The Loving Gift. Кэрол Мортимер

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СКАЧАТЬ have guessed that she really only needed the glasses for reading but chose to wear them constantly.

      ‘And your hair.’ He looked at her consideringly. ‘I bet it looks very sexy when it's left free about your shoulders.'

      She drew in an impatient sigh. ‘My hair happens to be a frizzy mess when not kept in this style,’ she claimed defensively, irritated that he should find anything wrong with the neat coil she always wore about the crown of her head. She had always worn her hair like this when she was working, although she had to admit it had perhaps become a little more severe lately…

      He continued to look at her questioningly. ‘I refuse to believe those silken-looking tresses could ever be a frizzy mop,’ he finally decided.

      ‘Believe what you want.’ Her cheeks still burnt from the lie. ‘But for goodness’ sake pull yourself together and start acting like the headmaster you are.’ She looked about them again uncomfortably, feeling guilty for not joining in the preparations for home-time, but if she should leave Simon to his own devices now, heaven knew what he would do next!

      ‘I am?’ He frowned vaguely. ‘Oh, yes,’ he grinned. ‘For a moment there I almost thought I was Father Christmas. I know there are several things I would like to give you that—–'

      ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake!’ Jade rolled her eyes heavenwards. ‘I hope Penny gives you hell for this,’ she muttered.

      He turned to smile indulgently at Penny as she helped some of the younger children put on their coats. ‘She probably will,’ he acknowledged philosophically.

      Jade wasn't feeling quite so hot now that they were no longer the centre of attention, although there was still the problem of how they were to face each other again after the holidays. Or how she was going to face Penny! The poor woman must feel devastated by Simon's behaviour.

      ‘You should be ashamed of yourself,’ Jade told the man at her side emotionally.

      ‘I probably will be later,’ he shrugged unconcernedly. ‘Right now I'm enjoying myself too much to feel anything else.'

      Who would have believed that the gentle giant of a man whom all the children loved and respected so much could possibly behave in this outrageous fashion?

      ‘Well, you'll have to go on enjoying yourself without me.’ Jade felt no compunction about putting him down now that there was activity and noise about them. ‘I have work to do,’ she dismissed firmly.

      ‘And you think I haven't?’ he returned in a pained voice. ‘What about all those toys I have to finish by next week? The reindeer to feed and water? The—–'

      ‘Simon, for heaven's sake,’ she sighed her impatience. ‘Why don't you just take yourself off to your office and sober up? We can cope with anything that comes up here.'

      Laughter gleamed mockingly in his eyes. ‘I'm sure you can; you, especially, seem more than capable. But don't you think I should wave goodbye to all the children as they leave?'

      The children would probably love it, but would he behave long enough to complete the task without mishap?

      ‘I promise I will,’ he chuckled softly at her side, causing Jade to turn to him sharply.

      ‘If you can read my mind that well, you know what I'm thinking right now,’ she flashed.

      ‘I do indeed,’ he drawled. ‘But you're asking the impossible.'

      Her eyes widened. ‘I am?'

      ‘Hm,’ he nodded. ‘A thousand miles between us couldn't possibly change the way I react to that clear green of your eyes, how I want to release your hair and run my fingers—–'

      ‘Please!’ Jade snapped agitatedly, moving abruptly away from him. She was well aware of the fact that an excess of alcohol was supposed to loosen the tongue, but this was ridiculous! Surely Simon hadn't always felt this way about her? It certainly hadn't been apparent from his almost fatherly concern for her to date.

      ‘You're right,’ he said briskly, drawing himself up to his full padded height of over six feet. ‘The children must come first. We can continue this interesting conversation once they've gone.'

      If Jade had her way she would be long gone from here before Simon found her again. And, once on her own, she would have to give serious thought as to what was going to happen next term. She couldn't just walk out on her job, she refused to let people down in that way, also knowing it would be confusing for the children in her class to have yet another change of teacher. Damn Simon for indulging in his secret vice when he should have been preparing for his role as Father Christmas!

      She looked on a little dazedly as, walking away from her, he fell easily into playing his seasonal role, his booming voice calling out good wishes to the children as he was surrounded by them as they went outside.

      Jade's legs felt weak, and instead of joining in the revelry outside she sank weakly down into a nearby chair.

      She liked working at the Kendrick Preparatory School, and after only one term of being here she was disappointed that it wasn't to be a permanent position. She even liked living in this small Devonshire village, where she was on a first-name basis with all her delivery men. And after living in town all of her life, the last four years of that in London in an apartment on her own, where she had to go out to the shops to buy all her needs, she hadn't expected to adapt so readily to country life. She willingly admitted that it had been the warm hospitality she had received from Penny and Simon that had helped ease her into this totally different way of life.

      Penny, loving Simon as she undoubtedly did, couldn't be blamed for thinking Jade must have encouraged Simon's behaviour of a few minutes ago in some way. She couldn't possibly be expected to believe—as Jade herself found it difficult to!—that her mild-mannered husband could behave so recklessly without encouragement of some sort, even with the artificial confidence of alcohol.

      It all had such repercussive consequences, also endangering Jade's long-standing friendship with Cathy, the other woman having no choice but to side with her sister. And she had even tentatively been looking forward to Christmas among her new friends. She had been invited to several functions at Penny and Simon's over the holiday period, their two children home for the holidays to complete the family unit. Cathy would also be trying to come down for a few days later on. Now all of that looked very precarious, although at this moment a long and lonely festive season seemed the least of her worries; her job was in jeopardy, a job that meant more to her than any of the people here could realise.

      ‘Would you like to start clearing up the mess?'

      Jade gave a guilty start as she looked up at Penny, feeling ill at how pale and exhausted the other woman looked. ‘Penny, about what happened earlier—–’ she began awkwardly.

      ‘Yes. I—I'm sorry about that,’ Penny answered vaguely, not at all her usual authoritative self—and who could blame her? ‘I—could you and the others tidy up here?’ She looked uncertainly at the debris in the room from the end-of-term party. ‘I have to go and look for Simon,’ she added agitatedly.

      Jade gave a pained frown. ‘I just want to try and explain—–'

      ‘Could we talk later?’ Penny's voice was sharp; a small, pretty, blonde woman, slightly overweight, and looking all the more attractive because of that, she СКАЧАТЬ