‘Let me help,’ William said at once, waving Nancy to stay seated. ‘No, please, I insist.’ And he followed Selina out to the kitchen.
‘What did Peter say?’ Selina asked eagerly as soon as they were alone.
‘I couldn’t get the boy to talk to me,’ William admitted heavily. ‘As soon as I asked why he was looking so glum, he clammed up, wouldn’t say a blasted word.’ He grimaced. ‘I’m sorry.’
Disappointed, she rummaged for three fresh candles in the cupboard. ‘Never mind. Perhaps I could—’
‘Selina,’ he interrupted her huskily, and she turned to find William close, his gaze intent on her face.
‘Yes?’ At the look in his eyes, her voice died away and she stood very still, gazing back at him with her heart thumping.
Too much champagne, she thought dizzily.
‘Merry Christmas.’ William brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek, leaning forward, and she guessed he was planning to kiss her.
But the moment was swept away as Faith lurched into the room, holding up her empty pudding bowl and asking if she could stand on a chair and wash it up for herself. ‘Pwease,’ she added conscientiously.
Jerked out of the spell, Selina took the bowl from her niece and shook her head. ‘N-not today, dearest,’ she stammered and led the little girl back to the dining room, carefully not looking at William. There, she dispelled the gloom by lighting the fresh candles with a book of matchesshe now kept permanently in her pocket, blackouts becoming more frequent by the day.
‘Ah now,’ she said with a laugh, ‘isn’t that festive? Let’s just hope the electricity comes back on before bedtime, else we’ll be going to bed by candlelight too.’
Having returned to his place at the head of the table, William sat down and poured himself another drink without looking at her.
Flustered, Selina watched him secretly, wondering what the man was thinking and whether he would indeed have kissed her, given the chance. To her relief, Nancy didn’t seem to have noticed that anything was amiss, too busy asking Faith not to keep blowing the shrill tin whistle she’d found inside her Christmas cracker along with a party hat and joke. Fortunately, Faith was soon distracted by the substitute of a Scotty dog brooch, while Nancy surreptitiously pocketed the whistle.
‘Aunt Selly, why do the lights keep going out?’ Jemima demanded.
Peter told his sister authoritatively, ‘Because the power stations that supply the electricity haven’t got enough coal to go round, silly.’
‘But why not?’
Peter floundered at this, glancing instinctively to William for guidance. It was a look that gave Selina hope he might yet open up to the older man over whatever was troubling him.
‘Because the Coal Board is in chaos,’ William explained, ‘and severely underfunded by the government. The war’s left this country in a terrible mess, I’m afraid, and it’s likely to get worse before it gets better.’ Seeing the children’s unhappyexpressions, he said bracingly, ‘But never mind … It will all be sorted out in time. Meanwhile, we’ll just have to get used to doing everything by candlelight again, like they did in the last century. Now, look what I’ve found …’ He reached for the final cracker from the box, still lying unpulled on the table. ‘Who fancies pulling this last Christmas cracker with me? Peter? Jemima?’ He smiled at Selina. ‘Or maybe the head chef herself?’
Selina blushed at that look, shaking her head. ‘The children …’ she murmured.
‘Me, me!’ Jemima cried, and pulled the cracker with him, laughing gleefully as it banged.
By the time William eventually left, it was pitch-black and chilly outside, and the electricity still wasn’t back on.
Shyly, Selina stood on the step to wave him off, torch in hand. ‘Thank you for coming.’
‘Thank you for inviting me.’ He studied her face, his expression turning serious as he added, ‘I meant to say earlier, I haven’t heard anything on the Bodmin grapevine about Nancy and her unfortunate condition.’
She was surprised. ‘You think Helen and Cameron Bourne are keeping it to themselves?’
‘For now, perhaps.’
‘Perhaps I should walk over and see them tomorrow,’ she mused. ‘Maybe take Helen some Christmas cake as an excuse.’
He hesitated. ‘Look, I’m aware that you and Cameron have become good friends since Bella passed away. But I should probably warn you—’
‘It’s all right,’ she interrupted. ‘I know what kind of man he is.’
William looked taken aback, but nodded. ‘Well, thank you again for a wonderful Christmas Day. The children are delightful, aren’t they?’ He turned his coat collar up against the cold. ‘I’m only sorry I couldn’t get Peter to tell me what’s wrong.’
Selina was just closing the front door when the electricity came back on, followed by a faint cheer from Nancy and the children, whom she’d left playing a game by candlelight in the sitting room.
