His Bewitching Jewel (A Regency Holiday Romance Book 7)

by Mathews, Marly

  “Oh, I shall look forward to that day. And you shall have to stop calling us, Lady Miranda and Lady Cordelia,” Miranda said softly.

  “Once I am your uncle’s wife, I shall do that. Come now, Lady Miranda, let us go and see your sister, and ask her if she would like to get ready for the celebrations tonight.”

  Lady Miranda smiled, and placed her hand in hers. Ruby was right where she belonged. She was with her family.

  *****

  Night had fallen, and the air was permeated with magic. Ruby shivered as they put on their cloaks, preparing to go outside and watch the bonfires. Tonight was the only night where the servants would stand with those they were in service to. Tonight, they would all be together, enjoying the magic and mystery of the season.

  Finn walked into the nursery. He looked so damn handsome that Ruby’s breath was stolen away. She couldn’t even speak. This man wanted her as his wife—this man desired her as she was—and it humbled her in ways she had never imagined.

  “Come along, Cordelia, it is time for the bonfires!” Lady Miranda said. Lady Cordelia stood up, and placed Joan down on her feet. Shyly, she marched toward Finn and slipped her little hand in his. Lady Miranda took the other hand, and Ruby took Lady Cordelia’s other hand.

  As a family, they walked down to where the servants and locals waited. Penryn House once again was once again the home of the living.

  Ruby stood watching the firelight dance in the air. She looked toward the woods, and almost thought she heard pixies singing.

  “I wonder if Queen Joan and her consort are dancing merrily under the moonlight tonight,” she mused softly.

  “I expect they are,” Finn said. Lady Cordelia had finally warmed up to him enough that she had asked to sit atop his shoulders.

  She looked back at the house, and blinked her eyes at the dancing lights that were glowing inside of the house. It was almost as if the ghosts of Penryn House were having their own Allantide celebrations.

  One of the men who took care of the apple orchard at Penryn House stood handing out big shiny apples to the locals, the servants, and they had given Lady Cordelia, Lady Miranda and her apples as well. Apples that now sat inside of the basket that Ruby had brought out onto the grounds with her.

  The night could not get more perfect. She had fled her home—running from a marriage, she hadn’t wanted, right into the arms of the man who was in every way, the prince of her dreams.

  “It looks as if you have secured your happiness, Ruby. I am proud of you,” her uncle said, coming to stand with them. “I almost slept through this,” he said, gesturing to the bonfire. “You should have woken me.”

  “You looked too peaceful, Uncle.”

  “I suppose I didn’t realize how tired I was,” he admitted. She looked around for Mr. and Mrs. Chegwin, and couldn’t locate them. “And, I was dreaming of my lovely wife,” he sighed. Feeling sorry for him, she took his arm, and patted it.

  “She would want you to enjoy yourself, Uncle Thomas.”

  “Oh, aye, that she would have.”

  She laughed, as a local started to juggle apples, and others started to sing. Some had potatoes and chestnuts to roast. All were having a grand old time.

  “Ah, it looks as if they are getting ready to set off the fireworks. I think I shall go and supervise,” he winked at her. As he sauntered away from her, she turned about, as a whisper tickled her ear.

  “Come with me, my darling sweet Ruby. Come and see your papa.” It was her father’s voice, and yet, somehow, it sounded different. Intrigued, she followed the voice back into Penryn House. As soon as she stepped into the house, all of the flames on all of the candles were snuffed out. The first firecrackers were set off, and she screamed as more light illuminated the house. She tripped, and slipped, and landed on her back on the floor.

  “Ouch,” she muttered. Lying still for a moment, she sighed, and gathered her bearings. She was draped in darkness, with only moonlight streaming thought the windows showing her the way, and a bit of the glow from the faraway bonfire was sending light into the grand house. She allowed her eyes to adjust to the dimmed light, and then, carefully stood up.

  “Come with me, Ruby,” the voice invited.

  She followed the voice further into the house toward the staircase.

  “Ruby? Ruby, where are you?” she heard Finn’s voice and ignored it. As if in a trance, she walked up the steps, and stopped at the top. “Ruby!” Finn must have lit a candle, as she could see the bobbing candlelight as it moved toward her.

  Her father now stood at the bottom of the staircase, and he smiled at her. Reaching out for her, he said, “Come to me, Ruby. Come to your papa!”

  “Ruby, no!” Finn shouted, sounding quite frantic. She couldn’t listen to him. She had to do as her father wanted.

  She was about to step forward. She wanted to join her father so desperately, her soul ached for it.

  “Where the hell have the steps gone?” Finn growled, as panic threatened to overwhelm him.

  He had never seen anything so unsettling in his entire life. Another force had taken control of his house, and now that force had made the steps on his staircase disappear. If Ruby stepped forward, she would surely fall to her death.

  He had never felt so helpless in all of his life. He had no way of controlling this situation.

  “Ruby, please snap out of it,” he shouted, hoping to awaken her from the walking sleep she was now in.

  Ruby had to do what her father wanted, and she was about to step forward, and stopped, and looked at another figure of her father, who hovered in front of her. Confused, she looked between the men. “What…what is going on?” she asked.

  “It is me, Ruby. I am your father. It is me, Garnet Massey. Don’t do what that bloody man tells you to do,” he said. Her mind became aware, and she looked down. There were no steps.

  They had disappeared. As bone-numbing shock settled in, she looked down to where the man she had thought was her father stood. He laughed, and as he laughed, his face transformed. It wasn’t her father after all…it had to be Lord Sefton.

  Shaking, she stepped away from the staircase.

  “If I can’t have you,” Lord Sefton said. “I shall take your beloved.” He turned away from the staircase and headed toward Finn.

  “No,” she screamed. She couldn’t do anything. “Papa, help me. Help me to break his evil spell. I have to save Finn!”

  “I already have,” her father said softly, as the steps reappeared. Had it been an illusion? She couldn’t dwell upon it for long. She could safely descend, and stop the blackguard.

  “Thank you, Papa.” She dashed down the steps, and ran to Finn, who was now wrestling with the ghost of Lord Sefton

  She was done running.

  She had always run from what she perceived as danger, and now she was running right at it, without any fear in her heart. She had no regard for her own safety. Her love for Finn, her love for his nieces, her love for this house had conquered all of her fears.

  “Help me, please, help me. Please…Ghosts of Penryn House, Finn needs your help. He is your legacy. He is the only direct male descendant of your line…you should help him. You are obliged to protect him!”

  “We cannot interfere with the lives of the living…not in the way you want us to,” A lady from the Tudor Era appeared before her. It had to be the one that her Uncle Thomas had seen.

  “Well, I shouldn’t have expected otherwise. You never helped Lady Isolde,” she scoffed. “You never helped your own blood. How could you be so terrible?”

  “We…her death was foretold. We couldn’t help her. We are forbidden to interfere with fate.” A knight in armour appeared before her. “’Tis Allantide. ‘Tis the night when we are our strongest, come on everyone, let us at least give a distraction that might help Finn.” They started to play every single musical instrument in the house, as the sound of someone wailing filled the air. If this was their idea of a distraction, she needed to stuff cotton in her ears.
It sounded like someone was dying.

  “How do I get rid of the blasted Earl?” she asked desperately.

  “Only a pure hearted individual can stand against his evil,” her father said. “That or a little bit of a wish,” he murmured. Light encased her hand, and she looked down and opened her hand. There, nestled in her palm was a purple gemstone.

  “Queen Joan, Queen Joan, Queen Joan, I need you,” she cried desperately.

  The pixie queen appeared before her. Looking like she was draped in pure starlight.

  “I wish…I wish that evil man to be gone from this house,” Ruby said fervently.

  “Pixies have no power over life or death,” Queen Joan said matter-of-factly.

  “But you promised…you promised to always protect this family, and Finn…Finn needs your help, and you said…you said you had no power over life or death, you never said you didn’t have power over those that were already dead.”

  “Clever girl,” she said smiling. “Alas, I do not think you shall require my help. The Earl has ran from those who pursue him long enough. His judgement day is nigh. I sense…I sense that he has…he is a wanted man, and he has…he has run out of time.”

  Ruby shivered, as the sounds of horses galloping toward them filled the air. Men draped in black drove the carriage. She heard Lord Sefton scream, as they ran forward and took him away from where he was fighting with Finn.

  “You, Eugene Penberthy have been judged. And you have been found lacking,” the man’s voice was deep and foreboding and echoed through the house. It sent a shiver through her. “You have an appointment to keep,” he said, as he hefted the spirit of Eugene to his feet, and dragged him back to the Death Coach. Throwing him inside of the coach, the doors closed with a finality she had never heard before, and prayed she would never hear again. The black stallions that pulled the coach, neighed loudly, and then, in an instant, they were gone.

  A bright light swept through the room, and the spirit form of Isolde appeared. She wore a white dress, and smiled at Ruby.

  “Come, Garnet, it is time for us to leave,” Isolde said, sounding eerily like Miranda and Cordelia. “I thank you for taking care of my family, Ruby. I leave them now in your tender care,” she said, waving a farewell, and turning to leave.

  “You don’t have to worry about him anymore, dear daughter. I am not needed here any longer. I shan’t have to sit on the end of your bed from here on in,” her father said. “And now…now as midnight approaches, I must away. Goodbye, my darling Ruby. Farewell, my beloved daughter. You have a blessed future, Ruby. You will be happy, I only wish I could stay, alas I cannot.”

  “Goodbye, Papa,” she said, wishing she could hug him. He winked at her, blew a kiss and then, he and Isolde faded into sparkles of light that bounced around the room, and then vanished.

  “And now, Ruby, I must also take my leave. Somehow, I think you will have a life touched by magic, as you are certainly one bewitching jewel.” Queen Joan winked at her, and disappeared in a sheen of light.

  Sighing, she ran over to Finn, and dropped to her knees. She heard Finn calling to her distantly.

  How could that be?

  With a start, Ruby woke up. “What…what happened?” she asked groggily, as pain throbbed at her temple.

  “You must have fallen, and hit your head,” Finn said, kneeling by her side. He helped her to sit up. “Do I need to send for the doctor?”

  She winced. “I…was it all a dream?” she asked aloud.

  “I don’t follow, Ruby. What happened to you, my love?” he asked.

  “Help me up,” she said, “And hold me close.”

  Smiling, he did as she asked. They stood that way for a few minutes, and the sound of Finn’s heartbeat soothed her.

  “I dreamt of my father, and your sister…and I dreamt of Queen Joan…and of the Earl…I dreamt that he had been judged, and they found him lacking.”

  “I hope that bloody bastard is rotting in hell,” Finn growled.

  “I think…I think he might be…unless all of it was just a dream.”

  The voices of the servants and the other locals who had come for the bonfire filled the house. Miranda and Cordelia ran toward them, with her uncle following them.

  “This has been one of my best birthdays, Uncle. I only wish that Mama had been here with us today. I am sorry to see it come to an end—but I shan’t forget this day for as long as I live. Thank you ever so much for all of the gifts, Uncle Phineas,” she said, giving him a hug. “We are going to bed now, so we can put our apples under our pillows and dream of the men we are destined to marry, and Uncle Thomas promised to tell us a bedtime story, though I can’t see how his stories can be any better than yours, Uncle Phineas.”

  Finn smiled at her, and kissed the top of her head before releasing her. “I am glad that you had a good day, Miranda. Turning ten is a momentous occasion, before I know it, you will have grown into a fine young lady, just don’t do it too quickly,” he said, tilting her chin up, so he could look into her beautiful blue eyes that were so like her mother’s. How he would have given anything to have Isolde back with them to share in on the merriment of the day. They had all had such a wonderful time. “Well, Miss Massey and I will be up shortly, and I shall tell you another story, if you find Mr. Somersby’s story to be lacking.”

  “Thank you for the confidence, Camblesforth,” Thomas said. “Come on, girls, it is well past your bedtime.”

  Ruby watched them go. “It is funny…my head doesn’t hurt anymore,” she mused.

  “And I can’t see a bump or anything,” he said, inspecting her head. “We should go upstairs and say goodnight to them,” Finn said. Hand in hand, they walked toward the steps.

  “Where is my Oswald?” Mrs. Chegwin muttered, walking into the house. “Ah, Miss Massey,” Mrs. Chegwin said.

  She turned to face her. “Yes?” she asked.

  “I…I just wanted to bid you goodnight, and give you many happy returns for your wedding tomorrow. Oswald and I look forward to attending, and then, I shall hasten back to watch over the Wedding Feast being served.”

  “Joan…Joan, where are you?” Mr. Chegwin called, walking toward them. Ruby smiled as he put his arm around his wife. She was so short, and he was so tall, he looked like a giant next to Mrs. Chegwin. No, it couldn’t be? Could it?

  “Thank you,” Ruby stuttered.

  Mrs. Chegwin smiled at her. “You and the Duke shall have a life touched by magic, for love is the greatest magic of all.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Chegwin,” Finn said, as they turned back to walk up the staircase. Reaching the top, they headed to walk up the next flight of steps to the nursery, and Ruby stopped, as Mrs. Chegwin’s wise words echoed through her brain. She looked down at her hand, which was bunched into a fist, and opened it.

  There sat a sparkling purple gemstone.

  She swallowed thickly. “Where did you find that?” Finn asked.

  “I…I don’t know,” she whispered.

  “I suppose, I suppose it doesn’t matter. Maybe it is the pixies giving you an early wedding gift. I love you, Ruby,” Finn said softly.

  “I love you, too, Finn,” she murmured.

  And there in the middle of the Picture Gallery, Finn took her into his arms, and gave her a passionate kiss.

  Ruby wanted to remain this way forever. She had her Cornish Prince. She had everything her heart had ever desired—and then some.

  She was home—and she would never run again.

  The End

  You can read more about current and future releases of Marly Mathews’ by visiting her website, www.marlymathews.com

  You can also like her author page on Facebook and follow her on Amazon to keep up to date with all of her current and future releases!

  Other Regency Romances by Marly Mathews

  His Christmas Nymph, A Regency Holiday Romance, Book One

  His Valentine Princess, A Regency Holiday Romance, Book Two

  His Beltane Bride, A Regency Holida
y Romance Book Three

  His Summer Rose, A Regency Holiday Romance Book Four

  His Scandalous Lady, A Regency Holiday Romance Book Five

  His Michaelmas Mistress, A Regency Holiday Romance Book Six

  His Bewitching Jewel, A Regency Holiday Romance, Book Seven

  His Christmas Angel, A Regency Holiday Romance, Book Eight, Coming Soon!

  His to Hold, Regency Scoundrels, Book One

  The Duchess and the Spy, Agents of the Crown, Book One

  A Lady’s Revenge, A Regency Novella