After they’d all had something to eat, and put Milo to bed, Polly said, ‘I feel so utterly exhausted I’m going up as well—if you don’t mind, Cryssie—Jed?’ she asked. ‘I just want this day to end, and never to know another one like it.’
‘Of course, Polly,’ Jed said gently. ‘You’ll feel better in the morning. So will we all,’ he added.
Polly hesitated. ‘I shall feel better when I know what you intend doing about the matter of the scarf I stole, Jed,’ she said simply, and Cryssie was touched at her sister’s courage to mention this today. ‘You must know that I stole from the store?’ she went on slowly. ‘And—’
‘Yes—I was informed,’ Jed said. ‘But, please think no more about it, Polly. I shan’t,’ he added. ‘That’s a very small drop of water in the ocean.’ He was silent for a moment, then, ‘I was wondering the other day whether you’d be interested in a small part-time job at Latimer’s, Polly—as a beauty consultant in the cosmetics department,’ he said, not looking at Cryssie, who had raised her eyes at him. ‘We stock most top-of-the-range make-up brands, as you probably know, but we’ve never bothered with a resident expert…someone who could give advice. It would be a very useful asset to us…if you’re interested, that is?’
‘Oh—Jed…’ Polly was overwhelmed at the suggestion.
‘You’d obviously need to think it over,’ he went on quickly. ‘But it would be the sort of arrangement that could easily fit in with Milo’s school hours.’
He sat back and looked across at Cryssie then, a tiny glint of triumph in his eyes. How long had he been thinking this one up? she thought. But it was a wonderful possibility, and it might help to restore some of Polly’s self esteem—which, as he had so perceptively pointed out, was in short supply.
And, as a first step in that direction, Polly went right over to Jed and kissed him softly on both cheeks. ‘I’ll let you have my acceptance in writing,’ she said.
When Cryssie and Jed were alone together, she said curiously, ‘Was your suggestion to Polly a sudden rush of blood to the head, or…?’
‘No,’ he replied. ‘It’s been on my mind for a while that a professional in the beauty department, to give advice, would undoubtedly shift more of the expensive brands. And your sister is a very good advertisement, isn’t she?’
Cryssie smiled. Polly had always known how to make the best of herself—a talent she could pass on. ‘Well, thanks for thinking of that, Jed,’ she said slowly. ‘It might solve more than one problem for her.’
‘That’s what I thought,’ he said smoothly.
Sitting there, close together on the settee, Cryssie looked up at him thoughtfully. ‘I could not have kept going today without you, Jed,’ she said.
He ran his hand through his hair restlessly. ‘If anyone…if anything had happened to Milo—’ he began, then was unable to go on. And Cryssie realised, again, that he loved their little boy almost as much as they did. ‘I could do with a drink,’ he said. ‘You don’t feel like going out somewhere, I suppose…?’
‘I couldn’t face anywhere else today, Jed, but there’s a bottle of red wine in the pantry. Let’s be devils and drink the lot! It’s only nine o’clock,’ she said lightly.
She brought out two wine glasses, while Jed uncorked the bottle, and filled them to the brim. Then they stood facing each other in the modest room and sipped at the glowing liquid, their eyes meeting as unspoken messages passed between them.
Presently, Cryssie said, ‘Some hours ago—or was it days ago?—I think you said we needed to talk…’
Straight away he put down his glass and took hers from her hand, then pulled her towards him hungrily. Towering above her, with his arms tightly around her, he looked down for a long moment into her green uncomplicated eyes, whose sincerity had captured his heart from the very first moment. ‘Your sister has promised to give me her acceptance in writing,’ he murmured, kissing her softly behind her ear once, twice, three times. Cryssie felt her desire for him tingle with a burning fire. ‘But two words from you now will do. Will you agree to marry me, Cryssie? Please? Will you say yes?’
They stood there as one, immovable in their shared pleasure at being close, at feeling their bodies meld with an intoxicating heat, and Cryssie thought that she wouldn’t mind staying there, like that, for eternity! Softly, she said, ‘And why should I?’