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He pulled her close and bent his head ‘I need you’

‘Alex, we can’t—not here’ Yes, please, right here Kiss ently’

‘What is wrong?’ He opened the nearest door and bundled her into what proved to be a s room ‘We shouldn’t be disturbed here, it was never used except in the summer’ He sat down on a settee and pulled her on to his lap ‘Snuggle up, you’ll get cold Now tell ret it, although I know I should Are you sorry this , Tess?’

‘No, certainly not It was very’

‘Nice? Adequate? Alar?’

‘Stop fishing for coently under the chin ‘It was surprising and wonderful and I feel very wo’

‘Hainst her neck ‘I think you feel very wo you?’

‘Christmas and our—your—staff We had promised them a whole day to themselves—nohat do we do? The staff here see after the household’

‘I suppose they do’ She could hear the frown in Alex’s voice ‘I never thought about it as a child, or a thoroughly selfish youth Christmases just happened and they were crowded, noisy and involved a lot of people who spenttoo much Are you sure you want to bother with this?’

She sat up straight and frowned at hi to celebrate Christht presents, you let us decorate the house’

‘That was back in London You could have your Christ here, goodness knohere it will end—the entire fa at each other around the dinner table while the carol singers serenade us, I expect’