Christine's tone and manner when Bob Welch was mentioned in that Dance rehearsals interview says everything. She was NOT happy with him. Mick, on the other hand, seemed compelled to mention him.
Re: the date of Bob's leaving. My guess is early-to-mid December. However, Bob was already cogitating an exit. Band lawyer Mickey Shapiro remembers Bob coming to visit him just a week after Mick Fleetwood had a consultation. The purpose of Bob's visit was to say he wanted out. Mickey was aghast at the circumstances of his new clients.
Whatever the date of his exit, it is quite clear from all accounts that Fleetwood and the McVies did NOT want Bob to leave. They had steady, modest success with Bob and didn't want to lose it. In 1974, Bob was their main link to the label and, as Mick has written in his magnum opus ;-), their "de facto manager" until Bob pushed Fleetwood and McVie to take a more active role in their own management. They had to be scared out of their minds when he quit.
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