"I couldn't sleep," she said weakly, and looked up into his large brown eyes.
He smiled gently and replied, "Take my hand, young lady, and I'll escort you back upstairs. And you're to stay in bed, is that clear?" he asked in mock severity, walking her down the hall.
"Yes," Victoria answered simply, a frown marring her smooth features. She was in quite a dilemma. Miss Turner had given her a lengthy lecture on tattling, and she certainly didn't want to misbehave. So, for the moment, Victoria's lips were sealed.
Six
"Papa, are you going to take us all for sleigh rides?" Victoria asked, gaping at the enormous red-and-gold sleigh behind Henry's pair of matched blacks.
Henry smiled down at his daughter, who was getting more snow-covered with every passing moment. "Of course, dear," he began, and turned to Aubrey and Nigel. "Would you both like a chance at the ribbons?"
Aubrey glanced around their small outdoor party. Miss Turner was attending Victoria. Henry and Harriet were bounding about in the snow, as was Emily. Susan was practically glued to Nigel, who looked as if he would move heaven and hell to get rid of her company. "Not today, Henry," he said casually, heartily sick and tired of the weather.
There was one advantage, he had to admit. With the exception of Susan's mother, everyone of consequence was outside. This was an ideal opportunity to filch Emily's pendant. All he had to do was make sure that her abigail was busy elsewhere, and he could stand guard while Susan searched the room. And no one would be the wiser.
"Nigel? Are you game today?" Henry asked with a smile, dusting the snow off of his dark blue greatcoat.
Nigel gazed over at Emily, who was once again in her dark blue pelisse and carried a bright white muff, her face alight with pleasure. "I think I can manage to take the ladies for a spin in your sleigh," Nigel said, still gazing longingly at Emily.
Henry smiled. "Not my sleigh. Borrowed it from Blackmore. His visitors haven't arrived yet—thought we might make use of it," Henry finished, watching Miss Turner and Victoria seat themselves in the aforementioned vehicle.
"Father knows Blackmore very well, much better than I. You're lucky to have such an amiable neighbor," Nigel commented, and walked over to the sleigh with his host.
Before Susan could tag dutifully after Nigel like a devoted puppy, Aubrey seized the opportunity to grab her arm and ask, "May I have a word?"
Sighing, Susan walked off a bit with Aubrey and replied, "Yes? This had better be important, since I hate to be away from my future husband's side."
Aubrey rolled his eyes toward the heavens, but decided to ignore that comment. "If you wish to abscond with Miss Winterhaven's mermaid, this is an ideal opportunity. I'll go inside now, and you can return to the house in a few minutes," he said, noticing how the snowflakes made her porcelain skin glisten in the daylight.
A slow smile curled her lips. "That's a devilish good idea! I'll be in after my sleigh ride," she promised, and marched right back to Nigel's side.
As Henry, Victoria, and Miss Turner rode off into the snow, Aubrey sauntered over to Harriet and Emily, glancing casually at Susan. Once again, she was hanging onto Nigel's arm as if her life depended on it. He sighed, and turned to his hostess. "Harriet, I'm really not up to romping in the snow today. I hope you won't think me ill-mannered if I go inside," he said casually.
Harriet smiled sympathetically. "Yes, I quite understand. If I had been traveling in this snow, I'm sure I wouldn't want to be out in it any longer than necessary," she replied, noticing Susan hovering over Nigel.
"I knew you'd understand," Aubrey muttered, and began to trudge toward the house.
"So, are you going to go for a sleigh ride?" Harriet asked Emily, a smile dancing on her lips.
"Undoubtedly," Emily replied, and pointed to a pair of trees in the distance. "Isn't that Henry coming round now?" she asked, and could hear the jingle of the bells on the horses' tack.
"I do believe it is. Well, at least Henry didn't overturn Blackmore's rig," Harriet commented, catching the very telling glance that Nigel was throwing toward her. "Why don't we go over and see how Nigel and Susan are holding up?" Harriet suggested.
As the ladies clopped through the knee-high snow toward the pair, Henry and his passengers pulled up next to them.
"Oh Mama, it was ever so much fun! Can we get a sleigh? Please?" Victoria chimed as Henry carried her out of the sleigh.
Harriet giggled as Henry put her daughter down in the snow and Victoria scampered over to her. "Can we, Mama?" she asked, her cheeks pink and her tiny nose running from the cold.
"We'll see," Harriet said, then turned to Emily. "Are you ready for your ride?"
Emily glanced over to Susan, who was intentionally ignoring her. "If Susan doesn't mind," she said in a soft voice, glancing over at Nigel. He looked so handsome standing next to the sled, large flakes of snow making his unfashionably long, black hair look iridescent.
"Oh, I don't mind," Susan replied, scarcely looking away from Nigel.
It was Henry who ruined all of Susan's very obvious romantic plans. He glanced over at Nigel, who looked rather miserable, and asked, "Nigel, would you mind taking Emily for her drive? My hands are dashed frozen from the trip I made."
Nigel glanced over at Emily's lithe form silhouetted against a gray sky and smiled. "Of course, Henry, my pleasure," he said with a magnificent smile that lit up his face.
Emily blushed as he held his large, capable hand out to help her into the sleigh. She felt as if her heart would burst as she placed the plaid blanket over her lap and stared at the backs of Henry's blacks, squalls of snow bursting around her.
"Are you ready, Emily?" Nigel asked with a smile, settling himself into the seat beside her.
"Yes," she replied, suddenly shy, and Nigel urged the horses forward, whisking them away from the confines of the house party.
They rode in silence for a while, each lost in thought. The snow swirled around them, making the whole scene seem rather unreal.
As they neared the edge of the forest, Nigel slowed the pair to a walk and commented, "You look very charming today, Emily."
Emily blushed. Gads, he's polite, she thought, ignoring the fact that the sleigh was rather small and that his firm, muscular thigh was pressed against her. "You're giving me a bit of Spanish coin, my lord," she said in a light voice, staring straight ahead, afraid to meet his eyes.
Nigel slowed the horses to a stop at a glade and said in a firm voice, "I most certainly am not."
Emily was at quite a loss. Why was he being so solicitous, she wondered, fairly certain that he was lying. Finally, after staring at her muff for a prodigiously long time, she said, "Then you must be the veriest of rakes, my lord, since those are the only gentlemen who make it a point to charm spinsters who are on the shelf."
If she had looked over, she would have noticed the intense look on Nigel's face. Instead she stared ahead blankly, concentrating on the horses and the white puffs coming out of their nostrils.
"Emily, you're a very charming, talented, and beautiful female, and I don't believe you're on the shelf. And I'm definitely not a rake," he said in a sultry voice, putting his hand under her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes.
Emily's heart lurched as she stared into his golden-green eyes that seemed to reflect the grayness of the snow. He's not lying, she thought in a panic, and, once again, was at a complete loss.
"Do you believe me?" he asked, his hand moving from her chin to tuck a stray strand of auburn hair behind her ear.
"Lord Stratford, I'm not eligible, and it's quite obvious to the world that Lady Susan and her mother are expecting an offer posthaste," she said in a wavering voice, aware of nothing save the handsome peer nestled beside her amid a winter storm.
"Lady Susan and her mother can both go to the devil," he said huskily, and leaned forward to kiss her.
Before Emily realized exactly what was happening, she was engulfed in his arms, returning his kisses fervently. Nothing felt more natural tha
n to have her slim form crushed against his greatcoat, or to have her hands run through his thick, wavy hair. It was as if she had been dead for four-and-twenty years, and had suddenly come alive with the touch of his lips.
Unfortunately, Henry's blacks weren't particularly interested in standing in the snow, so, without being bidden, they began a slow walk toward the house.
Nigel broke away from Emily, who was now an even darker shade of red. Goodness, he must think I'm a doxy, she thought, staring at the white fur of her muff.
His hands on the ribbons, Nigel looked over at Emily and sighed. "I know I should really beg your pardon for accosting you, Emily, but the sad fact is that I'm not in the least bit sorry. Do you think that makes me a rake?" he said in a mock-serious voice, and was rewarded with a slight smile.
"I don't know, my lord. Do you often kiss women without their leave?" she said, smiling shyly.
"Not at all. In fact, my father has accused me of being rather stiff-necked. Would you mind coming back to my country home and reporting that I kissed you while we were on a sleigh ride? It would do wonders for my reputation," he said with a smile, and Emily giggled.
"I think not," she said, a contented glow settling around her.
As they moved toward their starting point, Emily noticed that Susan had left, and that Henry and Harriet were in such a deep coze that they didn't even notice the sleigh approaching.
As they came to a halt, Nigel jumped out of the sleigh, and as he took her delicate hand in his, said softly, "Thank you for your company. The pleasure was very definitely mine."
Emily blushed and looked away, saying, "Thank you for the ride, Lord Stratford," her heart still pounding in her chest.
"Susan dearest, you'd best hurry," Aubrey drawled, leaning his robust form against the corridor wall outside of Emily's room.
From inside the room, Susan grumbled, "I'm not your dearest, and I'm looking as quickly as I can!"
Aubrey sighed, and leafed through the pages of the book he was holding. If any servant actually surprised them, he would simply use the book as a ruse and, he hoped, dispose of them before Susan got caught in the act of acquiring Emily's pendant.
Suddenly, he heard Susan say "Finally!" in triumph, and she appeared moments later, a smirk on her perfect rosebud lips.
"Why, Aubrey, what are you doing here? The library is on the first floor. Let me show you," she said, linking her arm in his.
From below, they could hear the rest of the party entering the house, and they both smiled in satisfaction.
"That was well-timed, Susan," he said, his eyes roving over the milky expanse of breast that her morning gown revealed.
"Wasn't it? Shall we join the others in the parlor?" she replied as they began their descent down the enormous spiral staircase.
"Henry, do you know where I can find Harriet?" Emily asked, glancing around the library, impressed by the fine selection of books.
Henry took out his gold pocket watch and glanced at it casually. "She should be in the nursery having tea with Victoria about this time," he said with a smile.
A slight frown marred Emily's brow. "Really?"
"Quite. I'm sure Harriet and Victoria would enjoy your company, if you're interested," he finished with a slight smile.
Moments later, Emily found herself walking into the nursery, only to find Miss Turner sitting on a stiff-backed mahogany chair near the window, engrossed in some sort of novel.
"Miss Turner? Can you tell me where I can find Harriet? Henry mentioned that she might be up here," Emily asked, tucking a stray strand of her auburn hair behind her ear.
"Oh, Miss Winterhaven, Lady Ashton is giving Victoria her lesson. I'm sure they wouldn't mind your company," she said with a smile, and got off her chair, motioning Emily to follow her.
Miss Turner opened the door on the other side of the room and stood aside as Emily walked in.
And promptly began to giggle.
The room was a miniature parlor, fit for entertaining children. All of the furniture was scaled much smaller, although a few of the mahogany chairs were more adult-sized. It was rather like a fairy tale, Emily thought, smiling at the pair.
Harriet and Victoria were sitting next to each other on a small mahogany couch covered in yellow, with a sofa table in front of them. The table had a full tea service on it, and it appeared that Victoria was in the process of pouring her mother another cup.
"Emily, how wonderful to see you! Won't you join our tea?" Harriet asked, waving Emily over to one of the adult-sized mahogany chairs.
Her face alight from the scene in front of her, Emily settled herself in and asked curiously, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
"Oh no, Aunt Emily," Victoria broke in, trying to pronounce her words very carefully. "Mama is teaching me to be a proper lady, and I'd be ever so grateful if you helped. Would you care for a cup of tea?"
Emily was hard-pressed not to grin at the girl who was, at the age of four, trying desperately hard to act like an adult. "Yes, thank you, Victoria," she said, full of admiration for Harriet. At least she took some interest in her daughter, since many of her neighbors spent most of their time avoiding their children. Of course, she actually didn't expect anything else from Harriet.
"Thank you, Victoria," she replied as Victoria handed her the teacup, which was steaming hot.
"We were discussing Christmas traditions. Shall we test Aunt Emily?" Harriet asked her daughter with a smile.
Victoria's blue eyes brightened. "If you think it would be all right, Mama," she said primly, as if she were actually in a real parlor.
"That was nicely said, dear. Tomorrow we're going to be doing some decorating, with holly and rosemary. Emily, can you tell me why they're both used at the holiday season?" Harriet asked, sipping her tea.
Emily frowned and thought for a moment. "Well, holly is supposed to protect the house from severe weather, thunder, and lightning in the coming year. And rosemary is used in our decoration because Mary laid the Christ child's garments on a rosemary bush," she finished, intrigued by this discussion of Christmas traditions.
"Can you add anything, Victoria?" Harriet asked, watching her daughter intently.
"Some people also put a piece of holly in their beehives, and they say that the bees will sing a song in honor of baby Jesus. And if you put a sprig on your bedpost, you won't have bad dreams," Victoria concluded, sitting as straight as a soldier on the small sofa.
"Very good. And why do we eat apples on Christmas Eve?" Harriet asked.
"Oh, I know, Mama, so that we will all have good health for the following year."
Emily was all smiles, quite enjoying being part of their small family. "Do you know what we do at our home, Victoria?"
Victoria shook her head and Harriet looked on with a smile.
"Well, if a maid asks one of our manservants to bring in the holly and he doesn't, he has the most awful surprise waiting for him. The maid steals his trousers and nails them to the gate in the courtyard, to show the entire household what a spoilsport he is!" she finished with a flourish, and Victoria giggled.
"And not only that," Emily continued, "he isn't allowed to kiss any girls under the mistletoe."
"Gads, I suspect that happened only once. Our manservants would wither away and die if they were banned from using the mistletoe," Harriet lamented, still studying her daughter.
"Mama, are there many more Christmas traditions I should know?"
"Oh Victoria, there are dozens more traditions that you'll learn, but not today. Why don't you bid good afternoon to Aunt Emily and tell Miss Turner it's time for your nap," Harriet suggested, and this time Victoria didn't squabble.
She stood up, looked at Emily with her large, little-girl eyes, and said, "Thank you so much for attending our tea, Aunt Emily. I enjoyed your company very much and would be happy if you would come by again."
Once again, Emily was hard-pressed not to giggle. It was obvious that Victoria was trying very hard to be polite, but a small
girl could only muster so much dignity. Finally, Emily said, "Thank you for your invitation, Victoria, and I do hope to join your party in the future."
Both ladies watched in amazement as Victoria walked out of the ridiculous little room as primly as a girl in her first Season.
"Thank you for your patience, Emily. Miss Turner thinks I'm a bit let in the attic for taking the time to teach Victoria her manners myself, but that's how my mama taught me. And I remember the wonderful talks we had, and I want Victoria to remember spending time with me, not just her nanny or governess," Harriet concluded, moving to one of the larger chairs.
"I think it's a bang-up idea. Victoria is a charming girl— you must be very proud of her."
"I am. So tell me, did you enjoy your sleigh ride with Nigel?" Harriet asked with a grin.
Emily actually blushed slightly, and stared at her hands resting in her lap.
"Is he always so… solicitous?"
Harriet shrugged slightly. "I don't know. Nigel is usually rather reserved until he feels comfortable with someone. Why?" Harriet asked, leaning forward, anxious to hear the answer.
"He seems to be taking a particular interest in me, when he is supposed to be entangled with Lady Susan. It's rather confusing," Emily explained, still studying her hands.
"I'm fairly certain that Nigel doesn't intend on getting leg-shackled to Lady Susan. And for you, if he's being particularly cordial, then it's probably because he finds your company enjoyable."
"Then he's not making a sport of me, the spinster who's at her last prayers?" Emily asked nervously, her large, tormented eyes meeting Harriet's.
"Nigel is definitely not making a sport of you. Just because he's English doesn't mean that he's necessarily a scoundrel, Emily," she said, a hint of uncertainty creeping into her voice.
Emily sighed. "I'm sorry, Harriet. I just have a hard time trusting unmarried men, I suppose."
"Don't worry, Emily, everything will work out right and tight," Harriet said firmly, her brow marred by the hint of a frown.
"Emily, do you have enough mistletoe for the kissing bough?" Harriet asked, glancing over to her friend.
Emily's Christmas Wish Page 8
