They expected a storm to break over their heads once they entered the house, but when they got there all was silent. Stuart carried the sleeping child to the nursery and Lucinda bid her good night in the hall. And she did a remarkable thing.
She embraced Patience and kissed her cheek. “Not a very happy Christmas but we shall do better next year. I must for the sake of Jamie.”
Lucinda went to her room and Stuart came to bid Patience good night. “Must not keep the team standing. It’s getting colder.”
“One more day,” Patience said. “Lucinda has informed them they are not staying into the New Year.”
“I like her better and better.” He leaned toward her and kissed her on the cheek, then left. And he left her wanting more from him.
The reemergence of her love came as the greatest gift of the season. She could now look into the future without dread…and believe in possibilities.
Chapter Five
Stuart thought that if the servants had outdone themselves with the Christmas Eve dinner, they surpassed themselves for the Christmas Day meal where Jamie was allowed to attend. The presence of the child seemed to have called a truce among the guests until the afternoon. But the failure of William to arrive for dinner set Patience on edge and her mother thought of every dire event that might have detained him.
The sun shone timidly but then ducked behind a cloud, perhaps to avoid the storm brewing in the drawing room. Lucinda’s brother had finally gotten up and was being interrogated by his father as to why he was so late and why he had arrived in such a state. Lucinda played a game with her son on the rug by the fire. Patience had been persuaded to play some pieces on the piano but she stilled her hands when the two men started sniping at each other.
“If you must know, I only came with the greatest dread,” said Samuel. “You threatening to make me take over the running of this house? That’s a laugh. I shouldn’t know how to go about it.” He looked toward his sister. “That’s the truth, Lucy. I’d make a terrible mess of it and I just won’t do it.”
“No one expects you to, Samuel,” Lucinda said.
“Father does.”
“Father does not know whereof he speaks. I am running Heatherfield now with the able help of Stuart, Mr. Wharton and Patience, if she is so kind as to spare me some of her time.”
Patience and Stuart both nodded, causing Lucinda’s father to take on the color of the red-current pudding they’d just had. “You can’t do it, girl. You haven’t the sense.”
“She most certainly does,” Stuart said. “After only a few hours, she has grasped the reins and I don’t think she will need me at all unless it be to dislodge annoying relatives.”
“Mother and I will stay as long as we are needed,” Patience said. “Uncle Percy will not. He will find some employment if he knows what’s good for him.”
“I am going to keep house for Percy,” her mother volunteered. “I have my income at least.”
Percy winced at this and Mr. Thurston was still gaping like a fish when Stuart pulled Patience to her feet and suggested a walk.
“Always leave the field while you are winning?” she asked as he bundled her into her cloak.
“Or leave someone competent in command.” He shut the front door behind them and pointed down the drive. “Shall we go as far as Greenways to visit your mare? You might get cold.”
She looked up at the sky with hope. “Perhaps the sun will emerge again.”
“No, it’s starting to snow. I can hear the little click of the flakes on my hat, and bells somewhere. It must be a team of horses.”
“There’s something purifying about snow,” she said as she gazed at the whitening landscape. The fields looked pristine rather than barren, the cottage roofs blanketed rather than leaky and the hedgerows festooned instead of untidy. If only she were as adept at sleight of hand as nature. Was it lying to put a pure face on common things or did the snow reveal a beauty she would have otherwise not seen?
He held out his gloved hand to watch the flakes alight. “It turns green to white, dirty to clean and boredom to wonder.”
“Well said.” She looked at her new gloves and watched the flakes fall one by one then noticed something moving on the road. “Oh, look, that is Uncle William’s old carriage. He always wears bells on his team for Christmas. I should have remembered. He missed dinner but he shall have a nice tea with us even if we have to retreat to the kitchen.”
“He’s your father’s brother?”
“Right, no kin to Percy. Let’s wait and greet him.”
The older man got out of the carriage on the house side and someone else on the other side. The horses were stamping and blowing, eager to get to the stable for their feed. Once the footman turned out to unload the valises, the coachman clucked for the horses to walk on.
“I have a surprise for you, all of you,” William said as he embraced them both, his white hair poking out from under his hat.
When the carriage pulled past them to go to the stable, there stood Jack, like an apparition with snow starting to glisten on his cloak.
“Surprise!” he said, his face lined and a bit battered but undeniably Jack’s face.
“Jack? How is this possible?” Patience wobbled on her feet then ran to him and embraced him. “You were dead,” she whispered, unable to hold back her tears this time. She clutched him to her to make sure he was not a ghost. This changed everything. Or did it? Stuart was the one who had healed her. Jack was the Christmas miracle.
“I was captured. But since the war is close to over, the French turned me loose on parole on their retreat.”
Stuart joined their embrace and thumped Jack’s back. “We looked everywhere for you, finally gave you up for dead.” He held Jack out to look at him. “I should not have given up. Here I rushed home with the awful news and there was never any need.”
“Just doing your duty. What else could you assume? That damn river was nearly the death of me. Got the devil of a cold. You took ship before I could catch up with you. Where is Lucinda and little James?”
“William and I will go and get them. Stay here so you can have a moment alone with them. I must tell her gently so she isn’t too shocked.”
“Wait.” Jack grabbed his sleeve. “First let me thank you for coming to fulfill my last wish—even though it isn’t to be my last wish. But I imagine you did a similar thing with your own will?”
Stuart laughed to the heavens. “Not even remotely. I left everything to Patience.” He stroked her cheek then went to get Lucinda.
Patience blinked at this revelation. Here she had been upset because Stuart wanted to take the handling of Jack’s estate away from her and Stuart had entrusted his whole estate to her. It made her realize he wanted more than a wife to shelter under his protection. He wanted a partner in life. “I’m sure he meant no offense, Jack.” She embraced him again then stepped back to look at his scars. In spite of all, he still had that wicked smile. How she had missed that.
“He was absolutely right. You are the only sensible one among us. Had there been no title, I would have done the same.”
She dashed the tears from her cheeks and took his arm. “I am so sorry for all the terrible things I said to you before you left.” Why had she never put that into a letter that would have been some comfort to him in Spain? Finally, she had overcome her pride and guilt.
“Don’t even think of that. And I am sorry for stealing Stuart from you, though we had much need of him. Am I forgiven?” He tilted his head the same way Stuart did when he wasn’t sure about something.
“Of course.” She felt her heart come down to a more normal beat. “You will find Lucinda much changed. She has, as Stuart says, grasped the reins here at Heatherfield and quite supplanted all of us. I suggest you leave the running of the place to her and your new agent.”
“I shall do whatever she desires.”
Stuart appeared in the doorway with a disbelieving Lucinda. He carried James in his arms.
�
�If this is a joke it isn’t funny. My God! It’s Jack.” She flung herself at him and kissed his face and wept over him until Patience thought she would make icicles on his face. “Jack, we get a second chance. It will be different this time, I promise.”
“Lucy darling, I promise as well.” They embraced for many minutes.
Patience stared in wonder at the change in these two. If Jack and Lucinda, who had been miles apart a few years ago, could promise themselves a new future then surely she and Stuart could make a happy marriage no matter what lay ahead.
Finally, Stuart handed over James. “Papa?”
“Yes, I am and I will never leave either of you again.” The three embraced, Jamie seated on Jack’s arm and grasping him about the neck.
“Did you tell the others?” Patience asked Stuart.
“Not just yet. They need a few moments and I have a question I want to put to you.”
“Yes.”
“Will you marry me?”
“I already said yes.”
“That is such a relief. I have been treading on eggs this whole holiday, afraid I would frighten you away.”
“Yet knowing how much I needed you to wake me from my sadness. I am sorry I made things so difficult for you. I was frozen in my grief and you managed to thaw me.”
“There is something I have to know. Is your acceptance because Jack is home, because you are no longer grieving? He has healed us all and made Christmas a time of joy.”
“No, not because of Jack.” She put her arms around him. “I was going to say yes next time you asked me. It is you who have healed me.”
“How?” He embraced her, warming her against his chest.
“Because you helped me remember how much I love you.”
“Look at your cloak.” He held up the dark wool and watched it glitter in the faint sun. “Diamonds on black velvet just like last night.”
“Yes, now let me remind you how much you love me.” She drew him into a kiss to equal that shared by Jack and Lucy. Jack had said it all in his letter. Love can’t ever die. It might take a few bumps and bruises, but true love kept going on and on.
They were still sealed together when her mother shrieked from the doorway. By then, William had convinced everyone Jack was real so they had a small celebration on the front stoop. Eventually all filed inside where there was no more contention. Jack’s reappearance hadn’t changed them. They had just realized how petty their differences had been, how selfish they were not to enjoy a season of giving.
Patience could hear the infectious laughter ripple through the house as the servants were told. Probably they would send a boy running to Greenways to let Jeffers and the other servants know about their miracle.
As Jack and Lucinda played with James on the rug, she and Stuart huddled together on the chilly window seat and gazed into the fire. The new Yule log had caught well from the old piece saved from last year. There was no harm in looking back now, and every hope for the future. She could see her and Stuart on their own hearth someday playing with their children.
Christmas had been renewed in their hearts and she would keep it always as the most special time of year.
About Barbara Miller
Barbara Miller teaches in the Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill University. She has published mysteries, young adult novels and historical romances, including one nominated for a Rita. She lives on a farm with her husband and a pack of unruly dogs.
Barbara welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Barbara Miller
A Cotillion Country Christmas anthology
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Print books by Barbara Miller
A Cotillion Country Christmas anthology
Christmas Kisses anthology
Governess for a Week
Music Master
Reluctant Heir
Two Hearts
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
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Christmas Bequest
ISBN 9781419940774
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Christmas Bequest Copyright © 2012 Barbara Miller
Edited by Carrie Jackson
Cover design by Syneca
Photos: Wikicommons.org
Electronic book publication October 2012
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