Sealed with a Christmas Kiss Read Online Free PDF Page B

.
hang on, he IS a cheating arsehole.
Even Kate’s soft heart
couldn’t find space to feel sorry for him for more than a moment.
    Manners took over. ‘If you come up with me, I’ll show you to a spare room. I suspect that might be for the best?’
    ‘Well, for tonight, anyway.’ Leo gave her a half-smile which Kate thought was meant to look penitent, but which appeared completely fake. But would Maddy feel the same way? They had
a wedding planned in just over three weeks, and after all, she’d clearly seen something in Leo that Kate hadn’t noticed.
    They walked upstairs in silence.
    Kate waited in the galleried hall whilst he collected some clothes and his toilet bag, and then showed him to one of the many spare rooms. This one had the heating turned down low –
heating the whole of Duntarvie House cost so much that the disused rooms were closed off and arctic on wintry nights. The room was icy enough that their breath hung in clouds.
    ‘Just a moment, I’ll grab you an oil radiator.’ Kate left him standing by the window, looking out into the blackness.
    ‘Thanks.’ Leo took it from her, plugging it in beside the metal bed frame. The room wasn’t anywhere near as glamorous as the luxurious room Kate and Jean had prepared for their
guests, and the bed was clad in heavy, old-fashioned blankets and an antique eiderdown which had been in the house forever.
    ‘If you need anything . . . ’ Kate looked at Leo’s face for a moment. He seemed remarkably unmoved by everything that had happened, and had even taken a moment to grab the
offending mobile before leaving the sitting room. She didn’t quite know how to treat him. It wasn’t really her place to judge, and after all, she could well be hosting his wedding in a
few weeks’ time. Maybe she should make more of an effort.
    ‘I’ll get you a tray with some bits and pieces, give me a moment. I’ll be back in a sec.’
    Kate ran downstairs to the kitchen. The kettle had boiled and Maddy was perched against the Aga, having swapped the planned glass of water for a much-needed cup of hot, sweet tea. From behind
her back, Roderick gave Kate a look which clearly said, ‘Get me out of here!’
    ‘Maddy, I’ve put Leo in one of our spare rooms for now—’
    ‘I don’t care where you put him, as long as it’s nowhere near me,’ she spat. Clearly shock had been replaced – rapidly – with fury.
    ‘I’ll just grab him a couple of bits.’ Kate bent down, quickly gathering a little kettle, a teapot, and some of the tiny packets of teabags her mother had brought on her last
visit. She sloshed some milk into a jug, aware all the time that Maddy was glaring at her as if
she
was somehow in the wrong for providing Leo with any small comforts.
    Kate scuttled upstairs with the things on a tray. Knocking on the door, she found Leo inside, laptop on knee, looking remarkably unruffled.
    ‘Have you got a Wi-Fi password?’
    After writing it down for him on his notepad, she left him to it. Probably off to chat to his girlfriend online. Anyway, that wasn’t her problem. What
was
her problem was the
small matter of a wedding which was due to take place here, displaying the beauty of Duntarvie Estate, in less than a month. A wedding that was looking highly unlikely, given that the couple in
question were sleeping in separate rooms and one of them seemed to be occupied elsewhere.
    Any chance of a gossip update? Some of us are stuck under a baby and can’t reach the remote control.
    Climbing into bed beside Roddy, thankful that the evening was over, she passed her phone across silently, letting him read the message for himself. With a snort of laughter, he kissed her on the
shoulder.
    ‘I’m going to leave you with that one, darling, and get some sleep. Emma did say she wanted the gory details, I suppose . . . ’
    Kate took the phone back, and started tapping a response.

3
A Falling Out
    ‘I don’t care if she loves him or not, Kate. I’ve got a load of