Read The Christmas Party for Free Online Page B

be proud of what he’s achieved.’
    ‘Huh,’ Lance said.
    Their eldest was in Nepal, working as the manager of a small orphanage. They had thirty children in the home and he sometimes sent her photographs of them, all beautiful smiles and shiny faces. It was a hand-to-mouth existence and, largely without Lance’s knowledge, Melissa regularly wired him money. One day she hoped to visit him, even though he assured her that she’d be horrified by the conditions in which he lived.
    Lance snorted. ‘At least he’s doing better than Kyle.’
    It was true that their youngest boy had never really grown up and had a very hippy lifestyle that Lance totally disapproved of. He had piercings everywhere – nose, ears, lips, you name it. He had those big black earrings that made holes in your ears. Lance couldn’t even look at them. In the summer he’d work teaching surfing or, last year, with a company that offered bungee jumps off a bridge in South Africa. In the winter he headed to ski resorts in California or Europe and taught snowboarding and worked in bars. One year he’d been a chalet ‘girl’, and it felt strange to know that her son could bake a great cake whereas, due to usually having staff, she could barely boil an egg.
    ‘He’s doing fine,’ Melissa insisted. ‘He’s young yet and he’s having fun. How can we begrudge him that?’
    She could see Lance’s frown deepening and, in an effort to steer him from his favourite subject to complain about, she said, ‘How do you like the house decorations this year? Haven’t they done a great job?’
    Lance looked around him and nodded.
    The vast hall in their latest house was decorated beautifully for the festive season. She’d used the same company she’d employed last year and they hadn’t disappointed her. She was so pleased that she’d recommended them to Kirsten Benson too.
    The tree was over ten feet tall and dressed with traditional baubles in red and gold. The banister of the sweeping stairs had a holly garland weaving through it that went right up to the first floor. All the mirrors were decked with holly arrangements topped with red velvet bows. There was another tree in the living room that was just as sparkling, just as lavish.
    ‘They look great, honey. Good enough to eat.’
    ‘Speaking of which,’ Melissa said, ‘I’ve decided to cook myself this year.’ It was some time since she’d made the effort and now, at the last minute, she was wondering if she should have arranged for a chef to come in.
    ‘You don’t have to do that.’
    ‘Most of it’s being sent pre-prepared from Fortnum’s, so there’s no need to worry. Whatever we have, it will be edible.’
    Cooking was definitely not her forte. Even with a little help from her favourite store, there was still the potential for disaster and a sandwich for Christmas lunch.
    ‘The dining-room table has already been set. That looks pretty too.’ It glittered with crystal and golden charger plates – both sourced by the Christmas planners. ‘I hired all the crockery and glasses. Our china and crystal is somewhere in a storage facility, it was too much effort to retrieve it.’
    If only the boys had come home they might have had a lovely time with the family all together. As it stood, amid all this festive loveliness, she and Lance would be here alone. Lance’s career had provided for all this opulence, but it had certainly come at a high price.
    ‘We could have gone to a hotel again,’ he said. ‘Then you don’t have to do anything.’
    Frankly, she’d seen enough of hotel rooms in her lifetime. ‘That’s a lovely idea, but I would just like for us to be in our own place.’
    ‘You’re such a home bird,’ he said and hugged her tightly. ‘Now we’d better get to this Christmas party as we’re the star turn. Ready when you are, honey.’
    He held up her fur coat for her and she slipped her arms into it. Picking up her diamanté clutch bag, she sighed inside. Yet another