‘You too, Dad,’ he said, his mouth curving into a gentle smile that warmed Izzy’s heart. The quick, silent communication between the two men said so much about their relationship.
‘So Ross, Xanthe tells me you’re writing a book. Why didn’t I know about this? What about your work at the university? Have they fired you?’
‘No, Ma, I’m on sabbatical.’
‘Writing a book. What sort of book and why didn’t you tell me? I mean a book. That’s so exciting. What’s it about? Am I in it?’
‘No. How’s the latest exhibition going?’
‘The gallery in London is making excessive demands, I’m exhausted.’ She turned to Xanthe. ‘You have no idea how much hard work is involved in being an artist, you know, it really takes it out of one.’ When she dragged the back of her hand across her forehead, Izzy had a hard time keeping her face straight. ‘So it was so lovely of you to invite us here for a rest. I hear you’re a fantastic cook, Izzy.’
‘Er, well, I’m not sure about fantastic but I’ll do my best,’ said Izzy, ready to strangle her mother. So now there were eighteen for lunch. ‘Invited anyone else, Mother?’
Alicia squealed and Izzy did a double take. She was Xanthe’s kindred spirit.
‘Oh Xanthe, you don’t look old enough to be Izzy’s mother. I had you pegged as sisters.’
‘I like you even more, Alicia. And darling, for the love of God, please don’t call me “Mother”, it’s so aging.’
‘Don’t even think about it, Ma,’ said Ross, at the suddenly thoughtful expression on Alicia’s face.’
‘Spoilsport.’ She pouted with a good-natured grin.
Graham came back into the room carrying a parcel wrapped in black tissue paper and a wide violet chiffon ribbon tied in an extravagant bow. He gave it to Alicia who duly presented it to Xanthe. ‘A small gift for our very generous hostess.’
Xanthe’s eyes widened. ‘For me?’ She clutched her chest.
Izzy wanted to laugh; the two of them were like a pair of 1940s matinee idols.
Tugging at the bow, she opened the parcel. ‘Oh, my goodness. Alicia!’ She gasped. ‘It’s beautiful. Stunning. Oh Alicia, you’ve made my day, my year, my life.’ Tears shimmered in Xanthe’s eyes as she said with a choked voice, ‘I’ve always wanted a piece of your art but I could never have afforded it. That’s so kind of you. Look, Izzy.’ She held up the irregular shaped piece of turquoise glass, which shimmered with a range of blues and golds. It was spectacular and very typical of the work that Xanthe had admired for many years. Izzy felt a little bubble of emotion at her mother’s pure joy, knowing how much the stunning piece of art would mean to her, as well as feeling a touch of guilt for judging her so harshly. Her mother really had been a fan of Alicia’s work for many years. No wonder she’d jumped at the chance to get to know her.
‘That is fabulous,’ said Izzy, going over and dropping a kiss on her mum’s cheek. ‘I know how much you’ll treasure it.’
‘I know exactly where I’m going to put it. In the sitting room on the shelf in the alcove.’ Xanthe jumped to her feet, clutching the glass piece to her chest and holding her other hand out to Alicia. ‘Come. Come see what you think. And it’s much nicer in there. We’ll all go. Izzy, why don’t you let us know when lunch will be served?’
The minute the two women left, the atmosphere in the room thinned a little, like flat Champagne missing its effervescent bubbles. Graham raised his eyebrows at his son and smiled. ‘I’d best go keep an eye on them. Double trouble, who knows what they’ll get up to.’
‘You’re a brave man, Dad.’
‘Years of practice,’ he said, with a mischievous smile that lit up his face and further emphasised the resemblance between father and son.
Izzy cocked her head at Ross once his father had left the room. ‘So that’s your mother.’
‘Yup. That’s my mother.’
‘She doesn’t know about Ross Adair, then.’
‘No.’ He shuddered. ‘Can you imagine? I’d never get any peace. She’d tell everyone, everywhere we went.’
‘I think she might be even louder than my mother.’ Izzy suddenly burst into giggles. ‘What were you thinking, coming here? Out of the frying pan and into the fire.’
‘I didn’t think it mattered when I first came, I planned to stay holed up in my room the whole time but’ – he smiled at her – ‘then there were other attractions.’
Izzy shot him an arch look. ‘My coffee and walnut cake?’
‘That and the mince pies.’
He moved forward and put his arms around her. ‘And this,’ he said, lowering his lips.
