The Earl's Snow-Kissed Proposal

by Nina Milne

Now her lips turned up in a smile and his breath caught at her sheer prettiness; there was an ageless quality to her beauty—the kind that came from character and poise.

  His palms itched with a desire to swirl her into his arms and kiss her, take her mind off Tommy. Bad idea, Gabe. Been there, done that. And whilst their kiss had blown his mind, it had spooked Etta—she’d been clear that she wanted to forget it. He didn’t get why, but instinct told him the reasons were complicated. If Etta wanted to act on their mutual attraction it had to be her decision, not his.

  ‘A drink sounds good—and I have just the thing,’ she said.

  He followed her to the kitchen, where she headed to the fridge.

  ‘I know it’s probably not as high-quality as you’re used to, but I picked us up a bottle of bubbles. To toast the success of the fair.’

  The unexpectedness of the gesture halted him in his tracks.

  ‘Don’t look so surprised.’

  ‘I am surprised. The Derwents don’t go in for celebratory gestures because success is a given. Thank you.’

  ‘You’re very welcome. That must be hard,’ she added. ‘To always expect to succeed.’

  ‘I’ve never really thought about it.’

  ‘Hmm. Well, I don’t always succeed, and I’m not sure how successful our dinner is going to be either. I told Sarah she didn’t need to cook for us today—she needs to go home and put her feet up, ready for tomorrow. So I made something yesterday! Don’t get your hopes up—it’s not exactly haute cuisine. Just macaroni cheese and salad, but...’

  ‘Etta, stop apologising. This is a lovely gesture.’

  And in truth he didn’t know how to handle it.

  She pulled the macaroni cheese out of the fridge and put it into the oven, while he opened the sparkling wine, the pop of the cork reverberating round the room. He poured the frothing golden liquid into two crystal flutes and handed one over.

  ‘Cheers.’

  ‘Cheers. To a successful alliance. Your new family tree is done, the fair is on its way to success, and after tomorrow I’ll be out of your hair.’

  There was a hint of strain to her smile, and he put his glass down on the counter.

  ‘You must be looking forward to seeing Cathy again. I’ll drop you at the airport as planned.’

  Etta was flying out to New York to meet up with the cruise ship.

  ‘Actually, there’s no need.’

  He raised his eyebrows. ‘It’s no bother—it’s all part of the contract, and I want to make sure you get on board safe. Especially now Tommy has turned up. Again.’

  ‘No. I mean there’s no need because I’m not going. I’ve decided to stay home. Tommy made it clear that he intends to gatecrash Christmas, and I can’t risk leading him to Cathy.’

  ‘You can’t let Tommy dictate your actions. Even if he did make it to the cruise ship, Security would deal with him. Hell. I’ll speak to the captain.’

  Etta shook her head, her chin tilted outward. ‘Thank you, Gabe, but I’m still staying put.’

  ‘Then Tommy wins.’

  ‘No, I win. Because I know Cathy is safe.’

  ‘So what happens after Christmas? Are you never going to see Cathy again?’ He knew he shouldn’t sound so angry but frustration clenched his jaw, caused him to pace the tiled kitchen floor.

  ‘Of course not. I’ll work out a way for us to meet up and then we’ll take off for a while.’

  ‘What about her education?’

  ‘It will be like an early gap year. She will be experiencing life.’

  ‘What about money?’

  ‘I’ve still got some savings left, and I’ll let my London flat out...I’ll waitress. I’ll manage. It won’t be for long—I know Tommy will end up behind bars again.’

  ‘You cannot let Tommy screw your life up. At least give Cathy a shot at meeting him and recognising him for the creep he is.’

  Her face flushed and her hands clenched into fists. ‘You don’t understand, Gabe. You can’t.’

  ‘Try me.’

  ‘I will not let Cathy’s life be tainted or flawed by that man. He’s evil. He...’ Her voice caught, and her brown eyes were dark with a maelstrom of memories. ‘He is capable of charm—he weaves a spell that sucks you in. He will pull Cathy in.’

  ‘You don’t know that.’ Why was she so stubborn about this?

  ‘No, I don’t. But no way will I risk it.’ The laugh she gave was mirthless. ‘Think about it like an investment strategy. This is a commodity I will keep safe at any cost. I know Tommy. He entices you in but once he’s enmeshed you it all changes. He hurt me, Gabe, and worse than that he made me believe I deserved it. That I was nothing.’

  The anger that swept over him shocked him with its extremity. If Tommy were here right now he would crush him. Yet he sensed there was something more at stake here than Etta’s fear that Cathy would be sucked in.

  ‘I understood why you ran from him when you were a teenager. I don’t understand why you would run now. Not without giving Cathy a shot at seeing what a loser Tommy is.’

  ‘I can’t. I won’t take the risk.’

  Her voice was flat. Gabe studied her closed expression and realisation struck. Etta was terrified that she would lose Cathy—believed that Cathy would forsake her at the drop of a hat.

  ‘I’ve made my mind up, Gabe, and I won’t discuss it further. Please—can we drink fizz, eat macaroni cheese, and think about the fair tomorrow?’

  The tiredness in her voice swayed him into acquiescence—that, alongside the knowledge that it was her decision to make. Their deal was nearly over and he had other fish to fry. A twist of his gut was a reminder of his own Christmas plans and what he needed to be focused on—the future of the Dukedom of Fairfax was at stake.

  ‘Fizz and macaroni cheese it is.’

  Distraction therapy at its best.

  * * *

  The second day of the fair dawned even brighter, and Etta was determined to enjoy the day and keep all thoughts of her lonely Christmas to come at bay.

  As she entered the kitchen she paused in the doorway at the sight of Kaitlin Derwent, seated at the table.

  Every bit as stunning in the flesh as her photographs indicated, Kaitlin was dressed in a gorgeous hand-embroidered dress that brought out the Titian shade of her hair and showed off a figure that combined svelteness with curves. But before Etta could even register envy Kaitlin rose and smiled a poster-girl smile that she couldn’t help but return.

  ‘You must be Etta. Gabe told me how much help you’ve been with the fair.’

  Etta glanced across at Gabe, who was standing at the counter pouring cereal into a bowl, and her heart gave its familiar annoying hop, skip, and jump. This would be the last time she witnessed the Earl of Wycliffe at breakfast, and she allowed herself a sneaky glance at the breadth of his torso, the strength of his features, the spike of his blond hair. A glimmer of regret struck her—the first man in years her body was interested in and she’d passed up the opportunity to follow it up.

  Ridiculous. No regret necessary. She’d made a mature decision not to succumb to an over-the-top attraction.

  The Kiss flashed into her mind. See—an exact case in point. The Kiss had been a humdinger and very much over the top.

  Turning resolutely back to Kaitlin, she smiled. ‘I’ve had a great time.’

  ‘I need to freshen up and then I’ll be ready for duty.’

  ‘We’ll catch up properly later,’ Gabe said with a small crease on his brow as he watched his sister leave the room. He turned to Etta. ‘I need you to stick with Kaitlin today.’

  ‘She may not want me to do that.’

  ‘Tough. I want to keep an eye on both of you, and that will be easier if you’re together.’

  ‘Fine.’

&n
bsp; She could only hope Kaitlin wouldn’t mind. After all, Lady Kaitlin Derwent was used to a social circle way more sophisticated than Etta’s.

  As it turned out, Kaitlin seemed more than happy to hang out with her, and Etta could only stand back in admiration as the red-haired woman walked around the fair, exuding charm.

  ‘Come on,’ Kaitlin said eventually. ‘I’ll buy you a drink.’

  Minutes later they were seated at the back of the marquee.

  ‘So, how have you got along with Gabe?’ Kaitlin asked.

  ‘Fine.’

  The redhead hesitated. ‘Are the two of you an item?’

  ‘No. Absolutely not. No. Ick.’

  Ick? Where had that come from? Etta took a gulp of punch, welcoming the hit of rum as Kaitlin’s perfectly arched eyebrows rose.

  ‘Hey, Gabe’s not that bad. Most women would bite your arm off for the opportunity to spend time with him.’

  ‘I’m not “most women”.’

  ‘Well, he’s not most men. I know Lady Isobel didn’t do him any favours, but Gabe is a good man. Bet he hasn’t told you about his charity work.’

  ‘What charity work?’

  But before Kaitlin could answer she looked across the tent and muttered a most unladylike curse. ‘What’s wrong?’ Etta asked.

  ‘April Fotherington is headed this way.’ Kaitlin stood up. ‘I’d rather face her outside.’

  Once they were on the lawn Etta saw the dark-haired reporter sashaying towards them with a predatory gleam in her eye.

  If Kaitlin was nervous it was impossible to see; her lips were upturned in a smile of welcome with a hint of coolness. ‘April. Lovely to see you.’

  ‘And such a surprise. My sources had you at a function in Lycander, with Prince Frederick and the rest of the Lycander Royals.’

  ‘It was a last-minute decision.’

  ‘Hmm...I hope all is well with you and the Prince? I did hear a little rumour that the Lycanders had been hoping for a match with a Princess.’

  ‘I’d like to think that the Prince will make up his own mind about his marriage.’

  Kaitlin’s voice was even, but Etta could sense the tension that vibrated from her body.

  Before April could answer Gabe arrived, his body seemingly relaxed as he stood next to his sister in definitive alliance.

  ‘So no rift?’ April persevered.

  ‘None.’

  Kaitlin’s composure was enviable—due, no doubt, to a lifetime in the public eye.

  ‘Hmm...’ The reporter’s tone hinted at scepticism. ‘I’m glad to hear it. So, what about your Christmas plans? Will you be jetting back to Lycander for the Christmas Eve celebrations? They are spectacular. I was there last year, covering a story on the Prince and Sunita Greenberg—the model he was supposedly serious about. Before you came on the scene, of course.’

  ‘Of course.’

  Again her voice was level, but now a slightly strained quality had entered Kaitlin’s smile and Etta could sense the effort it took for her to hold her body poised.

  Gabe stepped forward. ‘Easy does it, April. You’re here to cover the fair—not grill my sister on her personal life.’ There was a steely undertone to his voice.

  ‘Good point.’ April turned her green gaze, alight with calculation, to Etta.

  Great. Unfortunately she didn’t have a lifetime of experience in the public eye, and a feeling of foreboding prickled her skin.

  ‘I do have a question about the fair. Etta, you have done a fabulous job—the Victorian theme is spot-on...accurate to the last detail...’

  The ‘but’ loomed, travelling at warp speed, and Etta braced herself.

  ‘But I am a little confused. You’ve been here for over three weeks. It seems a little over the top for a consultant role. Makes me wonder if there’s something else going on here... Any other aspect to your role...’

  Keep calm. This was a fishing expedition—April couldn’t know about her work on the new family tree and was way more likely to be angling for a romance story.

  Etta opened her mouth, summoned the evasion. ‘Well...fairs like this need a lot of planning.’

  ‘I understand that. But your role wasn’t to plan the whole event, but simply to consult over historical accuracy. I’m not sure I understand why that necessitated such a long stay here. I was wondering if maybe you were hired for something else. Maybe you’re writing a book, Gabe? Or maybe...’

  Etta’s mind raced. Any minute now April would mention the possibility of her researching a new family tree and she knew her face would give away the truth.

  Then Gabe stepped forward and took her hand in his, gave it a squeeze that conveyed warning. ‘OK, April. We’re busted.’

  Say what? They were?

  Apprehension sliced at her tummy even as she did her best to keep her expression neutral. No need to panic. Clearly Gabe was in possession of a plan.

  ‘I did hire Etta to help with the fair, but once she’d been here a few days...well, we got to know each other better and what we saw we liked so...’

  ‘So the two of you are an item?’ April’s gaze skittered from Gabe to Etta and back again, suspicion mingling with the hope of a nice juicy story.

  Etta remained stock still, her head awhirl with disbelief. Gabe wasn’t in possession of a plan—the man was clearly possessed.

  Suspicion won out and April shook her head. ‘And you’ve just stayed buried in the countryside for weeks? I haven’t heard even a whisper of gossip. No fancy dinners? No parties?’

  ‘The fair took precedence. But I’m going to make it up to Etta. We’re off on a Christmas break to Vienna. Surprise, sweetheart!’

  Ah! Surprise was an emotion she could do! Right now she could be more surprised than anyone. ‘Vienna...?’ she whispered.

  Sweetheart?

  ‘Yup. What do you think?’

  She thought she wanted to clock him on the head, pull on her trainers and leg it over the horizon. An alternative would be to identify this fabrication as being exactly that... But Gabe wouldn’t do this without good reason. Right?

  ‘Um... I sure am surprised,’ she managed.

  April’s gaze was focused on her. ‘You obviously weren’t expecting this? You must be thrilled to be Lady Isobel’s successor.’

  Fantastic. This gets better and better.

  Good reason or not, she would not go along with this.

  But before she could open her mouth Gabe kept right on.

  ‘Lady Isobel is the past—it’s the present I’m most interested in, and I’m looking forward to Christmas with Etta. But right now we need to get on with our fair duties.’ He turned away and then back. ‘Oh, incidentally, I believe that this also explains Kaitlin’s sudden arrival on the scene. Am I right, sis?’

  Kaitlin didn’t so much as blink a perfectly made-up eyelid. ‘Busted too!’

  An expressive lift of her elegant shoulders and a full-wattage authentic Kaitlin Derwent smile accompanied the words. AKA the barefaced lie.

  ‘I spoke to Gabe and curiosity got to me. I wanted to meet Etta in person.’

  Etta gave up, pasted a smile on her face and watched the Derwents in action. Waited until the reporter finally left to cover the fair and then spun round to face Gabe. ‘What the—?’

  ‘Not now. People are watching, and April isn’t a fool. I’ll explain later.’

  Etta was pretty damn sure that steam must be rising from her in visible waves. ‘No, you won’t. You will explain right now,’ she hissed. ‘We can go into the private bit of the house. I’m sure everyone will understand that we need some privacy, given our “relationship”.’

  Kaitlin glanced from one to another. ‘I think Etta has a point. I can hold the fort at the fair. You clearly need some quality time alone togethe
r.’

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  GABE WOULDN’T EXACTLY call this ‘quality time’. He watched as Etta strode up and down the already threadbare carpet, practically sparking with anger.

  ‘What the hell did you think you were doing? Because there is no way in this universe or any other, parallel or perpendicular, that we are going to Vienna.’

  No preamble, then.

  ‘I was salvaging the situation. A minute later and April would have rumbled the family tree surprise for my father.’

  ‘So? Who cares? I get it you want it to be a surprise, but this is a bit extreme, don’t you think?’

  ‘Look, I understand you’re angry.’

  ‘Angry? I’m livid. I’m a thesaurus of angry.’

  Each furious pace showed that.

  ‘But it’s done. At the time it seemed like the best solution. It helped Kaitlin out and...’

  And it meant he could keep his role of bodyguard, make sure Etta remained safe from Tommy whilst she perfected her relocation plan.

  ‘Now the whole world thinks we’re an item. Exactly what I didn’t want.’

  ‘I know, and I apologise for that, but I had hoped Christmas in Vienna would make up for it.’

  Etta screeched to a halt. ‘Why would you think that?’

  ‘Because it will beat spending Christmas by yourself, missing Cathy and hiding from Tommy.’

  Etta narrowed her eyes. ‘I didn’t even know you were going to Vienna.’

  Neither had he until a few days ago, when he’d discovered that Matteas Coleridge lived in Vienna and played the cello in a renowned Viennese orchestra. The knowledge had triggered a visceral need to see the man who might one day step into his shoes. Just see him—Gabe had no intent of making contact. Not yet. But he wanted to see him in his own environment.

  ‘It seemed like a good idea. Rather than rattling around here on my own.’

  ‘Why take me? What’s in it for you? I can understand why you’d take a real girlfriend, but why me?’

  Because taking a girlfriend would effectively take the spotlight well and truly away from his real motivation. He had a lot of respect for April’s tenacity and instinct for a story. If she got wind of the new family tree there was a chance she’d pull the real story together.