A Glorious Christmas of Forgiveness

by Grace Fletcher

  "Indeed. I was under the weather for a few days, but I am much improved now," Inese smiled as they both took their seat.

  "If I had not heard from you myself, I would not have believed. You are the perfect picture of health, and since you seemed healthy enough to skate with Bedford, I did not quite believe at first."

  Inese looked up. She could not remember telling Freya that she had gone skating.

  "How did you know that I went skating?"

  Freya laughed. "You have stayed long enough in London to know that news travel rather fast. A little bird told a bird that told a bird that told me."

  Inese also laughed. "I can never understand the ways of you Englishmen," she said, shaking her head.

  "You have no choice but to understand it now. Especially since you would soon be betrothed to an Englishman," Freya said.

  Inese blinked, confused. "What do you mean? I am not betrothed to anyone."

  Freya touched her lightly on the shoulder. "You don't have to pretend with me. After all, we are friends."

  "I am not pretending. I really do not know what you are talking about," Inese insisted.

  "How then is it possible that you do not know of your own betrothal? I heard that your parents have finalized plans to get you betrothed to an Englishman," Freya said in a conspiratorial tone.

  "What?" Inese was genuinely shocked. Her parents wouldn't do that. They know how much she did not want to marry an Englishman.

  "That was exactly what I heard. You know that I'm quite in tune with the gossips that fly around."

  "My parents wouldn't do that. They know quite well that I have no desire to marry an Englishman."

  "I heard that they would not be doing it directly. They plan on matchmaking you and the Englishman so that you would fall in love with him then you would have no choice but to marry him," Freya continued.

  Inese shook her head. "I will not fall in love with any Englishman," she assured herself.

  "Are you quite sure of that?" Freya asked, her brows raised as though she knew something that Inese did not know.

  "Yes."

  "Then, pray tell me you are not in love with the Earl of Bedford."

  "Bedford?" Inese's heart skipped a beat, and she could not but blush, "I do not love him."

  "The rest of London would find that hard to believe. You were both seen skating together days ago, and you danced only with him at the last ball. People are watching. You know that, right?"

  "I do not love him, and he has not shown interest in any way either. I enjoy his company because he's quite witty and funny, but that is all there is between us. My father—knowing how much I wanted to try skating—told him to teach me, and I found it quite enjoyable. In fact, I would be seeing him later today because my father invited him to dinner today to thank him for teaching me how to skate."

  Freya's eyes widened. "That is it!" she said as though she had just solved a puzzle. "How did I not think of that before?"

  "What?" Inese was getting more confused by the moment.

  "Bedford is the one your father wants you to marry," Freya whispered.

  Inese shook her head. "But that is not possible. Bedford has never shown an interest in me, and I do not love him either. He is just an acquaintance of my father, and he also wants us to...” Inese’s voice faltered off as she thought about it. What if Freya was right? In fact, the more she thought of it, the more she realized that Freya could be right.

  “I take your silence to mean that you have also been able to figure the ploy out?"

  Inese nodded and shook her head vehemently.

  "I don't think my father would want to do that to me."

  "There is a way to know if indeed he is trying to get you to marry Bedford," Freya said.

  "Really? How do I know then?'

  "Ask yourself this question: have you been thinking more and more about the Earl of Bedford ever since your father made his acquaintance? Also, have you found yourself having a special affection for him too?"

  Inese was dumbfounded. She didn't have to think about it, for she knew the truth. Her thoughts were filled with Bedford, and the fact that she found him extremely attractive made it even worse. She was beginning to have a special affection for him, and she knew that if she didn't curtail her emotions, she was going to end up falling in love with him.

  Inese shook her head vigorously. She could not afford to fall in love with Bedford. He was an Englishman.

  "I... I..." she stuttered, unsure of her feelings.

  "You do not have to tell me what you think. However, I'm sure that you know if truly your parents are trying to get you to marry an Englishman or not. Also, I am quite sure that you now know if their ploy is working or not."

  Inese opened her mouth and closed it again. She was confused.

  "Inese, I hope you have not forgotten my party which is coming up in few days," Freya said, moving on to another topic.

  Inese was grateful for the change of topic since the topic of her love life made her extremely uncomfortable, especially since she was so unsure of what was truly happening.

  "Of course. How could I ever forget your party? The last ball that you threw was attended by the most important people in society. It was also the talk of the whole town for a very long time."

  Freya blushed. "Thank you. I plan for the next ball to be even more interesting. Please, arrive on time, and I definitely trust you to wear one of the best fineries to my party."

  Inese smiled. For a lady who was not born in London, Inese had managed to warm her way into the heart of many in the social scene. Her beauty, coupled with her good manners and grace, had earned her a place in the heart of many. She was a regular face at the balls and parties in London, and she was popular and very well-liked.

  Freya and Inese continued to talk about the next party, and soon enough, Inese had wholly forgotten what Freya had earlier discussed with her.

  ***

  "The Earl of Bedford," the butler announced.

  Inese and her parents rose to welcome their guest. Dinner was meant to start in a few moments, and he was right on time.

  Bedford walked in, looking as magnificent as he always was. His hair was well-coiffed on his head, and his choice of clothing suited him just fine. It was safe to say that he cut a fine figure.

  "Welcome, Bedford," Hans, Inese’s father said.

  "Thank you for honoring our invitation," Adelheid, Inese's mother also said.

  "Thank you, Master Strupule," he said to Hans, "Lady Strupule, there is nowhere else I would rather be."

  "My lord," Inese said quietly.

  "Miss Strupule, you look beautiful," he said, and his eyes told that he meant every word of what he had just said.

  As they settled to eating and made small talk, Inese couldn't help but notice that Bedford was paying more attention to her than the dinner that he had been invited to.

  "What do you think about the food, Bedford?" Adelheid asked.

  "I've never eaten any German delicacy before, but this is definitely tasty," he said with enthusiasm.

  Adelheid beamed.

  "I haven't had the opportunity to thank you for agreeing to teach Inese how to skate. Thank you very much," Hans said.

  Bedford shook his head. "I enjoyed Miss Strupule's company, so it was quite worth the trouble. Also, asides a few times when she almost fell, she was such an agreeable student and fast learner."

  "Our Inese has always been a bright girl right from childhood," Adelheid said, beaming with pride.

  "I'm glad you both are getting along quite well and that you two are friends now."

  Inese's face colored. "Father!"

  " Bedford himself told me that you are getting along fabulously," Hans said.

  That hit Inese. Has her father and Bedford been having conversations about her behind her? What were these conversations about?

  "Have you been talking about me to Bedford, Father?" she said, all smiles erased from her face.

  Her father didn't seem to
have noticed her change in countenance because he laughed.

  "Of course we've talked about you, and I can't wait to see your friendship blossom into something more."

  Inese gasped. Her fears had been confirmed. Freya was right. Her father wanted to marry her off to an Englishman, and he was intentionally making sure that she developed affection for Bedford.

  "Do you mean something better like marriage, Father?" she had abandoned her food at this point.

  "What greater friendship could you both possibly have if not a union that involved marriage?" Hans said, took a swig of wine and laughed happily.

  "Mother, is this what you think too?" she wanted to be sure of those who were part of the ploy.

  Adelheid turned to face her daughter. "Lord Bedford is a fine gentleman, and there is sincerely no better man in London."

  She turned to Bedford, "You knew about this too?"

  "I wanted to make your acquaintance and become friends with you before showing my interest," he replied while Inese took a sip of the wine.

  "Now that everything is out, I believe that you also feel the same way about Bedford," Hans said happily.

  "No, I don't." she set the class of wine a little too hard on the table.

  "What?"

  "What do you mean, Inese?"

  "I do not have any special affection for Bedford," she said again even though her thudding heart told her that she was lying.

  "Father and Mother, you have always known that I do not want to marry an Englishman. I've always said it that I want a German and a German only."

  "But that is not possible," Hans muttered, looking crestfallen, "we are in England, and very few German men are here."

  "If I would have to go back to Germany to get a suitable German man, I would gladly do it."

  Adelheid took her hand. "Why trouble yourself, my darling? You have Bedford here, and he is willing to marry you?"

  "I don't want him!" Inese said with a loud voice.

  She rose abruptly to her feet.

  "What do you think you are doing, Inese?"

  She turned to face her father. "I could never have thought you capable of something as treacherous as trying to make me fall in love with a man that I do not want." She faced her mother, "Mother, I thought you cared about me."

  "I have made it known multiple times that I do not want an Englishman, yet you both planned to have me fall in love with Bedford by having him in my presence at all times. I do not want this, and I want you to stop trying to marry me off to an Englishman."

  She then turned to Bedford, who had a bemused expression on his face. "My lord, I do not want to be married to an Englishman. Now, that you know that, kindly leave me alone. Your company was quite enjoyable, but I would not have you think that I'm encouraging you in any form. Therefore, I will no longer be honoring any invitation from you. I would earnestly implore you to leave me alone."

  Having finally given them a piece of her mind, Inese didn't seem to want to proceed with the dinner anymore.

  "I would like to be excused from dinner. I have lost my appetite."

  Without waiting for her parents to respond, she made for her chamber.

  Chapter 3

  Lord Coventry

  The weather was bitterly cold, but that did not deter Inese. She enjoyed parties, and it would definitely take more than bad weather to stop her from attending one that was hosted by her friend's family. Her father had had a gift of a fur-lined cloak delivered to her. She knew it was his own way of apologizing for what they had almost done to her. She was presently wrapped warmly in the cloak as she made her way to the house of Lord Bradley.

  Lord Bradley met her on the steps, smiling warmly at her. They had barely finished exchanging pleasantries when Freya joined them.

  "Good evening, Inese," she said. Her eyes narrowed as she looked longingly at Inese's cloak.

  Freya led her inside. The seating was arranged in two rows, and the two rows faced each other. Inese had barely sat down when Freya tapped her and whispered conspiratorially.

  "There is Lady Antebellum." Freya nodded at a beautiful woman with a long mane of beautiful blonde hair.

  "I have seen her at several parties, but I do not know who she is," Inese replied.

  "She is the wife of Lord Antebellum."

  "I will be sure to make her acquaintances before I leave today," Inese said absentmindedly.

  "No, silly," Freya grinned, "I am not pointing her out so you can make her acquaintance. I want to tell you about the gossip that I heard about her."

  "Really?" Inese feigned interest. Inese gave no care for gossip, but she had no choice but to indulge her friend who seemed to know everything about the London social scene.

  "Yes," Freya leaned closer to her, "I learned that she is having an affair with the Count of Wellesley."

  Inese gasped. "How true is this?" she asked despite herself.

  "I heard it from a reliable source. The affair has also been going on for what seems like forever."

  Inese shook her head in amazement. "I will never understand the way of the English."

  Freya chuckled. "That is the way of the ton. Lords and Ladies have extramarital affairs even though it's not often made public. The Lords can also take the liberty of taking mistresses who might even bear children. It is the way of the ton."

  "I don't want to be part of the ton then," Inese said distastefully.

  Freya pushed her playfully on the shoulder. "You are entirely too sensitive, Inese."

  Inese was retorting when she changed her mind. There was no point talking to Freya about how distasteful she found the sinful ways of the ton.

  The musicians arrived at that moment, and they started to prepare their instruments for performance. Freya had left her side to go to another lady, and they both seemed to be engrossed in gossip. Inese watched the musicians eagerly as they readied. The sound of a determined stride coming down the aisle suddenly caught her attention. Instinctively, she turned to see who it was that was arriving so late. Sweeping up the aisle was the Earl of Bedford.

  Her heart caught in her chest, and she almost swore out loudly. Why did he have to have quite an effect on her? He looked so regal and elegant as he made his way towards the table. Bedford was not a very handsome man, but the confidence and power that he exhumed were enough to dazzle anyone. His luxurious black hair was just as perfect as the man himself, and his brown eyes fluttered around, probably searching for her. The thought of that brought a smile to her face.

  Bedford, who didn't seem to have seen her, moved to sit directly across from her. Inese groaned. How could she survive the night when the man she was trying to forget was just sitting across her? He did not notice her immediately, and for that, she was grateful. She watched him speak briefly with the two maidens who sat on either side of him. She frowned when she saw one of the maidens batted her eyelid boldly at him.

  As they announced that the music was about to start, Bedford looked forward, and his gaze fell on her. She had been meaning to avert her eyes, but it was too late. He had already seen her. He blinked and frowned before he finally flashed her a smile.

  Inese, despite the loud thudding of her heart, kept the calm and cool exterior. She smiled and nodded her head towards him. She quickly averted her eye after this and turned her attention to the pianist.

  "Good evening, madam," a gentleman said who sat just beside her.

  "Good evening."

  Across the table, she could see Bedford's lips pressed tightly together. Could he possibly be angry that she was having a conversation with another man?

  "The weather has been awfully cold for a while now, hasn't it?" the gentleman continued.

  "Quite well. Christmas is fast approaching and with it the winter."

  "You are right, Madam. I have never experienced a colder Christmas like this one."

  "I think a bit of brandy would warm the blood up just fine."

  The gentleman smiled, impressed. "You seem well-versed in this affair."
>
  "Indeed," she said, smiling. She peeked at Bedford only to see him looking even more disagreeable.

  Their eyes met, and she smiled slightly at him and turned her attention back to the musicians. One of the musicians thanked Lord Bradley for his patronage before heading back to his piano. He held out a hand to the other musicians and began the music.

  At that moment, Inese forgot all about Bedford as she flew without wings into the beautiful, magical land of music. The music was incredibly beautiful, while the tones that were seduced out of the musical instrument swept over her. Right there and then, she dreamed of herself and her German lover. She dreamed of herself as the damsel in distress and her German lover as her knight in shining armor.

  She was so engrossed in her dream that she did not notice that anyone was before her. It wasn't until she heard the voice that she was jerked out of her dreamland.

  "My lady would like to have a word with you in the tearoom," a girl that she knew as Freya's maid said, pointing at a rather dark corner.

  Inese was taken aback. However, before she could ask her where the tearoom was, the maid had walked away. Inese rose to her feet and made her way towards the dark corner. She soon saw another door there. She stood by the door, unsure of what to do next. Freya had summoned her to the tearoom, but she knew not the way. She was not even sure if the door she had just seen was the way.

  She stared suspiciously at the door and walked slowly to it. There was no footman at the door, so she simply pushed it open and walked into a very small room. It was definitely not the tearoom because several goblets were carefully placed on shelves in the room. Seeing another door she took it and soon got to a well-lit hallway.

  Inese could hear several voices and laughter as she walked down the corridor. Twice, she saw a man and woman walk out of a room together. At this point, she was almost tempted to go back. She, however, remembered that Freya would be patiently awaiting her, and she forged on, determined to find the tea room.

  When she finally came upon the room that seemed like the tea room, she walked in, exhausted from the long walk. The room was dark and close, and she could barely even see what was in front of her.

  "Freya!" she called, feeling uncomfortable. There was no response