Page 44 of A Christmas Wish for the Village Midwife

‘Maybe, but sometimes I’m sure she thinks I have no right to get involved in family things. And there are some instances where I can see why. At the end of the day, I’d miss Billie and Louisa if they moved away from Hilltop, but it wouldn’t be anywhere near the same as the impact it would have on you.’

‘I could try again tomorrow. Do you think I should?’

‘It’s hard to say. Maybe we should wait and see if it comes up in a more organic way. Or she might mull over what you’ve said tonight and then decide to open up of her own accord. You’ve made it clear you’re there for a meaningful conversation if she wants one – perhaps that will be enough.’

‘I had some ideas about Christmas, actually.’

‘What kind of ideas?’

‘Remember when we talked about inviting Luis’s family? And Billie decided not to. Well, I’ve messaged them.’

‘Tonight?’

Perhaps Zoe’s tone was sharper than she’d meant because he swivelled to look at her now, and she could hear the concern in his voice.

‘I made a mistake? You don’t think I should have asked them?’

‘Did you tell Billie you were going to?’

‘No, I thought it would be a nice surprise. I thought it might cheer her up. You’re not mad at me, are you? I know it changes your Christmas too.’

‘I’m not mad, but I wish you’d run it by me first. Billie already said she didn’t want to do that. What did they say?’

‘I haven’t had a reply yet. It’s late, isn’t it? That’ll be why. ’

‘Well, you can’t uninvite them now, so what will be will be. We’ll know soon enough.’

He watched her for a minute and then let out a sigh. ‘You are annoyed, aren’t you?’

‘Of course not. Maybe a little exasperated. But I get how important it is to you that Billie has a great Christmas, especially considering what we talked about on the walk…’

‘I only thought if she could have an amazing Christmas, she might fall in love with Thimblebury again. Like we love it.’

‘I’m not sure she was ever in love with it,’ Zoe said carefully. ‘I think she liked it well enough, and it was probably more to do with you wanting to be here than anything else.’

Grizzle began to bark at something, though neither of them could see what it was. Perhaps he’d sniffed out a fox on the prowl, or a rabbit he fancied chasing down. He was certainly straining at his lead, and Zoe was glad Alex was holding it and that he’d kept Grizzle attached. The moment took away the opportunity for Alex to make an immediate reply to Zoe’s statement.

During the remainder of the walk, conversation had turned to more practical things, like what kind of preparations they’d need to make if Luis’s parents accepted their invitation to stay for Christmas, and what the festive season might look like with extra guests. Zoe was sure they’d cope, and she reassured Alex again that although she’d have preferred to be consulted, she was fine with the situation, and agreed that if it made Billie happy then it would be worth any upheaval of their current plans.

Before too long, Hilltop appeared, lamps in the windows, just as Billie always left them whenever it was dark outside and she was expecting Alex or Zoe to return home. It was late – certainly later than Louisa’s bedtime, and Zoe wondered if Billie might have gone up too. She often did, at hours that Zoe would have considered far too early, and sometimes Zoe had wondered if that had been down to boredom rather than simple tiredness, despite the energy it took to care for Louisa every day.

But Billie was sitting curled up on the sofa when they got back.

They gave Grizzle’s paws a quick wash and dry before letting him go and find her in the sitting room. He licked her face as she fussed him, and then turned the sound down on the TV as Alex and Zoe followed him in.

‘Louisa’s in bed?’ Alex asked.

Billie nodded. ‘I’ll be going up shortly,’ she said. ‘I thought I’d wait for you to get back first.’

Alex took a seat. ‘You didn’t have to do that.’

‘But I had to leave the lights on, and there would have been no one watching.’

Zoe settled next to Alex and watched Billie carefully; she seemed to be weighing them both up in the same way, trying to work something out. It didn’t take a genius to figure that she’d know she’d been part of their conversations as they’d walked home. Zoe wondered whether she should come clean, rather than pretend anything else, but she also wondered if that ought to be up to Alex to do rather than her.

‘Dandelion had her baby!’ she said instead, feeling this would be a much nicer ice-breaker. ‘A girl.’

‘Oh,’ Billie said, though she didn’t look nearly as excited as Zoe might have imagined. ‘Cool. What did they call her?’