to have a gossip in privacy, Molly guessed easily as she followed Crys to the kitchen. No doubt Sam had told Crys that Molly and Gideon had been downstairs together during the night, and her friend wanted to know all the details.
Something Molly had no intention of confiding in anyone—not even her best friend.
‘So, come on—spill the beans,’ Crys encouraged predictably as soon as the two women were safely ensconced in the kitchen.
Molly sighed, knowing that pretending not to know what her friend was talking about would be a waste of time; Crys could be dogged when she set her mind to it. ‘I couldn’t sleep and came downstairs for some coffee. Gideon had the same idea about half an hour later.’ She shrugged dismissively.
Crys straightened from getting the eggs out of the fridge to eye Molly reprovingly. ‘And that’s it?’ she said sceptically.
‘More or less.’ Molly nodded, determinedly turning her attention to laying the table.
How much more, Crys really didn’t need to know.
Crys obviously wasn’t of the same opinion. ‘Well?’ she prompted pointedly.
‘Well, nothing,’ Molly dismissed lightly. ‘We both had a mug of coffee, and then Merlin started barking.’ And in between that she had completely lost her heart, amongst other things.
‘I don’t understand the two of you.’ Crys gave her an exasperated look. ‘Gideon is gorgeous. You’re beautiful—’
‘Thank you,’ Molly accepted teasingly.
‘The two of you might at least have a flirtation—if only to satisfy my romantic inclinations!’ Crys complained frustratedly.
Molly couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s disgruntled expression. ‘Nice try, Crys.’ She shook her head indulgently. ‘But I’ve already told you—you’re wasting your time where Gideon and I are concerned.’
‘Obviously.’ Crys frowned. ‘But as two of my dearest friends, I do think you might have indulged me just a little.’
‘Sorry,’ Molly said unconcernedly.
‘Oh, scramble these eggs,’ Crys muttered frustratedly, before concentrating on preparing the other ingredients for breakfast.
Molly only wished she could distract her heart as easily as she seemed to have distracted Crys. But her heart wasn’t as easily deceived. She knew without a doubt that she was in love with Gideon.
She flattered herself that she did quite a good job of hiding it as the day progressed. Not that it was too difficult to do, when Gideon seemed just as determined to avoid her company, too.
In fact, by the time they had all collapsed in the evening, after yet another sumptuous meal, Molly could honestly say that they hadn’t exchanged more than a few words all day—and even those had only been of the polite category, such as ‘Could you pass the salt, please?’
At least this respite from Gideon’s company gave her a chance to rebuild her defences—defences that had been badly damaged during their closeness the night before. And she felt restored enough that she felt no qualms about joining Gideon and Sam for Merlin’s evening stroll. In fact, after a day spent eating, chatting, and watching the occasional programme on television—a special Christmas Bailey being one of them—she welcomed the opportunity for some fresh air.
Although, from the scowl on Gideon’s face as she went outside, it seemed he would rather she hadn’t joined them.
Well, too bad. Sam was her brother, and this was her Christmas, too.
The three of them walked in the grounds in silence for some time, the moon’s reflection on the light scattering of snow on the ground making it a clear night.
‘I’m glad you decided to join us, Molly.’ Sam suddenly spoke heavily ‘Gideon has told me exactly what’s been happening the last few days, and I think you should know—’
‘I disagree, Sam,’ Gideon cut in harshly. ‘In fact, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to talk about this,’ he added determinedly.
Sam turned to frown at the other man. ‘Why not?’
‘Because I don’t.’ Gideon’s expression was harshly forbidding, his face appearing all hard angles in the moonlight.
Molly’s own face, she knew, was pale; she had felt the colour drain from her cheeks at Sam’s opening comment. How could Gideon have told her brother what had happened between the two of them during the night? How could he?
‘I disagree, Gideon,’ Sam told the other man ruefully. ‘I know you think you’re being protective, but Molly is far from being a child—’
‘Obviously,’ she snapped, utterly humiliated at the thought of Gideon discussing her in those terms—with her stepbrother, of all people. In fact, if he had been in the least a gentleman he wouldn’t have discussed last night with anyone.
‘Molly—’
‘Oh, forget it, Sam.’ She interrupted his placating words impatiently. ‘Gideon has spoken,’ she snapped angrily, feeling the heated colour return to her cheeks as she turned to glare at Gideon in the semi-darkness. ‘Too much, by the sound of it,’ she accused furiously.
‘Molly—’
‘Stay out of this, Sam,’ she told him coldly, her gaze still locked on Gideon. ‘You are without doubt the most arrogant, self-opinionated, horrible man it has ever been my misfortune to meet,’ she bit out accusingly.
‘Molly, please let me explain—’ Sam tried.
‘Leave it, Sam,’ Gideon rasped. His expression had become even grimmer at Molly’s tirade of accusations, and his face was starkly etched against the moonlight. ‘I’m sure Molly feels she is perfectly entitled to express her opinion of me.’
‘Yes, but—’
‘Too right I am!’ she snapped, her hands clenched at her sides now. ‘And arrogant doesn’t even begin to cover what you are!’
He smiled without humour. ‘Self-opinionated and horrible were two other descriptions, I believe,’ he drawled hardly.
‘Oh, I could go on,’ she assured him scornfully. ‘But, don’t worry, I’m not about to,’ she added scathingly as she saw how dismayed Sam was looking. ‘I’m going back to the house now,’ she told them both abruptly, before turning on her heel and marching furiously away.
The tears were falling hotly down her cheeks before she had gone half a dozen steps, and she brushed them away impatiently as she began to run rather than walk.
How could he?
How could he?
‘BUT you can’t leave now,’ Crys protested in dismay
