Mary’s heart fluttered faster than an insect’s wings, desperately seeking understanding in her mother’s familiar face. “Yes, but where?”
“Lady Sanders has a lovely dower cottage on her property that has sat vacant for many years. She has invited us to remove there until we find something more permanent. Your father must find a way to provide for us, and I fear that will take an adjustment and quite a lot of time. He has only known his estate, and how to run it.”
And how to run them. This was real. Mary had not imagined it. Her mother had truly sacrificed her needs for Mary.
“We have a contract,” Mr. Lockhart spat, his hands splaying by his sides. “You cannot simply walk away unscathed. I will sue for breach of promise.”
The Hatcher women faced their aggressor, and Mama stepped forward. “Do what you must, Mr. Lockhart, but I do believe you will have a difficult time finding a sympathetic jury after I bring my evidence to the courtroom.”
“What evidence is that?” His gaze lifted, settling above Mary’s head, and she felt the presence of someone approaching behind her.
“Your relations with Mrs. Dobson, of course,” Mama said.
Mr. Lockhart looked sharply at Mama. “That will not hold up against the contract outlining the sale of your house in exchange for—”
“You don’t have a leg to stand on here, Lockhart,” Andrew’s cool, deep voice said behind Mary, and a shiver ran down her neck. “You must realize that to sue for a breach of promise will splash your name through the papers, which cannot be good for your business. I suggest you leave, and all further communication may be conducted through my lawyer. I will have him contact you directly.”
Andrew’s presence alone made Mary’s heart race, but his commanding tone was her undoing. She stood in front of him, chest heaving, as they watched Mr. Lockhart retreat down the corridor, toward the front door of Lady Rutledge’s house.
When he was gone, Mary turned to her mother. “Why did you not say something sooner?”
“I had not yet decided what to say.”
“But you have written to father—”
“Not yet,” Mama said, smiling. “But Mr. Lockhart needn’t know that. My dear friend learned some of the details of your arrangement this morning and set her servants on the job of locating some of the servants of the Clarendon, discovering what they could about Mr. Lockhart’s relationship with Mrs. Dobson.”
Mary had to assume the dear friend her mother spoke of was Lady Sanders. “But you said nothing before now.”
“I learned of it shortly before the ball. I planned to speak to you about it later tonight so we could create a plan, but when that man grabbed your arm, I knew it was time to step in.”
Mary stepped forward, throwing her arms around her mother. “You are truly willing to move out of your home?”
“Oh Mary, I can find a way to be happy anywhere as long as I am with your father. And besides, I think I will quite like living near my dear friend again.” She pulled away, looking between Mary and Andrew, who stood a few steps behind her. “I believe it is safe to assume that you would prefer not to marry Mr. Lockhart.”
“Quite safe,” Mary said. She might not understand how her mother could love such a controlling man as her father, but she needn’t. What she did understand was love. Turning to face Andrew, her heart warmed upon finding his handsome smile sitting languidly on his lips. “You heard everything?”
He nodded. “I heard everything.”
Mary didn’t hesitate. She took two steps to reach him, gripped the lapels of his coat, and pulled him down, crushing her lips against his. He seemed to freeze for only a moment before one of his hands went around her back, pulling her closer, the other sliding up to rest on her cheek.
Footsteps echoed through the corridor. Mary absently assumed her mother was beating a hasty retreat, and she pulled on Andrew’s lapels as he deepened the kiss, coming up on her toes to reach him easier. Her knuckles rested against his chest and she released his coat, flattening her palm over his heart so she might feel its heavy beating.
Lowering her heels back to the floor, she looked into Andrew’s sparkling eyes and saw her smile reflected within them. “I love you, Andrew Bright.”
“So you mean to tell me you do not kiss all the gentlemen you find in corridors on Twelfth Night?”
“No, but I suppose I could make it a new habit.”
“I have a better idea,” he whispered with a playful smirk before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Why don’t you make it a habit to kiss all the Andrews you find in corridors, always.”
“All the Andrews?”
“Or maybe just this one.” He leaned forward and kissed her again, his fingers threading through her hair as her body trembled with overwhelming love.
Mary pulled back. “Very well. I think I can make that happen.”
“Good. Now, what do you say to dancing with your betrothed?”
She lifted her eyebrows. “I was unaware that I had one of those anymore.”
He paused, looking at her as though he was gauging her sincerity. “You will marry me, won’t you?”
She grew still, serious. “You do know that Mr. Lockhart may very well find reasonable cause to sue.”
“Yes.”
“And my parents now need a home.”
“I believe my mother already offered them one.”
“And I am quite poor.”
“I have enough money for both of us.”
“And…I have been absolutely spoiled these last few weeks. I have formed a very pleasant habit of burning candles late into the night so I might read.”
He paused, his smile widening. “Will that be an expensive habit?”
“Oh, very expensive, I should think.”
“Then we must economize and find a way to share the candle for late-night reading.”
Mary grinned, her heart soaring. “I think we might find a way to manage that.”
Andrew leaned down, laying another kiss on her lips before motioning to the door. “And now we shall dance.”
“Yes, my love. Let’s dance.”
Epilogue
Andrew swept into his bedchamber at Brightly Court, the afternoon sun streaming through the window and lighting the brown-paper wrapped package sitting on his bed. He lifted it, the familiar weight and shape of the book he’d bought for Mary resting in his hands.
“Where did this come from?” he asked his valet.
“I found it in your trunk, my lord. It must not have been unpacked when we returned from London last month.”
“Hmm.” Andrew slapped the book against his palm, debating. He only had a quarter of an hour before the Hatchers were set to arrive, and he did not know if he could make it to the dower house before them.
Well, it was worth trying. He would merely have to sacrifice changing out of his riding clothes to accept Mary and her parents.
Racing from the room and down the stairs, Andrew made his way to the dower house as quickly as his long legs would carry him. But he was not fast enough. He heard the sound of footsteps on gravel as he let himself into the house. He went upstairs, hoping to leave the book on Mary’s pillow so she might find it later.
But when he turned the corner and came upon the very woman he was trying to surprise, all thoughts of the book left him. He had not seen her in a fortnight, and that was much too long to endure separation.
“Are you not supposed to kiss me every time you find me in a corridor?” he asked when she failed to move toward him.
“I suppose I am,” she said, grinning as she stepped forward. Andrew slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close, breathing in her familiar floral scent and relaxing his shoulders when her lips met his.
Mary pulled away, leaning back so she might look into his eyes. “What are you holding?”
“Oh, this?” he asked, grinning. “Just a little surprise for my future wife. Would you like it now, or later?”
“Now, of course.”<
br />
Andrew handed her the package and gave her enough room to open it, watching her unknot the twine and pull the paper free. After she read the title on the book, she glanced up at him. “You remembered.”
Of course he remembered. The moment Caroline had mentioned that Mary had wanted to purchase Evelina, Andrew had stored the information away.
“I went back the following morning and purchased it for you.”
“You are determined to keep me satisfied with books, are you not?” She gazed up at him with adoration. “I am not complaining. I rather like it.”
“I’ll keep you in full supply of books, and you’ll keep me in full supply of kisses.”
She grinned. “I think I can grow accustomed to this currency.”
Caroline raced up the stairs, nearly knocking into them. “I’ve found you!” she squealed, barreling into Mary’s side and forcing Andrew to move back and allow them more space.
Anne came up the stairs a moment later at a relatively normal pace, but her smile was no less bright. “Move aside, Caro. I would like a hug, too.”
Caroline stepped back and Mary pulled Anne in for a hug.
“I have missed you both,” Mary said.
Anne nodded. “Two weeks was far too long. Please tell me you’ve removed everything from that wretched house, and you are here to stay for good.”
Mary glanced over Anne’s head, catching Andrew’s eye. “Yes, Anne. I’m here to stay. For good.”
Anne clapped her hands together. “Fantastic! Then shall we return to Brightly? I have just the grandest idea for a game.”
“I cannot come yet. I need to help my parents settle in.”
Caroline pouted. “Leave that to the servants, Mary. You and your parents must come up to Brightly right away.”
“Well, I suppose it would not hurt to ask them.”
The sisters turned and ran down the stairs, and Andrew slipped his hand around Mary’s, pulling her close to his side. “Before we reunite with my enthusiastic sisters, I wanted to let you know that I had a letter from Mr. Lockhart. He has agreed not to press you for breach of promise.”
“Did you have to pay him quite a large sum?”
“No,” Andrew said. “But my lawyer sent him a detailed letter explaining the very public process we would have to endure and how it might harm his business and his name in Polite Society. He was very eager to avoid any possible chance of damaging his good name.”
Mary looked relieved.
“And now that I have his promise in writing, we need not fear future retribution.”
“Oh, that is good news. Mama and Father will be so glad to hear it.”
“And you?” Andrew asked.
“I shall be very glad if I never have to hear his name again.” She paused at the top of the stairs, looking about her in the brightly lit corridor. “I think we shall like it here very much.”
“The wedding is next week.” Andrew took her hand in his. “You will not have to remain here long at all.”
“No, but my Mama is about to make this her home, and I think it will do very nicely.” She turned toward Andrew and smiled, her large, green eyes shining from the afternoon sun streaming through the windows. “I am so glad you ran into me at the Frost Fair.”
Author’s Note
The Thames really did freeze over in February of 1814, and the people of London did hold a Frost Fair on its uneven, sturdy surface. The Belles of Christmas authors chose to move the dates of the fair to the week leading up to Christmas to better serve our stories, but the rest of the information is correct. They had printing presses on the ice which printed leaflets to be purchased as souvenirs, and sold a variety of goods such as gingerbread, roasted mutton, and Old Tom (gin). And an elephant really did walk across the ice! Due to the construction of a new London bridge with larger arches the river was unable to freeze again, and the Frost Fair we wrote about in 1814 was the final one held. I hope you enjoyed learning a little about this fascinating bit of history!
Next in the Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair
Thawing the Viscount’s Heart
by Mindy Burbidge Strunk
He detests the French. Especially the one staying in his house.
Other books in The Belles of Christmas Series
The Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair
Her Silent Knight by Ashtyn Newbold
Thawing the Viscount’s Heart by Mindy Burbidge Strunk
On the Second Day of Christmas by Deborah M. Hathaway
The Christmas Foundling by Martha Keyes
The Belles of Christmas: Masquerade
Unmasking Lady Caroline by Mindy Burbidge Strunk
Goodwill for the Gentleman by Martha Keyes
The Earl’s Mistletoe Match by Ashtyn Newbold
Nine Ladies Dancing by Deborah M. Hathaway
A Duke for Lady Eve by Kasey Stockton
*books within each series can be read in any order
Also by Kasey Stockton
Women of Worth Series
Love in the Bargain, Book One
Love for the Spinster, Book Two
Love at the House Party, Book Three
Love in the Wager, Book Four
Love in the Ballroom, Book five
Ladies of Devon Series
The Jewels of Halstead Manor, Book One
The Lady of Larkspur Vale, Book Two
The Widow of Falbrooke Court, Book Three
Stand-alone Historical Romance
His Amiable Bride, Featherbottom Chronicles novella
A Duke for Lady Eve, Belles of Christmas Book 5
A Forgiving Heart, Seasons of Change
Contemporary Romance
Snowflake Wishes, A Holly Springs Romance
His Stand-In Holiday Girlfriend, Christmas in the City 1
Snowed In on Main Street, Christmas in the City 2
Melodies and Mistletoe, Christmas in the City 3
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About the Author
Kasey Stockton is a staunch lover of all things romantic. She doesn't discriminate between genres and enjoys a wide variety of happily ever afters. Drawn to the Regency period at a young age when gifted a copy of Sense and Sensibility by her grandmother, Kasey initially began writing Regency romances. She has since written in a variety of genres, but all of her titles fall under sweet romance. A native of northern California, she now resides in Texas with her own prince charming and their three children. When not reading, writing, or binge-watching chick flicks, she enjoys running, cutting hair, and anything chocolate.
All is Mary and Bright: A Christmas Regency Romance (Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair Book 2) Page 21
