Mistletoe Magic. Кэрол Мортимер

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       CHAPTER SIX

      ‘I’M JUST going into town to pick up a few things Crys forgot to get.’ David told them shortly after lunch. ‘Anyone fancy coming for a drive with me?’

      Sam had gone back upstairs to sit with Crys and Peter, taking some soup and bread up on a tray for his wife, leaving Molly with very little to do this afternoon apart from wrapping those two extra Christmas presents—which certainly wasn’t going to take very long—and, of course, providing Gideon with a convenient target to vent his sarcastic humour on.

      ‘You go ahead, Molly,’ he invited now, barely glancing up from the newspaper he was reading as he sat at the kitchen table. ‘I’ll stay here in case Sam and Crys need anything.’

      Her cheeks flushed angrily; as if she needed his permission to do anything. Or to be made to feel guilty because she felt the need to get outside in the fresh air—away from him—for a while.

      ‘What the…?’ Gideon rasped before Molly could think of a suitably cutting reply to his sarcasm, his attention suddenly riveted on the newspaper he had merely been glancing through before.

      ‘What is it?’ Molly frowned at him worriedly.

      ‘Hmm,’ David murmured distractedly, having glanced over Gideon’s shoulder at the newspaper. ‘It’s a good photograph of us all, but…’

      ‘Exactly—but!’ Gideon muttered angrily, standing up, with the newspaper now tightly gripped between his hands. ‘I don’t think either Sam or Crys are going to like this.’ He frowned darkly.

      ‘What is it?’ Molly repeated agitatedly, moving to look at the newspaper herself now.

      What she saw there made her breath catch in her throat.

      The christening on Sunday had been a completely private family and friends affair, but the photograph in this newspaper meant that at least one member of the press had found out about it. Not only had they found out about it, they had obviously hidden somewhere and taken a photograph of them all as they were leaving the church. The proud parents stood in the midst of Gideon, David and Molly, and all of them were named in the caption beneath the photograph…

      ‘Oh, no!’ Molly gasped her dismay, knowing exactly how much Sam was going to hate this.

      Twelve years ago his life had been made a living hell because of his ex-fiancée and the lies she had told the press about him, to the extent that he had chosen to hide himself away here in the wilds of Yorkshire. His marriage to Crys almost two years ago had helped to soften his attitude, but certainly not to the extent that he would be happy to have his photograph plastered all over the newspapers. Or that of his newborn son…

      ‘Damn it,’ Gideon muttered grimly. ‘Why the hell can’t they leave them alone?’

      ‘Because it’s news.’ David shrugged philosophically. ‘I had the same problem when—when Cathy died six months ago.’ He shook his head. ‘If it’s news, they’ll print it; good or bad.’

      ‘This is definitely bad,’ Molly said heavily. ‘Especially now, when Crys and Sam are already so distracted over Peter.’ She frowned. ‘I think perhaps you had better lose that newspaper, Gideon,’ she advised worriedly. ‘Tell Crys, if she asks, that we weren’t able to find one.’

      ‘Don’t worry, I intend to,’ he assured her grimly. ‘I also intend finding out who gave them this story in the first place.’ He threw the newspaper down on the table in disgust.

      ‘Who gave it to them…?’ Molly repeated frowningly. ‘You think someone actually told them about the christening?’

      ‘Well, of course someone told them,’ he rasped disgustedly. ‘And after years of Sam keeping his whereabouts a secret, that damned newspaper has also stated if not the actual address then the exact location of this house.’

      Molly could only stare at him, her cheeks white with dismay. After his experience with his ex-fiancée, Sam had good reason to value his privacy. Even more so since he had married Crys and they had baby Peter. As Molly had already said, this newspaper article could only be bad news.

      ‘But who would do such a thing?’ She shook her head dazedly.

      ‘Yes—who would do such a thing?’ Gideon grated coldly.

      Molly looked up sharply, finding herself caught in the sudden glitter of that dark blue gaze.

      He didn’t think—? Surely he didn’t believe that she had had anything to do with this outrage?

      ‘The new Bailey series, and the people starring in it, is mentioned several times in the accompanying article,’ Gideon bit out tersely.

      Accusingly…?

      But she would never… Could never…

      Gideon could have no idea of the disruption that had occurred in her own and their parents’ lives twelve years ago, because of the vindictiveness of Sam’s ex-fiancée. The constant hounding by the press, her parents actually having to move house, Molly having to change schools in an attempt to shield her from all the adverse publicity. The new school was where she had met Crys and the two of them had become such good friends…

      But that was Gideon’s real problem, wasn’t it? Crys… Molly was very fond of Crys herself, but Gideon seemed to care only about her, about protecting her…

      ‘I think I will come for that drive with you after all, David,’ she told him woodenly, deliberately keeping her gaze averted from Gideon. She sensed he was still looking at her. But she had to get out of here, or this time she really would have to hit him!

      ‘Great.’ David grinned his satisfaction with the arrangement. ‘And I shouldn’t worry too much about that newspaper, Gideon,’ he advised ruefully. ‘It’s Christmas; by the time the holidays are over everyone will have forgotten all about it.’

      Molly wasn’t so sure about that, and she could see by the continued grimness of his expression that Gideon wasn’t convinced, either. But with it being Christmas Day tomorrow there really was nothing they could do about it now. And Gideon throwing out wild accusations—completely erroneous ones—certainly wasn’t going to help the situation! But, by the same token, neither was her reacting angrily to them…