Molly, still trying to get comfortable, asked, ‘Why is your hair wet?’
‘I went for a long swim to St Mary’s and back. I’ve been up for hours.’
‘Daddy said we’re having pancakes for breakfast.’
‘Excellent. How was the attic? Did you see The Queen?’ He’d told her the story of how the Queen of England had once stayed in Guillemot, changing up the story a little to imply she’d slept in the attic, where Molly now was.
Molly shook her head, making her hair swing. ‘Jenna didn’t want to see her. She was frightened.’
Aleksey debated going down this route. He glanced towards the main door. Ben was still in the kitchen, so he ventured a casual, ‘Why?’
Molly shrugged. ‘Dunno. Can I open a present now?’
‘No.’
‘But you said everybody civilised opens their presents on Christmas Eve, and that’s today.’
‘Yes, but Daddy said that’s…hmm, what was his word? Oh, yes, un-Christian.’ She faked an elaborate faint at her father’s obtuseness for not getting into the true spirit of Christmas. Trying not to encourage this by smiling, he offered, ‘If your grandparents bring you anything, you might be able to open that tonight.’
‘Yay! Yay! Daddy!’ She struggled to get down from the sofa, which took a while, then ran off to tell her simple-minded father how adults were supposed to behave. He removed the kitten from his shoulder and carried her over to put in the tree, then went to the fire and began to poke the embers to life, chucking on a couple of logs when they started to glow. Their present to Molly had been something of a dilemma. Ben had announced that after his triumph with the birthday party, it washisturn to think of something. But he’d also insisted that it was to be something very simple. Cheap even. He didn’t want Molly to grow up spoilt. Aleksey didn’t do simple or cheap, and spoiling things, in both meanings of the word, was one of his unique skills, and so he’d been a bit stumped for an idea. Until he’d had a brainwave one day. He was looking forward to seeing what Mr Sensible would make of his resolution to the Molly gift problem. Squeezy strolled into the room, scratching his belly idly and yawning. ‘‘Sup?’
Aleksey grunted back, and with their conversation over, Squeezy flung himself onto the couch and yawned again.
‘Fucking crack of dawn. Nice dreams though. Must ‘ave been that bed.’
‘What time are Molly’s grandparents arriving?’ He wasn’t going to be drawn on the cretin in his bed.
‘Two. Who’s coming with me?’ He yawned again.
‘Ben and Molly—and I might come as well. I want to visit—buy a few things.’ Squeezy heard something but apparently couldn’t be bothered to dig.
‘So, did you enjoy your love nest? You should thank my old man. Took a lot of work.’
‘Do not call it that in my presence again.’
‘What, love nest? Huh. Okay. How about The Snuggery?’
Aleksey levered himself to his feet and headed towards the dining room.
‘Shag Shack?’
* * *
Chapter Sixteen
Jennifer was slightly speechless when she saw Molly, which was excellent as far as Aleksey was concerned. She knelt beside her, eyeing up the strange sight which had greeted her as she’d descended the plane’s steps. One which was apparently making all the other passengers smile and point as they passed by to the terminal.
‘Hello, darling. Let’s get you out of that and sorted so I can have a hug, shall we?’
Molly hung back, shaking her head. ‘Papa said I could.’
Aleksey smirked inside, until Jennifer asked, frowning as she rose, ‘Who?’
Molly then scrunched her face as well, a deep and very serious creasing of her forehead, as if this was indeed a great puzzle. Reluctantly, she pointed. Jennifer’s eyebrows then shot up, and she murmured a fond, indulgent, ‘Oh, I see. Yes, well. Hello, Sir Nikolas. Anyway, darling, what doesyour fathersay? Hello, Ben. How are you?’
He might have been the only one to hear the emphasis. But, nevertheless, hear it he did.
Ben wanted to show Molly’s grandparents something of St Mary’s, and Jennifer admitted she still had a few things she wanted to buy, so they all headed for the shops. Molly caused quite a stir as she trotted along beside them. She was entirely oblivious to the attention or stubbornly ignoring it—it was hard to tell. When Reginald, perhaps sensing a bit of tension, suggested he buy everyone coffee and a cake in the harbour restaurant, Aleksey took the opportunity to slip away. He could only do polite for so long, and he had the whole of Christmas to get through.
