactly subtle, is he?” Patrick drawled ruefully once Toby could be heard going up the stairs two at a time. Patrick was wearing a dark overcoat over the suit he had obviously worn to work, flecks of the gentle snow falling outside had settled on his shoulders and in the darkness of his hair.
Ellie had recovered from some of her shock at Patrick being here, although she was still slightly puzzled as to why he was there at all. “Does he need to be?” she said guardedly, feeling decidedly casual in her worn denims and sloppy old blue jumper. Patrick gave a shrug. “I thought I would come and add my—voice to my parents’ invitation for you to spend Christmas with all of us.”
His voice? What did that mean, exactly?
He sighed, putting down his glass, the champagne only half drunk. “Ellie, I realise that you probably don’t want to spend Christmas with me, of all people, but if I try to keep my presence down to a minimum will you at least think about it?”
“There’s really no need—” She swallowed hard, touched by his offer in spite of the fact that he had it all wrong—he was exactly the person she would love to spend Christmas with! Just not under these circumstances. “It’s very kind of your parents to make the offer,” she said non-committally.
His mouth twisted into a humourless smile. “They really do want to meet you, Ellie,” he assured her dryly.
She shrugged. “I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunity for that at the engagement party.”
“Hmm,” Patrick conceded slowly. “Ellie, about the engagement party…”
She looked up at him sharply, tensing defensively as she guessed by his guarded expression that he was about to say something she wasn’t going to like. “Yes?” she prompted warily.
“Look, would you mind if I took my coat off? It’s very warm in here,” he added, even as he shrugged out of the thick outer coat.
Ellie’s wariness deepened. Obviously Patrick wasn’t in any particular hurry to leave this evening, and dinner was quite obviously cooking away quite happily on top of the stove, a roast chicken was in the oven; the last thing she wanted was to feel compelled by good manners to ask him to join them for dinner. She would probably choke on the chicken!
“You were saying?” she prompted sharply.
Patrick picked up his champagne glass, emptying it in one swallow before looking across at her once more. “It’s going to be a big family party.” He grimaced. “Brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles—and cousins,” he added pointedly.
Meaning Sarah and Gareth would undoubtedly be there…
“What I’m trying to say, Ellie,” Patrick continued impatiently, “is do you think you could bury your hostility for one evening and come to the party as my partner?”
“Hostility…?” she echoed faintly, knowing exactly why he had made the invitation, but knowing a sense of inner excitement anyway. If he were inviting her to be his partner on Christmas Eve, then he obviously wasn’t taking anyone else…
But did he really think she viewed him with hostility? When it was taking every ounce of will power she possessed not to throw herself into his arms and kiss him until they were both senseless? It was a weakness she had no intention of giving in to!
“I don’t feel in the least hostile towards you, Patrick,” she told him crisply, at the same time giving a firm shake of her head. “I have no idea why you should even think that I do.” Unless…? Tess wouldn’t have told her brother of those remarks of Ellie’s she had overheard, would she? She knew that the brother and sister were close, but it would be rather silly of her future sister-in-law if she had; it certainly wasn’t guaranteed to further the smooth running of inter-family relations.
Patrick’s mouth twisted into a self-derisive grimace. “You were pretty—forceful in expressing your feelings towards me the other morning.”
But surely not to the point where he’d thought she felt hostility towards him?
She frowned. “I believe I admitted to there being a certain—attraction between us—”
Patrick nodded. “At the same time as you told me you still have feelings for Davies!” he bit out harshly.
Well…yes, she had hinted at something like that. But what else could she have done, in the circumstances? She still felt battered and bruised from Gareth’s totally mercenary betrayal two months ago; wasn’t she allowed a little self-pride now?
“Let’s leave Gareth out of this,” she suggested abruptly.
“I would be pleased never even to hear the man’s name again,” Patrick assured her harshly, his face set in grim lines. “Unfortunately, that isn’t yet possible. He and Sarah will be at the party on Christmas Eve; there’s absolutely no doubt about that. In the circumstances, I think it would be—politically correct if you were there as my partner.” His eyes was narrowed on her compellingly.
Politically correct. How Ellie hated the phrase that seemed to have become so popular over the last few years. But in this case she could see how adequately it described the situ
ation they found themselves in.
Her mouth twisted ruefully. “Not the most gracious invitation I’ve ever received,” she mocked lightly. “But if you think it will be of any help, of course I’ll come as your partner.” It wasn’t a completely unselfish decision; she hadn’t particularly relished the idea of being at the party on her own anyway.
The tension seemed to ease out of Patrick’s shoulders, his expression relaxing into a self-derisive smile. “Not the most gracious acceptance of an invitation I’ve ever received either—but I suppose it will have to do,” he added dryly.
Ellie eyed him uncertainly, not quite knowing what to say next. Patrick seemed to be having the same problem, and the air of tension deepened between the two of them, with only the sound of the saucepans boiling on the stove to breach the silence.
Pointedly so, it seemed to Ellie, and if it were anyone else but Patrick she would already have invited them to stay to dinner…
Thankfully Toby chose that moment to come bouncing back into the kitchen, changed now into an Aran sweater and a pair of black denims. But he seemed to lose some of his bounce as he noticed the food cooking.
“Did I forget to mention that Tess and I are going out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant this evening?” He grimaced guiltily.
No, Ellie instantly realised with dismay, Toby hadn’t forgotten to mention it at all—she was the one who was so muddle-headed at the moment that she had forgotten he had ever told her!
Going to work had become a nightmare, never knowing whether or not she might accidentally bump into Gareth and so be a victim of more of his veiled threats, and life at home didn’t feel much better at the moment—she was either pining because she wasn’t seeing Patrick, or a trembling mass of nerves when she did. Not a good inducement to remembering anything that was said to her.
Toby glanced at the bubbling saucepans. “Perhaps Patrick—”
“Go, Toby,” his boss and future brother-in-law cut in decisively.
“But—”
“If your sister wants to invite me to share her evening meal, then I’m sure she will do so.” Patrick sharply interrupted Toby once again. “Don’t bully her into it, okay?” he added, more gently.
“Okay.” Toby shrugged, as if he couldn’t quite see what the problem was but didn’t have the time right now to try and find out. “I’ll see you later, then, sis.” He moved to kiss her lightly on the cheek. “I really am sorry about the meal.” He grimaced again in apology, raising a hand in parting to Patrick before hurrying out of the house.
The silence after his departure was even more tense. Except for those bubbling saucepans, Ellie acknowledged impatiently.
“I had better—”
“Would you—?”
They both began talking at once, both breaking off at the same time too.
“After you,” Ellie invited with a rueful shrug.
“Ladies first,” Patrick insisted.
She didn’t want to go first, positive that Patrick had been about to say he had better be leaving, whereas she—through sheer good manners—had been about to invite him to share her evening meal. Something she was sure Patrick was well aware of, which was why he was suggesting she go first! Although why on earth he should want to stay and have dinner with her Ellie had no idea…
She drew in a deep breath. “I was about to suggest that you join me for dinner. It seems a pity to waste the roast chicken,” she added dismissively.
Patrick continued to look at her for several seconds. Then his mouth began to twitch, and finally he burst out laughing. He finally sobered enough to speak, eyes sparkling with humour. “You know, Ellie, you do absolutely nothing for my ego. ‘It seems a pity to waste the roast chicken’,” he repeated incredulously, before he began to laugh again. Ellie looked at him frowningly for several seconds, before she also saw the funny side of it. She had sounded distinctly uninterested in his answer, to the point of rudeness. In fact, it was to Patrick’s credit that he could laugh about it.
“I’ll try again, shall I?” she decided self-derisively. “Patrick, I would like it very much if you would join me for dinner,” she amended ruefully.
Patrick sobered, but his eyes still laughed as he looked across at her. “Truthfully?” he prompted sceptically.
“Truthfully,” she echoed huskily.
It might be a mistake on her part, a self-indulgence that she would later regret, but at this moment, after several days of not seeing or hearing from him, she could think of nothing she wanted more than to spend the evening with Patrick. Anything to stop him leaving just yet.
“Then I accept.” He nodded teasingly. “The roast chicken smells wonderful,” he added. “Much better than the frozen lasagna I was going to put in the microwave when I got home!”
Ellie moved to take the vegetables off the cooker. “Do you cater for yourself a lot?” she prompted interestedly, relieved to have an innocuous subject to talk about. Although, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t quite see Patrick wandering round a supermarket buying his weekly groceries!
“Sometimes.” Patrick nodded. “Is there anything I can do to help?” he offered as she began to serve the meal.
She opened her mouth to refuse, and then thought better of it; a busy Patrick wouldn’t be able to sit and watch her as she carved the chicken and served the vegetables. “There’s knives and forks in the drawer under the table. Salt and pepper in the cupboard over there,” she accepted lightly.
It was strangely intimate, moving about the kitchen together, with Patrick pouring some more of the champagne to accompany their meal once he had set the kitchen table.
Something else Ellie was sure Patrick didn’t normally do. No doubt he usually ate in the dining room in his own home. Well, they didn’t have a dining room as such—the house wasn’t big enough for such a luxury.
“This reminds me of when I was a child,” Patrick told her happily as they sat down to eat their meal. “My nanny used to serve tea in the nursery when I was home from boarding school,” he explained at Ellie’s questioning look. “I was less than pleased when I reached the age of twelve and my parents decided I was grown up enough to eat in the formal dining room with them. No fun at all,” he added with a grimace.
Ellie eyed him interestedly. “Did you enjoy going to boarding school?” Their lives, their upbringing, really had been so different.
“Not particularly,” he dismissed. “It was just the done thing, I suppose.” He shrugged. “My father and grandfather went there before me—that sort of thing.” He frowned. “That particular tradition will end with my own children, I’m afraid; I have no intention of educating them away from home.”
His children. He spoke about having them so easily that he must have given the subject some thought.
Whereas Ellie found the thought of Patrick’s children—children he would have with some as yet unnamed other woman—highly displeasing!
“Mmm, Ellie, this food is delicious!” Patrick broke enthusiastically into her disturbing thoughts, having just tasted the roast chicken. “Where on earth did you learn to cook like this?” he complimented warmly.
Her cheeks became flushed with pleasure at the obvious sincerity of his compliments. “My mother and my grandmother before me, I suppose,” she returned lightly.
“Thank you, Mother and Grandmother!” He raised his glass in a toast. “When Toby moves out, can I move in?” he added hopefully.
He was only joking, Ellie knew he was, and yet just the thought of it deepened the blush in her cheeks. What would it be like, living with Patrick all the time? Talking with him, laughing with him, making love with him? Heaven, she decided wistfully.
And just as quickly pushed the thought very firmly from her mind!
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just hire yourself a cook?” she suggested derisively.
“It might,” he conceded slowly. “But, again, not as much fun,” he added with a smile.
Ellie eyed him interestedly. “You seem to put great
store on having fun…?”
Patrick shrugged. “If you aren’t enjoying what you’re doing, or who you’re with, there doesn’t seem to be much point in pursuing it. Does there?” he reasoned huskily.
Did that mean he enjoyed being with her? That he wouldn’t be here at all, wouldn’t have accepted her invitation, if that weren’t the case?
That did seem to be what he was saying. But Ellie knew she must try to keep remembering that Patrick’s only interest in her lay in ensuring the happiness of his much younger sister…
Besides, he could just be warning her of how stupid she was to continue to have feelings for Gareth!
How she wished she had never made that claim! It had seemed the only thing to do at the time, had been done completely out of self-defence. But a part of her still wished Patrick hadn’t believed the outright lie…
“Not everyone has the luxury of such choices,” she told him hardly.
Patrick gave her a considering look. “Is working at Delacorte, Delacorte and Delacorte still proving difficult?”
Impossible would probably better describe this last week. In fact, she was seriously thinking of changing her job. Maybe it was time she moved on anyway; she had worked for the same company for almost ten years now. Her home life would be changing radically when Toby and Tess were married and her brother moved away from home, so maybe it was time for her to move on too?
She turned away from Patrick’s probing eyes. “I’m sure you can have no real interest in hearing about my problems,” she dismissed lightly. “Your food is getting cold,” she reminded him as he would have spoken.
Patrick continued to look at her wordlessly for several long seconds before giving an abrupt inclination of his head. “So it is.”
The silence that followed as they began to eat— Patrick with obvious enjoyment, Ellie less than enthusiastically—was no more reassuring than his probing questions had been.
She could sense there was still so much Patrick would have liked to say to her, but didn’t. And it was the content of what he had left unsaid that troubled her now.
The Yuletide Engagement & A Yuletide Seduction Page 12