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‘Gorgeous,’ Estelle replied.
‘I’ve given up eating babies, so I’m afraid I can’t comment,’ James said.
Arthur roared with laughter. ‘Just wait till you have your own. God, I used to love their fat little legs. Summer was the chunkiest monkey of them all. We used to have to run a finger through her neck folds to look for food that had got lost.’
‘What was that?’ Summer asked as she entered the hall.
‘Just telling them how deliciously squidgy you were as a baby, darling,’ he replied. ‘It only seems like yesterday.’
Summer rolled her eyes and glanced at Estelle and James. ‘Run, whilst you can,’ she murmured. ‘Or he’ll be hassling you for—’
‘When are you going to give me grandchildren?’ Arthur asked, a frown on his face, as if Estelle and James were setting out to offend him by not immediately procreating.
‘Dad! We’ve been together—what? Three weeks?’
‘And? Your Mom conceived you and Henry three days after we met. Chop chop!’
‘I think we’re going to wait a bit,’ James said.
Arthur let out a frustrated huff, then went to answer the front door. ‘Kev ’n’ Bev! Come in! I was just asking Estelle and James when they were planning on giving us grandchildren.’
Beverley’s eyes opened wide as she gazed at Estelle. ‘Oh, babe, you gonna do it?’
‘Shall we go through for dinner?’ Summer asked brightly.
‘Yes, great idea,’ Estelle replied, dragging James down the corridor after her youngest sister.
‘If you think you’ve got it bad, you should hear what Dad says to Henry and Libby,’ Summer said in a low voice. ‘He bought Henry an infrared lamp to shine on his bollocks to boost sperm production.’
‘But they’re not even trying for kids.’
‘I know, but I think he’s hoping the more annoying he is, the greater the chance they’ll get pregnant just to shut him up.’
Estelle glanced at James. ‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t be. Your dad’s hilarious. Embarrassing your kids is one of the most important jobs for a parent. I’m taking notes for the future.’
They went through into the dining room, where Estelle’s mom and mammy were, along with Connor, Leo, Willow, Henry, and Libby.
‘Darlings!’ Dervla darted forward to embrace them.
Estelle blinked as James hugged her mothers and siblings, remembering how he’d been public enemy number one only a few months ago.
‘And Kevin and Beverley,’ Vivienne said as James’s parents entered the room. ‘Welcome!’
Estelle hugged her twin. ‘Infrared light for your balls?’
Henry sighed. ‘I thought Eveline giving birth to Robert might distract Dad for a bit, but it’s made him even worse. I don’t think he’ll be happy until he’s got so many grandkids he can’t remember their names.’
He reached past Estelle to shake James’s hand. ‘I apologise for our father. Once he gets going, there’s no off-switch.’
James’s smile was affable. ‘No need. My mum has been secretly ordering baby stuff online, but the boxes keep getting delivered to the office.’
Henry shook his head. ‘They’re relentless. Just make sure you don’t accept any of Mammy’s herbal teas. Either her eyesight’s going, or she thinks magic mushrooms will miraculously make a baby turn up in the cabbage patch.’
Libby came to Henry’s side and hugged him. ‘Henry drank a cup a couple of months ago and spent all day giggling and pretending to be a squirrel.’
Estelle snorted. ‘I’d pay to see that.’
