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‘In the kitchen rustling up some bits.’

‘I offered to help but they won’t let me,’ Wanda said. ‘I’m in charge tomorrow, though. I haven’t cooked a big Christmas dinner for years and I can’t wait!’

‘Note my silence on the subject,’ Athene said, pulling the book in front of her face with a smirk.

Katie knew that the oven and hob in Athene’s flat were still box fresh. Always out at publishing lunches and parties, she rarely cooked anything resembling a hot meal for herself.

‘You can do the drinks, Athene,’ Wanda said. ‘You’re good at that.’

‘Indeed I am, Wanda,’ Athene said with a glint of amusement. ‘There’s plenty of beer in the fridge, Arlo, when you’re ready.’

Arlo laughed politely. ‘Thanks. I’ll go and clean myself up.’

‘I’ll go take my coat off and tell the others.’

There was no need because excited laughter heralded the arrival of Jess and Ned who walked in with platters of cheese, pickles and bread.

‘This is only the first instalment!’ Jess declared. The platter wobbled when she spotted Arlo. ‘Oh, it’s Arlo!’

‘You haven’t left yet?’ Ned said, putting his platter on the coffee table.

‘Unfortunately, no.’ Arlo threw him a triumphant look that wasn’t lost on Katie.

‘The launch engine is playing up again,’ Katie said quickly. ‘And we couldn’t leave Arlo and Pongo to row back in this weather, so I thought the best idea was if they stayed.’

Wanda had swept a pile of magazines off the table to make room for Jess’s platter of food. ‘The more the merrier, don’t you think?’

Ned beamed. ‘Of course. Hope you like charades and sardines, Arlo.’

‘Erm—’ Arlo’s face fell.

‘He’s joking!’ Katie said hastily. ‘Let’s leave Arlo to get changed.’

‘And get over the shock of having to spend Christmas with us,’ Athene said drily. ‘Maybe you’ll need something stronger than a beer? Screwdriver? Whisky sour? Or just the whisky on its own?’

Arlo shot her a grateful look. ‘I think a whisky would be a very good idea.’

After Arlo had gone upstairs, Jess found Katie in the kitchen, extracting a tray of sausage rolls from the oven while Athene and Ned argued over the Times Christmas Literary Quiz in the sitting room.

Jess found a plate and helped her scoop the sausage rolls on to it.

Katie sniffed the air. ‘They smell amazing.’

‘I bought them from the deli at Firholme earlier. Good job too, now we have an extra mouth to feed.’

Katie rearranged the rolls, ouching at the heat under her fingers. ‘I think we have more than enough food. It’s the extra mouth that will come in handy.’

‘True.’ Jess licked her lips. ‘Um … I hope it was a good idea to invite Arlo to stay.’

‘Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?’ asked Katie, a flutter of unease stirring in her stomach. It seemed the obvious solution. ‘You wouldn’t have wanted me to watch him row home and spend Christmas on his own, would you?’

‘No, of course not,’ Jess said hastily. ‘It was the only thing to do. I’m just a little bit concerned about how we’ll all get on together.’

‘Everyone seems fine about it,’ Katie said, growing a tiny bit annoyed with her friend. It was an unfamiliar and unpleasant feeling. ‘Unless you mean Ned won’t like it?’

‘It’s not that he won’t like Arlo being here, it’s more that I’m wondering if it could be awkward. In the situation, that is.’

‘The situation being …’ Katie asked, her stomach knotting.