Jasper, Richie Gabriel and Nick set off for Shettleham at midday. Jasper insisted on driving."Driving calms me down. It's routine. If I sit in the back, I shall be going spare."The Rolling Stones kicked in with Jumping Jack Flash on the iPod, and Jasper began his last drive as a single man.Ellie and Kylie had lunch with the rest of the family; Rosslyn had decided to have it in the formal dining room as there were so many of them. "I thought this might be nice, Ellie, to have all your family together, it's a pity Jasper isn't here, but he'll be here for dinner this evening." "Your hair looks fabulous," Ellie said to her mum, "What did you think to the hairdresser Roni?"Roni turned to Ellie; she was immensely enjoying the fuss and performance of the day. "He's good; your hair will look fabulous. Are you going to have it up?""I have no idea. Isn't that why we have this day to sort these things out?" Ellie shrugged, "The more I think abo

Francis Braxton opened the main doors to the ballroom and announced in his best butlers voice."My Lords, ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for his grace the Duke of Shettleham and her grace the Duchess of Shettleham."As Jasper and Ellie went to their places at the table, Gracie nudged Gabriel, who she had opted to sit next to"Why is Francis calling Aunt Ellie Grace? That's my name.Gabriel spent the next ten minutes explaining the terms of the nobility to Gracie."So she's like the Queen?""Almost, not quite as high up. We shall have to call your aunt, Her Ellie-ness." He said, making Gracie laugh.Richie reached for Kylie's hand under the table. She had been relatively quiet, not usually her bubbly self."Are you alright, Kylie?""Yes, it's just been a long day." She turned her head to smile at him, "it will be nice to get home." Kylie hesitated, "We need to talk." She said very quietly.Richie looked at her. "Is

 Ellie strolled across the park, and she didn't know whether to be cross with him or not. She was missing his body just as much as he was missing her. They couldn't even sneak off this afternoon after Betty had gone home, as Gracie was coming for the weekend. Maybe if she felt better, she could sneak up to the studio when she got back and seduce him. Not that it would take much doing, she only had to lick her lips in front of him, and he would get that look in his eye. She chuckled as she thought of the first time she had done that, in the villa on the Indian Ocean island where they had spent their honeymoon. He had chased her around the villa threatening all sorts of delights when he caught her. Eventually, he'd backed her up against the trellis on the verandah and thrown her over his shoulder. Gently spanking her bottom and telling her what a very naughty wife she was for running away from him.

Jasper and Ellie led their friends up the stairs to the sitting room. Ellie had been phoning Gracie all week with updates on the fairies who were magically decorating the tree, and Gracie was dying to see the sitting room all decorated.Ellie had been buying decorations since October. They'd had a mad decorating week at the beginning of December, which started on the porch. The conical box trees that stood on either side of the front door had were adorned with sparkling white lights.The bannister was swathed with swags of greenery, red velvet bows, and more lights. But it was the sitting room where Ellie had her piece de resistance. The mantelpiece was full of gnomes and elves hiding behind big gold pine cones. There were trails of fairy lights in between them, and hanging from the swag of greenery along the front of the fireplace were sheep with wings on and tiny gold fairies and toadstools. There was some decoration on every flat surface, including the piano. There was

"Ellie, come and get warm," Rosslyn said, getting up to greet her. She put her arms around her daughter in law and gave her a hug, "Goodness, you're frozen. Come and sit here next to the fire. Jasper, be love and make some more tea. I think Mary has gone for her afternoon nap, and Francis is sorting something out for me."Jasper glanced at Ellie. He knew she'd been crying. Why the hell did she think he didn't want her? She was the one who had disappeared from their bed, not him. He went down to the kitchen to make the tea and was determined to get this sorted out before bedtime.Jasper could hear the landline phone ringing just as he got to the drawing-room door with the tray of tea, and as he opened the door, he listened to his mother talking sympathetically."Of course you must come. You certainly can't stay in a frozen and darkened house over Christmas. No, of course, he won't mind. I'm sure he would love to see you." Rosslyn listened for a few moments. "