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

Her groan of self-disgust turned to one of pain. She had fallen in love with Patrick, and all he had been doing was keeping her romantically occupied long enough to ensure that Toby announced his engagement to Teresa.

She was sure now that was all Patrick had been doing this last week or so. She was the one who had been stupid enough to take his attention seriously. To fall in love with him!

How to extricate herself without Patrick ever being aware of that fact, without completely losing her selfrespect? That was the problem!

Out of the frying pan into the fire, once again sprang to mind.

She had thought her infatuation with the fickle Gareth was the worst thing she had ever done in her life, but falling in love with Patrick had to be so much worse. Because he wasn’t fickle. The love she felt for him wouldn’t be as easily shrugged off as her feelings for Gareth had been.

It was because she truly loved Patrick that she was now able to see her previous feelings for Gareth for exactly what they were!

But this time she would come out of it with at least her pride intact, Ellie decided as she straightened determinedly. She had to!

The coffee was fresh in the pot, and cups, cream and sugar placed on the kitchen table by the time Teresa came downstairs ten minutes later. The smile on Ellie’s face was warm and friendly.

‘He’s much better, isn’t he?’ she told Teresa lightly.

‘Much.’ The younger woman nodded, her expression slightly reserved.

Was that so surprising, when minutes ago Teresa had walked in on a conversation where Ellie had been totally dismissing any need for her to like this woman’s brother?

Ellie drew in a ragged breath, deciding it was probably better to jump in at the deep end. ‘Look, concerning what you overheard me saying about Patrick earlier—’

‘Please,’ Teresa cut in with an awkward wave of her hand. ‘I know how—how Patrick can be sometimes. He really doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s just—well, he’s used to being in charge.’ She grimaced. ‘Not that he’s in the least arrogant about it.’ She hastened to defend her brother. ‘Usually he just charms people into submission!’

Ellie knew just how true that was!

She shook her head. ‘That was still no reason for me to—to—Well, I’m sorry you overheard my remarks,’ she concluded heavily.

Great, Ellie, she instantly chided herself. That was really apologising for being so rude earlier about Teresa’s brother!

‘Would you like some coffee?’ she offered briskly.

Teresa turned to look at the things laid out on the kitchen table before glancing back at Ellie. ‘That would be lovely, thank you.’ She smiled before sitting down.

Somehow Ellie very much doubted this young woman was any more used to sitting down in a kitchen drinking coffee than Patrick was; it would most likely be served to them in the drawing room, by staff as efficient as George’s had been on Saturday evening.

Which posed the disheartening thought: where did Toby fit into all this?

No doubt he and Teresa were in love—that was only too easy to see after last night!—but how would the two of them fare being married to each other when their backgrounds were so different? Toby, as Patrick’s assistant, earned a very good wage, but he certainly couldn’t keep Teresa in the life to which she was accustomed…

‘I’m an interior designer.’

Ellie looked up from pouring the coffee to find Teresa McGrath smiling at her ruefully.

Had her thoughts been so obvious? Or was it just that Teresa had the same ability as Patrick to be able to read her thoughts in particular? After Ellie’s earlier remarks about Patrick, that was a disquieting thought.

Ellie shook her head. ‘I didn’t mean—’

‘I know.’ The other woman reached out to give Ellie’s hand a reassuring squeeze, giving a shake of her head as she chuckled huskily. ‘It’s only that I’ve already had all those particular conversations with Toby,’ she admitted affectionately. ‘He has this terrible dread that people will think he’s only interested in me for my money.’

In the same way that Gareth was interested in Sarah!

‘I know that he isn’t,’ Ellie said firmly.

‘Of course he isn’t.’ Teresa’s chuckle deepened. ‘If you only knew the trouble I had getting Toby to go out with me in the first place…!’ She gave a shake of her head, dark hair silky on her shoulders. ‘He seemed to think that as Patrick’s sister I came under the heading of “untouchable.”’

Ellie could well imagine that he had. In the same way she thought that Patrick was unobtainable to her…

‘But you obviously managed to charm him into submission?’ Ellie returned lightly.

‘Not exactly.’ Teresa smiled wistfully. ‘I told Patrick how I felt about Toby, and he—well, he arranged for me to be around rather a lot—redesigning the offices he has here, and some new ones he’s acquired in York.’

York…? Hadn’t Patrick said something the other day about Toby being in York with another of his employees? Employee, indeed; his younger sister hardly came under that heading! And, no matter what Teresa might say to the contrary, the role of matchmaker that Patrick had adopted for himself was arrogance personified!

‘I see.’ Ellie nodded.

‘Ellie—may I call you, Ellie?’ Teresa paused politely.

‘Of course,’ she instantly acknowledged.

‘Tess,’ the other woman invited lightly. ‘The family always calls me Teresa, but I prefer friends to call me Tess. And I do hope the two of us are going to be friends, Ellie…?’

For Toby’s sake they would have to be. Although Ellie had to admit the McGrath family were very difficult to dislike, having a warm charm that drew like a magnet.

‘Of course,’ Ellie said again, wondering exactly where this conversation was leading.

Tess nodded, her expression intent now. ‘I’m really not some little-rich-girl who saw something she wanted and instantly had her wish granted by an over-indulgent older brother. I love Toby very much, and those differences between us that you were thinking of earlier are totally unimportant.’

‘Now,’ Ellie felt compelled to point out.

Tess gave a definite shake of her head. ‘Ever. Yes, my parents are rich. Yes, my brother is successful, and also rich. But we were both brought up with the belief that we had to make our own way in the world, to earn our own living. We were never going to just sit around waiting to inherit. I know how awful that sounds—’ Tess grimaced as Ellie gave a surprised choking noise ‘—but it’s exactly the way a lot of children of wealthy parents behave nowadays.’

‘I wouldn’t know.’ Ellie laughed incredulously.

Once again Tess reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘You don’t need to—the closeness you and Toby have makes you so much richer than a wealth of money could ever do. I hope you will allow me to become part of that closeness…?’ She gave Ellie a wistful look.

How could she resist this charming young woman? How could Toby have resisted her? Obviously he couldn’t!

And if Toby and Tess’s marriage meant that she would have to see more of Patrick than was comfortable, then she would have to learn to live with that. Because she had no intention of taking anything away from the love Tess and Toby had found together.

Ellie gave the other woman a warm smile. ‘I can’t wait to dance at your wedding,’ she assured her—and instantly wished she hadn’t. That was exactly the remark she had made earlier—before coming out with her insulting remark about Patrick!

A remark Tess remembered all too well if her teasing smile was anything to go by. ‘So you said.’ She nodded.

Ellie felt the colour warm her cheeks. ‘I really wish you hadn’t overheard those remarks.’ She grimaced.

Tess chuckled, grey eyes warm with humour. ‘I wouldn’t worry about it, Ellie; I’m sure Patrick has had much worse said to his face!’