Author's notes: It's not yet Ash Wednesday but here's another chapter. A slightly longer one. Enjoy and if you did don't forget to leave a review! ;-)

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Friday, around 7 pm.

Peter still was in his room and on the phone with Andrea when Judith arrived. Her arrival was the last indicator for Barbara that some sort of party was planned.

They were just about to have a simple dinner when the door swung open and brought a cold breeze of February wind into the little back kitchen where they unformally sat at an old oak wood table.

"Judith!" Daze happily greeted her. "We've expected you not until tomorrow. Good to see you. Martin! Come on in and close that door please!"

She hugged first her daughter and then the man who was introduced to Barbara as Judith's partner. For a moment Barbara frowned that everybody has a new partner except she. And Lynley that is. She shook hands with Martin and was pulled into an embrace by Judith. The hand that pulled her away again was Lynley's. He wanted to hug his sister too but his hand stayed on Barbara's shoulder for a little while longer than necessary and due to the little space in the small kitchen they were far too close for Barbara's liking. His eyes watched hers happy but thoughtful. Barbara blushed a bit since she interpreted into his look that he was happy to have her here with his family. Which he was. What she would not dare to believe. What she should not believe, she scolded herself. Anyway, first he had to greet his little sister so Barbara quickly stepped out of the way and sat down at her place.

"Jay!" Tommy and Judith hugged and then all settled back down at the table.

"Tommy, what's new?" Judith asked.

"Same old, same old. Aching back, greying hair, fading memories." He winked. Rapturously Barbara thought about his new reading glasses and smiled inwardly. "What about you, little sister?"

"Oh, nothing extraordinary. My old car's finally scrap, the roof of our cottage is restored and we're going to marry on the 21st of March."

After a second in which all had to swallow that information the cheers rose.

"So I suppose it's going to be a small ceremony? I mean, it's already February." Tommy stated when the jubilation had quieted down again.

"Sure it is." Martin said smiling broadly and squeezing his fiancée's hand. "Just a small round, the family, a few very close friends. That means you have to come too, Barbara."

The adressed blushed. She was neither family nor had she thought she was one of the close friends to Judith. Tommy smiled encouraging and he rose his hand to squeeze hers. Only halfway there he finally recognised it himself, lost his courage and diverted it to the bread basket. He hoped that nobody would have seen the kink in his movement.

Judith had and eyed him closely but his face revealed nothing.

Though she had not seen his hand Barbara understood by his encouraging smile that she was invited because she was his close friend. Judith probably had told Martin about her. Barbara found it a bit odd anyway.

"You're some sort of part of the family, Barbara, you have to come!" Judith prodded and showed an equally reassuring smile.

"Well, all right then." Barbara grinned at Judith. "But say, how come that you hurry things? I mean, it's only four weeks. Do you fear he runs away again or...?" No, she dared not to ask if Judith was pregnant. Judith told it herself.

Daze instantly started to cry for joy, Barbara laughed and called it great but then she saw that Tommy forced a smile onto his face. He almost imperceptibly had winced when his sister had revealed her sweet secret and now his eyes showed the other pain Barbara knew so well being there - the pain of someone whose wife had lost their baby. The shadow crossed his face once more when he recognised her pitiful look.

"Yes, well, I think I'll rearrange the orders for the beverages." Daze said with a laugh and brought Barbara's mind back to why she was here and that there must be some function or party tomorrow which she still did not know of. She had to ask now. Maybe she still could squirm herself out of it or at least could buy some adequate dress tomorrow. When it was appropriate to change the subject she asked what bothered her.

"May I finally ask what sort of conspiracy takes place here? I mean, the whole family is present, you have to 'rearrange the orders for the beverages' - will there be a party or what?"

"Umm..." Daze looked baffled and with a questioning eyebrow at her son who was slightly blushing.

"What?" Judith grinned. "He hasn't told you yet?" Barbara feared the worst - one of those posh parties...

"Ah, well..." Tommy searched for words and smiled apologetically. "It's... errm, on Sunday we'll have our February barbecue - if the wind won't become a winter storm that is. It's always the 22nd of February since I was seven. And when it's a weekend's day we're still celebrating it."

"A barbecue? In winter? ...to celebrate what?" Barbara raised her eyebrows.

Now Daze wholeheartedly laughed. "It's Tommy's birthday!" Tommy blushed more and averted Barbara's sudden death glare.

"He actually hasn't told you, I can't believe it. Shame on you, son!"

Barbara had known of his birthday because she had peeped into his file at the beginning of their working partnership but since he never had made a fuss over it she never thought of the date again. Quickly she calculated and came to the solution that he was going to turn 42. At least it was no decadal anniversary.

She shook her head in disbelief. "Well, I still could buy a present at Nanrunnel tomorrow if I'm in the mood but I'm going to have a second and third thought about that. You really could have told me, Sir."

Tommy just sheepishly grinned.

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