Author's notes: I don't own any of the characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC.

Reviews and comments are very welcome! But since I'm no native speaker please let me know if I did something terribly wrong (rating, grammar, spelling...). Thanks!

Judith disturbs the little privacy in St. Ives and she and Barbara have a little girly time. St. Ives is nice for shopping. Wait! Shopping?! Barbara goes shopping?! Will this go well?

(Sequel to the T- and M-rated series starting with Merry Christmas, previous episode was Bathtub.)

I really hope you'll enjoy this one. I've had so much fun writing it.

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After having a breakfast interruption in front of the fireplace Thomas and Barbara went for a shower. They still stood there kissing and caressing when Thomas heard a knocking at the door. First he thought it was just his imagination but then the doorbell rang again. He wrapped a towel around his hips and went curiously to the window in the corridor. Outside he saw his sister standing at the door.

"Shit!" he cursed.

"Huh?" Barbara came over, drying her hair.

"My sister. It's Judith at the door."

"Oh, that's nice." Barbara said, then hesitating. "Is it not?"

Thomas opened the window and shouted "What in god's name are you doing here, sis?"

"Shut up, Thomas, and let her in." Barbara complained.

"Shut up, Tommy, and let me in. It's cold." Judith clamoured.

Thomas turned to go downstairs. "Are you both asking for trouble?" he grumbled. "Women..."

Thomas opened the door, now dressed in sweatpants (and nothing more).

"Say, sis, what is so unbelievably important that you had come here and disturb my oh so little time off from you all?"

"Hello, Tommy, nice to see you too." Judith simply ignored his discourteousness, commented the clearly visible scratches on his body with just look and a raise of her eyebrows and passed him patting his cheek. "Lovely designer stubble, you have."

"Want some tea?" Thomas resigned and put the kettle on.

Judith threw a portfolio onto the dining table and plonked herself down on the chair.

"Yes, thank you. Aww, there are but idiots on the streets." she fumed.

"And we all know your driving abilities..." Thomas chuckled.

"Ah, bollocks!"

The kettle clicked and Thomas filled two mugs.

"Now, what brought you here?"

"Mother sends you apologies, but under the impression of the two of you she totally had forgotten that she had some paperwork to be done with your help until the end of the year."

"And you weren't able to call me on the phone, were you."

"If you take a look at it, you engaged loverboy, you would recognise a million calls and a billion texts." Judith rolled her eyes.

Thomas took his mobile out of his coat and blushed.

"See?" Judith sighed.

"I'm sorry, it is on soundless modus." He had to check the other calls and messages later.

Barbara came down the stairs, still with damp hair but fully dressed.

"Hi, Judith."

"Barbara!" The girls hugged.

"What's new?"

"Some paperwork for the manor Tommy has to do with our mother. Couldn't have waited until your return. Sorry."

Thomas had begun to look through the portfolio and moaned in annoyance.

Judith suggested to go shopping with Barbara as long as Thomas went through the files.

Simultaneously Thomas and Barbara doubtfully said "Shopping?!"

Thomas grinned.

"I... umm... no..." Barbara stammered. "I don't need to go shopping."

"Well, then you can give advice and support to my shopping." Judith laughed. "And we can have a coffee and some girls' talk. Sounds good?"

Thomas nodded. There are some things to check and to do and he has to talk with his mother and, and, and...

"You both would be out of my way. If you would stay here and sit there chatting all the time, I couldn't concentrate." He winked at Barbara.

Judith laughed. "You would distract him all the while, Barb. Come on, I need some company."

In the end, Barbara agreed and after having her hair blow-dried the girls left Thomas alone sweating over the papers.

Outside while walking down the street Judith linked arms with Barbara.

"Alright then. I want to go to a certain boutique and get me a certain blouse there. And then, what do you want to buy?" she said cheery.

"I hadn't but half a cup of coffee and you are nudging me to a boutique? You want to devil me?"

Judith chuckled. "Had no breakfast yet?"

Barbara looked the other way so Judith wouldn't see her red face. Their breakfast had been something special but had nothing to do with food.

"No. So if we could have a croissant first I'd be much more bearable..."

The named boutique was on the way to the little bistro Judith had in mind so she scurred in, bought the blouse she already chose on the internet and both went on to the bistro. There, over coffee and croissants, Judith told her of her mother's boxingday party. Seemingly Thomas and Barbara had made the right decision to escape it.

"The house was full of people. Family, friends, Lords and Ladies... And most of them asked for Tommy's 'cause he had never missed a boxing day since... don't know. I think your head would've twirled after ten minutes with thousands of names and faces and you would've been deeply annoyed by all those questions about you. You see, we have some very nosy family members."

"Phew - glad we weren't there." Barbara imagined being the subject of the family talk. "Horrible."

"And what did you do the last two days?"

Barbara slightly blushed.

"Apart from that, I know what you are here for." Judith laughed.

Barbara smiled coyly. "Well, we've stretched the trip and drove via some nice places. Lizard Point, Land's End... And we went out for dinner. Yesterday we've just strolled around and freezed ourselves halfway to death. And Thomas' plan for today was the Tate gallery. But I'm not sure if I should be pleased you've spared me that by going shopping."

"Well, I think, we'll find some nice things for you, too."

"Hm." Barbara hid her face behind her coffee mug and thought of the boutique where Judith bought the blouse. It looked extremely posh and expensive. Barbara just couldn't afford stuff from those shops Judith usually go to. Her grimace showed her concerns openly, she couldn't hide behind the mug forever, and Judith guessed right.

"Hey, I bet you haven't brought a suitable cocktail dress for the New Year's Eve party with you, have you. We'll chose one for you. I'll pay."

To prevent Barbara from objecting she patted her hand. "No objections. See it as a christmas gift from me to Tommy."

Judith smiled reassuringly to Barbara and said silently. "We all know the differences between us, Barbara. Start to forget them, you've become part of the family."

Barbara remained silent. Somehow she found Judith's words moving, on the other hand she didn't like to be a drain on Judith's pocket. She had managed her whole life without running into debts. She had never borrowed money and always stood on her own feet. She never bought things overrunning her tight budget. But Judith also had a point that Barbara hadn't spent a thought on the New Year's Eve party and truly hadn't brought a suitable dress with her. First, she had none and second, she didn't buy one. She sighed. Maybe it's time to leap the hurdle. Barbara hit on an idea.

"Maybe I agree. What about we divide fifty-fifty?"

Judith laughed. "Word! You pay the coffee and I pay the shopping."

Barbara launched into speaking but Judith interrupted her straight away. "No objections, Barbara! What I have in mind for you, sorry to say that clearly, will exceed the means of a detective sergeant." She winked conspiratorally. "We're going to make Tommy agape!"

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