Christmas Morning - Continued
It was great to see Molly finally relaxed and enjoying herself, Charles told himself grudgingly, even if it was at his expense. She threw her head back, laughing in delight, as she continued with her tales of 'Captain Stern-face's fourth tour of Afghan.' The Jameses, Molly's captive audience, were lapping up her stories and had shouted Charles down several times. After a while, he'd given up trying to defend himself. Retreating to an empty sofa, he cradled his brother's baby daughter in one hand and a beer in the other.
Every so often, he resorted to shaking his head in denial; trying his best to look wounded. He knew he was in for a right dressing down later, especially from the females in the family. "Charles, how could you be so mean?" his sister Emma had remonstrated at one point when Molly had spoken of the 'stags only' incident at the start of the tour. The mentioning of the first PT session and the 'I suppose we should be grateful you're not wearing your stilettos' comment, had resulted in shouts of 'male chauvinist' and finger wagging in his direction. Despite a half-hearted apology from him and a swiftly mouthed "I love you, really," from Molly, there was no let up. She was on a roll and the looks of derision continued unabated. Even Sam, who was engaged in a game of battleships on the floor with Will and did not fully understand the conversation, had poked his tongue out several times at his father.
The announcement that lunch was ready would, Charles hoped, save him from further embarrassment. The James clan proceeded to pile into the dining room but not before Ellie, his sister-in-law, chided "Charles James, it's beyond me how Molly ever fell for you."
"Oh he does have a few good qualities," Molly responded, planting a peck on Charles' cheek when he caught up with her in the dining room doorway. "You called me a Rupert?" he questioned clearly indignant, handing the baby back to her mother. "If you're not careful Molls, I'll have you up on a charge," he continued, pulling her close and kissing her hard.
"Promises, promises Captain Stern-face," Molly smiled mischievously, before wriggling out of his grasp and taking her place at the dining room table.
Penny, Charles' mum, had laid on a lavish spread. A starter of smoked salmon, was followed by roast turkey with chestnut stuffing, a cooked ham and all the trimmings. She was delighted to have her children and grandchildren all together again and had wanted everything to be perfect. Much to Charles' disgust, with wine and beer flowing freely, the banter continued. "I can't believe you asked Mum to send you a paddling pool little brother! Had I known, we'd have sent you a bucket and spade, wouldn't we Ellie?" Tom mocked, catching his wife's eye and smirking.
"You are SO on a charge Dawesy," Charles hissed. Molly chose to ignore him; instead turning her attentions to the baby opposite her in Ellie's arms.
As the lunch progressed, the conversation took a different turn. Robert James, Charles' father, proposed a toast of thanks to Molly for saving his youngest son's life. "An excellent medic and perhaps, one day, a wonderful addition to the James family, I think you'll all agree," he gushed.
"To Molly," the others joined in; standing up and raising their glasses in her direction.
"Here, here, don't let Molly get away, you've struck gold this time Charles," Matt, his sister's fiance, added.
Finally, it was Molly's turn to be embarrassed. She could feel her cheeks burning and her heart pumping hard and fast. Although she could sense Charles' eyes on her, she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She sought out his hand for comfort but Charles was having none of it. Raising her chin, he gently turned her face towards him. His face was sporting the broadest grin. He winked at her, his chocolate-brown eyes dancing...