Winter Wishes: A Regency Christmas Anthology
Page 117
It was nearing midnight when Andrew and Filomena returned to the Castle. Inside the great hall, the local gentry had gathered for a more sedate party which, under the influence of the duke’s wine, brandy, and whisky, had livened up.
At a quarter of twelve, Filomena sent for the children. Andrew had decreed that Arun and Ravi might come down for the fireworks at midnight.
At ten minutes of, she heard the clatter of boys on the stairs. The guests gathered round as Andrew and Penelope greeted the children, and Mr. Lovelace pushed up to join them.
“Have you decided upon our First Foot?” Filomena asked.
Arun raised his hand. “I want to do it. I have black hair.”
“Me, too,” Ravi said.
“You’re not tall enough, lads,” one of the neighbors said.
“Should it not be the duke?” someone else asked.
“Or Mr. Lovelace?” Filomena smiled. She’d reconciled with the scapegrace.
Lovelace bowed to her, smiling back. “The duke and I will draw straws.”
“Though I am the taller,” Andrew said.
Filomena glanced again at the pocket watch Andrew had loaned her. “Decide quickly. Midnight is almost upon us. Why not have two?”
“I want to do it, uncle,” Arun moaned.
“How much time now, duchess?”
Someone had opened the door, and a blast of cold wind hit her. Her hand trembled around the timepiece. “Two minutes.”
“We must hurry then.” Andrew sent her a wink. “The duchess has made an excellent suggestion. Come Lovelace.” He tightened the belt on Ravi’s dressing gown. “You too, lads.” He took both boys by the hands and escorted them outside.
All around her, the crowd murmured. Forbes added another glass to the tray set with whisky and cakes near the door.
“One minute,” Filomena called and then the assembly began to count down the seconds.
At midnight, the door opened to cheering, and Andrew and Lovelace bumped over the threshold together, each of them with a wiggling boy on his shoulders.
Miss Strachney clapped her hands together. “Four dark-haired handsome males. You’ll have luck in abundance, duchess.”
She gave the young lady a quick hug while Forbes brought the tray.
Filomena handed each boy a cake and held out the traditional glass of whisky for each of the men. Andrew flipped a giggling Ravi to the floor, setting him on his feet. Then he accepted the glass, tossed back his drink, and pulled her into an embrace.
He raised his head and began to sing: “Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind...”
Inside and outside, their servants, their clansmen and clanswomen, their neighbors, and all of their guests joined in, and Filomena sang also, resting her cheek on Andrew’s damp shoulder.
“You’re crying, my love?” Andrew’s smile heated her while the sweep of his thumb over her cheek made her shiver.
She’d come to Kinmarty prepared to do battle with a man she disliked, and here she was, in his arms, celebrating a new life. Could she possibly get any luckier in the year to come?
“Tears of happiness, duke.”
“Duke?” He scoffed, grinning.
“Very well. My beloved duke.” She dropped a kiss on his cheek and bit back a smile.
With a low growl in his throat, the Duke of Kinmarty swept his new Duchess into a New Year’s kiss that the people of Kinmarty talked about for years to come.
The End
About Alina K. Field
Award winning author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but her true passion is the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California and hasn’t looked back. She shares a midcentury home with her husband, her spunky, blonde, rescued terrier, and the blue-eyed cat who conned his way in for dinner one day and decided the food was too good to leave.
* * *
She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring. She is hard at work on her next series of Regency romances, but loves to hear from readers!
* * *
You can find details of her work at
* * *
www.AlinaKField.com
Join Alina’s Newsletter
Dear Reader…
Thank you so much for reading Winter Wishes. We truly hope you enjoyed our stories and that we kept you entertained for a good long while. If you loved Winter Wishes, we’d appreciate it if you would share your opinion with friends by way of review or recommendation wherever you can.
* * *
Much love and all our best for the holiday!