Judy did not look impressed, and in fact was already distracted, watching Jack open her next present. But several of the adults were close enough to have heard her questions, and reminded of the grandparents they all shared, had a few more comments to make.

Travis said, “I wonder if he ever liked this place, considering how much he hated it at first.”

“Course he did, since she was in it,” his brother replied. “Makes a world of difference if you’ve someone to share things with.”

Anthony commented, “Find it remarkable that he agreed to brighten the place up himself. Wouldn’t catch me wielding a bloody hammer.”

“No?” his wife said pointedly.

“Well . . . perhaps.” Anthony grinned. “Wonderful thing, the proper incentive, specially when it yields wonderful results.”

Roslynn rolled her eyes, but it was Derek who said with a chuckle, “You’ll have to admit, they did a good job on fixing the place up. For all its huge size, Haverston still has a homey feel to it.”

“Only because it’s been your home,” his wife replied pointedly. “To those not raised here, it has more the feel of a royal palace.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Georgina agreed.

“American thoughts don’t count, George,” James told his wife dryly. “After all, we know quite well you won’t find such grandeur in those primitive States of yours, barbaric as they still are.”

Anthony chuckled at that, nodding across the room to where Warren was sitting on the floor before the Christmas tree with one of his twins on each knee, quite involved with helping them to open their presents. “Wasted that one, old man. The Yank didn’t hear you.”

“But this Yank did,” Georgina replied, giving James a jab in the ribs to show how much she appreciated his disparaging remarks about her country.

He grunted, but it was to Anthony that he replied, “Do be a good chap and remind me to repeat it later, when he is within hearing.”

“You may depend upon it,” Anthony replied.

They were, after all, united when it came to their nephews-by-marriage, against them, that is, despite their merciless barbs reserved for each other when the “enemy” was not around.

Reggie came by, passing out a few presents, one of which she dropped in James’s lap. It was from Warren.

“See if that doesn’t change your mind about keeping today, of all days, friendly,” she said.

He raised a brow at her, but opening the package, he chuckled. “Hardly, puss,” he said, examining a small bronze caricature of an obvious English monarch looking decidedly silly. “Couldn’t ask for a nicer gift, though.”

Since it was a gift meant to provoke, James would be delighted with it. Warren was his preferred and most challenging barb-slinging choice, after all, with Reggie’s husband coming in a close second.