said Cassie, letting him in. ‘Jane, another friend you haven’t met yet, stayed overnight with the boyfriend, so we’ve got the place to ourselves for a bit. We need to talk.’
‘I know.’ He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on a peg in the hall with a familiarity Cassie noted with disapproval. She didn’t want Nick Seymour to feel he was part of the scene in the house. This was her territory.
‘I’ll get the coffee. You can resume your former place on the sofa,’ she said firmly. ‘Won’t be a moment.’
When she returned with a tray Nick was eyeing the arrangement Cassie had finally achieved with Rupert’s flowers.
‘From your merchant banker,’ he commented.
‘Lovely, aren’t they?’ She put the tray down on the table beside them and handed Nick a mug. ‘Sugar? Milk?’
‘No, thanks.’
Cassie waved him to the sofa and curled up in her usual chair. During Nick’s absence she’d showered and dressed in a white shirt and russet wool sweater with a short tweed skirt. She wore thick, patterned wool tights and gleaming chestnut leather boots, and a broad brown velvet ribbon did its best to restrain her hair.
Nick eyed the result with unconcealed approval. ‘Are you meeting Rupert today?’ he asked.
‘No.’ Though Cassie had hoped to.
Nick got up restlessly, losing interest in Rupert. ‘Cassie, I’m hellish worried. There’s no news of Max, and Christmas is only four days away. I’ll move into the house in Chiswick, of course, but it’s going to be grim for Alice with just the two of us, poor kid.’
Cassie frowned. ‘Isn’t there a woman in your life these days?’
‘Several I could ask out for the evening.’ Nick’s mouth twisted. ‘But no one likely to help entertain a little girl.’
She nodded, unsurprised. Nick had never been short of female company, but in the past he’d been attracted more to social butterflies than earth mothers. ‘In that case I’ve a plan to put forward. I made a couple of phone calls this morning as a contingency plan, in case there was no news of Max.’
Nick sat down again, his eyes intent. ‘I’m grateful for any suggestion, Cassie, believe me.’
‘First I rang Julia, then I rang my parents and explained the situation.’
‘Their opinion of Max must be at a new low, then,’ said Nick bitterly.
‘Their concern was all for Alice.’ Cassie brushed back a stray, escaping curl. ‘My father is driving up from Gloucestershire to collect Julia and Emily today. Julia’s staying at home in Chastlecombe until the New Year. I’m joining them on Christmas Eve.’ She looked at Nick searchingly. ‘Alice could go back with them, spend Christmas at home with all of us. If you agree.’
His eyes blazed with such gratitude Cassie was dazzled. ‘It’s not up to me to agree or not. But I think it’s a fantastic idea.’ He paused, sobering quickly. ‘I’d have done my best for her, but she’d be so much better off with your mother and that cute little cherub of Julia’s. And if Max objects, what the hell?’ He breathed in a deep sigh of relief. ‘Cassie, you don’t know what a load you’ve taken off my mind.’
‘And you’ll be free to keep to your own plans, of course,’ she said, rather pointedly.
Nick’s jaw tightened. ‘My “plans”, as you put it, involve a couple of days on my own in a hotel near Worcester, booked before I went to Saudi.’
Cassie stared at him in surprise. ‘In that case Alice will definitely be better off with the rest of us in Chastlecombe.’ She jumped to her feet. ‘I’ll ring home now and tell them you approve—’
‘Would you mind if I spoke to your mother personally, to thank her?’ he put in. ‘Or do your parents regard me as the villain of the piece?’
‘No. That’s Max’s role,’ she assured him, then smiled suddenly. ‘Don’t tell her I told you, but Mother always had a soft spot for you, anyway.’
‘That’s music to my ears. I’m glad someone does,’ he said morosely. ‘You weren’t exactly friendly last night—nor Julia.’
‘Did you expect us to be?’
‘I make it a rule, Cassie, to expect as little as possible. It saves disappointment,’ he said bitingly, then looked at her very directly. ‘It’s a long time since I was in love with Julia, no matter what you think, but she’s still someone I regard as very special. It was painful to see her in those circumstances last night. It hit me for six.’
‘I could tell!’ She picked up her large leather satchel bag. ‘Right. Here’s my address book. The number’s on the first page, with Julia’s.’
Cassie went into the kitchen with the tray, leaving Nick to talk to her mother—a conversation which obviously went well judging by his reluctance to hand over the receiver for her to confirm arrangements with her delighted parent.
‘Mother’s so relieved,’ she told Nick as they got in the car. ‘She’s been worrying like mad over Alice’s Christmas anyway. She went up like a rocket when she heard what happened last night.’ She paused. ‘Are we taking things for granted, Nick? We’ve been busy making arrangements on Alice’s behalf, but we haven’t consulted her in any way.’
‘If she doesn’t like the idea, I’ll cancel my hotel booking and stay in Chiswick with her,’ said Nick promptly. ‘Whatever Alice decides, I’m grateful for your help, Cassie.’
‘I’ve done nothing much—’
‘On the contrary. You’ve organised everything, me included. This team you support is damn lucky.’
When they reached the house in Chiswick, Nick rang the doorbell. ‘I’d like to hang on to the key,’ he muttered. ‘I don’t want another scare like last night.’
The door was opened by a young woman dressed in jeans and jersey.
‘Hello, Janet,’ said Nick, smiling, and her pleasant face lit up with relief.
‘Good morning, Mr Seymour. Sorry I worried you by making off with Alice last night, but my fiancé was coming home on leave from the Army, and I wanted to be there when he arrived.’
‘Don’t apologise, Janet. I’m just grateful you took care of Alice,’ he assured her.
‘She’s ever so worried about her dad,’ she whispered.
‘I am too,’ he admitted, and introduced Cassie.
‘It’s so nice to meet you at last,’ said Janet, ushering them inside. ‘I’ve heard such a lot about you from Alice.’
Suddenly there was the sound of flying feet and a small figure came hurtling down the stairs to throw herself at Nick, who leapt up to meet her halfway and picked her up, giving her a smacking kiss on both cheeks.
‘Uncle Nick,’ cried Alice Seymour, burying her face in his neck. ‘Daddy hasn’t
