Have Yourself a Merry Little Scandal: a Christmas collection of Historical Romance (Have Yourself a Merry Little... Book 1)

by Anna Campbell

  “What the devil?”

  Someone was downstairs knocking loudly and insistently on the front door. Harry bolted from his chair and made for the stairs.

  “I’m coming—just hold on!” he cried.

  The banging continued on unabated as he crossed the tiled foyer and skidded to a halt at the front door.

  “Alright, alright. Could you at least save the hinges?” he said, pulling the door open.

  With hand raised ready to pound the timbers once more stood Alice. She was soaking wet, her clothes in a terrible state. Her long dark hair was plastered to her head.

  “Oh, thank god you are home!” She pushed her way inside and slammed the door behind her. For a moment, she stood dripping water on the floor while she caught her breath. “Patience is gone,” she whispered.

  “What?”

  “Cuthbert came back for her. They are going to elope.”

  Oh, bollocks. “But I saw him get on board the coach last night. How the hell did this happen?” he replied.

  And you called off the watch dogs, so no one was following Patience. You dolt!

  Alice threw up her hands. “Patience went for a walk this morning, and of course I didn’t think anything of it. From what I can gather, Cuthbert must have tracked her down at that time, and convinced her to go to the party we were at tonight. She disappeared some thirty minutes ago, and then a footman eventually came and handed me her note.”

  Think. Think. What is to be done? Where could they be?

  Harry clenched his fists, angry with himself for having underestimated Cuthbert. “I know this is a stupid question, but would you have any idea as to where they were headed? The problem being that there are dozens of coaching companies in London; it would be nigh on impossible to catch them if we don’t know their destination,” he replied.

  Alice sighed. “You said that Cuthbert was on the run from Scotland. Which means they might not head north. If they don’t, they will need a marriage license in England. If they want to get an ordinary license, they are going to have to hide out somewhere until they can find a minister. So, no, I have absolutely no idea where they could be headed.”

  The desperation in her voice was heartbreaking.

  Harry took a step back and sought to clear his mind. There was a piece of the puzzle missing. “The Grand Hotel. That is our best chance,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “When Stephen took Cuthbert last night, they went directly to the coaching company. I can only hope that our friend has gone back to the hotel to retrieve his things. If not, we may have a real problem on our hands.”

  He was grasping at straws, but it was the only thing that made sense in the moment. And it was all he had. “Wait here; I’ll get my pistol. This blackguard clearly only understands violence.”

  “What about your other friends, could they assist?” she replied.

  Harry was already halfway up the stairs. There wasn’t time to send word to the other members of the RR Coaching Company. If they didn’t intercept Cuthbert and Patience at the Grand Hotel, they would never be able to stop them fleeing London.

  “Too late!” he cried.

  He was back in under a minute, more than a little grateful that Stephen had had the good sense to always have a cleaned and loaded pistol on the top of the dresser in his room.

  “Tell me you made the carriage wait for you when you got here?” he said.

  “Yes, of course.”

  Grosvenor Street to Covent Gardens was a journey of little over a mile, but every minute Harry and Alice spent in the carriage was time when he worried that they may arrive at the Grand Hotel just a minute too late.

  As the hack slowed and turned into the rear mews, Harry flung the door open and jumped out. The momentum set him at a run from the time he hit the ground.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a footman carrying a bag down the stairs, heading for a nearby carriage. He didn’t have time to consider whether it was Cuthbert’s bag or not.

  “Stop!” he bellowed.

  The footman reared back in surprise at the sight of Harry running full pelt at him while brandishing a pistol.

  The footman dropped the bag. “Please. Please don’t shoot me. I only work here.”

  The carriage door opened, and Cuthbert Saint stepped out.

  “I think I am the man you are looking for, Lord Steele,” he said.

  He turned and helped Patience North down from the carriage. At the same time, Alice appeared at Harry’s side.

  “Oh, thank God we found you. I would never have forgiven myself if we didn’t,” she said.

  The expression on Patience’s face was less favorable. She glared at her sister. “I knew you were behind all this; you couldn’t let me be happy. Are you so jealous that you would keep me from my true love?”

  Harry shot a look in the direction of the hotel footman; his eyes were wide with interest. He couldn’t blame the man. It wasn’t every day that a domestic drama was played out in the rear mews of a posh London hotel.

  “Do you think we could have a few minutes privacy somewhere inside?” asked Harry.

  Cuthbert frowned, but to Harry’s relief, Patience finally lived up to her name. “Alright. Let’s go and talk. If anything, it will give me the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to my sister.”

  The four of them followed the footman back inside and were shown into a downstairs sitting room. There was a twin pair of soft, leather couches, but no one took a seat.

  Harry closed and locked the door before leaning back on it. No one would be leaving the room without his say so. The pistol remained pointed at Cuthbert.

  He was about to say something when Alice suddenly rounded on her sister and let fly. “Are you out of your mind, Patience? That man is nothing more than a cold, heartless blackguard who only wants to wed you for money. I was trying to protect you from making a momentous mistake. Instead of attacking me, you should be saying thank you.”

  Patience came and stood by Cuthbert’s side, slipping her hand into his arm.

  Shit. This is not good. He has her on his side.

  The fact that they were in a hotel meant the chances of Harry being able to shoot Cuthbert and get away with it were nil. And without the assistance of his fellow rogues, he wouldn’t even be able to stage a decent kidnapping. Damn.

  Time to see who will blink first.

  He took a chance and cocked the pistol, aiming it at Cuthbert’s heart.

  “Cuthbert Saint, or should I say Cuthbert Leigh, it is time you told Miss Patience North the truth. I want to hear your full confession here and now or I shall pull the trigger.”

  Patience nodded at Cuthbert. “Go on. Tell them everything.”

  The look which passed between the couple tore the last vestiges of hope from Harry. They were in love, and unless he was prepared to commit murder, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to keep them apart.

  Cuthbert faced Alice. “Yes, I came to London seeking a wife with means. I chose your sister because she was kind enough to speak to me at a party. Once I understood who she was and the depth of your father’s pockets, I decided to do all I could to woo and convince her to elope with me.”

  Alice put her hands together, prayerlike, and with tear-filled eyes turned to her sister. “See? He is a scoundrel. Now can we please go home and try to forget this ever happened? I won’t even mention it to Mama and Papa.”

  “Alice, let him finish,” said Patience.

  Cuthbert gave a nod of appreciation. “I made every effort to get to know Patience, and the more time I spent with her, the more certain I became that I loved her. Miss Alice, it didn’t take much for me to see that you were against us being together. I had hoped that in time you might come to view me in a different light, but then things started happening over the past few days and I realized you would never consider me good enough.”

  Harry frowned. He didn’t like the way this conversation was headed.

  “You mean, I employed
someone to investigate and unmask you? Yes, I did. And I would do it again. Anything to stop my sister from throwing her life away,” said Alice.

  Patience let go of Cuthbert’s arm and crossed the floor to Alice. She wore a gentle, determined smile on her face.

  At least she is not angry.

  “I know what I am doing, Alice. Cuthbert has told me everything. From what he did in Scotland, to the secret life he has been living here in London. He was waiting for me on the corner when I went for my walk this morning.” Her gaze now shifted to Harry. “He even told me about the man who stole him off the street and forced him into a coach bound for the coast last night.”

  An awkward silence descended on the room. No one seemed willing to speak, everyone silently aware that any further revelations might well shatter the fragile mood.

  Cuthbert moved slowly toward Alice; his gaze still locked on the pistol. Patience slipped her hands into his.

  “Your sister knows everything. And I am also aware of the financial arrangements which come with marrying one of you,” he said.

  Financial arrangements? What?

  Alice huffed. “I don’t give a damn. You are a liar and a thief—that’s enough for me to know my sister should never marry you. Criminals don’t belong in my family.”

  Her words went straight to Harry’s heart like a sharp dagger. If Alice couldn’t find a way to ever accept Cuthbert marrying Patience, he had no chance.

  If only my wickedness began and ended with a few stolen trinkets.

  “I’m sorry, Alice, but you don’t get to decide this matter. When we were out this morning and you thought I was Christmas gift shopping, I was actually at the pawnbroker’s buying back all the items which Cuthbert had sold to them. They are already on the mail coach to Scotland, returning to their rightful owner,” said Patience.

  For the second time in as many minutes, Harry found himself stunned. He was still reeling over Alice’s declaration, but hearing that Cuthbert and Patience were set on restitution had him lowering his pistol and uncocking it. If anyone could understand the reasons for a man seeking a second chance in life it was Harry.

  “What are you doing? The man is a villain!” exclaimed Alice.

  “No. He is someone who made a grave error of judgement. We have all done that at some point in our lives. Even you, Alice,” replied Harry.

  She backed away from them all, creating a distance that spoke volumes for what she clearly thought of his words. Alice slowly shook her head. “I can’t believe this is happening. Harry, I paid you to break them apart, not take his side.”

  “Miss Alice. I have never done an evil thing before in my life. Taking those things was a moment of recklessness on my part. I saw the life that being in service was set for me to my dying days. Working all hours for a pittance and never a kind word. I am not trying to justify what I did—simply explain it. If I had my time again, I would have just walked away,” said Cuthbert.

  “And what about trying to seduce my sister?” replied Alice.

  Cuthbert shook his head. “I fell in love with Patience the first time I met her. I just didn’t know how I could find a way to be honest and still win her heart. In the end, I decided that the truth was all I could offer.”

  Patience lifted his hand to her lips and brushed a kiss on it. “You are a good man, Cuthbert; you just lost your way. I love you.”

  Despite what Alice wanted, there was nothing either of them could do. Patience was an adult, and if she was set on marrying Cuthbert, only publicly denouncing him would stop her from doing so. No matter what she might think of him, Harry couldn’t stand idly by and let Alice destroy Cuthbert.

  “May I suggest something?” he said.

  He did his best to ignore the hopeful gaze Alice sent his way. If she was looking for him to be her savior, she was going to be disappointed.

  “Once Mister and Mrs. North return to England, Cuthbert Saint shall make his introductions. Cuthbert Leigh will, of course, have to stay dead, but I don’t see any of us having a problem with that. A proper courtship can then take place. That plan will depend on the four of us agreeing never to tell about the items which Cuthbert took and for his past to remain permanently hidden,” said Harry.

  “And I can give Cuthbert enough money to be able to live on in the meantime,” added Patience.

  Alice threw up her hands. “Utter madness.” And with that, she headed for the door.

  When she got to Harry, she fixed him with a hard, hateful look. “Get out of my way. And if I ever see you again, I will have you clasped in irons.”

  Chapter 18

  Alice went home, found the key to her father’s study, and helped herself to a full bottle of brandy from the sideboard. She still wasn’t certain whether she particularly liked the drink or not, but after the events of the day, strong alcohol was well in order.

  And none of that just a sniff in the bottom of the glass either.

  She was sitting feet-up on the occasional table in the family sitting room, well into her second generous drink when Patience finally made it home.

  Patience dropped onto the sofa next to her with a tired sigh. “When did you start getting a taste for brandy?”

  Alice ignored her sister, making a great study of the foul liquid in her glass. The drink Harry had given her at the Temple of Diana should have been enough to inform her that she was not a brandy drinker.

  “Alice?”

  “I think we have said all we need to tonight. You have made your position clear and my opinion doesn’t count,” she replied.

  Patience rose from the sofa and returned momentarily with her own glass. She poured herself a generous serve then resumed her seat. The brandy went to her lips.

  “Oh, that’s awful. How can you drink that stuff?” she exclaimed.

  Alice snorted. “I don’t know, but after this evening’s events, I decided I needed something strong.”

  Patience set her glass on the table, and Alice followed suit. Her sister moved along the sofa and gently took hold of her hand. Alice couldn’t find it in herself to pull away. She was heartsore not just over Cuthbert and Patience, but also Harry.

  He had betrayed her. At the moment she needed him to be strong and stand his ground, he had caved.

  “You love Lord Harry Steele, don’t you?”

  She dropped her head. If only it wasn’t so obvious to the rest of the world that she had fallen for the rogue. “No. He is just as big a blackguard as Cuthbert. I could never love a man such as that. It’s impossible.”

  If only my heart believed that to be true. It would be so much easier.

  “You are not as good a liar as you think, Alice. I knew you were up to something the day I saw you talking to Lord Harry Steele. He is not the sort of man you in particular would give the time of day to unless there was a reason. You might think you were watching me make a fool of myself over Cuthbert, but I have seen the hungry looks you give to Harry. Deny it all you wish; it’s as plain as day that you love him.”

  This wasn’t how it was meant to transpire. Harry was to warn Cuthbert away, rescue Patience from herself, and then be gone from her life.

  But from that first night at Viscount Ashton’s ball, he had slowly worked his way into her heart. Stolen kiss by stolen kiss, he had claimed her. She had given him more than just money, he owned her soul.

  That night at the club had cast aside any lingering doubts she may have had about the two of them. He had told her she was living in a cage, and the moment she came under his hand, Harry had set her free.

  “What are you afraid of?” asked Patience.

  Nothing. Everything. The truth.

  If the Harry that everyone thought they knew was a ruse, and that night he had given her a glimpse of his real world, what else lay beyond? She would give anything to spend the rest of her life exploring it with him.

  She met her sister’s gaze. Cuthbert had confessed all to Patience and their love had survived. Could she do the same with Harry? “I am afr
aid that if I ask Lord Harry Steele to tell me the truth of who he is and the life he leads, that no matter how shocking it is, I will still be in love with him.”

  An arm came around her shoulder and she lay her head against Patience. The day had been long, and exhaustion threatened to overtake her.

  “I can tell you from my own experience, that your heart decides who you love. Sense and rational thought don’t always come into it. I tried not to fall for Cuthbert; he was too good to be true. But he and I were always meant to be.”

  As Alice’s eyes drifted closed, Harry’s words from that night at the Temple of Diana slipped back into her mind. “Break free of that cage and embrace who you are.”

  She was done with fighting her destiny. Tomorrow, she would confront Harry and demand he release her from all the lies and pain that stood between them.

  Only then could she truly be free of her gilded cage. Only then could there be any possible hope for them.

  Chapter 19

  “I am going to hold you to the promise that you and Cuthbert won’t elope while I am gone.”

  Patience rolled her eyes. “We are not going anywhere until after the wedding. And we won’t be getting married before Mama and Papa return home. I was never that keen on eloping anyway.”

  Alice glanced behind her sister’s back, making sure she wasn’t crossing her fingers as she spoke. She was still finding it difficult to accept that Patience and Cuthbert would soon be married; it would take time for her to learn to trust her future brother-in-law.

  The truce between the two North sisters was still holding. Their friendship and sisterly affection might well be bruised but loyalty had finally won out.

  As she and Patience stood in the grand entrance to their family home, Alice pondered whether it was wise for her to go and see Harry. She had said some truly awful things to him at the hotel. Her last words to him having been spoken in anger and pain. If he refused to see her, she could hardly blame him.

  “Will you please get in the carriage and go and do something about Harry Steele?” urged Patience.