Abigail Gordon - [Willowmere Village 01] - Christmas at Willowmere p.02

Glenn and Georgina would make a striking couple, she thought as she drank the welcome brew.
Both darkly attractive and free of commitments, as far as she knew. She felt like a pale-skinned,
pale-haired nonentity by comparison.

James rang in the early evening to say he’d arrived safely and was already making the necessary
arrangements. ‘I’m hoping that the funeral can be arranged for Saturday so that I won’t be missing
from the surgery again,’ he said, ‘because I’ll have to come back for it. Otherwise there will be no
one there and I can’t let that happen. Julie was very fond of her Aunt Alice. But it will mean leaving
you with the children again, I’m afraid.’

‘Just do what you have to do,’ she told him, ‘and here are your son and daughter to talk to you.’

When Glenn came in from the surgery she was standing at ta ptandinghe cooker ready to serve the
evening meal for herself and the children, and when he appeared in the kitchen doorway it was an
awkward moment.

She didn’t know whether James had done as he’d suggested and asked him to join them each day
for their main meal and when he said, ‘I’ve just stopped by to say I’m off to the Hollyhocks. I’ll see
you later,’ she couldn’t let him go foraging for a meal on a winter night when he’d been coping
with extra pressures at the surgery all day in James’s absence.

‘I’ve made enough for four if you’d like to join us,’ she said evenly. ‘I know that James intended
asking you to eat with us in the evenings while you’re here.’

‘And you don’t mind?’

‘No. It’s as easy to cook for four as it is for three.’

‘That wasn’t what I meant. When I came to Willowmere I told you that it was for a short visit, but it
hasn’t turned out like that. I’ve taken employment with the practice and am living in what used to
be your old home. To have you cook for me into the bargain is really too much to ask of you.’

‘You aren’t asking,’ she told him chidingly. ‘I’m offering. It’s the least I can do.’

‘You mean it is what politeness demands?’ he questioned dryly.

A pan on the hotplate was threatening to boil over and as she adjusted the setting she said gently,
‘Don’t make something out of the offer that isn’t there, Glenn. Shall we say it would be nice if you
would join us?’

That brought a smile. ‘Then I would be pleased to accept the offer.’ As the four of them sat down
together, Anna felt tears prick. It would be so easy to pretend they were a family, but the children
belonged to someone else and every time she saw the man sitting opposite she had to remind herself
that she’d sent him away once, and it was going to be a thousand times harder to do it a second
time.

When the meal was over Pollyanna and Jolyon went upstairs to play until bedtime. Deprived of
their childish chatter, the two adults sat in silence until Glenn said, ‘So what sort of a day have you
had, Anna?’

‘Busy, as usual,’ she said with a smile. ‘Blood tests, injections, changing dressings, diabetes clinic
first thing after lunch and the rest, but it is I who should be asking you that. James wasn’t happy at
leaving you on only your second day in the practice.’

‘Neither of you need fret about that,’ he said easily. ‘I’m enjoying every moment of it. It’s the
nearest I’ve ever been to proper family life and I’m loving it.’

Don’t, she begged silently. Glenn had no idea how much it hurt to hear him say that and how much



it confirmed that she’d done the right thing all that time ago. Without making any comment, she got
to her feet and began to clear away.

He was beside her in an instant. ‘I’ll do that while you’re seeing to the children’s bedtime. I’m a
lodger, not a guest, and I havenali and I ’t come to your village to muscle in on your life. I came for
one last time before I sort out the rest of my life, and now I’m here I think I have my answer. I can
see that if others need me, you don’t.’

Pollyanna and Jolyon came running downstairs at that moment and Glenn sighed. Was he ever
going to get an answer from Anna in words? he wondered. It was there in her actions but he wanted
to know what the score was from her own lips.

‘If you don’t need me for anything, I’ll go to the pub when I’ve done the dishes,’ he said above the
noise that the children were making. She nodded, relieved that they weren’t going to be closeted
together all evening.

It was ten o’clock and there was silence in the house. The children were asleep, but it had taken
Jolyon longer than usual to settle down. He’d been fretful and kept wanting James, and it had taken
Polly, who was a loving child, to console him by letting him hold her teddy as well as his own.
He’d eventually gone to sleep holding a bear in each arm.

Anna had heard Glenn go out while she’d been supervising bathtime and thought she didn’t blame
him for going to the pub for some cheerful company. There weren’t many laughs to be had at
Bracken House when she was around.

She decided to have an early night and once she’d undressed she went down for a last hot drink
before going to bed. As she sat by the fire sipping it slowly, Anna heard Jolyon coughing up above.

It was a harsh, grunting sort of bark, as if his airway was blocked, and she was up the stairs in a
flash.

He was awake and the moment she reached the side of his bed she could see that he had a
temperature. His brow was glistening with sweat, his cheeks bright red, and at that moment, woken
up by the noise of his coughing, Polly, frightened by the sound, began to cry.

‘Shush, Polly,’ Anna said gently as she raised him up off the pillow. ‘Jolly’s just got a cough. He’ll
be all right in a moment.’

But she was not to be comforted and her crying grew louder as Anna loosened his pyjamas and tried
to soothe him into letting her see down his throat, but he wouldn’t let her and the dreadful coughing
continued until she thought he was going to choke.

She was afraid to take her eyes off him, but if it was croup, and it sounded like it, Jolyon needed to
be in a warm steamy atmosphere to ease the membranes of his throat. Propping him beside the bed
in an upright position, she ran into the bathroom, grabbing a couple of towels and soaking them
under the tap.

As she was hurrying back across the landing to drape the wet towels over the radiator she heard
Glenn come in and shouted down the stairs, ‘Glenn! Thank God you’re back! I need your help.’

He came up the stairs two at a time, exclaiming, ‘What a racket! Whatever is wrong with the
children?’

‘I think Jolly has got croup and Polly is frightened by the noise he’s making,’ she said.

‘It does sound like croup,’ he agreed, above the noise ohed the nof Polly’s sobs and Jolyon’s
coughing. ‘Do I take it that it came on suddenly?’

‘Yes, out of the blue, and suppose it isn’t croup. That it’s…’ She couldn’t put what she was
thinking into words. It was too frightening.

‘What?’



‘Diptheria! The symptoms are similar at the onset,’ she choked as she spread the wet towels over
the radiator. She knew she was overreacting but the cold hand of dread was upon her heart.

Glenn was already carrying Jolyon to sit beside the radiator and reassuring him gently at the same
time, and as the towels began to give off steam the coughing started to ease and Polly’s sobs
weren’t quite so loud.

‘Surely the children have been vaccinated?’ he said.

‘Yes, of course they have, but suppose it didn’t take effect for some reason.’

‘Anna, don’t torture yourself. It’s croup. I saw a child at the surgery this afternoon of a similar age
to Jolyon and she had it. It’s infectious, as we both know, so most likely they’ll have picked it up at
school. Keep your fingers crossed that Polly doesn’t get it. Look, you can see the humidity is
bringing relief and now that Polly is calming down, he’s breathing more easily.’

His manner was reassuring, cool and matter-of-fact, and Anna would have been amazed if she’d
known how he longed to take her in his arms and tell her not to worry, that he was there and always
would be if she would let him.

If only he hadn’t been so full of his own plans and ambitions when they’d graduated. If only the
children’s mother hadn’t been taken from them, if only… He could go on for ever recounting his
regrets, but what use would it be? The pattern had been set and it looked as if Anna wasn’t ever
going to budge from it.

‘I wasn’t expecting you back yet,’ she said as she gave the children a drink before settling them
down again. Jolyon’s temperature was more normal now that the coughing had stopped, and she
was hoping that soon they would be fast asleep again. But there would be no sleep for her in case
there was a repeat of what had just happened.

‘I only went because I didn’t want to be in the way, but I’d had enough after a couple of drinks,’
Glenn explained. ‘Would you have phoned to ask for help if I hadn’t arrived at that moment?’

‘There hadn’t been time. It all happened so quickly,’ she told him, avoiding his glance. ‘But you
were a most welcome sight when you appeared.’ Her voice thickened. ‘I thought he was going to
choke, Glenn. How would I have explained that to James?’

He held out his arms and said softly, ‘Come here, my poor frantic one.’ And as if some unseen
force was controlling her movements, she went into them, unable to stop herself.

All she needed at that moment was comfort, he thought as he stroked her hair gently and pressed his
lips against her brow. It was far from being an occasion for anything else of ything and he was
grateful that he was there to offer it.

But suppose he hadn’t been present. There must have been countless occasions when she’d needed
someone to be there for her besides James with his busy life. Yet it seemed that she hadn’t wanted
him, Glenn, to be the one, and she didn’t seem to have found anyone else to fill the gap. He would
dearly like to know what went on in Anna’s mind.

‘Go to bed,’ he said as she withdrew herself from his hold, but she shook her head.

‘I’m concerned that I mightn’t hear Jolyon if he has another attack.’

‘I’ll stay up just to be on the safe side. I’ll find a book and settle myself in a chair beside the bed.’

‘I can’t let you do that!’

‘Oh, yes, you can.’ He gave her a gentle push. ‘Away with you, I promise I will come for you if he
needs you. OK?’

‘Yes, all right, and thanks for everything, Glenn.’

With his deep blue gaze darkening, he told her, ‘I’m just happy to have been there for you and the



children. No thanks are necessary.’

She nodded and as she went slowly to her room she was fighting the urge to go back to the warmth
of his arms.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. Anna slept fitfully and once when she went to the
children’s room to check on them she found Glenn observing her from his bedside vigil.

‘Everything is fine,’ he said in a low voice as she looked down at them. ‘I was going to make a
drink. Do you want one?’

‘Yes,’ she replied, and they went noiselessly downstairs together.

While they were waiting for the kettle to boil he went across to the window and looked out into the
winter night where the village lay dark and still.

‘It’s only a short time to Christmas,’ he remarked. ‘I suppose it’s pretty dead here and most people
leave the village for their festivities.’

Anna turned away to hide a smile. ‘We get by,’ she told him. ‘The farmers are always glad of help
with plucking the turkeys, or there’s following the gritting truck to make sure they don’t miss
anywhere, and if we want to do something really exciting, we tidy up the graveyard.’

He was laughing. ‘All right, I get the message. Maybe I should wait and see.’

‘Yes,’ she told him. ‘Maybe you should. Have you brought anything suitable for a black-tie affair?’

‘No. Should I have?’

She didn’t answer, just smiled across at him, and knew she was happy that for once at
Christmastime Glenn would be where she could see him, touch him even.

As he poured the tea she said, serious once more, ‘There will be two of us absent from the surgery
tomorrow unless I bring Jolyon with me, as he won’t be going to school, but I don’t really want to
do that. He needs to be kept away from any other infections.’

‘We’ll manage,’ he told her. ‘If James gets home tonight, he’ll be back on the job tomorrow.’

She was feeling comfortable in his company for the first time since he’d come back into her life,
Anna thought, and this was how she wanted it to stay. Maybe it would if she could only relax and
stop fretting about what was and what wasn’t happening.

‘You’ve been a true friend tonight,’ she told him. ‘I’m sure you weren’t expecting to be asked to
join the surgery and spending the night on a chair watching over a sick child when you arrived in
the uneventful countryside.’

He smiled a lopsided smile. ‘You’re not going to let me forget that, are you?’

She managed a smile of her own. ‘With regard to Christmas, I should warn you that we have lots of
holly and mistletoe around the surgery at Christmas and some of the staff can be women of strong
passions.’

‘But not you?’ he questioned quizzically, while groaning inwardly at being described as merely a
friend.

‘No. Not me. I find life to be much simpler without them.’

He wasn’t going to fall into any more traps of his own making so he didn’t reply to that. But it
didn’t stop him from remembering, as he’d done a thousand times, that when he’d known her
before she’d been a sweet, joyous thing in his arms when they’d made love.

It was coming up to six o’clock and he got to his feet in the cosy kitchen. He wasn’t sure if his
relationship with Anna had moved on during the night or taken a step back, but whatever it was
there was time, he thought, lots of it, and Christmas was coming. If he had to resort to the mistletoe,



he would hold her in his arms again somehow.

A knock on the front door announced a farmer delivering a chicken and some eggs, and when Bryan
Timmins saw Anna he said, ‘Hello, there, Anna. Have you heard I’m going to be a dad again? Talk
about life begins at forty! Our young Josh is tickled pink, which is surprising for a lad of his age.’

‘Yes, I’ve heard about the baby, Bryan,’ she told him with a smile. ‘Congratulations! And Josh is
really good with children—you should see him with Polly and Jolly.’

He nodded. ‘Aye, I know. His mother and me are sorry we haven’t given him some brothers or
sisters that would have been nearer his own age. But she had a bad time when Josh was born and
this is a midlife surprise that we weren’t expecting.’

‘Josh?’ Glenn questioned when the farmer had gone on his way.

‘He’s sixteen years old and a lovely lad. I’m very fond of him.’

‘I see,’ he said, and thought there was love in abundance in Anna’s life. She’d had lwn he’d ove for
him once, but it hadn’t lasted and there were no indications that it was going to be rekindled.

Glenn had left for the surgery, promising to ring at lunchtime to see how Jolyon was doing, and
Anna phoned James to let him know what had happened.

‘I am so sorry not to have been around when one of the children was poorly,’ he said heavily.
‘Thank goodness Glenn was there with you. I hope he isn’t feeling that he is too near us for
comfort.’

‘I don’t think you need fret about that,’ she told him, ‘or the fact that they’re going to be you and I
short at the surgery. He said not to worry. I suppose that what to us is a cause for concern will seem
just a minor hiccup, compared to what he’s been used to.

‘Yet he didn’t treat Jolyon as if it was something and nothing last night. He was calm and gentle,
knew he was frightened and had to reassure me into the bargain as, although croup is bad enough,
my imagination was running riot.’

‘He’s a good man,’ James said approvingly, andAnna silently agreed. After chatting a little more,
he told her he would be leaving for home mid-afternoon and rang off.

* * *

Glenn’s first patient of the day was a newcomer to the village like himself. Alex Graham had
moved into a flat above the antique shop, his intention being to paint the attractions of the Cheshire
countryside, which were not in short supply.

The River Goyt and Peak Forest Canal ran side by side in rural splendour through the village.
Willowmere was an artist’s dream with its limestone cottages and shops that were far removed from
the mass-produced, packaged image of the supermarket. But for any aspiring artist the lake, tranquil
and ageless amongst the graceful trees after which it had been named, was always top of the list.

‘I take it that you’re here about the test results,’ Glenn said as the lean, long-haired, thirty-plus
patient seated himself opposite him.

‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘I’ve been visiting relatives and when I got back late last night there was a message
on my answering machine to say that the results of the tests I’ve been having had arrived and that
the surgery wanted to discuss them with me.’

Glenn nodded. ‘Yes, that is so. I’m sorry to inform you that the pain and inflammation of your
joints is caused by the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.’

‘Hell!’ he groaned. ‘If I can’t paint I’ll either starve or die of boredom.’

‘That is the bad news,’ Glenn told him. ‘The upside of it is that it can be treated with non-steroidal,
anti-inflammatory medicines to relieve the stiffness and pain, and drugs like gold penicillin will



arrest the progress of the illness. Then, as in all complaints of this nature, there is physiotherapy to
fall back on.’

‘Whatever you say,’ Alex said dejectedly. ‘Just as long as I can use my hands.’

‘We should be able to do more than that for you once we’ve got you on the right treatment,’ Glenn
told him. ‘James Bartlett, the senior partner, isn’t here at the moment, but he has left instructions, so
think positive, Alex.’

As his patient nodded bleakly Glenn said on a lighter note, ‘I had time to kill when I arrived in the
village last week and saw a watercolour of Willow Lake that you’d done on display in the window
of the picture gallery near the church. It was on the same day that Anna Bartlett, one of the practice
nurses, had taken me to see her favourite place and I recognised it at once. I’m no expert but I
thought it very good, and having met the artist I’m interested in buying it for her.’

Alex was cheering up by the minute. ‘That would be great. It will keep the wolf from the door so to
speak. I’ve had no word from Clare, who owns the gallery, to say that it’s been sold, so it should
still be available. Guess what? I’m feeling better already!’

‘And you’ll feel better still when you start on the treatment,’ he told him as he printed out the
necessary prescriptions.



CHAPTER FIVE


WHEN Alex Graham had gone Glenn saw that the first signs of Christmas were appearing in
Willowmere. Workmen from the council were erecting a large spruce tree in the centre of the
village green and he thought that it would be the first time ever he hadn’t felt alone at Christmas. He
would be near Anna, James and the children, only on the edge of their lives maybe, but there
nevertheless.

He rang to ask how Jolyon was before setting off on his rounds and Anna said, ‘He’s rather pale
and listless and occasionally the barky cough appears, but nothing like it was in the night.’

‘And Pollyanna, how is she?’ he asked. ‘Are there any signs that she might be sickening for the
croup?’

‘Not so far. I’m still keeping the atmosphere moist and in a few moments am going to give the
children their lunch. I’ve spoken with James and he should be home some time this evening, so
hopefully we won’t be disturbing you tonight.’

‘I was going to say it was a pleasure,’ he remarked, ‘but there is no pleasure in watching over a sick
child. I’m just glad I was around when I was needed, that’s all.’

‘So am I.’

‘What?’

‘Glad you were around when I needed you.’

‘It felt good to be needed by you,’ he said quietly.

Confused, Anna opened her mouth to reply but before she could speak he said, ‘Sorry. Forget I said
that. Take care, Anna. I’ll see you whenever.’

His call, made from the best of intentions, left her feeling off balance and low of spirits, but she told
herself that if Glenn was going to be around for some time, she was going to have to get used to
those sorts of feelings.

When James arrived home the children had just gone to bed and the first thing he did was to go
straight upstairs to check on Jolyon, before tucking them up for the night.

‘How has he been, Anna?’ he asked when he came down. ‘Jolly looks a bit washed out and is
hoarse due to the coughing, but the lymph glands in his neck aren’t up and he seems cool enough.’

‘He hasn’t been too bad since last night,’ she told him. ‘The coughing comes and goes. So far Polly
hasn’t shown any signs of croup, but Glenn said he’d seen a child at the surgery yesterday who had
it, so it would seem that it is going around the school.’

‘Yes. You’re probably right, and now I’m going to have a word with him. There’s a light on so I
take it that he’s in his room. I need to know if there have been any problems at the surgery while
I’ve been away. I won’t be long and when I come back if you want a break from me and mine, by
all means have one.’

‘There’s a meeting in the village hall at eight o’clock to sort out the arrangements for the various
Christmas activities, and I’d like to be there,’ she replied, ‘but first tell me about the funeral
arrangements you’ve been making for Aunt Alice. When is it to take place?’

‘Saturday, as I had hoped, and there will just be myself and a couple of the staff from the home
present. It will mean me being away overnight again, but that will be the end of it. Any other
matters regarding her estate I can deal with from home.’

When he came back from seeing Glenn she was ready to go to the meeting and he said, with the
practice still in mind, ‘It seems that everything has been in control at the surgery. It’s been pretty
busy, as it is at this time of the year but he and Georgina have coped. Glenn said that Alex Graham



has been in for his test results and was pretty devastated, being an artist, but he sorted him out and
the guy went on his way feeling more cheerful than when he’d arrived.’ He gave her a gentle push.
‘And now away with you, and don’t rush back.’

‘I’ll see,’ she said, and after closing the door behind her hurried down the garden path en route for
the village hall, with eyes averted from the lighted room above where Glenn was to be found.

When she heard the front door of the house open and close behind her she stopped, turned, and he
was there, striding towards her dressed in a sweater and jeans and saying, ‘I’m going to post a
letter.’ His glance took in the long winter coat she was wearing. ‘It would seem that you’re going
further afield than that. Where are you off to?’

‘I’m going to a meeting in the village hall about Christmas events,’ she explained. ‘It starts at eight
o’clock.’

‘I see.’ He pointed to the big spruce in the middle of the village green that the council had erected
and which was as yet bare of any decorations. ‘That being the first reminder, I take it.’

‘Yes, it is,’ she agreed, ‘and tonight we will be arranging a candlelit service in the church on
Christmas Eve, with some of us going carol singing afterwards, and a Mistletoe Ball, just to name a
few of our Christmas traditions.’

‘Sounds impressive,’ he commented, ‘and a fitting answer to me thinking Willowmere would be
dead during the festive season. Can anyone come?’

‘Where to, the carol singing, the candlelight service or the ball?’

‘I was referring to the meeting.’

‘Er, yes, but are you sure?’ she questioned, taken aback at the request, but with pleasure surfacing at
the thought.

‘Yes. I’ve nothing else planned for this evening. I’ll have to pop back inside for a jacket, though. I
was only expecting to go as far as the post office.’

As they retraced their steps he said, ‘Are you coming back inside? I’ll only be a moment but it is
too cold to be standing around outside.’

She nodded, having just remembered a list of volunteers for various things that she needed to take
with her, and followed him upstairs. His bedroom door was wide open as he reached into the
wardrobe and when she looked into the room her eyes widened.

There was a photograph of the two of them on top of a chest of drawers. It had been taken by a
student friend of Glenn on his graduation day and it was easy to see that the two in the picture were
in love. She had a similar one that had been taken on her graduation day, but she hadn’t been able to
look at it after she’d sent him away and it had been at the bottom of a drawer ever since.

If he’d deliberately left it out, he must have been aware that sooner or later she would see it. So
what was the idea? Was he playing mind games after promising not to intrude into her life? She
wished she knew, but it would have to be another time when she mentioned it. He was coming out
of the bedroom and she thought wryly that she didn’t want to spoil the evening ahead. Every
moment was precious.

The meeting was always chaired by the vicar and was usually a gathering of brains, brawn,
organising ability and creative talent. The first person they saw when they arrived was Alex
Graham, the artist, and then others began to arrive.

As the vicar opened the proceedings he remarked that they were pleased to see two newcomers
amongst them in the form of Dr Glenn Hamilton, who had recently joined the GP practice, and Alex
Graham, a talented artist. She couldn’t believe this was happening, Anna thought. Glenn, who’d
been more of a town and city person when she’d known him before and had teased her about her



love of Willowmere, was involving himself in village affairs.

James had been watching through the sitting-room window as Anna had left the house and when
Glenn had appeared simultaneously he’d smiled a satisfied smile. He’d caught sight of the
photograph when he’d gone to talk to Glenn, had drawn his own conclusions and commented that
he couldn’t stay long as Anna was on the point of going out.

He hadn’t known whether the ploy would work but it had, and it proved that his instinct regarding
Cnct="1 the two of them was right. He sensed the attraction between them every time they were
together, but with regard to Anna especially he doubted whether she would ever admit it because of
the role she played in his own life, and then there was that other matter that she never referred to but
which he knew must be a constant source of anguish.

Yet she was entitled to a life of her own, a husband of her own, and children, if not biological
children, still little ones to love. He cared for her too much to ever want her to miss out on those
things. It was Anna’s own sense of duty that was keeping her with him and the children.

So far he had let her persuade him that she was content, but he had promised himself that if ever she
met the man of her dreams he would see to it that she didn’t let love pass her by because of family
ties. Maybe Glenn Hamilton was that man, but only time would provide the answer to that.

When they came out of the meeting into the cold December night Glenn said, ‘You don’t have to go
straight home, do you?’

‘Not if I don’t want to.’

‘So maybe we could call in at the Pheasant?’

‘Yes, why not?’ she agreed, and pushed to one side the thought that the more time she spent with
Glenn the harder it was going to be to convince him that nothing had changed.

He could see her face in the light of a streetlamp and thought of the number of times he’d brought it
to mind while he’d been away, and now that Anna was actually here beside him he felt as far away
from her as he had then.

Yet she was smiling now as she said, ‘You know, James is really pleased to have you in the
practice, and so is Georgina.’

‘I note there is no mention of your feelings on the subject,’ he remarked dryly.

‘I was the one who recommended you, if you remember.’

She could have told him that as well as the vote of confidence she’d felt that having him in the
practice was better than nothing, which was what she’d had for a long time.

As they seated themselves at one of the tables in the Pheasant she said, ‘I would have thought you
might want to spend Christmas somewhere more upmarket.’

‘What, and miss all the goings-on in the village?’ he teased, and then became serious again. ‘I
intend to be here. I can’t think of anywhere I would rather be, but I don’t want to foist myself onto
you and James and the children. It will be sufficient just to be near.’

Anna felt tears prick and, not wanting him to see them, turned away. What had they come to? she
thought. That Glenn, who’d always been the vibrant, confident one, should be content just to be on
the fringe of their Christmas celebrations. She knew that even if it turned out to be a painful
pleasure, she wanted him there.

‘You are welcome to share our Christmas,’ she told him. ‘It’s a magical time here in Willowmere
and I would hate you to be alone.’

< Ceig’/div>

‘It wouldn’t be the first time if I was.’



‘I know. That was then. This is now, and I don’t want to think any further than that. Can’t we just
have a lovely Christmas together?’

‘Yes, if that is what you want,’ he said levelly, thinking that it would be another memory to add to
the list, if nothing else.

They had just the one drink and then Glenn said, ‘I think I should take you home after you having
had so little sleep last night.’

Anna nodded in reluctant agreement. She could have stayed there for ever, but there was no telling
what turn the conversation might take and she had to admit that she was tired.

So they went out once more into the winter night where the lights of Bracken House were shining
out across the village green, and she wished that it was the two of them returning to a home of their
own.

‘I don’t think we’ll be disturbed tonight,’ she told him. ‘Jolyon seems much better and James is
back, so I can return to my own place tomorrow, but he’s going to be away again on Friday night as
it’s the funeral on the Saturday.’

They went upstairs together, each to their separate rooms, and as he opened the door of his bedroom
she could see the photograph again. Following her glance he said, ‘Do you remember us having that
taken?’

‘Yes, of course I do. I’m surprised to find it on display, though.’

‘Why? After being sent packing it was something to remind me of you. I haven’t seen yours on
view but, then, I suppose it wouldn’t be as you were so keen to make a clean break.’

‘So didn’t you have any other relationships during that time?’ she asked, steering the conversation
in another direction that might prove just as personal.

‘No,’ he replied, observing her with raised brows.

‘Not even for ease of the body?’

‘No. I had neither the time nor the inclination. What about you?’

‘With two small children needing me I didn’t have the time either for the kind of thing we’re
talking about.’ She paused, listening. ‘Judging from the silence that prevails at this moment, they
are both fast asleep and their father, too, from the sound of it.’

She sounded chirpy enough, he thought, but Anna was very pale and, touching her cheek gently, he
said, ‘Goodnight, Anna. Thanks for letting me into your life again for a little while.’

Rendered speechless by the tenderness in his voice, she nodded, turned blindly and went into her
bedroom, closing the door slowly behind her.

She should be avoiding those sorts of moments, she thought as she threw herself on top of the
covers. The temptation to tell Glenn the truth was overwhelming on such occasions.

Why had he come back after all this time? she asked herself. Was it out of curiosity to see what
she’d done with her life while he’d been away, and on finding that it didn’t amount to much had
decided to stay around for a while?

Since he’d come back she’d become aware of his loneliness and was happy that in some small way
she and James, with his offer of employment, were making Glenn feel at home in Willowmere.

She still had to pinch herself when she thought of how he’d settled into the practice with a
minimum of fuss and was obviously enjoying rural health care, and that he was impressed with the
lake. Most surprising of all was that he was only feet away across the landing.

Maybe she should be counting her blessings and accepting him as a friend, but she realised now that
she was beginning to want more than that, and it just wasn’t going to happen.



She heard the church clock strike twelve and, turning her head into the pillow drifted off into
shallow sleep.

By the time James was ready to drive to Sussex again in the late afternoon of Friday, Jolyon had
recovered from the croup and so far Pollyanna had not succumbed.

The moment he’d arrived home earlier in the week he had ordered a humidifier to be delivered to
replace the makeshift arrangement with the towels, and it seemed to be working.

Unless Polly started with the croup over the weekend, Anna would be back on duty at the practice
on the coming Monday, and she was looking forward to it.

She enjoyed working as a practice nurse, even though she’d had her sights set on something higher
when she’d been at university. But she was sensible enough to realise that combining the two,
working at the surgery and being there for the children when James wasn’t around was an
arrangement that couldn’t be bettered.

At the practice she and Beth got on well. The older woman was always willing to hold the fort if
she needed to be with Pollyanna and Jolyon, as had been the situation over the last couple of days.

Anna also had a good relationship with Georgina workwise, but the attractive doctor kept her
private life very much under wraps and Anna felt that somewhere along the line she had known
grief of some kind, like James and herself…

Elaine, the practice manager, was efficiency personified, with a degree in business management,
and frowned upon anyone who interfered with the smooth running of the village’s health-care
arrangements.

Single and, as far as Anna knew, not in any kind of relationship, Elaine was a petite blonde in her
late forties with a flair for design as well as an orderly mind. She was always active in bringing the
joys of Christmas to the village and had been at the meeting the other night.

So when Monday came Anna would be teaming up once more with the three that she was closest to
at the surgery, but before Monday there was the weekend to get through. Most of the time James
would be away and she felt down in the dumps.

On Friday night the children had had their baths and were sitting clean and rosy-cheeked, drinking
th C, d1emeir bedtime milk, when Glenn appeared in the kitchen.

‘How about I make us a late supper?’ he suggested. ‘I thought you might be glad of some company
when Pollyanna and Jolyon have gone to bed, even if it’s only me.’

What was she supposed to say to that? Anna wondered and knew there was only one thing to say.
‘Well, OK, that would great,’ she told him, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach at the
thought of an evening alone with him.

He’d bought steaks to eat with salad, a sherry trifle from the confectioner’s next to the post office,
and a bottle of wine to go with them, and when she’d set the table with the best china and lit
candles, Anna went upstairs to change out of the jeans and T-shirt she was wearing.

She came down again in a long black skirt, a cream silk top and a beautiful gold necklace that had
been her mother’s, and was hoping that Glenn wouldn’t think it was a bit over the top for an
unexpected supper. She’d given in to the urge to look beautiful for him, as at that moment all her
intentions to be aloof had been put on hold.

‘Wow!’ he said when she appeared beside him at the cooking range. ‘Dare I hope that you’ve
dressed up for me?’

‘It’s nice to make an effort sometimes,’ she told him lightly. ‘Apart from at the surgery, when I’m
in my uniform, I spend a lot of time in jeans and a T-shirt, and it can get to be too much of a habit.’

‘Yes, I’m sure it can,’ he said mildly as he uncorked the wine, ‘and now, if madam would like to



take a seat, sir will bring in the food.’

As they sat facing each other across the dining table he raised his glass, and as she looked into his
dark blue gaze he said, ‘To you, Anna, in all your many guises, stand-in mother, sister in a million,
practice nurse…and friend. I wish you much happiness in the life you’ve chosen.’

She put down her glass. ‘I didn’t choose it,’ she told him in a low voice. ‘It chose me, but, please,
don’t let’s go into that. Can’t we talk about something else?’

‘Yes, of course,’ he agreed, as if it was of no consequence and said jokingly, ‘How about the
surgery for a fresh topic of conversation? Do you want to hear what’s been happening there today in
your absence?’

‘What I don’t know about I won’t be anxious about so, no,’ she told him, matching his change of
mood. ‘Just as you won’t want to know what’s been happening in my day.’

‘How do you know I won’t?’ he said in a low voice, and it was there again in the quiet room, the
chemistry between them that hadn’t gone and never would as far as she was concerned.

To bring normality back to the atmosphere Anna reached across the table for a helping of salad to
go with the steak, and as she did so the sleeve of her dress, which fanned out at the wrist, wafted
towards one of the candles.

‘Watch out!’ he cried, and as she looked up, startled, he gripped her arm and pulled it away from
the naked flame. ‘That could have been serious,’ he said, without removing his hold. Getting to h C
Ge puis feet, he came round to her side of the table.

As she looked up at him questioningly he raised her to her feet and when they were facing each
other he said, ‘You almost set yourself on fire a moment ago, Anna. Are you trying to give me a
heart attack?’

He bent and blew out the candles, leaving the room in shadow with the only light coming from the
fire burning brightly in the grate. And as their glances held he murmured, ‘I know it’s against the
rules that you’ve laid down, but I feel I’m entitled to this.’

Before she could speak she was in his arms. He was kissing her with an urgency that was setting her
on fire, and as she responded to his arousal the desert that was her heart became a green and
pleasant place.

But she couldn’t let it go on, she thought frantically as he lifted his head and, looking deep into her
eyes, traced his fingers across the lips that he’d just kissed.

‘So you do still care,’ he said softly.

‘Yes! No! We can’t!’ she gasped, and pointed to the table. ‘This was a mistake. I’ve told you
before, Glenn, don’t complicate my life.’

‘Is that really how you feel?’ he asked flatly as his arms fell away.

‘Yes.’

‘All right. I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t leave in anger!’ she pleaded as he moved towards the door. ‘Don’t leave the village because
of me!’

He turned and observed her unsmilingly. ‘I’m not going anywhere yet.’ He turned and went slowly
up the stairs.

Well done! Glenn told himself grimly as he closed the bedroom door behind him. What about the
patience that you promised yourself, the promises to keep your distance? You’ve just shown
yourself to be a man of his word, I don’t think!

He turned at the sound of hurrying footsteps coming up the stairs and when he opened the door to



her knock he found Anna with a plateful of the food he’d prepared. Before he could say anything
she said awkwardly, ‘The steak is still warm and the salad crisp.’

She saw him frown and said quickly, ‘Don’t refuse it, Glenn, or you’ll make me feel even worse
than I do already.’ And thrusting the plate into his hand, she hurried back to where she’d come
from.

If it wasn’t so sad it would be funny, he thought as he looked down at the congealing meat. Anna
following him with the remains of the meal, begging him to eat it, when right now he felt as if it
would choke him.

Anna lay in bed, unable to sleep. Despite the evening ending badly, it had shown her something that
scared and thrilled her at the same time. The magic was still there and as strong as ever. That kind
of kissing had always led to them making love in that other life when everything had been so
simple. Now it was far from that, which was why she’d called a halt.

Tomorrow James would be Cmeswhyhome again and then maybe they could get back into their
safe, secure routine and Glenn would find better things to do with his time than spending it with
her.

For one thing, they wouldn’t be continually in each other’s space. She would be back next door and
they would only meet up at the surgery.

There was no sign of him when she got up on Saturday morning and his car wasn’t parked outside
so she presumed he must have gone into the city to do some shopping. She decided that she and the
children would do likewise, but in another direction.

They would go for a Christmas tree to the place where her parents before her had always gone, to a
farm high up on the road that led to the moors and the peaks beyond.

‘James’s young ’uns aren’t half shootin’ up, Anna,’ Bill Bradshaw, who owned the farm, said as he
took them to select a tree. ‘It doesn’t seem long since he brought you home from the hospital with
the babies one on either side of you. I remember the wife cried buckets.’

‘Yes, I know,’ she told him. ‘Everyone was wonderful. Bringing food, taking the washing and
bringing it back ironed, as well as lots of other kindnesses that showed how people here look out for
each other.’

‘Aye,’ he agreed. ‘Everybody rallies round when one of our own is havin’ it rough. The bush
telegraph does overtime. Gettin’ back to this tree that you’ve come for, I take it you want a big ’un.’

‘Yes, a big tree for a big room.’

When she’d made her choice he said, ‘I’ll drop it off for you in a couple of hours if that’s all right.
So what’s this I hear about a new doctor at the surgery? I hope James isn’t thinkin’ of leavin’ us.’

‘No, nothing like that,’ she assured him. ‘Glenn Hamilton has been working abroad and has come
as locum for a while.’

‘I see,’ he said, and without batting an eyelid he added, ‘I was askin’ because I’ve got a man’s
problem and I’d rather see that brother of yours or this new fellow than Georgina Adams, sweet girl
though she is.’

‘You’ll be fine with either of them but, Bill, don’t wait too long to make an appointment. All things
that worry us healthwise should be dealt with promptly, and if we are told there is no cause for
alarm we can relax all the sooner. Or if it should turn out to be the opposite then there will have
been no delay in getting treatment.’

As they drove back down the hillside Anna saw that Glenn’s car was following them down and they
pulled up outside the practice at the same time. There was an awkward pause as they faced each
other and she broke the silence by saying stiltedly, ‘I thought you might have gone into town to



shop.’

He shook his head. ‘No. I’ve been for a drive around the surrounding countryside, getting my
bearings, and have decided that it’s a bit bleak up there in winter. Do the doctors get called out
much to those parts?’

‘Sometimes. My dad was once trapped up there overnight in a blizzard when he’d C whighbeen to
visit a patient. He had to stay in his car until the snow ploughs cleared the way for him the
following morning. The children and I would have taken you around the places that you need to get
to know if you’d said,’ she informed him. ‘You had only to ask.’

‘What? After last night?’ he said dryly. ‘I don’t want to put my foot in it twice. By the way, where
have you been?’

Before she could reply Jolyon answered for her. ‘We’ve been to buy a Christmas tree from Mr
Bradshaw’s farm, and when it comes we’re going to put little lights on it, aren’t we, Polly?’

‘Yes,’ she cried excitedly, ‘and Father Christmas is coming soon. Will he be bringing presents for
you, Dr Hamilton?’

He smiled. ‘I’m not sure. And, Polly, my name is Glenn. Do you think I should send him a letter?’

Two small fair heads nodded simultaneously and Polly said, ‘If he doesn’t bring you any, you can
come and play with our toys, can’t he, Jolly?’

‘Yes, you can,’ he agreed solemnly.

‘I will remember that,’ he told them with the same degree of seriousness, and turned to Anna, who
was keeping a low profile. ‘Is it a large tree?’

‘Yes,’ she replied, not sure to be glad or sorry at his cool dismissal of the previous night’s
happenings.

‘Right, so when it’s delivered let me know if you have any trouble moving it to where you want it
to stand. OK?’

‘Yes,’ she agreed weakly, and thought it would have to be really heavy for her to do that in the light
of recent events.



CHAPTER SIX


IT WAS heavy. Bill brought the tree into the house for her and propped it up in the corner where she
wanted it to stand, but she couldn’t lift it into the big bronze pot that was always brought down
from the attic on such occasions, and as the children were eager to begin decorating it, Anna ended
up going to find Glenn.

She found him occupied in taking the black bag out of the waste bin in the kitchen, and right on top
of the rubbish was the food from the night before. ‘So you didn’t eat it after all,’ she said
regretfully. ‘What did you have?’

‘Nothing,’ he replied, and as she groaned he went on to say, ‘Another minute and I’d have had the
bag tied up. But does it matter?’

‘No. I suppose not,’ she conceded hastily. ‘I’ve come about your offer to help with the tree. I could
have waited until James gets back but the children are bursting for us to start decorating it and it
might be past their bedtime when he arrives.’

‘Sure,’ he said easily. ‘I’ll wash my hands and be with you in a couple of seconds.’ And on that a F
alssurance she left him to follow.

‘That is some big tree,’ he said, when he’d positioned it in the pot and surrounded it with stones
from the garden to keep it upright. He turned to Polly and Jolly, who were dancing around him
excitedly. ‘What I want to know is who is going to put the fairy on the top. Do you know any
giants?’

They shook their heads, solemn for a moment, and then, realising that he was teasing, Polly
squealed, ‘You can do it!’

‘All right, then,’ he agreed. Opening out the stepladder that Anna had got in readiness, he picked up
the little tinsel fairy and climbed up with her in his hand. When he was high enough Glenn looked
down at Anna’s upturned face and said, ‘I wasn’t intending to muscle in on the tree-decorating. I’ll
make myself scarce once I’ve fixed the fairy.’

‘You don’t have to,’ she said in a low voice. ‘This is different from last night. It’s just family stuff.’

‘And what was last night?’

‘A moment of madness. I should have had more sense.’

‘Maybe we both should, but do we have to feel guilty over something that was innocent and aboveboard?’


‘The fairy, the fairy!’ the children were shouting, and remembering what he was up there for he
reached over and placed her firmly where she could look down at them all.

‘You didn’t answer my question,’ he said when he was back at floor level.

‘It shouldn’t have happened,’ she said, keeping her voice low so the children couldn’t hear. ‘Let’s
drop the subject and concentrate on decorating the tree.’

He stared at her for a moment, then slowly nodded and began to fold up the ladder. ‘Well, I
promised not to linger so I’ll let you get on.’

She looked at him and sighed. ‘Glenn, let’s not spoil this. Why don’t you stay and help us?’

‘I’d be pleased to, but are you suggesting it because you’re thinking that there’s safety in numbers,
by any chance?’

‘No, not at all,’ she said coolly. ‘It’s a big tree and some of the branches are quite high up.’

He smiled and the tension broke. As they hung ornaments on the branches she said, ‘Some of these
glass baubles are old. They were on the tree when James and I were small, and the rest are the usual
plastic. Unbreakable but lacking the same delicacy.’



It was a happy time, and Anna loved watching Glenn help the children carefully hang the
decorations. Polly and Jolly were entranced as the bareness of the spruce gradually disappeared
beneath the ornaments, tinsel and fairy-lights.

When the last bauble had been hung and the last piece of tinsel draped across the fresh green
branches, he said, ‘What about your tree, Anna? Did you ask the farmer to deliver a tree for you at
the same time? By the way, I still haven’t been Kvenut invited to your place. You haven’t got a
guilty secret to hide, have you?’

The joking comment hit a nerve, even though it had been made in all innocence. He saw her flinch
and wondered why.

But she managed another smile and told him, ‘I’ve hardly been in my own home since you arrived,
but I’ll be going back once James is with us again, so feel free to call if you want. As for the tree, I
have a small artificial one that I bring out each year. Maybe not the most atmospheric of things but
it looks all right once I’ve decorated it, which is usually at the last minute on Christmas Eve. It has
one snag, though. I miss the lovely woodland smell that a real spruce brings with it.’

When James arrived home the children were waiting for him on the doorstep dressed in pyjamas
and dressing-gowns, and as he came up the path they called to him to close his eyes. He obeyed and
they led him inside in high glee to where the tree stood in the sitting room, lights twinkling.

‘Now you can open them, Daddy,’ they cried, and as Anna and Glenn looked on smilingly he did as
he was told and expressed his delight and amazement.

‘How on earth did you manage to get such a large tree in position?’ he said when Glenn had
tactfully left the four of them together and gone up to his room.

‘Bill Bradshaw delivered it as usual and Glenn lifted it into the pot.’

‘You must have been glad to have him around. I do hope he’s going to enjoy Christmas in
Willowmere.’

‘He says he’s looking forward to joining us as he hasn’t had much experience of a family
Christmas, but he doesn’t want to be in the way.’

‘What did you say to that?’

‘I assured him that he wouldn’t be.’

‘And I’m sure that you meant it. Though you’ve never said how you feel about him. Are you in love
with the guy, Anna?’

It was not a moment for the truth, she decided but James was waiting for an answer, so avoiding the
issues that being honest would bring she said lightly, ‘The only male who pulls at my heart strings
is there in his pyjamas, and I think it’s time he and his sister were tucked up for the night. Do you
want to do the bedtime-story bit, or shall I? It’s been a long day for you.’

‘Not so long that I would want to miss my time with the children,’ he replied, and with a smile for
her added, ‘Anna, just for the record, I can tell when I’m being sidetracked.’

She returned to the annexe later in the evening, just as she’d told Glenn she would, and as her small
but tasteful home welcomed her back into quietness she wondered when he would come, but
Sunday passed and he didn’t appear.

When she arrived at the surgery on Monday morning, after seeing the children safely to school, it
was already a hive of activity, with stragglers who’d left it rather late for their flu jabs waiting
outside the nurses’ rooms in company with those who’d come for the usual blood tests and so on.

She’d seen Glenn briefly at breakfast-time. He and James had been about to go to the surgery as
she’d arrived to get the children dressed and ready for school, and they’d just exchanged brief
greetings. Now that she was here, there was no sign of him. The door to his consulting room was



shut, indicating that he was with a patient, and at that moment Bill Bradshaw came out, looking


rather red-faced.
When he saw her he said, ‘I did what you told me to do, made an appointment to see one of the
doctors, and he’s sendin’ me fer tests.’


She nodded approvingly. ‘Good thinking. I’m sure that Betty must have thought so.’


‘Aye, she did. The wife has been on at me for weeks to do something about it, and talkin’ to you
when you came for the tree spurred me on.’
He jerked his thumb towards the room he’d just left. ‘Seems to know what he’s on about, yon


fellow, even though he is a southerner.’


‘Get away with you,’ she said laughingly. ‘A lot of the top-rankers of the medical profession are
based in the southern counties.’
‘Really? Well, it’s fellows like your father that I prefer to see. The old-style country doctor kind, if


you get what I mean.’
‘James, Georgina and Glenn are all excellent doctors,’ she protested mildly.
‘Maybe, but I reckon they wouldn’t recognise a bottle of castor oil if it jumped up and bit ’em.’
She was laughing again. ‘Maybe not, and thanks be for that!’ And with her glance on those waiting


to see a nurse, she left him to amble off with his home-spun philosophies.


Young Josh was one of those waiting to be seen and she was pleased to see that the infection had
cleared and the sore spot had healed.
‘Do you know that my mother is going to have a baby, Anna?’ he asked when he was ready to go.
‘Yes, I do,’ she told him. ‘How do you feel about it, Josh?’
‘It’s great, just as long as I don’t have to push it out in the buggy in front of my mates. I hope it’s a


boy.’
‘A little sister would be just as nice.’
‘Like Polly, you mean?’
‘Yes, maybe. Now, mind how you go. No more messing about with rusty nails.’
‘He’s a nice kid, that one,’ Beth said when he’d gone. ‘Let’s hope he’s as thrilled when the house is


full of baby things and junior is teething.’
There was still no sign of Glenn. She could hear his door opening and shutting down the passage as


patients came and went, but he hadn’t yet ventured forth for any reason. Eventually one of the
receptionists came round with elevenses and then he appeared, mug in hand.
‘Hello, there,’ he said, framed in the doorway and addressing them both, but with his glance on


Anna. ‘Everything all right?’


‘Yes,’ Beth said breezily. ‘It’s a typical Monday morning, with the regulars and those who’ve fallen
by the wayside over the weekend.’
Anna’s expression was sombre. It had only been a short time since she’d gone back into her own


place, leaving Glenn at Bracken House, yet it seemed much longer. How she would cope if he
didn’t settle in Willowmere, she shuddered to think. Yet common sense said that would be the best
thing in the long run.


‘Was it good to be back where you belong?’ he asked as Beth was bringing up their last patient’s
records on the computer and labelling the blood sample she’d just taken.
‘Mmm, it was nice. I slept with an easy mind, knowing that James was back, Jolyon was much




better and you were next door, too.’

‘Good,’ he said without further comment, and went back into his room.

* * *

It was a cold night. A winter moon hung over the village and as lights in the windows and gardens
of the cottages twinkled out to where the trees stood fronded with frost, the magic of Christmas was
taking hold of Willowmere.

It was not surprising that Anna loved this place, Glenn was thinking as he looked out across the
village green from his bedroom window. It was wooing him, enchanting him with its peace and
timelessness. There was no sound of gunfire to make him flinch, or the never-ending grind of the
traffic of a big city, just the quiet of the countryside.

Yet he hadn’t given up the idea of going back to the kind of work he’d been doing before the
longing to see Anna again had become unbearable and he’d flown home. But if he ever went abroad
again he would want her with him, in his bed at night whenever the chance to sleep presented itself
and by his side in the daytime. He’d come back to find some normality and she was it. Together, as
husband and wife, doctor and nurse, they could accomplish much.

But there was the small matter of getting her to see his point of view and it wasn’t going to be easy
or soon. If he kept harassing her, it wouldn’t be fair. He had no right to interfere in her life to such
an extent. She had set herself on a course that she felt she must keep to, and he loved her for it.

He would have liked to tell James how he felt about Anna but it would be putting the onus on him
and he, Glenn, had no way of knowing what kind of disruption it would cause, as he didn’t know if
Anna had ever told her brother just how deeply they had once been involved…

It was clear that the two of them, James and Anna, had a loving bond and that his arrival back in her
life had not at first been as welcome as the flowers in spring as far as she was concerned, yet once
he’d discovered that she was still single he’d begun to hope.

If she could convince him that she didn’t want him enough to change her lifestyle, he would go
back to where he’d come from—but he would have to be sure, and if the way she'd responded to
him the other night was anything to go by, she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

He pulled a warm jacket out of the wardrobe and went out into the frosty night. When he knocked
on Anna’s door there was no answer and the lights weren’t on so, surmising that she might be at the
village hall, he walked in that direction, but that too was in darkness.

Now that he’d ventured out, he was reluctant to go back inside so soon and pointed himself in the
direction of the lake, deciding that if he couldn’t be with Anna he could at least spend a few
moments at the place she held so dear.

He wondered if it ever froze over enough for the locals to skate on. That would be a sight to behold,
but there were no signs of anything like that when he got there, just a solitary car parked by the
lakeside with its headlights shining across its still waters. He smiled. It would be lovers, wanting to
be unobserved, he’d like to bet.

That was until he saw the make of the car and its number plate. His eyes widened. It was Anna’s
car, and even as it registered he was hoping that she’d got the doors securely locked.

When he tapped on the window on the driver’s side, she was sitting staring into space, but she
turned her head at the sound and when she saw him it was her turn to be surprised.

‘Glenn! What are you doing here?’ she exclaimed, getting out of the car to stand beside him.

‘I should be asking you that,’ he said evenly. ‘I was expecting it to be a courting couple in the car
and was about to give it a wide berth until I saw the number plate.’

‘I came out here to think. James was going over the practice accounts, the children were tucked up



for the night, and for once I didn’t have a pile of ironing staring me in the face. And, as I’ve already
explained, this is my favourite part of the village.’

‘Yes, I’m aware of that,’ he told her, and thought of the watercolour painted by Alex Graham that
he’d bought from the gallery as a Christmas gift for her.

The event that brought joy to every dark winter would soon be here, and he had a feeling that he
shouldn’t have accepted her invitation to share it with them, that he would be butting in on a family
occasion, Yet he’d agreed to join them and that was it, and if he didn’t get any closer to Anna over
Christmas, he would just have to suffer in silence.

‘Does the lake ever freeze over?’ he asked as they stood looking at the moon reflected in its waters.

‘Yes, sometimes, and then we all turn up with our skates, but it has to be well below zero for that to
happen.’

‘I could stay here for ever,’ he said softly. ‘It’s beautiful in moonlight on a frosty night, Anna, and
so are you.’ She turned to look at him and for a moment he saw the desire he felt reflected in her
eyes, and he ached to draw her into his arms.

‘Please, don’t, Glenn,’ she whispered. ‘I can’t give you what you want. If you want to put roots
down in Willowmere, then stay, but it’s for you to decide. You know the score.’

She was moving towards the car. The spell had been broken. ‘Do you want to walk back, or can I
give you a lift?’ she asked, not meeting his gaze.

‘I’ll walk, thanks,’ he informed her flatly, ‘though I’m not going until I’ve seen you safely on your
way.’

‘All right, whatever you say,’ she said in a similar tone to his, and when the engine spluttered into
life she waved briefly and he watched her drive off into the night.

When Anna arrived home she went slowly upstairs, thinking as she did so that it had been perfect
by the lake, just the two of them in the quiet night. When she’d realised what had been about to
happen between them she’d had to stop it, though it had nearly broken her heart. But at least she
had finally told him something of the truth. That she couldn’t give him what she knew he wanted.

Still in a melancholy mood she walked across to the window and looked out over the village, as
Glenn had done earlier, and saw him returning, but instead of going into Bracken House he went to
the boot of his car and as he reached inside she turned away. Whatever he was doing, it wasn’t her
concern, she decided, but as she was taking her jacket off the doorbell rang and her heartbeat
quickened. What now? she thought.

When she opened the door he was holding a tree, half the size of the one they’d decorated
previously but just as fresh and sweet smelling, and as she eyed him in surprise he reached out and
placed it just inside the hallway.

‘Peace offering,’ he said, and smiled.

‘Oh, Glenn,’ she breathed, returning his smile and wishing so much for their situation to be
different. ‘Please, won’t you come in?’

He shook his head. ‘No, not now. It’s late. But I’ll come and help you decorate it tomorrow night, if
you like, now that I’ve honed my Christmas-tree decorating skills.’

She was laughing, gloomy thoughts put to one side, and he thought how lovely she was as she
breathed in the Christmassy scent of the small but perfect tree.

‘That would be great,’ she said. ‘And thanks for the lovely surprise.’

‘My pleasure,’ he replied and went.

The next morning at the surgery Beth said, ‘We’ve heard from our Jess, Anna. She’ll be home soon.



She’s passed the course for nursery nursing or becoming a nanny, so now it’s going to be job-
hunting.’

‘I can’t see her having much trouble there,’ Anna commented. She liked Beth’s capable and
cheerful daughter immensely. ‘She’s a natural with children. The twins love it when she calls
round.’

‘Jess has certainly chosen the right vocation,’ Beth agreed, ‘but I hope she doesn’t end up in
America or somewhere else far away. Her dad and I would be desolate without her, and deep down
Jess is really a home bird.’

The chairs outside in the corridor were filling up and as the morning progressed they were too busy
to think of anything but the patients, for which Anna was th Kh Ae fankful.

But in rare quiet moments the events of the previous night occupied her mind. They’d been
spellbound by the glittering beauty of Willowmere in moonlight and it would have been so easy to
have gone one step further. But doing so would only have brought more heartache, and she was
determined that tonight, when he came round to help her decorate the tree, nothing would happen
between them.

Glenn’s door remained closed and in the middle of the morning James informed her that he had
gone out on an urgent call before she’d arrived and was still not back.

‘What was the problem?’ she asked.

‘The gypsies have arrived for their yearly visit to these parts and have camped at their usual site for
a while,’ he explained. ‘As you are aware, in recent years they’ve registered with us because of the
length of their stay, hence the request for a visit. It sounded as if one of their members is quite
poorly.

‘I’m not sure if any of them have had the flu vaccination as that was what it sounded like—a bad
case of flu or maybe pneumonia. Glenn rang in a few moments ago to say that half of them are
unwell. He’s been checking out more than the one patient and is waiting for public health to arrive
as there seems to be a stomach bug also doing the rounds amongst them.’

‘Oh, dear!’ she exclaimed. ‘We’ve known them for years and they’ve never had anything too
serious while they’ve been here. I hope it doesn’t get worse.’

‘So do I,’ he agreed. ‘However, this time it might be different if it is some sort of gastric bug that
isn’t nipped in the bud. But Glenn has got it all under control. Infection will never have been far
away in the places he’s been working in. I hope he is with us for a long time to come and have a
feeling that how long he stays will depend on you.’

‘It will be up to him, not me. He knows where I stand,’ she told him, but knew she didn’t sound
very convincing.

James didn’t pursue it. Instead, he informed her, ‘He’s sending those who are still standing for the
flu jab so you and Beth have a busy time ahead once they arrive.’

She smiled. ‘I’d better be getting on, then.’

When Glenn returned, the gypsies had been for their vaccinations and gone. He reported that the
patient he’d been called out to had been taken to hospital with suspected pneumonia, and that he’d
given out prescriptions to those with the stomach upsets and left them in the care of public health.

‘Who was it that you had admitted to hospital?’ asked Anna.

He looked at her in surprise. ‘Why? Do you know them personally?’

‘I know some of them, yes. We usually expect the gypsies at this time of year. They’ve come as
long as I can remember and the villagers have no problem with them. They keep themselves to
themselves and don’t leave a mess when they go.’



‘It was an older guy called Marco who has got pneumonia.’

‘I know him. He’s usually in charge. Was Montrose there?’

‘How would I know?’

‘Monty is Marco’s son and devoted to his parents.’

‘There was a tall, dark-haired fellow hovering all the time I was doing the rounds.’

She nodded. ‘That would probably be him and it explains why he didn’t come for the flu jab like
the others. He would have gone to the hospital with his father. Monty is a friend of mine. We
played together when we were kids and enjoy meeting up each year for a short time.’

Anna spending a short time with Monty suited him fine, Glenn thought. The fellow had been
attractive in a flashy sort of way, but they couldn’t be that close or Anna would have known the
gypsies had arrived and she hadn’t been aware of it until he’d rung in to report on what he’d found
when he’d got there.

It was a quarter to three and Anna was about to go and meet the children from school when Monty
came strolling into the surgery at the same moment that Glenn arrived back from the rest of his
delayed house calls.

‘How are you, Anna?’ he said with a smile. ‘The new doctor has been very good to us. Has he told
you about my father?’

‘Yes,’ she said gently. ‘How is Marco now?’

His smile faded. ‘Not good. They say at the hospital it is pneumonia. My mother is with him while I
go back to see to the others who are sick.’

As Glenn went into the surgery kitchen to prepare a belated lunch he heard Monty say, ‘There is
something I wanted to ask you, Anna. I hope you’ll say yes.’

He didn’t hear the rest. They’d moved down the passage out of earshot and he had a sinking feeling
that he wouldn’t want to hear, even if he could. Her face didn’t light up like that when he put in an
appearance. When he came out of the kitchen with a sandwich in one hand and a mug of tea in the
other, Monty had gone. Anna was about to leave, and she was still smiling.

‘It is obvious that someone’s face fits,’ he said whimsically. ‘I’ll have to ask him what his secret is.’

The smile wavered. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she said, ‘but tell me something—are
you into weddings?’

Glenn froze and said stiffly, ‘It all depends on who is getting married.’

‘I’m talking about a gypsy wedding. Monty has invited us to his wedding to Tabitha, the daughter
of one of the families that travel with them. He has asked me because I’m a friend from his
childhood, and you’re invited because of the way you’ve looked after his people today.’

He relaxed. ‘When is it to be?’ he questioned in an upbeat tone that made her glance at him in
surprise.

‘Next week, if his father is well enough to be there. K toiv ’ She looked at him and frowned.
‘Glenn! Are you crazy? Surely you didn’t think I was going to be the bride? He’s just a friend from
way back. We don’t see each other from one year to the next. So, are you going to take me to his
wedding or not?’

‘Yes, of course. I can’t think of anything I would like more.’

Glenn walked back to his room with a lighter step. That wasn’t strictly true, of course. There were
lots of things they could do together that would outclass going to Monty’s wedding, such as making
love and planning a future. But it was a start.



That evening, James had just taken the children upstairs to spend time with them before putting
them to bed. Anna was tidying up after the meal when Glenn said, ‘What about a wedding gift for
Monty? Are we going to join or buy separate presents? There’s only the coming Saturday for us to
go shopping, or maybe we could take advantage of the late-night Christmas hours during the week.
What do you think?’

‘I think we should give them a joint gift, and late-night shopping won’t be as crowded as a Saturday
so near Christmas.’

‘I agree,’ he said. ‘How about tomorrow night? And have you any suggestions? For instance, does
Monty have his own caravan?’

Anna shook her head. ‘No. A gypsy couple don’t move into their own home until the first child is
born. Before that the bride lives with her in-laws and helps generally on the domestic front. Their
customs are very different to ours. Often the marriage ceremony is just a matter of the bride and
groom holding hands in front of everyone and promising to be true to each other.

‘Marriages amongst them could almost be classed as arranged. The father of the bridegroom pays a
sum of money, what we would call a dowry, to the bride’s father to recompense him for the loss of
his daughter, and it is the parents who make the wedding arrangements.’

‘You seem to be well informed,’ he commented.

‘I am. I’ve never had an invitation before, but I’ve watched a few of their weddings from a distance,
and I think I should warn you that the festivities go on for days.’

He smiled. ‘Not for us, I hope!’

‘No, of course not. I think our patients would have something to say if we were missing for that
length of time.’ Anna’s eyes twinkled. ‘We’ll just have to make our excuses when we’re ready to
go.’

‘And so getting back to the wedding gift?’ he prompted.

‘I don’t know. I’ll give it some thought. Their own people usually give them money so that when
the firstborn comes along and they move into their own caravan, they have some savings to fall
back on, but as outsiders I feel it might seem intrusive if we do that.’

‘So tomorrow night it is,’ he confirmed, and when she didn’t reply immediately he went on, ‘Are
you sure? We’ll have been in each other’s company at the surgery during the day, and will be
together all the time we’re shopping. I wouldn’t want you to feel you are having an overdose of my
company, as I haven’t forgotten our arrangement for tonig KentI wht with regard to a certain tree.’

I could never have too much of your company, she thought, even though we seem to move from
one delicate situation to the next. I’ve been starved of it for years.

‘I’ll risk it,’ she replied lightly.

‘Be it upon your own head,’ he said whimsically, and then went on to say, ‘What time do you want
me round to help fix the tree?” ‘When I’ve cleared away here,’ she told him, and hoped that the rest
of the evening would be amicable and stress-free.

* * *

To Anna’s relief it was. There was no dressing up on her part tonight. When she opened the door to
Glenn she was wearing the inevitable jeans with a cotton top, scant make-up and minus perfume,
and he had to hide a smile.

The message was loud and clear and it would have been easy to tell her that she was beautiful to
him no matter what, but he’d already decided that tonight there was going to be nothing but
friendliness as they decorated the tree that he’d brought her, and that was how it was as they hung
less fragile baubles than those on the tree next door and put a star on top instead of a fairy.



When it was done Anna smiled her satisfaction and told him, ‘My tree had never been in place so
early or looked so good, and it is thanks to you.’

The Christmas spirit was taking hold of them, he thought, and said laughingly, ‘So shall I take a
bow or put the kettle on?’

‘Both,’ she replied, matching his mood, and while he was in the kitchen she switched on a CD of
carols and left them playing softly in the background.

They sat in silence by the fire, drinking the coffee she’d made and listening to the music. She
wished it could go on for ever, with no questions to answer, no anxieties regarding those she loved,
and as if he’d read her mind Glenn said, ‘Sometimes I think we fret too much for the things we
can’t have and miss out on what is already there.’

Anna didn’t reply because tears were threatening and she didn’t want to break the peace between
them in these quiet moments, but it didn’t stop her from wondering if, unknown to him, his words
had held a message for her. But it wasn’t as simple as that…was it?

He went not long after and she didn’t try to stop him. His departing words had a comfort all of their
own. ‘Goodnight, Anna. I’ll see you tomorrow.’ She rejoiced at the thought.



CHAPTER SEVEN


‘ENJOY your shopping trip,’ James said the next evening as Anna and Glenn prepared to go out to
buy a wedding gift for Montrose and Tabitha. ‘Have you warned Glenn that their weddings are not
short affairs?’

‘Yes, I have been warned,’ Glenn said as he came downstairs, ready to leave.

Anna was laughing and he thought how great it was to see her happy as she said, ‘Maybe I should
also explain that huge sides of beef and pork will be roasting above the fire for hours before the
ceremony begins and, as I’ve already said, it could go on for ever.’

‘So there’ll be lots of gravy,’ he joked, and her eyes sparkled back at him.

‘I can see that you two are going to enjoy every minute of this wedding,’ James said, and would
have liked to have followed it with, When are you going to do something about a wedding of your
own? But there was no way he would want to embarrass them, although when the moment was
right he intended to have a serious talk with his sister.

* * *

As they strolled from store to store Glenn took Anna’s hand in his and she let it stay in his warm
clasp. It was all around them, the excitement and expectancy of Christmas and as they stopped
beside Santa seated in front of a huge tree in one of the shopping malls he said, ‘I can’t believe that
we’re going to be together for one of the happiest times of the year.’

He was smiling, but when she looked up at him he sensed that the habitual wariness in her that was
like a barrier between them was back.

‘What?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you feel the same, Anna?’

‘Yes,’ she replied, and thought that Glenn wasn’t the only one who’d had some lonely
Christmastimes. It was possible to be with relatives and friends, surrounded by affection and
goodwill, and yet still feel alone.

‘Has James ever thought of remarrying?’ he asked with an easiness that concealed the importance
of the question as they watched children taking their turn to sit on Santa’s knee.

‘I don’t know. Maybe. We haven’t discussed it, but I wouldn’t want him to rush into any decision
that he might regret on my account,’ she said levelly. ‘He adored Julie and she was like a sister to
me so, you see, I don’t look upon the life I lead as a penance.’

‘I never thought you did, but don’t you want children of your own one day? I’m sure James would
wish that for you.’

James wouldn’t want for me what I can’t have, she thought despondently. It was another
opportunity to be honest with Glenn, to tell him that circumstance had denied her children, but once
again the words stuck in her throat, and instead of giving him a direct answer, she sidetracked his
comment by saying, ‘I have Pollyanna and Jolyon in my life. They’re all I need.’

He wasn’t prepared to leave it at that. ‘Yes, but—’

‘Can’t we talk about something else?’ she interrupted flatly.

‘Sure,’ he agreed with the same deceptive easiness, and pointed to a shop that sold kitchenware.

They chose a huge casserole dish from a well-known brand as a gift for Montrose and Tabitha. It
would hold enough to feed both their families and more besides, and having fe Sandbralt the weight
of it they arranged for the store to deliver it the next day.

When that was accomplished and Anna had bought a few extras to go in the children’s stockings he
said, ‘Shall we go for a coffee? Or find a bar somewhere?’

He’d stopped holding her hand after what had ended up as a depressing insight into her mind and



now just wanted them to sit quietly in some place where they could unwind and talk about ordinary
everyday things rather than the rest of their lives, which always ended up in heartache.

‘A glass of wine would be nice if we can find somewhere that isn’t crowded,’ she replied, feeling
remorseful after bringing gloom into the precious time they were spending together. ‘There’s a bar
near where we parked the car, but it won’t be much fun for you if you’re driving.’

‘An orange juice will suit me fine,’ he said, ‘so let’s go and see if we can get a couple of seats.’

The place was crowded and it was noisy, but the atmosphere was good as everyone seemed happy
enough to be out and about on a night so near Christmas.

They managed to find a small table tucked away next to a large Christmas tree, and Glenn went to
the bar, returning with a glass of wine for Anna and an orange juice for himself. Settling into his
chair, he said, ‘So, tell me what Pollyanna and Jolyon are getting for Christmas and bring me up to
date with what is going to be happening in the village during the next two weeks.’

Relieved to be on safe ground again, she smiled. ‘Santa is bringing Polly a new doll and a buggy to
push her out in, plus a pretty party frock and some ballet shoes as she’s going to start having lessons
after Christmas.

‘Jolyon has asked Santa for a fort and a fireman’s outfit, and they’re both getting their first little
bikes, so there’ll be some excitement on Christmas morning. If you feel like getting up at the crack
of dawn you’ll be on the spot to watch them as they discover what has arrived while they’ve been
asleep.’

‘I’d like that,’ he said, and immediately wondered what he could buy for the children that they
hadn’t already got.

She was smiling across at him and it wiped away any pain that their previous conversation might
have caused as she said, ‘And as to what will be happening in Willowmere, the answer is lots of
things. There’s the Mistletoe Ball that I told you about on the Saturday before Christmas Day, and
this year it has been decided to hold it in a huge marquee on the school playing fields.

‘The candlelit carol service in the church is on the Sunday after the ball, followed by coffee and
mince pies at the vicarage, and then some of us go round the village to sing for the people who
couldn’t get to the service.’

‘What do you do for music?’

‘We have our own brass band to accompany us.’

‘Really? I wouldn’t mind being involved in that if I had my trumpet. It got left behind in the last-
minute rush to get to the airport when I was coming home and I Sng in don’t expect to see it again,
but even so I will enjoy hearing them play.’

She was pleased to see his interest and told him, ‘I thought you’d be impressed to know we have
our own band.’

‘I most certainly am,’ he affirmed, and she recalled how he’d loved playing the trumpet at every
opportunity and how talented he’d been. She’d been debating what to give him as a Christmas gift
and knew now that nothing would please him more than a new instrument to replace the one he’d
lost.

Glenn’s thoughts were running along different channels. ‘So how do I get us tickets for the ball?’ he
was asking.

‘Jack and Amy at the post office are selling them and will have kept some for James and me. It’s a
very popular occasion, gives everyone a chance to dress up, which brings us back to the matter of
your dinner jacket and dress shirt.’

‘And the bow-tie that goes with it.’



‘Yes.’

‘No problem. If we’d thought of it earlier I could have got kitted out tonight. What time is the
wedding on Saturday?’

‘Four in the afternoon.’

‘So I’ll come into town first thing in the morning and get my outfit for the ball sorted. Do you and
James attend as a regular thing?’

‘No. It isn’t always convenient.’

‘Don’t you ever leave the children with a child-minder?’

‘Yes, occasionally, but there’s only one person we trust to look after them and she hasn’t been
available of late.’

‘Who is she, some teenager who needs the cash?’

‘Not exactly, Jess is twenty-two and the daughter of Beth, the other nurse at the surgery. She’s a
lovely girl and dotes on Polly and Jolly. We haven’t seen much of her in recent weeks as she’s been
on a course, but she’ll be coming to see us some time soon.’

As they drove home Glenn said, ‘So I’ll have a word with your friends at the post office regarding
tickets. Will they have put three to one side by any chance? If there are only two, I can’t take
James’s.’

‘Don’t worry. I’ll ask him if he intends going, but I doubt it. He’ll be pleased to hear that I’m going,
but will almost certainly say no with regard to joining us. His evenings are taken up with practice
work and getting ready for Santa’s visit.’

When Glenn stopped the car in front of the surgery she already had her door key in her hand and
was out in a flash. Getting the message, he said softly, ‘Goodnight, Anna,’ and stayed on his side of
the car to avoid throwing all his promises to the wind and sweeping her into his arms.

‘No, thanks just the same,’ James said when Anna asked him if he wanted to go to the ball. ‘For one
thing, Jess isn’t around to ask if she will mind the children, but I’m Sen, hi pleased that Glenn is
taking you.’

He’d had a few enquiries from available women of the village as to whether he would be present on
the occasion and had known they’d been fishing for invitations, but he was aware that if he
appeared in front of everyone with someone local it would set tongues wagging, and he had no taste
for that. If he ever found someone to replace Julie he would be happy for the whole world to know,
but that day had yet to come.

In the middle of the following morning Clare Halliday, the elegant, middle-aged owner of the art
gallery, came to the nurses’ room to have blood tests taken at Georgina’s request.

‘I’ve just seen Dr Adams, Anna,’ she said worriedly, ‘and I’ve a feeling that she thinks I might have
something wrong with me. She wants to see me again as soon as the results of the tests come back.’

‘So what might make her think that, Clare?’ Anna asked. ‘It isn’t often we see you at the surgery.’

‘Yes, I know,’ she replied. ‘I’m here because I’ve had heartburn and indigestion for months and
nothing I take seems to relieve it. Also my stomach is sticking out a mile. I look as if I’m six
months pregnant, and to make matters worse my mother has come to live with me and she is not the
easiest of people to get on with. I’ve also got the business to run, which is what I enjoy doing the
most.’ She sighed. ‘Talking about the business, the new doctor was in the other day, buying a
watercolour by a local artist. He’s very attractive.’

‘Yes, that would be Dr Hamilton,’ Anna told her, and thought that the description suited the man
who was half in and half out of her life very well.



When she’d taken the blood she told Clare, ‘Dr Adams has asked for a quick report on these tests so
you should know something soon.’ And added with a comforting smile, ‘So go home and try not to
worry until the results come through. It could be something quite simple that is causing the
symptoms.’

‘I hope so,’ she said dismally as she prepared to depart. ‘One hears of such dreadful things these
days.’

The owner of the picture gallery had barely closed the outer door of the surgery behind her before
Georgina appeared in the nurses’ room.

‘Has Clare Halliday had the bloods taken?’ she asked, and when Anna pointed to the phials ready
for off she said, ‘I’m very concerned about her.’ And on that sober comment she went back down
the corridor to where the rest of her patients were waiting.

‘What do you think she meant?’ Beth said when she’d gone.

‘Who knows?’ Anna said. ‘But Georgina doesn’t let the grass grow under her feet. If the results
show anything that could be serious she’ll send Clare to see a specialist without delay.’

Saturday mornings were not as hectic as weekdays. There wasn’t the same urgency to get the
children ready and off to school, and as Anna stood gazing out at a frosty morning from the window
of her sitting room she saw Glenn striding purposefully down the path towards his car.

Her heartbeat quickened as it alw Sned toays did at the sight of him. He was tall, dark-haired, dark-
eyed and lean, every woman’s dream man. Yet it was still her that he seemed to want, the
nondescript practice nurse with hazel eyes set in a plain face, her only claim to beauty being her
red-gold hair. What did he see in her?

He must have decided to go into town early to get the suit before the place became packed with
Christmas shoppers, and as he drove off without being aware of her at the window Anna’s mind
was on the days to come.

Days when the life she’d made with James and the children would still go on. Not because it had to,
James would never tie her down with his domestic problems if she wanted to stretch her wings. It
would be because she had nowhere else to go.

Having Glenn in Willowmere was a mixture of joy and sadness to her. Every moment they spent
together was engraved upon her heart, and if he should tire of her lack of response and decide to go
away again, the memory of those times during one of the most special seasons of the year would
have to suffice.

Like the wedding they were going to in just a few hours, where Montrose and Tabitha would make
their vows to each other in front of their families and the others who travelled with them. There
would be no trappings of church or registry office, just two people in the dusk of a December
afternoon promising to be faithful.

Once that was done the festivities would start, the food and the wine, an abundance of it, with music
all around them. And when their appetites were appeased there would be dancing around the
campfire and lots of good-natured merriment.

When Glenn’s car had disappeared from sight she went upstairs to get out the clothes she intended
to wear. They consisted of a brightly coloured shawl of greens and gold that suited her colouring
perfectly, and a warm top to go underneath to keep out the cold. Matching the shawl was a long
green skirt, flared so that it would swirl around her as she danced. Calf-high boots on her feet
completed the outfit.

As she took in the effect, excitement was rising inside her. She’d felt threatened ever since Glenn
had come back into her life. He’d shattered the safe cocoon that had gradually formed around her as
she’d accepted what the fates had meted out on an icy road five years ago.



But today it was different. She felt alive, ready to throw off her cares for a while. Remembering
how he had accepted her stipulation of no strings attached, what could possibly go wrong?

He rang her bell in the late morning and informed her that he’d bought a suit for the ball and gifts
for the children, who hadn’t yet got back from their Saturday morning visit to the park with James.

He’d brought the presents with him and said, ‘I thought you could whisk them out of sight while
Pollyanna and Jolyon aren’t around.’

‘Yes, and thanks for remembering them,’ she said softly, and wondered if he was thinking that it
might be the nearest he was ever going to get to being with children in a family setting at
Christmas. Unless he gave up on her and chose someone else to give him little ones. The thought
was like a knife in her heart.

‘Do you want to come in?’ she asked, stepping back, but he shook his head.

‘Another time maybe. I’m going to clean the car and then have a shower. Are we walking or driving
to the wedding? The gypsy camp isn’t that far, is it, but it is cold out here.’

‘Let’s walk,’ she said, eyes bright with anticipation, and he observed her with raised brows but
didn’t comment.

‘Yes, all right,’ he agreed. ‘But are we sure it’s on for today? What about the old guy I had admitted
to hospital? Didn’t you say that he’s the bridegroom’s father?’

‘Yes, and I’ve checked that he’s home, but Marco will have to watch the proceedings from inside
the caravan and keep warm.’

‘And how are we going to keep warm? What are you intending wearing?’

‘A shawl, a long skirt and boots, with gold hoops in my ears. What about you?’

‘I’m not sure. Probably a shirt and black trousers, with boots and a leather jacket. What do you
think?’

‘That sounds fine to be wearing as we mingle with them, though I’m expecting the folks there to be
decked out in their finery. I saw an advert for wedding dresses for gypsy brides once and some of
them were very impressive, heavily beaded in Renaissance styles, so we’ll have to wait and see. It’s
not far to the site so if you call for me at a quarter past three it should be soon enough.’

‘Are you looking forward to it?’ he asked.

‘Yes, of course I am.’

‘Although I’m the one who is taking you?’

Was he kidding? ‘That’s one of the reasons why.’

‘Really! So I’d better not let you down, had I?’ he commented dryly, and her smile faltered, but she
didn’t take him up on it, just said goodbye as he turned to go and went to hide the gifts he’d
brought.

‘I hope that the casserole dish was delivered safely,’ Glenn said as they walked towards the gypsy
camp in the winter dusk, and when Anna nodded without speaking he said, ‘So what’s wrong? Has
the bubble burst? You were up in the clouds this morning.’

She managed a smile and even managed to sound convincing as she said, ‘I’m fine. I was just
thinking that I won’t be moving far from the fire. There is frost on the trees already. It’s going to be
a cold night.’

In truth, she wasn’t thinking anything of the sort. It was something that Polly had said in all
innocence when they’d called after they’d been to the park that had hit her where it hurt the most.
Her small niece had been listening to the two adults discussing the wedding and had said, ‘What’s a
bride, Anna?’