Jordie and Romana traveled midmorning by train to London to do the last of their Christmas shopping.

Romana hooked her arm through Jordie's, and they strolled through the icy streets as a pair with the children cavorting around them.a The streets were full of cheer and lights, last-minute shoppers hurrying to and fro, and errant children fogging up toy shop windows with their excitable nattering. Carolers roved in packs, harmonizing like earthbound choirs of angels on every corner.a

There were more benefits to this trip to town than merely getting away from Elliot. London was another country, almost another world. Nobody knew Jordie in London. She could adore her friend all she liked here, provided she was careful. She poured her all into their impromptu holiday, intent on make Romana as happy as she was able and being as happy as she could be.

On seeing a woman wrangling three oversized St. Bernards on leads and two boys in short trousers run amok, Madeline asked plaintively if she might have a dog for Christmas. Then Daniel asked for one. Troy pronounced he would prefer a marmalade cat. Madeline and Dawn began chanting 'doggy, doggy, doggy' till their mothers offered mulled cider and Christmas biscuits in a bid for quiet.

They repaired to a small coffeeshop to keep their promises and rest their already aching feet. Selfridges had been a mere stopover to pick-up the lambskin bomber jacket Jordie had ordered for Elliot before everything went awry. She would give it to him when she told him, she decided. Whatever else her life might become, she wouldn't spend any longer as his wife. Neither were happy this way. All Jordie wanted for nowadays was happiness.

"Do you know what you'll do for Christmas?" It would be Romana's first Christmas as a divorced woman. Jordie was tempted to invite Romana and the children back to hers for the Yuletide, seeing as this would be her last Christmas as a married woman. It seemed fitting they should be together for it.

"I've a large house all decked out for the holidays and plenty of rations left to me since Edgar's made himself scarce. I'll make it an event for the children to remember, regardless of whoever attends."

"Surely, not everyone has deserted you."

"Not everyone, no, but enough. You're welcome to join us for dinner or on Boxing Day. I'll feed you up right."

"You don't have to feed me to get me to visit."

"I love—well, feeding you isn't any trouble. It means I get to see you." She averted her gaze, busying herself clearing up a puddle of cider spilled on the table by one of the girls.

"I like seeing you as well."

Romana eyed, her smiling with growing hope. "We should travel together sometime. A proper holiday. Have you been to Italy?"

"I haven't."

"I'll take you. My friend Louise swears by it, and she's been everywhere.."

"We want to go too," piped up Dawn. She was becoming ever more opinionated these days. Privately, Jordie thought it was down to the time spent in the Gentrys' company. A girl couldn't see Romana as often as Dawn had without absorbing a bit of her audacity by osmosis.

"Of course, you'll come too. We couldn't go without our daring assistants, could we, Jordie?"

"Not at all. It wouldn't be the same without any of you lot underfoot."

The children fell into jumbled conversation about what one might get up to in Italy as none of the had been there. Their suppositions were of the fantastical variety: climb Mt. Vesuvius, visit Pompeii. Eat all the food in a single day. Swim in the ocean and vanquish the Kraken. See Zeus and unleash the Titans of olde, contributed Daniel. He had been reading Troy's books on the Greek and Roman mythology, and was becoming confusingly well-read on the subject, though he hadn't quite mastered the meaning of 'myth and legend' yet. Nor learned to distinguish Greek gods from their Roman counterparts.

The instep of a foot glanced off Jordie's calve, startling her from the sweet exchange. Romana was sipping her piping hot tea serenely, a hint of a smile dancing on her lips whilst she listened to the children. It was Romana, it must have been Romana. Nobody else was near enough to touch Jordie in that way. Discreetly, Jordie reached underneath the table to catch the stockinged foot nudging her shin.

Romana stilled under her hand. Romana trembled and her fingers flew to her everpresent pendant. She began to avoid Jordie's eyes, focusing instead of Troy devouring his hot cross bun in raptures. Jordie cautiously skimmed her callused fingers over the ball of Romana's ankle. Romana fanned the Peter Pan collar of her blouse. Her eyes had grown dark and wide, and flashed like copper pieces in something like anticipation.

"Are you all right, Auntie Romana?" asked Troy, concerned.

"I'm all right, darling, just a touch overheated."

"It's cold out."

"It is. Now finish your hot cross bun or you'll have to leave off dessert at dinner."

Jordie's daring caress continued until Troy asked for another scone and Romana warned that he might to spoil his lunch. When Dawn announced her need for the little girls' room, Madeline perked up asking for the same. Romana's foot slipped from Jordie's hand under the table. Before Jordie knew it, her friend was ushering the girls off to the ladies to take care of personal matters, leaving her to entertain Troy and Daniel. Not a difficult task. There was plenty more hot chocolate, buns, and biscuits to go around.

They were swaddled up and ready to go by the time Romana had brought the girls to the table. Jordie was going to put that moment behind her. Romana had been kidding around, surely, and Jordie had misunderstood. That was all. She needed that to be the extent of it.

Once they were out in the brisk, cold air, the tension between them eased. Romana resumed her place at Jordie's side corralling their combined brood down the pavement. Selfridges was done, now they were on to Harrods. Romana had asked and Jordie had subsided, giving in to her simple request, all in the name of her best friend's happiness. Never mind that any time spent with Romana increased her contentment as well.

Romana tentatively took Jordie's arm, as though certain Jordie would recoil from her. When that rejection failed to materialize, they resumed their previous position, prancing arm in arm through London.

"About...inside. I'm sorry, my foot slipped." Her hand fluttered to her collarbone, unwittingly revealing the lie for what it was.

"It didn't bother me, Romana. You don't have to apologize."

"You're sure?"

"Very."