Love and Christmas Wishes: Three Regency Romance Novellas

by Rose Pearson

  Katie did not move, pinned to her seat. She could not speak, could not think, could not even move. Lord Halifax was acting like a madman, having shouted something to the skies that she could not understand. Forget someone? Forget who? Had he been carrying someone around in his heart for these last days, trying to forget her?

  “I am sorry, Miss Brookes,” Lord Halifax said, as he came back towards her, his steps now a little slower. “I have not lost my mind, although I can well understand why you might think it.”

  “No, indeed,” she whispered, her pulse racing as she lied. “Something is troubling you, Lord Halifax, that is plain to see.”

  He groaned aloud, throwing his head back in the same way as Samuel had done. He was a man tormented, she realized, her eyes widening as she took him in. Something was going on in his heart that he had never once told her about, that he had tried to keep hidden from her.

  “I cannot marry you, Miss Brookes,” he whispered, sinking down in the seat beside her, a picture of abject misery. “Goodness knows I have tried, but it is entirely without hope. I am a foolish man indeed to turn away from you when I know that there might be much happiness in our marriage, but I cannot do so when my heart belongs to another.”

  Katie accepted this quietly, feeling a strange sense of mirth filling her heart. Lord Halifax looked at her from under heavy brows, evidently waiting for her to either erupt in anger or break down in sobs.

  “You care for another?” she repeated, a slow sense of happiness beginning to flood her soul. “You cannot marry me because you cannot forget her?”

  “That is just so,” he replied, heavily. “Can you ever forgive me, Miss Brookes?”

  She laughed then, her heart freed from its anxiety and its doubts. Peals of laughter escaped her, rushing through the grounds and echoing through the trees. Lord Halifax stared at her as though afraid his actions had brought about some sort of madness, which only made her laugh all the more.

  “Oh, Lord Halifax, you cannot know what a relief this is to me!” she exclaimed, grasping his hand tightly. “For I came here this afternoon hoping to bring an end to our association!”

  His mouth fell open, his eyes widening all the more as he blinked in astonishment.

  “I do not care for you in that way, for my heart belongs to Mr. Putnam,” she explained, her laughter finally subsiding. “There is too much to explain as to why I have not been able to find a happy end with him but, having considered things long and hard, I came to the conclusion that I could not be happy with you when I loved him so terribly.”

  “My, my,” Lord Halifax breathed, pushing one hand through his hair and looking more relieved than she had ever seen any man before. “Then we will part as friends, then.”

  She smiled at him, her happiness overflowing. “Yes, of course, Lord Halifax. I just pray that you will be able to find your love returned.” Tilting her head, she looked into his eyes and saw the sadness there, the smile fading from her face. “You do not think it will be?”

  “No,” he said, dropping his gaze. “I think she is to wed another.” Slowly, his eyes traveled back up towards her. “I think she is to marry George Grainger.”

  Katie froze in place, completely and utterly astonished.

  “Yes, Miss Brookes, it is quite true,” he said heavily, seeing her shock. “I am completely and utterly in love with your sister, Miss Jane Brookes.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Did you have a pleasant walk with Viscount Halifax this afternoon, Katie?”

  Katie did not immediately answer. Instead, she took another bite of her game pie and chewed it slowly and carefully before turning her attention to her mother. The dining room was warm and pleasant, the green foliage placed about the mantlepiece and windows bringing to mind that Christmas would soon be upon them but, for the moment, it did not bring any sort of joy to Katie’s soul.

  “Thank you for asking, Mama,” she said, slowly. “Yes, I did have a pleasant walk today. We spent a good deal of time conversing as we walked around the grounds.”

  Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “There has not been any sort of argument, I hope,” she said, questioningly. “I did see Lord Halifax gesticulating in a rather wild sort of way at one point, Katie. Tell me you did not upset him?”

  Katie tipped her head and regarded her mother shrewdly. “You were watching us, Mama?”

  “Of course,” her mother replied, without even a hesitation. “One must be careful to mind one’s daughters, for propriety’s sake. You did not even take the maid with you.”

  Katie bit her lip, forcing herself not to shoot back a short, sharp answer. Her father lifted one eyebrow as he sat to her left, looking between Katie and his wife and back again. “You did not take the maid, Katie?” he asked, after a moment. “Why ever not?”

  Letting her gaze linger on her mother for just a second longer, Katie turned towards her father. “Mother told me she could not spare the maid, Papa,” she replied, truthfully.

  Her mother began to bluster, muttering something about the servant’s Christmas boxes, but Katie saw that her father ignored this completely. “But Viscount Halifax and I stayed within the grounds. We were quite proper, I assure you,” she promised.

  Her father did not smile but instead gave his wife a rather disapproving look. Mrs. Brookes did not notice this at all, her bluster beginning to blow away as she continued to eye Katie with her slightly narrowed gaze.

  “However,” Katie continued, feeling anticipating rising slowly in her chest. “However, I think it my duty to inform you both that the viscount has proposed to me.”

  A startled gasp came from her mother, as though she could not quite believe that Katie had been so successful. One hand was pressed to her heart, her face finally free of the irritation and suspicion that she had worn ever since they had sat down to dinner.

  “This is wonderful news,” her father said softly, although his eyes were filled with what appeared to Katie to be nothing more than concern. “Tell me, my dear girl, did you accept him?”

  Her mother snorted, as though the vicar were asking something completely preposterous. “Of course she accepted him! Katie knows what we expect. Besides, a titled gentleman is much better suited to her than a man who is nothing more than a lowly employee.”

  Bristling, Katie placed her hands in her lap and forced herself to remain silent, concentrating on nothing more than her breathing so that she would not respond in anger to her mother. It would not help her to lose her temper now, not when she had so much to say and so much to discover.

  “I have already spoken to Katie on the matter, my dear,” the vicar replied, to Mrs. Brookes. “I have informed her that I would prefer it if she chose with her heart, rather than her head. You may have been pushing her towards the titled gentleman, my dear, but I have not joined you in that. It has been a little too late for my involvement, however, for it seems that you have made up your mind.” This last sentence was directed towards Katie, and she found herself smiling gently at her father, appreciating that he had attempted to guide her, albeit perhaps a little too late.

  “I did not accept him,” she said, quietly, hearing her mother’s swift intake of breath. “Nor did I reject him. Viscount Halifax soon withdrew his proposal.”

  There was nothing but a stunned silence for a short time, which gave Katie a strong feeling of self-satisfaction. There was something about watching her mother turn the color of puce that made her feel almost triumphant, realizing just how much her mother cared for things like title and fortune instead of her own daughter’s happiness.

  “I would have refused him anyway, had he not withdrawn it,” she added, just to shock her mother further. “I have quite decided against him.”

  “This – this cannot be,” her mother whispered, her hands beginning to visibly shake as she set her cutlery down. “What did you do, Katie?” Her voice began to grow stronger as two dots of color appeared in her cheeks. She pointed one long, bony finger towards Katie, her whole body going ta
ut with rage. “What did you do?”

  “That is quite enough, I think,” the vicar interrupted, sending his wife into yet another spasm of shock. The vicar, who had never once said very much to either his wife or to his daughters about matters of the heart, now turned towards Katie with a smile, ignoring his wife’s frustrations. “So you refused him, my dear. Or rather, he withdrew his proposal. Is there any particular reason why?”

  Katie watched with a touch of amusement as he held up one hand to silence his now spluttering wife, feeling almost glad that her father had finally taken an interest in her and, in his own way, was defending her against her mother’s fierce will. “Yes, Papa, there is,” she said, slowly, thinking of Jane and her reasons for running away to London. Everything had become quite clear the moment Viscount Halifax had confessed his love for her sister. “It is because Lord Halifax is quite in love with another.”

  “Another?” Mrs. Brookes screeched, looking utterly horrified. “Then you did not try hard enough to capture his heart, Katie! This is entirely your –”

  “He cares for Jane, Mama,” Katie interjected, quietly.

  This brought a shocked silence to the table, her mother now sagging back into her chair as though she simply could not cope with hearing any more.

  “And I am quite sure now that Viscount Halifax is the reason Jane left for London with barely more than a word,” Katie continued, her heart breaking for her sister. “Viscount Halifax has quite the wrong impression about George Grainger, which is why he continued to court me, but when it came time to propose and to seriously consider the future, he could not do it without thinking of Jane.”

  “My, my,” the vicar murmured, looking at her thoughtfully. “Jane. Who would have thought it possible?” He immediately looked chagrined at these words, shame creeping into his features. “But then again, I should know that it is not the outward appearance that matters.”

  Katie managed a tight smile, her heart filled with sadness. “We have all overlooked Jane in our own way,” she replied, daring a sharp glance towards her mother. “By rights, she ought always to have been put forward to the viscount first instead of me. Had she been encouraged to do so, then we might now be looking at a very different situation.”

  Her mother let out a small cry of frustration, covering her face with her hands.

  “And now Jane is gone to London,” her father replied, ignoring his wife completely. “Should I send for her?”

  “No,” Katie said quickly, her smile leaping back onto her face. “Viscount Halifax is not about to waste any time there. He intends to pursue her in London, I think. So you may have your wedding after all, Mama.”

  Her mother said nothing but shook her head, an expression of pain and frustration etched into her features.

  “And you?” her father asked, softly, leaning forward so that he might fix his gaze upon Katie entirely. “Why were you set on refusing Viscount Halifax, Katie?”

  Now it came to it. Drawing in a long, steadying breath, Katie closed her eyes for a moment to gather her strength. The moment she said these words aloud, she felt quite sure that the truth would come out and she would need her strength to retain her composure.

  “I intend to ask Mr. Putnam to court me,” she stated, unequivocally. “He and I have been the dearest of friends for a very long time and, even though I know he cares for me deeply, he has been unable to offer me a future with him.” She lifted her chin and fixed her gaze upon her mother, who was now glaring at her with a dark, unflinching gaze. “That is something I intend to pursue regardless of what he fears.”

  “No,” her mother snarled, shaking her head. “I will not have any daughter of mine married to a poor steward. You have wealth, Katie! You have a large dowry and an annuity that will keep you until your last days! You cannot throw away such things onto a man who is in your own father’s employ. I will not have it!” These last words were spat at Katie with such vehemence, she felt as though her mother had reached across the table and slapped her. Her cheeks grew hot and she forced her hands together in her lap, determined to keep her temper.

  “I have already decided what I shall do, Mama,” she replied, coolly. “I will not be stopped this time. Not when I love him as I do.”

  Her mother let out a shriek of rage, got to her feet and slammed one fist down onto the table. “No, Katie, you will not!” she shouted, her voice bouncing off the walls of the dining room as she roared. “If you do, it will be the end of you both! Do you hear me? You will have nothing!”

  Katie said nothing, a small smile curving her lips as she watched her mother slowly realize what she had said. The vicar was now watching his wife with an almost incredulous look, although he had gone rather pale as she had spoken. Mrs. Brookes sank back down into her chair, her bright red face slowly beginning to cool as she took her seat again.

  “What did you do, my dear?”

  The vicar’s voice was gentle, yet firm. He was no longer looking at Katie but rather had his gaze resting steadily on his wife, seeing her shake her head as she turned her face away from him.

  “Did you speak to Mr. Putnam already?” the vicar pressed, as Katie continued to clasp and unclasp her fingers in her lap. “What did you say?”

  Silence met his words.

  “I think,” Katie said, softly. “I think you might have suspected that Mr. Putnam had an affection for me, mama. I think you told him that, when he took on his duties as my father’s steward, he could not allow those feelings to continue.” Her mother shot her a dark look from under her lowered brows but Katie continued on regardless, seeing that she was reaching the truth. “You warned him that, should anything begin to develop between us, that he would lose his position here. That would mean losing his home, would it not? Because the cottage is tied to the steward, which means that should Mr. Putnam be released from his position, he would have to find a new home.”

  “Prudence,” the vicar breathed, as though he could not quite believe his wife had done such a thing. “You did not say those things, did you?”

  “I told him…..” Mrs. Brookes trailed off, looking away from her husband as though she could not bear to have him look at her. “Yes, I told him as much. And that Katie would not be given her dowry nor her annuity, should they wed.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at Katie, her lips in a long, thin line. “It was for your best, Katie,” she finished, as though this was a reason for what she had done. “You deserve better than Mr. Putnam!”

  Katie lifted her chin, her throat aching with what she had heard from her mother. This was the reason behind Samuel’s refusal to pursue their happiness, the reason that he had pushed her away again and again. And it had all been nothing more than a lie. “I deserve to choose my own husband, Mama,” she replied, softly, without any trace of malice in her voice. “And I choose Mr. Putnam. I choose him because I love him. I love him more than I can express and I know he loves me in return. How could I marry another when I have such love in my heart?” Her smile was sad, seeing her mother’s ongoing anger and frustration over Katie’s words. “It seems, Mama, that you are going to have to endure a lowly steward as your son in law. That is, if you, Papa, will let him seek your approval for my hand.” She turned pleading eyes towards her father, who was, to her utter shock, looking at his wife with tears in his eyes.

  “Of course, I will give him my blessing, Katie,” he replied, brokenly, without so much as glancing at her. “I will give it to you both without question. Mr. Putnam is a good man.”

  “Yes, he is,” Katie replied, awash with relief as her heart began to sing with a fierce, deep joy.

  “Do go on, my dear,” the vicar continued, finally giving her one long, somber look. “Your mother and I have some things to discuss.”

  She nodded, getting up from the table and turning away from them both at once. “Thank you, Papa,” she whispered, walking towards the door. “Good night.”

  Chapter Eleven

  It was much, much too early to be knocking on Samuel
Putnam’s door, but Katie did not care. Given that she had barely slept a wink last night, such had been her anticipation about finally speaking openly to the man she loved, she had dressed the moment the first light of dawn had hit the sky and was out of the house within the hour.

  It was, also, most improper for her to be calling upon a gentleman in such a manner but given that they were to be wed very soon, she did not think that it would matter all that much, especially since there would be no-one about to see her. Her heart was full, beating with such swiftness that it quite took her breath away.

  “Kate?”

  The door swung open to reveal Samuel standing in the doorway, already dressed and ready for the day.

  “You should not be here.”

  “But I must speak to you,” she insisted, putting one foot in the doorway. “We can talk out of doors if you wish, although it is bitterly cold.” She smiled at him, feeling her very soul sing with joy upon seeing him. “I think there might be some mistletoe yet to gather.” This did not bring any light to his expression, for he was not smiling back at her, of course, but rather looked almost grief-stricken, his eyes resting on her for a moment before darting away again. “Please, Samuel,” she said, softly. “There is a lot to say and I cannot hold it in for much longer.”

  “If it is to do with what might be between us, then my answer must remain the same,” Samuel replied, bitterly, dropping his head. “I cannot let you in, Kate.”

  “Then walk with me,” she begged. “Just for a few minutes.”

  He looked about to refuse but she stepped forward and put one hand on his arm. When he looked into her eyes, she caught her breath, hating that there was still such a depth of pain there. “I have spoken to my mother,” she said, softly, seeing the rush of awareness in his expression. “And my father also. I understand now what you were trying to do, Samuel.”