‘Yes, well, maybe we won’t mention that you’re a bit more Magdalene than Virgin, although the church is no stranger to scandal.’
We drank our coffee looking out into the glittering garden, the dogs draped over us. I didn’t think I had ever felt so purely content in my entire life. It would have been nice to have stayed like that forever, but my tummy suddenly emitted a loud rumble.
‘Ooh, sorry, but I am actually very hungry.’
‘I don’t have anything here, I’m afraid,’ said Lando, ‘other than coffee and champagne, so we’ll have to go up to the house for something to eat.’ He checked his watch. ‘People should just about be surfacing now.’
Driven by my suddenly ravenous hunger, I started pulling on my clothes, then, halfway through tugging up an elf sock, stopped.
‘Oh dear, it’s going to be rather obvious, isn’t it, if we both turn up fully dressed? Shall we nip in and put our pyjamas on?’
Lando grinned and ran a hand through his hair, succeeding not a jot in making it any more groomed.
‘Well, I’m usually a very private person, but for once I couldn’t care lesswhoknows.’
I grinned back at him and soon we were in danger of beingverylate for breakfast, if it hadn’t been for my traitorous stomach putting in another complaint.
‘Come on,’ said Lando, ‘let’s go.’
As we wandered up to the house leaving four sets of footprints – two human and two doggy – in the pristine snow behind us, I felt saturated with bliss. Lando’s warm hand in mine, the cold, bright morning air fresh in my face, Garbo and Hepburn cavorting around us. Well, Garbo attempting to cavort, but struggling with her short legs in the snow. Eventually Lando scooped her up and plopped her around his neck.
‘There you go, in your happy place,’ he said, stroking her silky head as she gave his cheek an appreciative lick. I could relate to that.
As we slipped through the back door, the house seemed quiet, just the odd snippet of conversation drifting from behind the closed living room door. I suddenly felt shy.
‘Look, I’m not interested in keeping secrets either,’ I said, ‘but I do feel a bit funny walking in together like this. I think I will pop upstairs for a moment, if you don’t mind?’
‘Penny, I don’t mind anything. Please do what makes you comfortable. I’ll see you in a minute.’
He kissed me and then we went our separate ways. I was glad for a few moments alone to gather my thoughts after the events of the past hours. I pulled on my cosy pyjamas and looked at myself in the mirror, wondering at the subtle yet definite change that showed in my face. I was flushed from the cold, and slightly tousled, but it was my eyes I noticed. Their new sparkle gave away the fact that my mojo, or va va voom, or whatever you want to call it, had definitely returned from exile.
When I wandered into the living room a few moments later, as nonchalantly as I could, I knew that the jig was up. Although no one said anything, the faces that swivelled towards me all wore big smiles, with Lando’s the biggest of all. I felt a blush seep across my face, then Bunny came to my rescue.
‘Don’t worry, darling, no one is going to embarrass you by saying a thing. Other than I’m afraid we spotted the pair of you walking across the lawn looking ever so slightly starry-eyed, and that we are all delighted. Now, come in and have some breakfast.’
I sat down gratefully and let the rituals of cups and spoons and bowls and milk return the atmosphere to something a little closer to normality, helped on its way by the twins. They were, of course, completely oblivious to Lando and me, but thrilled by the return of their father and dying to tell me all about it.
‘Daddy says it’s going to be the happiest Christmas ever and that we aredefinitelyon the nice list, so we had better watch out for lots of presents.’
‘But Daddy is on the naughty list because he keeps kissing Mummyall the timeand that is a bit yucky.’
‘Yes,andhe said that our best present this year is going to be two babies, but not yet. And we don’t think that’s much of a present at all, do we, Caspy?’
‘Not really, because I wanted a penknife, not babies.’
I nearly choked on my tea; I was laughing so hard.
‘But don’t you think baby brothers or sisters – or one of each – will be fun?’
Four brown eyes regarded me seriously.
‘Only if they don’t cry,’ ventured Cas.
‘Babiesalwayscry,’ said Phina scornfully. ‘They will be fun when they are four like us.’
And that seemed to be the final word on the subject.
‘Would you two like to take a walk with Penny and me this morning?’ asked Lando. ‘We’re going to take the Nativity over to the church and we could do with some help – if that’s okay with you two?’ This last question was directed to Bunny and Ben, who nodded slightlytooenthusiastically. Phina piped up.
