The Loving Gift. Carole Mortimer

from maternity leave at Easter.

      The last three months had been rewarding both professionally and personally for Jade, and until this moment she hadn't had reason to regret her move from her London home to a rented cottage in Devon. Now she was beginning to wonder if it might not have been better for all of them if Cathy had never mentioned the vacancy to her—it was a sure fact that there would be repercussions from this incident, if only personally.

      Jade gave a tight smile. ‘I'll make you up a list when I have more time,’ she dismissed curtly. ‘Right now we have to prepare the children for going home,’ she added briskly. ‘We—–'

      ‘Oh, surely you can spare just a few minutes to whisper a little something in my ear?’ ‘Father Christmas’ moved agilely across the room to her side—much more agilely than the true bulk could possibly have allowed!—his arm moving strongly about her waist as he pulled her firmly up against him, the twinkle in the blue eyes definitely lecherous now. ‘Come on now, sweetheart.’ He bent down to her much shorter height. ‘Tell me what you would like me to bring you.'

      No Father Christmas—and especially a married one!—had any right to be talking to her in this flirtatious way!

      Jade gave a furious sigh as she moved closer to the wig-covered ear nearest to her. ‘I'd like to take away the key to your drinks cabinet and throw it in the village pond,’ she muttered, all the time smiling brightly for their audience, although she could see her colleagues—the braver ones, at least!—were having trouble controlling their mirth now. Ordinarily Jade would have been one of the first to laugh at herself, but not when she was being made a spectacle of.

      Blue eyes gleamed wickedly as he moved back slightly to look down at her. ‘Really?’ he drawled mockingly. ‘That wouldn't do you too much good at the moment—the village pond is frozen over!'

      She glared. ‘Perhaps a little icy air might do you some good just now!'

      ‘Oh, I doubt it,’ he taunted. ‘Father Christmas isn't too bothered about the cold.'

      ‘Only by too much alcohol, obviously,’ she returned tartly in a fierce whisper.

      He feigned hurt surprise. ‘I haven't touched a drop since—–'

      ‘At the most half an hour ago,’ Jade scorned, feeling deeply for Penny during this embarrassing display. How uncomfortable the other woman must feel at the exchange. And, even allowing for ‘Christmas spirit', it was going to be difficult for them all to work together after this it had gone far beyond the realms of a practical joke.

      ‘Father Christmas’ shrugged. ‘I may have had a little nip of brandy to keep out the cold—–'

      ‘I thought you said Father Christmas wasn't affected by the cold,’ she reminded tartly.

      ‘I'm not,’ he grinned. ‘Not once I've had my nip of brandy!'

      She frowned. ‘Simon—–'

      ‘My, that's quite a list you have there once you got going,’ he said loudly enough for their audience to hear, smiling jovially at them all. ‘Anything else?’ he encouraged brightly.

      Considering that she was normally a non-violent person, Jade had an unaccountable urge to hit him! ‘I want you to stop this right now,’ she grated between clenched teeth.

      ‘Why?’ he taunted unconcernedly. ‘I'm thoroughly enjoying myself.'

      ‘I'm glad one of us is!’ She tried to move away from his arm about her waist and suddenly discovered he was much stronger than he looked in the loose-fitting tweed jacket and plain trousers that were his everyday garb. ‘You're going to regret this in the morning,’ she warned with impatient rebuke.

      ‘What's that saying?’ he grinned. ‘“Tomorrow never comes"?'

      She chanced a glance at Penny's ashen face. ‘Oh, I think it might do for you,’ she muttered.

      He turned to give the other woman a considering look. ‘Hm, Penny does look a little green around the edges,’ he mused. ‘Maybe I should ask her what she would like on her bed Christmas morning?'

      ‘A sober husband, I should think,’ Jade bit out angrily, having found it was impossible to escape that confining arm about her waist—and goodness knew, without being too obvious, she had tried!

      Blue eyes gleamed wickedly once again. ‘Maybe you would be interested in listening to what I'd like in my bed on Christmas—–'

      ‘I don't think so,’ she interrupted quickly, unnerved by this streak of flirtation with danger that she had never guessed existed inside a man who, while full of good humour, never failed to be thoughtfully kind.

      ‘Perhaps not,’ he lightly accepted her rebuke. ‘We wouldn't want to be overheard.'

      ‘We have already made enough of a spectacle of ourselves,’ she cut in abruptly, grateful to see that Penny at least seemed to be coming out of her daze, some of the colour back in her cheeks as she began to organise the children's home-going, at the same time providing an adequate diversion from what had been proving to be very entertaining for their avid audience; some of their colleagues even looked slightly disappointed that they were obviously going to miss Simon's imminent dressing-down, Penny obviously intending to wait until they were alone before tackling him.

      ‘Talking of spectacles, are yours really necessary?’ he took advantage of the noisy organisation around them to whisper seductively in her ear. ‘Or are they just a deterrent against interested males?'

      ‘If they are, they aren't working!’ she snapped, her eyes flashing darkly, annoyed that he should 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.’