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Estelle gasped. ‘You made him laugh!’
‘What can I say?’ James replied smugly. ‘I’m a funny guy.’
Eveline giggled.
Estelle rolled her eyes. ‘Not you, too?’ Taking Eveline’s arm, she dragged her toward the door of the rectory living room. ‘My godson was laughing at you, not with you, Mrs Doubtfire,’ she called to James over her shoulder.
He winked at her as she left, and her heart flip-flopped in her chest.
‘Thank you for looking after him whilst I went to the loo,’ Eveline said to Estelle as they made their way through the rectory. ‘Having a stress-free wee is such a treat.’
Estelle laughed. ‘Now things have quietened down a bit, you can call on us for baby-sitting duties whenever you need.’
Entering the kitchen, Eveline flicked the kettle on. ‘Thank you, but at the moment Jack is so hands on, I’ve been able to rest more than I thought I’d be able to.’
‘Where is he now?’
‘AA meeting. He’ll be back soon.’ Eveline took the lid off a plastic box to reveal a frosted carrot cake.
‘Oh, yum,’ Estelle said, her mouth watering. ‘Did Jack make it?’
‘Yes,’ Eveline replied, a proud smile on her face. ‘It’s the same one that won him the “cake baked by a gentleman” category at the village fete.’
‘Did you help?’
She shook her head. ‘The only credit I’m taking is that it’s my recipe.’
Estelle took plates from a cupboard and put them on a tray whilst Eveline made a pot of tea.
‘Has baby Robert met his namesake yet?’
‘Last week. We took him over to Foxbrooke Haven to meet Robert and Shirley for the first time.’ Eveline’s eyes filled with happy tears. ‘We asked them to be official grandparents.’
‘Oh, my god.’ Estelle’s hand covered her heart. The older Robert had lived a life alone and abroad, working on remote chemical plants. Now, a few months after moving into the assisted living facility at the edge of the village, he’d married one of the residents and had an unofficial grandson. ‘Did they cry?’
Eveline nodded. ‘We were all rather overcome, to be honest. The only person in the room who didn’t shed a tear was the baby.’
Estelle wiped the corners of her eyes. ‘That’s beautiful.’
‘It was.’ Eveline sighed happily. ‘My life is so rich with blessings.’
Estelle’s gaze went to the kitchen door, imagining James down the hallway with Robert. ‘As is mine.’
‘Do you remember what you said to me before Christmas about your New Year’s resolutions?’ Eveline asked, putting the cake on the tray.
‘No… And judging by your mischievous expression, I’m guessing that accidentally-on-purpose murdering my nemesis, now boyfriend, was at the top of the list?’
Eveline’s eyes were sparkling. ‘You told me you were going to get laid, and that James was going down. I’m glad to see that both of your wishes have come true…’
Estelle’s mouth dropped open. ‘Eveline Newton! You naughty girl! And that reminds me, I’ve got a bone to pick with you. Did you know what you were doing when you put me and James together at Sausage Saturday? All that “you hold the roll open nice and wide, and James, you can stick your sausage in” nonsense?’
Eveline picked up the tray with the cake and plates. ‘I thought it might make you think about James’s other attributes,’ she replied with a grin. ‘Can you carry the teapot?’ Going to the door, she paused, a frown on her face. ‘Although, were the sausages a comparable size? I’m assuming James’s “BDE” is literal, not just metaphorical?’
‘Will you behave?!’
Eveline winked. ‘I’ll take that as a yes, then.’
‘James! M’boy!’ Arthur cried. ‘And my darling Estelle. Come in, come in!’ He pulled them in for a hug as they passed through the front doors of Foxbrooke Manor. ‘How’s little Robert? Still as scrumptious as ever?’
