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

‘Wow!’ he breathed slowly when Ellie broke the kiss, lightly resting his forehead against hers. ‘Now, that’s what I call a kiss. You have hidden talents, Miss Fairfax,’ he added warmly.

Ellie swallowed hard. ‘I—’

‘Will I do?’ Toby burst unceremoniously into the kitchen, coming to an abrupt halt as he saw how close Ellie and Patrick were standing to each other. ‘Sorry.’ He grimaced self-consciously. ‘I had no idea—I mean—’

‘You’ll do, Toby,’ the older man told him dryly as he stepped away from Ellie. ‘I was just telling your sister how beautiful she looks this evening,’ he prompted pointedly.

‘Er—yes, sis, you look great,’ Toby said, a perplexed frown on his brow. He still sounded slightly flustered—as well he might; the last thing he had expected was to see Ellie and Patrick in what must have looked like a clinch!

Ellie was a little puzzled as to why Toby was dressed in a black dinner suit and white shirt…

Patrick shot the younger man a searching look, and whatever he saw there in Toby’s face caused him to give an impatient shake of his head. ‘Did I forget to mention that Toby is coming with us this evening?’ he said blandly, turning to pick up his car keys from where he had left them on the table earlier.

Not only had he forgotten to mention it—but so had Toby!

Chapter Six

ELLIE still had no idea, seated beside Patrick in the front of the car as he drove competently through the busy streets, why her brother should be accompanying them.

Obviously he was Patrick’s assistant, but this was a family party, to celebrate—or commiserate!—with Sarah on her engagement to Gareth. Admittedly, Toby obviously knew much more of the Delacorte family than Ellie had at first realised, but what possible place did he have amongst such a gathering?

She gave a dismissive shake of her head, giving up on trying to work that one out; she already had enough to think about this evening without worrying about why her brother should have been invited too.

Patrick’s present, for one thing…

Even now Ellie snuggled down into the warmth of the shawl, loving the feel of the soft wool against her arms. And Patrick had obviously been out and bought the gift himself. Which made it doubly precious.

That kiss, for another thing…

Given enough opportunity, she could quite get used to kissing Patrick. In fact, she couldn’t think of anything she enjoyed more, could still feel the sensuous warmth of his lips against hers…

Stop it, she instantly ordered herself exasperatedly. There was no point in getting used to Patrick kissing her. In fact, it might never happen again, so she had better get used to that!

The Delacorte house was ablaze with lights as Patrick parked the car outside. Over twenty cars were already parked in the long driveway—Jaguars, Mercedes, Rolls Royces and the occasional Range Rover, Ellie noted with a self-conscious grimace.

As Gareth had quickly realized when he’d come to work for Delacorte, Delacorte and Delacorte, Ellie was quite a favourite with George Delacorte, but she had never actually been to George and Mary’s house before. She now found a butler opening the door to their ring, a maid taking their coats and wraps. The luxurious de?cor and furnishings of the house were all a bit overwhelming.

Did Patrick’s parents have a house like this one too?

Probably, she acknowledged heavily. Even if, as she vaguely remembered Toby once telling her, as a bachelor of thirty-eight Patrick lived in an apartment of his own in town.

All this luxury made their own little house seem positively minute in comparison!

But then there was no point in comparison; the obvious wealth of Patrick’s relatives only served to emphasise the differences between the two of them. Differences she would do well to remember.

There was the sound of voices and laughter coming from a sitting room that led off to the right of the huge reception hall, and it was to this room that Patrick took them, his hand lightly under Ellie’s elbow. Almost as if he knew that what she really wanted to do was turn tail and run!

‘My family doesn’t bite, Ellie,’ Patrick told her mockingly now. ‘At least not on first acquaintance!’ he added tauntingly.

‘How reassuring,’ Ellie drawled, taking a glass of champagne from the circulating waiter.

‘If the two of you will excuse me…?’ Toby muttered distractedly, before disappearing into the throng of people already crowded into the room.

Ellie watched his departure with puzzlement. ‘What—?’

‘Let’s go and say hello to George and Mary,’ Patrick suggested lightly. ‘You had better hold my hand.’ He held it out to her. ‘I would hate to lose you in the crush.’

Ellie would hate to lose him too; she hadn’t recognised a single face in the room so far, apart from George and Mary Delacorte where they stood over by the huge fireplace, chatting to another middle-aged couple.

It was undoubtedly a large room, seeming to run the entire width of the house, with a huge bay window at one end and doors out into the garden at the other, but with fifty or so people in it there was barely room to move.

‘We have a large family,’ Patrick told Ellie ruefully as he managed to push his way through in the direction of the fireplace.

Ellie and Toby had several aunts, uncles and cousins too, but they would be hard pushed to fill even their small sitting room with the dozen or so that made up their family.

It didn’t help her nervousness when she instantly saw the likeness between Mary Delacorte and the tall darkhaired man who made up half of the other couple the Delacortes were chatting to. She knew she was right in the conclusion she had come to as the man gave a light laugh; his likeness to Patrick was unmistakeable.

Saying good evening to George and Mary was one thing, meeting Patrick’s parents was something else entirely!

Ellie came to an abrupt halt before they reached the foursome, giving Patrick an accusing glare when he looked down at her questioningly. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, Patrick,’ she bit out tautly.

He gave her a considering look. ‘Ellie, introducing you to my parents is not tantamount to making a declaration about our relationship,’ he finally drawled teasingly.

‘No, Patrick.’ She gave a firm shake of her head. ‘Helping out with this situation concerning Gareth is one thing, but I won’t complicate things by meeting your parents.’ She determinedly released her hand from his. ‘You go and say hello to them. I’ll go and find the ladies’ room.’

He frowned darkly. ‘But—’

‘I said no, Patrick.’ Her gaze met his unwaveringly. ‘I’ll be standing over by the bay window when you’ve finished talking to them.’

‘Wearing a pink carnation in your lapel?’ he returned, with obvious impatience at her determination.

She gave the ghost of a smile. ‘I don’t have a lapel.’

Patrick shook his head as he looked down at her frustratedly. ‘You are undoubtedly the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met!’

Her smile was more genuine this time. ‘Nice to know I have the distinction of being something,’ she returned unconcernedly.

His expression lightened. ‘Oh, you’re a lot more than that, Ellie,’ he assured her dryly, before sighing resignedly. ‘Okay, no introduction to my parents. But try not to get lost, hmm?’ he encouraged.

As it happened, despite directions from the busy maid in the hallway, she did get lost—several times—and it was almost fifteen minutes later when she came back down the stairs. Only to walk straight into Gareth—literally—as he began walking up them.

The words of apology died on his lips as he looked up and recognised her. The boyish smile turned to one of derision. ‘I thought you had decided not to come to the party after all when I saw your boyfriend was in there alone,’ he bit out caustically.

Ellie straightened her shoulders, her hand tightly gripping her evening bag; Gareth was the last person she’d wanted to find herself alone with! ‘Obviously you thought wrong,’ she returned, non-committal—about the ‘boyfriend’ or the fact that she was there!

‘Obviously,’ Gareth acknowledged hardly. ‘I don’t know what you’re hoping to achieve by all this, Ellie, but—’

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ she interrupted firmly, glancing over his shoulder in the hope that Patrick or Toby might see her predicament and come to her rescue; neither of them was in sight.