The Loving Gift. Carole Mortimer

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 possessed the sort of organising mind that more or less kept the school running on a day-to-day basis. ‘I really do need to find Simon,’ she frowned.

      That shouldn't be too difficult: she just had to follow the sound of the booming ‘Yo ho hos'!

      ‘I quite understand.’ Jade nodded heavily. ‘But I do need to talk to you afterwards,’ she added firmly.

      ‘Of course.’ The other woman nodded, her mind obviously elsewhere. ‘I'll just go and find Simon,’ she repeated distantly before disappearing out of the room in search of her husband.

      Jade felt even more deflated than she had before; despite her reluctance to discuss it now, Penny was obviously deeply disturbed by Simon's behaviour. But weren't they all? At least none of the children had guessed that ‘Father Christmas’ was more than a little inebriated. But it would only need one of the pupils to mention to their parents Father Christmas's more than seasonal familiarity with one of the teachers for more than Simon's relationship with Penny to be in jeopardy; most of those parents were well aware of the fact that Simon annually took the part of Father Christmas!

      The Kendrick school was one of the best of its kind in the country, and Jade had instantly felt comfortable and at ease working in such a happy and contented atmosphere. It wouldn't remain that way for long if people were to learn that Simon took the occasional secret tipple. He risked so much for what appeared to be no more than a craving for something that completely changed his personality—and not for the better!

      But Jade put a brave face on the incident when the others returned from outside—Penny and ‘Father Christmas’ conspicuous in their absence—as she helped to organise the clearing-up process, relieved when the only thing left to do was clear away the carol books in a cupboard. She smiled as she thought of the angelic faces of the children as they had all gathered around the piano to sing Christmas carols beside the flamboyantly decorated tree, each child having made at least one decoration to adorn it. There was something so magical about the innocence of children at this time of year, and it was virtually impossible not to feel drawn into the fantasy.

      ‘Dare I hope that at least part of that smile is for me?'

      Jade spun around with a start, disconcerted to suddenly find herself face to face with ‘Father Christmas’ once more. And he didn't look in the least repentant!

      ‘Penny was looking for you,’ she told him sharply, watching him warily.

      He nodded, taking up most of the doorway to the store-cupboard. ‘She found me,’ he drawled.

      Her frown turned to puzzlement; if Penny had managed to locate him, what on earth was he doing wandering around loose again in his condition? ‘You haven't upset Penny again, have you?’ she asked suspiciously.

      He shrugged. ‘She was crying her eyes out when I left her just now.'

      Green eyes widened incredulously. ‘And you just left her?'

      ‘Well—not exactly. But I needed to see you again before you went home,’ he excused himself.

      ‘Penny—was—crying—her—eyes—out—and—you—just—–!’