Page 12 of Mr Winterbourne's Christmas
Chapter 5 - Adam
The drawing room wasfull of guests, but the only person Adam noticed was Lysander.
The man met Adam’s gaze and his mouth curved in that uniquely sweet smile that always made Adam smile back, even when he felt horribly self-conscious.
Lysander was standing on the other side of the room, with a tall young man who looked to be around his middle twenties. The young man was taller even than Adam and broader through the shoulders with a wide chest and long, thick legs. He could have passed for a pugilist with his close-cropped brown hair and blunt features, but his expression was warm and friendly as it rested on Lysander. There was fondness in the man’s gaze and Adam was conscious of a pang of jealousy as he moved towards them.
He was intercepted before he reached them by Lady Winterbourne, who called his name and beckoned to him from the chaise longue she was reclining on.
“Mr. Freeman!” she exclaimed with every appearance of pleasure. “How lovely to see you again.”
Adam went her, bowing over the hand she offered him. She did not rise from her comfortable and elegant pose but managed to avoid seeming rude with the warmth of her greeting.
“Lady Winterbourne,” Adam said. “Thank you for inviting me.”
She beamed at him, and for a moment he was reminded of Lysander. Of that unselfconscious sunniness that was so very charming.
“I’m delighted you could come,” Lady Winterbourne said, sounding perfectly sincere. “Althea is here, though I believe your brother has tucked himself away somewhere to do...oh, something or other. Whatever it is Members of Parliament do, I suppose. He’ll be down by and by I’m sure.”
“I look forward to seeing them both,” Adam replied politely. “And Lord Winterbourne of course.”
Lady Winterbourne’s easy expression tightened almost imperceptibly. “His lordship has been detained in town, I’m afraid,” she said. “Though he has promised me faithfully he will arrive in time for dinner tomorrow. Oh, look”—she craned her neck up and waved at someone across the room—“there’s Althea.Althea!”
Her call alerted Adam’s sister-in-law to his arrival. Althea was not the beauty her mother had apparently been in her youth, but she was a pleasant-looking young woman and he’d discovered on longer acquaintance that she was as agreeable as her brother in nature, if not quite so gifted with easy charm. Adam liked her, and he thought she possibly liked him too. She certainly smiled widely when she saw him, crossing the room to greet him with what appeared to be genuine pleasure, before linking her arm through his and drawing him away from her mother—and, unfortunately, from Lysander.
She led him to the tea table, pressing tea and seed cake upon him and asking him about the journey from Buckinghamshire.
“Simon was so pleased when you accepted the invitation,” she confided. “He was awfully anxious to have you here—he said you’d never spent the Christmas holiday apart till last year.”
“Yes,” Adam said. “It was—a little strange.” In truth, he’d spent most of it brooding on Lysander’s absence, rather than Simon’s, though Althea didn’t need to know that.
“He’ll be down soon,” Althea said. “I’ve sent Hawkins to let him know you’ve arrived. In the meantime, let me introduce you to Mr and Mrs. Griffiths. They’re friends of Mother’s and very agreeable.”
Adam pasted on a smile and let Althea lead him over to a pleasant-looking middle-aged couple. Mrs. Griffiths had been a particular friend of Lady Winterbourne’s when they were young and appeared to be viewed as an honorary aunt by Althea. As for Mr. Griffiths, he was a wealthy landowner who had, it turned out, invested in several enterprises in Adam’s native Lancashire, including a canal venture Adam also had an interest in. They were, as Althea had said, an agreeable couple and easy to converse with. Adam could have happily spent longer with them, but when he looked up to see Simon crossing the room, smiling widely, he made his apologies and moved forward to greet his brother.
“Finally finished your important letters?” he teased. “Got time to welcome me now, have you?”
“I came as soon as Hawkins told me you were here!” Simon protested. “Well, as soon as I got dressed properly, at any rate.” Seizing Adam’s hand, he clapped the opposite shoulder with rough affection. “Ah, it’s good to see you, man. It’s been too long!”
Adam felt a pang of guilt. Simon was right. It had been a whole year since they’d last seen one another, at the wedding. Since then he’d politely declined two invitations to visit the house he’d bought for Simon and Althea in Simon’s new Yorkshire constituency as a wedding gift. One of the invitations he’d declined for business reasons, the second because he hadn’t wanted to leave Lysander after spending several weeks in London without him. He’d promised to visit later in the year but had never got round to it.
“You’re right,” he said firmly. “It’s been far too long. It’s been a busy time, but next year should be easier.”
“Come and visit us in the spring,” Simon said. “Or Althea and I can come to Buckinghamshire, if you prefer.”
Adam smiled. “We’ll do one or the other. Or both.”
“No excuses,” Simon warned, wagging a finger at him, “and no more driving me to drastic measures.” When Adam frowned in puzzlement, he laughed. “Inveigling you here for Christmas?”
“Oh, I see,” Adam said with a reluctant grin. “I thought it was odd that Winterbourne invited me. He’s never liked me.”
“Althea asked him to,” Simon admitted with a grin. “She’s practically the only one in the family the old man listens to—I think he’s actually a little frightened of her. I’m still a bit surprised you accepted though, even knowing I’d be here. I know you don’t much like socialising with the Winterbournes.”
Adam felt his cheeks warm faintly. “Enough of the Winterbournes,” he said. “I want to hear all about your first few months as a Parliamentarian.”
And just as Adam had hoped, Simon was only too pleased to oblige.