‘I think the poor girl needs to get some rest.’
Despite herself, Izzy’s lips twitched. Incorrigible didn’t begin to describe those two.
‘She’s been in bed all of yesterday afternoon and all morning. It’s Christmas Eve.’ Izzy put her phone down and considered feigning sleep to teach her mother a lesson but figured it would do no good. What on earth were they up to now?
Seconds later, Xanthe sailed into the room. ‘Darling, how are you feeling? We thought we’d come and keep you company for a little while. You don’t mind if Graham checks the panelling and the bathroom?’
Graham gave her an apologetic smile before saying with a firm air, ‘Or we can come back another time when you’re feeling better.’
She smiled at him. He was such a lovely man and it wasn’t his fault his son’s emotions were buried deeper than the earth’s core.
Alicia was very lucky to have Graham, who clearly adored her and wasn’t ashamed to show it, in spite of her eccentric tendencies. It was a shame Xanthe had never met anyone after Izzy’s father. They might have balanced out some of her excesses.
‘No, it’s fine. You go ahead.’ To be honest, she was glad to see other people, it took her mind off brooding about Ross. She’d done the right thing, even if it didn’t feel like the right thing at the moment.
‘I still think it’s a fool’s errand,’ he muttered.
‘I heard that, Graham,’ said Alicia before plonking herself down next to Izzy on the bed. ‘How are you, dear? Your colour’s a lot better. Poor thing, you gave us all quite a turn. Not sure me or your mother have been quite so successfully upstaged before.’ She laughed. ‘Although you handled it very well. No crying or screaming. You and Ross are so well matched. Both as cool as cucumbers.’
Izzy frowned, seeming to recall that while Ross had pulled her out, it had been Alicia that had been barking orders at everyone. There’d been no flapping or hand-wringing on her part at all.
‘I know you’re cross with him at the moment but he’s a good boy really.’
Izzy’s eyes widened.
‘Oh don’t worry, he doesn’t tell me anything.’ Her face softened. ‘But I know my son, even if he thinks I’m a lunatic. I’m sorry we teased you so much, I could see how much he liked you and … Xanthe and I foolishly thought giving him a nudge would help. I rather think that’s backfired spectacularly on us.’
‘What’s he said?’ asked Izzy, rather shocked that Ross would have said anything to his mother.
Alicia let out a cackle. ‘Darling girl, you think he would confide in me? He’d rather dig out his own innards with an ice-cream scoop. But he’s been in a foul mood ever since he left your room yesterday. What on earth did you say to him?’ She grinned. ‘Although it’s always good to keep these boys on their toes.’
Izzy’s mouth pinched tight. There was no way she was going to tell Alicia a thing. Ross would never forgive her for that.
‘Ah, look at that. I admire your loyalty to him. I’ll have to prise it out of the darling idiot myself.’ She stood up and shook her voluminous tunic out. ‘Any joy, Graham?’
Graham, who’d been in the bathroom, came out and shook his head.
‘Nothing here,’ came Xanthe’s muffled voice from beneath the bed. Izzy leaned down. ‘What are you doing?’
‘I thought they might be under the bed.’
Izzy stared at her mother with a perplexed frown.
‘You never know, they might be in a secret compartment.’
‘They might,’ Izzy agreed gravely.
‘We’ll leave you in peace,’ said Alicia. ‘Come on, Xanthe, I’ve had an idea.’ The two of them disappeared as quickly as they’d arrived.
‘Why does that fill me with foreboding?’ asked Graham, with a smile that defined long suffering as he plodded after the two women. ‘See you later.’ He gave a wave and left.
Izzy huffed out a long sigh, suddenly feeling lonely. This morning she’d had quite a few visits – Jason and Fliss, bearing the most divine mince pies and little iced gingerbread shapes that they made to hang on the tree, Jeanette with a large mug of tea and Duncan with a lunch tray for her. All of them had been at great pains to reassure her that everything was under control. She didn’t need to taste Jason’s amazing lobster bisque or Fliss’s rye bread rolls to confirm that was the case. Contrarily, the one person she would have liked to see kept his distance, exactly as she’d told him to.
In a cowardly way, she was rather glad of an excuse to stay up here, although Ross had probably retreated to his room, away from everyone else. She was dreading Christmas Day, when she’d have to pretend everything was normal. In a way she almost wished Fliss and Jason weren’t here to help. She could have skulked more in the kitchen and avoided Ross. But no, big girl pants were required. She was going to have to pull them up and get on with it. She was Izzy McBride, that was what she did.
At five o’clock, when Izzy was heartily sick of her own company, Jeanette popped her head around the door. ‘Hey, Izzy, how are you doing?’
‘I’m fed up and bored.’
