An Affair Downstairs

by Sherri Browning

  “I’m sorry,” Logan said, shaking the tension out of his hand. “I was only trying to help. Consider it medicinal.”

  “Logan,” Alice said in a chastising tone, even as she placed her hand on his arm and looked up at him approvingly.

  Averford laughed and reached out to shake Logan’s hand. “If you didn’t, I would have. Merry Christmas, Winthrop.”

  ***

  Alice woke to the sound of the piper making his merry music throughout the halls of Thornbrook Park. Sophia had heard that a piper woke the royal family every Christmas morning, and she had thought to do the same when she discovered that one of the footmen, George, played the pipes.

  Had she actually slept? Alice realized that she had, and she had slept soundly and well. She was free of Ralston! Once she had gotten him to confess what he had done and apologize for his actions, she had forced him to take back his ring. He had no power over her now. She was free, and her next thought was of Logan waking up in his room down the hall, wearing not a stitch. Not that she had any idea what he wore, but she liked to imagine him naked beneath the sheets, his muscular hands riffling through his mussed hair as the piper’s tune invaded his room.

  Last night, there hadn’t been much time for them to be alone and discuss what Ralston’s admission meant for their future together. They’d had only enough time to get their coats and walk the short distance to Thornbrook’s chapel for Christmas Eve Mass. The service had been long, but so uplifting that they all returned in joyous spirits and tired to the bone. After exchanging good-nights, they all parted for bed. Logan had held her hand in his for an extraordinary long time, though. And when he said good night, he’d called her his love and leaned in to deliver a chaste kiss on her cheek.

  Alice rubbed the cheek, remembering the warmth of his lips and the tingle that had risen inside her when she’d imagined grabbing hold of his lapels and delivering a more passionate kiss to his lips. But, of course, it was out of the question in mixed company. She’d just ended her engagement officially. She supposed they would have to wait a bit to be public with a romance.

  In a tremendously fine mood, she hurried to wash and dress. Before bed, she’d told Mary that she could manage on her own and had given the maid a silver bracelet as a gift. Mary had looked delighted with the bracelet but declared that her true gift had been in hearing that Alice had shaken free of Lord Ralston. Mary confessed that all the servants downstairs had become aware of Agatha’s dousing the wassail with laudanum and a few of them becoming dazed with the effects.

  How they all laughed downstairs at the report of Captain Thorne dancing with Lady Holcomb—once they heard that everyone would be all right, of course. Alice laughed with Mary before bidding her good night and confessed that the scene had been rather comical to behold. Thank goodness everything had turned out for the best.

  Despite rising at the first sound of the piper, Alice found that she was last to arrive in the breakfast room, where they were passing around gifts.

  “Ivory knitting needles?” Sophia looked aghast at the gift from her mother-in-law but tried to force a smile. “How thoughtful. I haven’t knitted in years. I guess I should take it up again.”

  Gabriel’s mother had gifted him with a humidor. “And I suppose I need to take up smoking cigars.”

  “Oh dear, no.” Sophia wrinkled her nose. “I can’t abide the smell. But the humidor might be turned into a suitable jewelry box.”

  “I got the same thing last year when we were expecting Mina,” Marcus said. “But I do enjoy the occasional cigar.”

  “And I got knitting needles last year, too, remember? Mine were onyx,” Eve said.

  “Oh dear.” Sophia nibbled her lip. “Perhaps she’s trying to tell us something. She wants more grandchildren.”

  The Dowager Countess also sent a silver rattle for Mina, her third, which went straight into her mouth as she cooed on her mother’s lap. Eve got some cashmere yarn, and Marcus got cigars to fill his humidor.

  “She’s consistent, I’ll give her that,” Lord Averford said with a laugh.

  Sophia, who must have been affected by the spirit of Christmas, acknowledged the previous gift of the lemon trees. “I’m glad she sent them now. I am looking forward to lemonade. And lemon tarts. Thanks to you, Mr. Winthrop, the trees are about to bear fruit.”

  “Thanks to Brian Sturridge, really.” Logan was always one to give credit where credit was due. “Sturridge is the one who kept the trees thriving while I was busy attending to…other things.” He cast a sly look at Alice that made her blush. She suspected that he, too, was thinking of the night they’d been out in the storm.

  Next, they opened gifts from Alice and Sophia’s parents, the usual muffs, mittens, and scarves. “Always thinking of keeping us warm in winter,” Sophia said. “Though I suppose my mittens from last year have gone a bit threadbare. Mother does like to think that she has been useful.”

  Agatha held up her fur stole. “She always goes out of her way for me, our Theodora. I believe it’s the guilt of casting me out that inspires her to spend extravagantly.”

  Theodora was Alice and Sophia’s mother. “But did it have to be fox?” Alice rolled her eyes at the sight of the red and white fur, complete with a little face biting its own tail. “I’ll be happy to never see another fox as long as I live.”

  They all laughed. The morning was for opening gifts from far-off relatives. Later that evening, they would exchange gifts to each other. Alice began to panic that she hadn’t been expecting Logan, and she didn’t have a gift for him. Then she noticed that he wore the cuff links she’d given him. Perhaps she needn’t worry.

  “Time for church,” Sophia said cheerfully as she rose from the table.

  “I feel like we were just there.” Alice rolled her eyes.

  After church, they spent the afternoon bundled up outdoors in the falling snow for sledding. The Cooper children from Tilly Meadow were out and started a snowball fight with the men of Thornbrook Park. For the most part, the women sat out the shenanigans, but Alice managed to hit Logan with a snowball after he accidentally pelted her while trying to hit Marcus.

  Sophia suggested they all go skating. Alice liked the idea, though it reminded her of having been forgotten by Ralston. Of course, she couldn’t be sad about something that led to better things for her. And Logan called the iced pond the Fairy Pool, which seemed so romantic. Once on skates, she was able to play at being clumsy simply so Logan would have an excuse to put his arms around her.

  “I have a surprise for you,” he said, as they glided over the frozen pond.

  “Oh? What could it be?”

  “We have to take off our skates and leave the others. Come on.”

  She sat on a snowbank and allowed him to help her unlace her skates. He took slightly longer than necessary, spending extra time caressing her feet and ankles.

  “I can’t wait to be alone with you again,” she said, relishing the feel of his hands on her, even over her woolen tights and though he wore thick gloves. “Will we ever have the chance?”

  “Soon.” He held her hand and walked with her toward the former McGinty place.

  “Logan, no.” She stopped. “A family lives there now. We can’t go back.”

  “Give me a chance,” he said. “I have an idea.”

  When they arrived at the door, he knocked and waited. “Good tidings, new neighbors,” he said when Mr. Higgins answered the door, overlooking the fact that he was no longer a neighbor. “Merry Christmas.”

  “And to you,” Higgins said. They’d all met at Mass and at church again in the morning.

  “Lord Averford would like to extend an invitation to your family to join his party at the Fairy Pool.” He gestured through the woods to the pond. “It’s that small pond through the trees, now frozen over. We’ve been skating and plan to be there a little while yet.”

  “Ice skating?” Higgins’s wife joined him at the door. “I love to skate. What fun! I’ve been wondering if that pond would
freeze solid enough.”

  “Oh, it’s quite solid,” Logan assured them. “We’ve been out a while now, and it happens that the young woman with me here…”

  “Lady Alice.” Mrs. Higgins nodded in her direction. “Merry Christmas to you.”

  “And to you.” Alice smiled.

  “Lady Alice doesn’t do well in the cold, apparently. Might we warm up a minute in front of your fire?”

  “Please, come in.” Alice followed Mrs. Higgins to the small sitting room, admiring the way the furniture arrangement made the space look larger. Alice preferred it stripped down to the bare floor. With a tarp and horse blankets. She looked at the fire and back to Logan, his heavy-lidded eyes watching her. She knew he was sharing the same memory. Her toes curled at the thought of it.

  “But the babies?” Mrs. Higgins said, as her husband convinced her to get ready to go skating.

  “Mother will watch the babies,” he assured her. “She’s up napping with them now.”

  Too excited at the idea of skating, Mrs. Higgins got ready to go.

  “You don’t mind if we leave you to see your own way out?” Higgins asked at the door.

  “Oh, no. Go on ahead. We’ll see you back there in a short while.”

  Bundled in their coats, Mr. and Mrs. Higgins left with their skates slung over their shoulders. Not a second after the door closed, Logan took Alice in his arms. “You see? Alone at last.”

  “Not quite alone.” She pointed to the stairs. “We have to behave. We could be interrupted at any moment.”

  “We won’t be, and I do plan to behave. For the most part.” He leaned his head in slowly. Alice’s heart began to beat faster. She ached for him, her nerves reacting to his proximity deep down in places that he couldn’t touch with them both fully clothed. Her lips parted before his mouth met hers, and she kissed him hungrily.

  “My memories of this place,” she said, when he broke the kiss. “I’ll never forget.”

  “Nor I. That’s how I knew that it had to be here.”

  “What had to be here?”

  He dropped to one knee. “It had to be here that I asked you, and here that I heard your answer. Please don’t be afraid to say no. I’m willing to wait. I’m willing to give you anything you ask.”

  Her nerves danced with excitement. She’d never thought she wanted to be married, and now she wanted nothing more than to be Logan’s wife. “Stop trying to anticipate my answer and ask me, Logan. Just ask.”

  He pulled an envelope out of his coat pocket. An envelope? “I’ve booked passage for two to India, leaving in the spring. It gives you plenty of time to decide if you would rather go on your own, but if you don’t mind, I would like to go with you.”

  She blinked. “You want to accompany me to India.” No marriage proposal? No ring? She had what she always wanted, and yet…

  “Of course I would love to see India with you, Logan. Yes.”

  “What a relief,” he said, not getting to his feet. He put the envelope back in his pocket and pulled out a small box. “Then it’s not necessary, of course, but I thought it might be easier for traveling purposes if you would consent to go as my wife. Marry me, Alice.”

  Her knees went weak. She wobbled and found her footing. “Logan, you want me to marry you? Truly?”

  “I believe I’ve been saying it for about a month now. Yes, Alice. Marry me. Please.”

  Hot tears formed in her eyes, threatening to spill down her cold cheeks. “Yes.”

  He shook his head. “Not if you’re going to cry about it.”

  “I’m crying because I’m happy, Logan. I’ve never been so happy. I had no idea how much I wanted to be your wife until just now.” He stood to take her in his arms, kissing her again. And again. She never wanted him to stop.

  At last, he held out the small box. “Once, I told you that I offered my grandmother’s moonstone to another woman.”

  “You wanted to give her the moon,” Alice said. “But I believe you offered me the entire universe.”

  “And you shall have it, at least any part of it that’s in my power to give. You’re the woman I love.” He opened the box. “And that’s why I bought a new ring, something just for you. I saw it, and it reminded me of you. Red, like your hair. You know how I love your red hair.” He stroked a tendril back from her face.

  “I do.” It was a solitary ruby, oval, set on a band of tiny diamonds. “Rubies are my favorite, Logan. Put it on me, please. I want to wear it always.” He slipped it on her finger.

  “It’s a perfect fit. Fate, as Agatha might say. It belongs on your finger.”

  “My grandmother’s pin.” She’d just remembered. “I traded it in a shop to buy your cuff links, but it’s a perfect match for the ring. Grandmother believed it would bring the right man.”

  “We’ll just have to go to that shop and buy it back again.”

  “Fate.” She nodded. “I do love you, Logan. More than I ever thought it possible to love. I want to see the world and have adventures, but it would never suit me to do it alone now that I know what it is to love you. I want to be with you always.”

  “It’s a good thing. I plan to be with you always, through every adventure for the rest of our lives.”

  Twenty-four

  Back at Thornbrook Park, they all warmed up and refreshed themselves with tea. Alice and Logan exchanged knowing glances but waited to share their news. She kept gloves on to hide the ring until she felt ready to show it off. At the top of the stairs, Alice and Logan shared a warm kiss before anyone caught up to them.

  “I can’t wait for the day we can share a room,” Alice said. “As husband and wife.”

  “Soon enough. But the day’s activities have worn me out and I welcome a short nap. I might prove a disappointment if we shared a room.”

  “You will never disappoint me, Logan.” She blew him another kiss as he walked off down the hall.

  Later, once they were all rested and ready for the evening, they met in the drawing room before dinner. Alice didn’t hesitate to wear her ring, without gloves, and she held her breath waiting for someone to notice.

  “Where did you get that stunning ring, Alice?” Eve Thorne asked at last.

  “Oh my goodness.” Sophia came from across the room to have a look. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice it at once.”

  “It was a gift,” she said, eager to fill them all in, but waiting for Logan to say something. She met his gaze.

  Eve and Sophia looked right at Logan before he needed to say a word. Agatha got up and hugged Logan at once. “Welcome to the family! I knew fate would lead you all along.”

  “It’s an engagement, then?” Sophia’s eyes darted back and forth between Alice and Logan. “For certain.”

  “It is,” Alice acknowledged with a blush.

  Logan came to her side and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I’ve loved her for too long to risk letting her get away again. And to my great joy, Alice has consented to be my wife.”

  “And I realized that I do want to be married after all, to Logan. Someone to share all my adventures.”

  “More than you ever dreamed.” He held her close.

  The rest of the evening went by in a blur. They ate and returned to the drawing room, and drank and laughed. What had started as a catastrophic holiday had turned into the best Christmas ever. The women admired Alice’s ring and planned ahead.

  “A spring wedding, to be sure,” Agatha said. “New beginnings.”

  They all raised their glasses. “To new beginnings.”

  ***

  It was late in the evening. Agatha and the Thornes had gone to bed. Logan and Alice stayed up as long as they could for the chance to spend more time in each other’s arms. Gabriel and Sophia made their excuses to leave the two lovebirds alone.

  “It has been such a long day,” Sophia said. “I’m so tired.”

  “You go on up to bed, darling,” Gabriel said. “I’ve got to clear some business downstairs with Finch. Boxing Day. I want
to make sure everyone is free and able to have a day off without waiting on us. I’ll meet you up in bed shortly.”

  “Of course,” Sophia said. “Don’t stay up too late, you two. And best wishes again for a wonderful life together. My apologies if I did anything to stand in the way of your happiness. I might have been overzealous in acting for what I believed was in Alice’s best interest. I look forward to having you as a brother, Logan. Growing up, I always wanted brothers. Now I’m to have two of them.”

  “Thank you, Sophia. It means a lot to me that we have your approval,” Logan said.

  “To me, too,” Alice added. “Thank you for coming to see things as they should be. Logan and I belong together.”

  “I can see that now.” Sophia flashed a genuine smile. “And I’m very pleased for you. Good night.”

  Logan and Alice stayed in front of the fire for some time, kissing and cuddling, not quite ready to part. At last, they decided they had better go in case they were keeping the servants up. With Boxing Day about to begin, they hated to be in the way.

  But as they rounded the corner to head up the stairs, they froze in their tracks. Lord Ralston had returned. He stood in the hall, his head bowed in quiet conversation with Sophia. They looked almost like lovers, which Alice began to laugh off as preposterous until he took Sophia in his arms and kissed her passionately. At first, Sophia started to push him away, but slowly she began to give in.

  “Sophia,” Alice breathed, unable to believe her eyes. For once, she wished so badly that she had been wrong, so terribly wrong, about Ralston’s attraction to Sophia. But she seemed to have been right. Alice leaned on Logan for support.

  Logan’s arm was around her waist, gently guiding Alice away from the disturbing sight, when the worst of all things happened next. Lord Averford turned the corner and witnessed his wife in the arms of another man. And his face—Alice would never forget the look on Gabriel’s face, a look of sheer agony. Alice watched her brother-in-law’s heart break into a million pieces right before her eyes.