Adele rested her head against him. ‘You really like her, don’t you?’

He nodded. ‘I feel as though she’s my responsibility.’

She withdrew her arm and rested her elbow on the table. ‘I know you do, but Roz is a big girl, far more capable than me. I’m sure she can look after herself – she’s a little too mature for mollycoddling.’

His eyes met Adele’s and he smiled shyly. ‘I know she can, and you’re right, I know I’m treating her like a child, it’s just …’

A smile tweaked Adele’s lips. ‘You really worry about her …’ she gazed at him, ‘… you’re smitten.’

A slight frown creased his brow. ‘Are you being rude?’

Adele burst into laughter. ‘No! It simply means you like her a lot, an awful lot. You know what I mean, like you can’t stop thinking about her, like she’s …’

‘The only girl in the world.’ He hung his head as Adele nudged him playfully.

‘That’s the ticket!’ She tilted her head to one side in the hope of gaining his attention.

Felix gave her a sidelong look. ‘Please don’t say anything to Roz – I wouldn’t want to frighten her off.’

‘I think it’s rather sweet,’ said Adele, and seeing the wry smile which crossed his face she added, ‘and before you start, I’m not being sarcastic. I really do think it’s sweet, and I think she’s lucky to have someone like you looking out for her. I don’t see why you think it would frighten her off; I’m fairly sure she must realise how you feel.’

Felix wasn’t altogether certain he understood his feelings for Roz, let alone Roz’s feelings for him. The only thing he could say for certain was that his feelings had gone way beyond being fond, and whilst he’d never been in love before, he knew from his mother that being in love meant you put the other person before yourself, and if that was the case … He looked at Adele. ‘I’ll miss you too when you go.’

‘Not like you’ll miss Roz, though, eh?’

He grinned. ‘Possibly not.’

‘It’ll be nice for her to spend her first Christmas in England with a proper family.’ Adele glanced at the other children who were sitting at different tables, making decorations from bits and bobs that the chaperones had given them. ‘I know it’s kind of fun being with so many people our own age, but Christmas is about family, and even though I don’t really celebrate Christmas, it doesn’t mean to say I wouldn’t appreciate being part of someone else’s Christmas and the comfort that comes from being in a real family.’

‘There is that,’ agreed Felix as he looped a piece of coloured paper around another before fixing it in place with glue, ‘and above anything else I just want her to be happy.’ Which was also true, but he just wished they could be happy together.