A Christmas Romance by Betty Neels Page A

to a neighbouring street where there was a row of small shops. There was a supermarket at its end but she ignored it; there the shops would stay open for another hour or so, catching the last-minute trade. Although she had the money she had saved for her train ticket she needed to spend it carefully.
    Tea, sugar, butter and a carton of milk, cheese, food for Gustavus and a bag of pasta which she didn’t really like but which wasfilling, baked beans and a can of soup. She moved on to the butcher, and since it was getting late and he wouldn’t be open again for three days he let her have a turkey leg very cheap. She bought bacon, too, and eggs, and then went next door to the greengrocer for potatoes and some apples.
    Lastly she went to the little corner shop at the end of the row, where one side was given over to the selling of bread, factory-baked in plastic bags, and lurid iced cakes, the other side packed with everything one would expect to find in a bazaar.
    Theodosia bought a loaf and a miniature Christmas pudding and then turned her attention to the other side of the shop. She spent the last of her money on a miniature Christmas tree, which was plastic, with a few sprigs of holly, and very lastly a small box of chocolates.
    Thus burdened she went back to Mrs Towzer’s. The front door was open; there wereguests for the party milling about in the hall. She passed them unnoticed and climbed the stairs.
    ‘We are going to have a happy Christmas together,’ she told Gustavus. ‘You’ll be glad, anyway, for you’ll be warm here, and I’ve bought you a present and you’ve bought me one, too.’
    She unpacked everything, stowed the food away and then set the Christmas tree on the table. She had no baubles for it but at least it looked festive. So did the holly and the Christmas cards when she had arranged them around the room.
    Until now she hadn’t allowed her thoughts to wander but now her unhappiness took over and she wept into the can of soup she had opened for her supper. It wasn’t that she minded so very much being on her own; it was knowing that the great-aunts had discarded her in the name of charity. But surely charity began at home? And she could have slept on the sofa …
    She ate her soup, unpacked the weekend bag she had packed with such pleasure, anddecided that she might as well go to bed. And for once, since there was no one else to dispute her claim, she would have a leisurely bath …
    It was half past eight before the professor left the hospital and now that he was free to think his own thoughts he gave them his full attention. Obviously he had nothing to fear from the lad in the path lab. For reasons best known to herself, Theodosia had embarked on some rigmarole of her own devising—a ploy to warn him off? She might not love him but she liked him. A man of no conceit, he was aware of that. And there was something wrong somewhere.
    He drove himself home, warned his sister and brother-in-law that he might be late back, sought out Meg in the kitchen and told her to get a room ready for a guest he might be bringing back with him. Then he got into his car, this time with George and Max on the back seat, and drove away.
    His sister, at the door to see him off, turned to see Meg standing beside her.
    ‘It’ll be that nice young lady with the gingery hair,’ said Meg comfortably. ‘Dear knows where she is but I’ve no doubt he’ll bring her back here.’
    ‘Oh, I do hope so, Meg; she sounds just right for him. Should we wait for dinner any longer?’
    ‘No, ma’am, I’ll serve it now. If they’re not back by midnight I’ll leave something warm in the Aga.’
    Once he had left the centre of the city behind, the streets were almost empty. The professor reached Bishop’s Stortford in record time and turned off to Finchingfield.
    There were lights shining from the windows of the great-aunt’s house. He got out with a word to the dogs and thumped the knocker.
    Mrs Trickey opened the door, still