‘Of course you can, you silly boy! Not that you need it,’ laughed Miriam. Tradition had gone out of the window and she couldn’t have cared less. She was so delighted that her eldest daughter had finally got engaged, and pregnant to boot! They all knew how desperately Helen wanted to have a child.
‘How far along are you?’ asked Libby.
‘Twelve and a half weeks,’ beamed Helen. She got her phone out of her pocket and passed around the photograph from the twelve-week scan.
‘Gorgeous,’ Miriam cooed.
‘Look Izzy,’ Libby said. ‘This is your little cousin!’
‘We didn’t want to say anything until we knew that I had passed the danger zone, what with my being slightly older,’ explained Helen.
‘And then we knew we were seeing you for Christmas, so we thought we might as well tell you in person,’ added Henry.
‘And then Henry proposed outside this beautiful church in the snow last night in Berlin!’ Helen took the ring box out of her pocket. ‘I took it off so I didn’t give it away the second I walked in the door, but look, here it is! Isn’t it beautiful?’
‘Wow, darling,’ Miriam said.
‘It is absolutely stunning!’ Libby gasped. A huge blue sapphire sat elegantly between two sparkling diamonds, catching the light from the string of fairy lights that hung above the Aga.
They listened avidly as Henry and Helen told the story of the proposal, toasting the happy couple with the champagne that John had whisked out of the fridge. Libby was so thrilled for her sister; she barely recognised this glowing, radiant person sitting opposite her from the sister who had left for Hong Kong all that time ago. She was so grateful to Henry for making her this happy. She knew he was going to be an excellent brother-in-law.
Not wanting to steal any of Helen and Henry’s limelight, Libby waited until Boxing Day before telling them about her new business venture.
‘I’ve actually got some news of my own,’ she announced. ‘I’ve decided what to do next now that my contract is ending with Digby and Edwards.’
‘Oh really darling, that’s fantastic,’ said Miriam.
‘Are you going to continue with law?’ asked Helen.
‘Well, you know I’ve been thinking about setting up my own bed and breakfast or guesthouse?’ Libby said. ‘Well, it’s official. I am going to start my own business. The plan is already in motion. And, what is even better, Angus is going to be my business partner!’
‘Angus? Wow, that is excellent news. I had no idea he’d be interested in something like that,’ said Helen.
They asked her lots of questions and were intrigued to hear about the research she had done so far. She was pleased with their reaction to the news. They all seemed thrilled for her, and the idea of Angus being involved certainly did a lot to alleviate any worries they might have had about Libby taking a project like this on all by herself. They could see it made sense for Libby in terms of looking after Izzy, and they knew how hard she had found life in the law firm.
That evening Libby phoned Angus. ‘How did they take it?’ he asked.
‘They actually think it’s a wonderful idea, especially knowing that you’re going to be involved. Of course, Mum wants me to buy somewhere in Kent so she can be close by! What about your family? Did you mention it to them?’
‘They’re very supportive. So it’s official: we’re business partners. Everyone knows except for Jules and Luca…’
‘I couldn’t care less about them. They can find out when they find out, though I must say I’d quite like to see the look on their faces when they do.’
‘Me too!’ laughed Angus. ‘How’s Helen feeling?’ She had told him about the pregnancy a couple of days before.
‘She didn’t really have much morning sickness, lucky thing,’ Libby said. ‘She just seems glowing. Being pregnant really suits her. And she and Henry are so loved up, it’s adorable.’
‘I’m so happy for them! Have they set the date yet?’
‘Not yet. I think they’re going to have a registry office ceremony in London somewhere in the next couple of months. They don’t want a big white wedding, and Helen doesn’t want to wear a traditional wedding dress anyway with her baby bump. I think it’ll happen fairly quickly and be a very relaxed affair.’
‘Sounds perfect. I can’t believe there’s going to be another baby in your family.’
‘I know! It’s going to be so sweet watching Izzy with her little cousin.’
That weekend Libby and Angus spent New Year’s Eve together. Neither of them had made any plans. They had dinner and watched television, slowly getting drunk on champagne. A year ago neither of them would have ever been able to predict quite how much their lives would change over the following twelve months. As the countdown to midnight began and the fireworks exploded on the screen, they toasted the new year. ‘To new adventures!’ Angus said as their glasses touched.
‘To the best year yet!’ said Libby, sipping the bubbles. She had a feeling it might be just that.
