Read Online Christmas-Eve Baby by Caroline Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Caroline Anderson
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just feel stifled—as if I have to log a flight plan every time I go to the supermarket! That’s why I won’t live with him, although in some ways it might be easier because I could just let him fuss me and give up fighting, but he’d drive me mad in a week.’
That made him smile. He could imagine her frustration but, like her father, he didn’t want her living alone. Not now. Not with the baby so close. He settled back on the sofa and looked across at her curled up at the other end, her slender legs tuckedup beneath her, the blatant fecundity of that smooth, round curve bringing out his paternal instinct in spades. ‘So—if you aren’t staying in your flat, and you don’t want to live with your father, and you won’t let me bully you into living with me—where do you want to live?’ he asked, trying hard to keep his voice casual. ‘If you could choose anywhere, regardless of anything.’
Her expression was wistful. ‘Really? Total fantasy? My grandparents’ house,’ she said, surprising him. ‘It was my grandmother’s family home for ages—the farmhouse, originally, although her brother died without a family and so she inherited it, and they sold off the farm and kept the house. It’s gorgeous. It’s a bit rundown now. I went over there with Dad the other day and it was looking so tired. That’s where he was this afternoon, clearing it out after the tenant left. He was elderly and he’s left it in a bit of a state, and it needs so much work if it’s going to be let again that Dad’s finally decided to get rid of it. It’s being auctioned this week.’
‘Really?’ His attention sat up and took notice of that, because his own house, dull and safe and just a stop-gap until he found somewhere with a bit more character, had been sold. That was why he was asking her, because now would be a perfect time to tailor his choice of new house to something that would fit her dreams. He’d lost the house he had been after, but he’d already accepted an excellent cash offer on his own house. The contracts had been exchanged, it was just a matter of settling the moving date—and that might just put him in a very good position…
‘I feel ridiculously sad about it going out of the family,’ Lucy was saying, her voice echoing her feelings, ‘and I think he does, too, but there’s no point in him keeping it, and I can’tafford it, and there’s no way my two bachelor brothers would bother with it. It’s not a huge house, only four proper bedrooms and a bit of an attic, and it needs serious updating, but it’s got fabulous sea views, lovely garden—I adore it. So that’s my fantasy. Silly really.’
He felt a ripple of excitement. ‘Not at all. It sounds lovely. What’s it called?’
‘Tregorran House.’
He made a mental note, but it wasn’t necessary. ‘Have you got internet access?’ Lucy was asking, and he nodded.
‘Yes—why?’
‘It’s on the agent’s website,’ she told him, and within minutes he had it all. The details, the date of the auction, the guide price, the viewing arrangements and the location.
‘It looks pretty.’
‘Oh, it’s very tired and rundown,’ she pointed out. ‘Not that it matters. I won’t go again. The only good thing is the council has rejected any suggestion of developing the site, so I know it’ll stay as a home for some lucky family. Just not mine.’
She turned away from the computer, and he clicked the little heart that made it a favourite place so he could find it again when he next logged on, and shut it down.
She was back on the sofa, looking a little uncomfortable and very tired. He went over to her, hunkered down next to her and took her feet in his hands, lifting them onto his thigh and rubbing them gently.
‘Oh, that’s lovely,’ she sighed, and he shifted so he was kneeling and her feet were in his lap, and she closed her eyes and sighed again. She was looking so tired. Lovely, but so, so tired. Worn down by the worry of all
That made him smile. He could imagine her frustration but, like her father, he didn’t want her living alone. Not now. Not with the baby so close. He settled back on the sofa and looked across at her curled up at the other end, her slender legs tuckedup beneath her, the blatant fecundity of that smooth, round curve bringing out his paternal instinct in spades. ‘So—if you aren’t staying in your flat, and you don’t want to live with your father, and you won’t let me bully you into living with me—where do you want to live?’ he asked, trying hard to keep his voice casual. ‘If you could choose anywhere, regardless of anything.’
Her expression was wistful. ‘Really? Total fantasy? My grandparents’ house,’ she said, surprising him. ‘It was my grandmother’s family home for ages—the farmhouse, originally, although her brother died without a family and so she inherited it, and they sold off the farm and kept the house. It’s gorgeous. It’s a bit rundown now. I went over there with Dad the other day and it was looking so tired. That’s where he was this afternoon, clearing it out after the tenant left. He was elderly and he’s left it in a bit of a state, and it needs so much work if it’s going to be let again that Dad’s finally decided to get rid of it. It’s being auctioned this week.’
‘Really?’ His attention sat up and took notice of that, because his own house, dull and safe and just a stop-gap until he found somewhere with a bit more character, had been sold. That was why he was asking her, because now would be a perfect time to tailor his choice of new house to something that would fit her dreams. He’d lost the house he had been after, but he’d already accepted an excellent cash offer on his own house. The contracts had been exchanged, it was just a matter of settling the moving date—and that might just put him in a very good position…
‘I feel ridiculously sad about it going out of the family,’ Lucy was saying, her voice echoing her feelings, ‘and I think he does, too, but there’s no point in him keeping it, and I can’tafford it, and there’s no way my two bachelor brothers would bother with it. It’s not a huge house, only four proper bedrooms and a bit of an attic, and it needs serious updating, but it’s got fabulous sea views, lovely garden—I adore it. So that’s my fantasy. Silly really.’
He felt a ripple of excitement. ‘Not at all. It sounds lovely. What’s it called?’
‘Tregorran House.’
He made a mental note, but it wasn’t necessary. ‘Have you got internet access?’ Lucy was asking, and he nodded.
‘Yes—why?’
‘It’s on the agent’s website,’ she told him, and within minutes he had it all. The details, the date of the auction, the guide price, the viewing arrangements and the location.
‘It looks pretty.’
‘Oh, it’s very tired and rundown,’ she pointed out. ‘Not that it matters. I won’t go again. The only good thing is the council has rejected any suggestion of developing the site, so I know it’ll stay as a home for some lucky family. Just not mine.’
She turned away from the computer, and he clicked the little heart that made it a favourite place so he could find it again when he next logged on, and shut it down.
She was back on the sofa, looking a little uncomfortable and very tired. He went over to her, hunkered down next to her and took her feet in his hands, lifting them onto his thigh and rubbing them gently.
‘Oh, that’s lovely,’ she sighed, and he shifted so he was kneeling and her feet were in his lap, and she closed her eyes and sighed again. She was looking so tired. Lovely, but so, so tired. Worn down by the worry of all
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