The Yuletide Engagement & A Yuletide Seduction by Carole Mortimer Page B

favourite person at the moment,” she added, and dropped down onto one of the kitchen chairs to wait.
    Toby returned her gaze with too-innocent blue eyes. “I can’t imagine why you’re in such a bad mood, sis.” He shrugged unconcernedly. “You know how you love shopping.”
    Ordinarily she did. But today wasn’t ordinary. As Toby very well knew.
    She glared across the table at her brother. “I think working for Patrick is having a bad effect on you,” she muttered bad-temperedly. “You’re becoming as sneaky as he is!”
    Toby chuckled softly. “You forgot ‘underhand’, ‘secretive’, and—’manipulative’, wasn’t it?” he prompted lightly.
    They were all the names she had called her brother this morning, after he had asked her how the previous evening had gone!
    â€œYou forgot ‘too clever for your own good’,” she reminded him heavily, but her mood began to thaw slightly.“You really should have told me, Toby.” She shook her head disgustedly.
    â€œBut then you wouldn’t have gone to the dinner last night. At least, not with Patrick,” he reasoned. “And that would have been a pity.”
    Ellie eyed him suspiciously. “Why?”
    â€œHey, look, Ellie, in case you’ve forgotten Patrick and I are two of the good guys,” Toby pointed out protestingly. “Gareth is the bad guy—remember?”
    Oh, yes, she remembered. She also remembered that look of triumph on Gareth’s face the previous evening when George had stood up to announce the younger man’s engagement to his daughter, Sarah.
    â€œHe doesn’t deserve Sarah, Ellie—let alone you!” Patrick had muttered disgustedly at her side.
    Which was why, when the Delacorte family—and Ellie—had all been chatting together at the end of the evening, Patrick had been only to happy to suggest that Ellie accompany Sarah the following day, when she shopped for a new dress to wear to the party tomorrow evening!
    â€œEllie has just been complaining that she has nothing to wear either,” Patrick had told his young cousin happily.
    Ellie glared up at him; she might have said something along those lines, but as Patrick must know only too well Sarah was the last person she wanted to go shopping with.
    â€œI don’t mind coming with you, Sarah,” Gareth put in—rather hastily, it seemed to Ellie. A brief glance at Patrick, his expression knowingly satisfied, showed her that he thought so too.
    â€œIt’s very sweet of you, darling.” Sarah gave her newfiancé’s arm a grateful hug, the emerald and diamond engagement ring twinkling brightly on her left hand. “But you know how you hate shopping. Besides, I want the dress I’m wearing tomorrow evening to be a surprise.”
    â€œI thought it was the wedding dress I wasn’t supposed to see until the day?” Gareth frowned.
    â€œIt is, silly.” Sarah laughed huskily. “I just—wait and see,” she dismissed excitedly, before turning to Ellie. “I think it would be lovely for the two of us to go shopping together tomorrow, don’t you?”
    It was obvious from Sarah’s completely confident expression that she didn’t expect Ellie to refuse. And, with Patrick looking at Ellie with the same expectation, what choice did she have? Absolutely none.
    Which was why she was sitting here now, dressed warmly in jeans and a thick sweater, waiting for Sarah to pick her up so they could drive into town together.
    â€œI remember,” she answered Toby heavily. “Until Patrick told me last night I had no idea how worried George and Mary are by the relationship.” She shook her head.
    â€œStrange how these things come around in circles, isn’t it?” Toby said ruefully. “Your dastardly ex-boyfriend engaged to Patrick’s cousin,” he explained, at Ellie’s