Scarlet Feather (76 page)

The phone rang.

At this time of night?

‘Leave it,’ Cathy said.

‘I hadn’t a notion of answering it,’ he said.

They listened as the twins spoke their message. They were thanking them for the best Christmas ever. It had been magic, they said, pure magic. And Muttie’s wife Lizzie, and Lizzie’s sister Geraldine had said they could stay up until they were so tired that they fell down.

Tom and Cathy sat side by side on the sofa and listened while the twins talked on. They moved very slightly closer to each other and realised that they were holding hands. It seemed very natural so neither of them moved away.

‘Goodnight, Tom. Goodnight, Cathy,’ the twins said eventually when they thought the tape might be running out.

‘They knew we were here,’ Cathy said in surprise.

‘Imagine,’ said Tom Feather as he stroked her hair.