food for Isolde, and I saw Tamsie’s presents piled up, and I wasn’t sure if you and Lee would get home today. And it seemed such a shame if she missed her party, so—”
“You brought it here.” Gideon nodded at Wilfred, gestured round the cramped little room made festive by well known faces and the parcels set out on Ma’s bed. “That’s great. Now, we’re all probably gonna get kicked out any second, so I suggest we sit down, grab a cup of coffee, and... What’s the matter, Ma? Why are you all looking so worried?”
A figure stirred in the corner. She was so nearly concealed by the door that Gideon hadn’t spotted her. “It’s me,” she said miserably. “They’re all worried because I’m here.”
Gideon grabbed a breath. “Elowen!”
“Yes. Hi. I would never have come near you all, only Ezekiel texted me that Ma was ill, and Michel and I were on our way to see Uncle Jago for Christmas. And you did invite me to Tamsyn’s party, so—”
“Zeke texted you?”
“Why shouldn’t I?” Zeke interrupted. “It wasn’t a family secret, and if you recall, Gid, Ma was the only one of us who really showed Elowen any compassion, after...”
He faded out, as if realising what kind of wolf he might have invited into the fold. Gideon gave him a look which told him he really wasn’t on safe ground with the whole family-secrets thing at all, and turned to his mother, who was propping herself up vigorously on her pillows. “You all right, Ma?”
“Yes, dear. Elowen, it’s nice to see you. But I have to say, my compassion will be limited this time, depending on the object of your visit.”
From Ma, this was practically a punch in the face. Elowen winced, and it was Gideon’s turn to feel an unwanted sympathy. He thought about the chalk figure on the sunny hill, and the gate swinging wide, and the star-filled smile, and the necessity for all things to grow up, move on, become what they should. “I think,” he said cautiously, “Elowen’s only object is to see that Ma’s okay. And maybe to wish Tamsyn happy birthday.”
“Oh, it is!” Elowen burst out. “That’s all, I swear.”
“How are you, Elowen?”
“I’m fine. Job’s going brilliantly. Michel and I are going to get married next year. Locryn, won’t you even look at me?”
Lee had taken Tamsyn back from Zeke. He was standing with his head down, his face buried in the baby’s curls. His hold on her was gentle as ever, but his knuckles were white. Gideon knew that his patience and good nature were almost without limit, but he’d refused even to speak about Elowen since last August, and Gideon had feared that the bonds between brother and sister had been severed.
Maybe he’d secretly hoped so. Shame swept over him. He broke paralysis, strode over and took his husband by the hand. “Lee, it’s all right.”
Lee’s hand was cold. He swallowed audibly. “Is it?”
“Yes. I promise. I won’t let harm come to you or Tamsyn ever again.”
Lee straightened up. A smile like solstice dawn touched his face. He kissed Gideon once: silent, fervent, on the cheek. Tamsyn, who’d shrieked the house down for a whole night and a day the last time her mother had come near her, put out her arms and began to crow. Lee turned to Elowen. “Come and have a hold of her. Look how much she’s grown!”
***
“I’ve just had the strangest call from the estate agent.” Ezekiel returned to his seat by Ma’s bed, putting away his phone. “I thought they’d be closed for Christmas by now, but apparently not.”
Ma looked up from her knitting. She was chafing against her confinement, even though the doctors had promised she could leave before sundown. She’d enjoyed Tamsyn’s party—all the more once Michel Duroy had come to pick Elowen up, kissed the baby wistfully and left—but Gideon had had to persuade her that her granddaughter would freeze to death without the knitted jacket she’d been working on. “Not bad news, I
“You brought it here.” Gideon nodded at Wilfred, gestured round the cramped little room made festive by well known faces and the parcels set out on Ma’s bed. “That’s great. Now, we’re all probably gonna get kicked out any second, so I suggest we sit down, grab a cup of coffee, and... What’s the matter, Ma? Why are you all looking so worried?”
A figure stirred in the corner. She was so nearly concealed by the door that Gideon hadn’t spotted her. “It’s me,” she said miserably. “They’re all worried because I’m here.”
Gideon grabbed a breath. “Elowen!”
“Yes. Hi. I would never have come near you all, only Ezekiel texted me that Ma was ill, and Michel and I were on our way to see Uncle Jago for Christmas. And you did invite me to Tamsyn’s party, so—”
“Zeke texted you?”
“Why shouldn’t I?” Zeke interrupted. “It wasn’t a family secret, and if you recall, Gid, Ma was the only one of us who really showed Elowen any compassion, after...”
He faded out, as if realising what kind of wolf he might have invited into the fold. Gideon gave him a look which told him he really wasn’t on safe ground with the whole family-secrets thing at all, and turned to his mother, who was propping herself up vigorously on her pillows. “You all right, Ma?”
“Yes, dear. Elowen, it’s nice to see you. But I have to say, my compassion will be limited this time, depending on the object of your visit.”
From Ma, this was practically a punch in the face. Elowen winced, and it was Gideon’s turn to feel an unwanted sympathy. He thought about the chalk figure on the sunny hill, and the gate swinging wide, and the star-filled smile, and the necessity for all things to grow up, move on, become what they should. “I think,” he said cautiously, “Elowen’s only object is to see that Ma’s okay. And maybe to wish Tamsyn happy birthday.”
“Oh, it is!” Elowen burst out. “That’s all, I swear.”
“How are you, Elowen?”
“I’m fine. Job’s going brilliantly. Michel and I are going to get married next year. Locryn, won’t you even look at me?”
Lee had taken Tamsyn back from Zeke. He was standing with his head down, his face buried in the baby’s curls. His hold on her was gentle as ever, but his knuckles were white. Gideon knew that his patience and good nature were almost without limit, but he’d refused even to speak about Elowen since last August, and Gideon had feared that the bonds between brother and sister had been severed.
Maybe he’d secretly hoped so. Shame swept over him. He broke paralysis, strode over and took his husband by the hand. “Lee, it’s all right.”
Lee’s hand was cold. He swallowed audibly. “Is it?”
“Yes. I promise. I won’t let harm come to you or Tamsyn ever again.”
Lee straightened up. A smile like solstice dawn touched his face. He kissed Gideon once: silent, fervent, on the cheek. Tamsyn, who’d shrieked the house down for a whole night and a day the last time her mother had come near her, put out her arms and began to crow. Lee turned to Elowen. “Come and have a hold of her. Look how much she’s grown!”
***
“I’ve just had the strangest call from the estate agent.” Ezekiel returned to his seat by Ma’s bed, putting away his phone. “I thought they’d be closed for Christmas by now, but apparently not.”
Ma looked up from her knitting. She was chafing against her confinement, even though the doctors had promised she could leave before sundown. She’d enjoyed Tamsyn’s party—all the more once Michel Duroy had come to pick Elowen up, kissed the baby wistfully and left—but Gideon had had to persuade her that her granddaughter would freeze to death without the knitted jacket she’d been working on. “Not bad news, I
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