For Christmas, Forever: The Yuletide Engagement / The Doctor's Christmas Bride / Snowbound Reunion. Barbara McMahon

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      ‘Eventually,’ she echoed evenly.

      ‘Patrick, you can discuss the weather another time; we really should go, and let Ellie get back inside out of this biting wind,’ Teresa prompted her brother, obviously having no idea of the double-edged conversation that had been taking place between her brother and Ellie.

      To Ellie they had sounded like a couple of secret agents in a B-rated movie, talking in a code only the two of them understood!

      ‘So we should.’ Patrick nodded abruptly before bending his head and lightly brushing Ellie’s mouth with his own. ‘But I will be back in the morning, Ellie.’

      A threat if ever she had heard one, Ellie decided irritably. Well, if, as the doctor had implied, Toby was better by the morning, Patrick would arrive here to find Toby recovering on his own and Ellie at work!

      But not before she had spoken to Toby herself…

      ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about, sis.’ Toby shook his head, his face still very pale as he lay back on the pillows. He had slept well through what had been left of the night, and the nausea seemed to have completely abated, although he had been left with a severe headache.

      Join the club, Ellie thought, and gave a deep sigh before sitting on the side of her brother’s bed. ‘Okay, let’s start this off simply: why did you omit to tell me that the Tess you have been dating the last few months is actually Teresa McGrath, Patrick’s young sister?’

      ‘I—’

      ‘Please, don’t tell me that you didn’t think it was important,’ Ellie advised him dryly—she sensed he was about to tell her exactly that. ‘Because you know very well that it is. That it always was. That it still is,’ she concluded pointedly.

      ‘I’m not sure you should be badgering a sick man in this overly strident way.’ Toby shook his head before lying back to close his eyes, having just risked consuming a cup of weak tea and a dry piece of toast, both of which seemed—so far—to have stayed down.

      ‘It could get worse, Toby,’ she warned him. ‘If what I suspect is true, I could actually end up strangling this “sick man”—and so put everyone out of their misery!’ Her eyes glittered dangerously.

      She had had plenty of time to think during a rather sleepless night—and some of the conclusions she had come to had been less than reassuring!

      Toby opened one eye to look at her with obvious reluctance. ‘Why don’t you tell me what you suspect—and then I’ll tell you if it’s right or not?’

      ‘There’s little point in doing that if you aren’t going to answer me honestly!’ she bit out sharply.

      Both Toby’s eyes opened innocently wide now. ‘My big sister taught me to always tell the truth.’

      ‘Very funny!’ Ellie gave a humourless smile, getting up from the side of the bed to move impatiently about the room, her narrowed gaze fixed on her brother the whole time she did so. Finally she gave a heavy sigh. ‘Are you and Teresa McGrath serious about each other?’

      ‘Yes,’ Toby answered unhesitatingly.

      Ellie nodded; it was the answer she had expected. ‘Why did Patrick McGrath agree to take me to the company Christmas dinner?’

      Her brother frowned his puzzlement at this sudden change of subject. ‘I told you—’

      ‘I know what you told me, Toby,’ she cut in impatiently. ‘But now I want the real reason.’

      He shook his head, wincing as it obviously caused him a certain amount of discomfort. ‘But that was the real reason. Wasn’t it?’ he added uncertainly as Ellie looked unconvinced.

      To Ellie’s relief, her brother’s answer told her one thing at least; whatever Patrick McGrath had been up to this last couple of weeks, Toby had obviously played no part in it. Which meant it had all been Patrick McGrath’s own doing!

      She had thought about several of the puzzling remarks Patrick had made this last week, about how much Toby cared for her, how her young brother felt a responsibility towards her, and all those questions about why she didn’t have someone else in her life after Gareth—questions that all seemed to lead to the same unpleasant conclusion.

      She was even more convinced about it now she knew from Toby that his relationship with Teresa McGrath was a serious one: Patrick was desperately trying to clear the way—clear Ellie out of the way, if only temporarily—in order to secure his young sister’s happiness with Toby.

      ‘Toby, why didn’t you just tell me about Tess?’ she prompted gently.

      ‘But I did tell you about her,’ he answered evasively.

      Ellie shook her head. ‘Only when the two of you were going out. Nothing else about her. Certainly not that the two of you are in love with each other. Why was that?’

      Toby drew in a ragged breath. ‘I’m sure that was just what you wanted to hear two months ago!’ he bit out disgustedly.

      Two months ago? When she had suspected that Gareth was seeing someone else behind her back—six weeks ago when she had finally found out the truth and stopped seeing him?

      ‘Oh, Toby!’ she cried emotionally, tears misting her eyes now. ‘I would be pleased to hear of your happiness at any time. Any time at all!’ she repeated with affectionate exasperation.

      Instead of which Toby had kept the seriousness of his relationship with Tess a secret in an effort not to hurt Ellie.

      Patrick McGrath, it seemed, was the one who had taken it a step further than that!

      She sat back on the side of the bed, taking her brother’s hand in her own. ‘Are you and Tess going to get married?’

      Toby gave a start at the directness of the question, his gaze not quite meeting Ellie’s searching one. ‘Maybe—in time,’ he answered evasively.

      It was just as she had thought!

      Toby and Tess were serious about each other, and until six weeks ago it must have looked as if Ellie was in a serious relationship too. But that had all come crashing down around her ears, leaving Toby feeling the responsibility towards her that Patrick had mentioned.

      She could see exactly what had happened now—knew that Toby, despite numerous protestations on her part, felt he owed her an emotional debt for taking care of him after their parents died. The fact that her relationship with Gareth had fallen apart under unpleasant circumstances had triggered Toby into putting his own relationship with Teresa McGrath on hold.

      Except Patrick obviously had other ideas where his sister’s happiness was concerned…

      So much for what Ellie had thought—hoped—was developing between the two of them!

      ‘No “maybe”, Toby,’ she told her brother firmly now, standing up. ‘No “in time” either,’ she added decisively. ‘If you love the girl, and she loves you, then you should ask her to marry you.’

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