A Gerrard Family Christmas

by Rebecca Connolly

  “Fair point. Alice and Agnes can handle that lot.” Kit pursed his lips slightly. “Someone will need to oversee the boxes. It’s important enough that structure and order would be required.”

  Colin scoffed. “Put your wife in charge of them. Better yet, put mine. She’s still in my study looking over the gifts, and I think she may be opening and rewrapping them.”

  That surprised Kit and he looked in the direction of the other study for a moment. “You think so?”

  Colin shrugged a shoulder, smirking in a way that did not hide his amusement. “Hers, at least. Maybe not anyone else’s, but she is surprisingly mercenary when it comes to her own gifts.”

  Kit scowled and moved to go to the study. “She’s not going to help anybody if she wants the gifts to stay, Colin. We have to stop her.”

  His arm was suddenly seized in a harsh grip and he was pulled to a stop.

  “Oh, please, Colin, I’m not going to hurt her,” Kit groaned, looking over his shoulder at his twin.

  Colin looked surprisingly wary, shaking his head. “It’s not that, Kit. There’s something you should know.”

  Kit turned fully and shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  “You’ll like it even less when I tell you what I must,” Colin assured him, rubbing the back of his neck.

  Kit folded his arms again and tried not to panic. “All right, I definitely don’t like this, whatever it is.”

  Colin hummed an almost laugh that held absolutely no humor in it, and nodded once. “I was investigating the gifts, trying to decipher the giver from what was there, see if there were any clues, and one of the presents for Rosie…” He closed his eyes as if bracing himself. “It’s small.”

  Small? That was it? That was the big dramatic thing he had been reluctant to tell him?

  That was the most pathetic… Rosie was sensitive, and competitive with her sisters, but surely he didn’t think she would be so petty.

  Colin cracked open an eye, and then looked upset that Kit hadn’t reacted at all. “Kit! It is a small gift.”

  “Yes, so you said,” Kit answered, wondering if he could punch his brother without leaving any visible evidence that would raise questions. “I am still waiting for the distressing part of that revelation.”

  His brother’s mouth twisted. “It is small and distinctly in the shape of a jewelry box, Kit. Rather remarkably like the one I have hidden away in my bureau to give to my wife tomorrow morning, in fact.”

  Kit stilled, letting the information wash over him, processing it as quickly as humanly possible, considering it kept repeating itself in his mind at increasing volumes.

  “So in case you have forgotten where things stand,” Colin went on, his tone condescending, “there is a mountain of gifts that have been delivered to us on Christmas Eve from a person as yet unidentified, unless you wish to confess something right about now…”

  Kit did not, and gave his brother the sort of look that stated the fact.

  “And our sister,” Colin went on, hardly pausing at all, “who is only fourteen years of age, is apparently getting some small and probably expensive jewelry item from this as yet unidentified person, who just might be of the male persuasion.”

  Kit was already headed for the door again, and Colin did not stop him this time.

  “Don’t bellow,” Colin hissed. “No one can know.”

  “I do not bellow,” Kit gritted through his teeth. “And no one will know. I am going to see these presents for myself.”

  Colin clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man.”

  Kit barely felt it as he stormed on down the corridor.

  Rosie was still a child, not even close to being considered the appropriate age or maturity to be out. How could some blackguard have designs on her already? And to try and sway her with expensive gifts? Worse than that, but to include the entire family in his schemes to sway her all the more?

  It was downright despicable, and Kit would burn the entire pile of packages to the ground and dance around the flames like a Morris man from the village before he would see a single one of them opened.

  Just as he was about to barge into Colin’s study, the door to it opened, making Kit stutter a step.

  Susannah came out, looking rather amused about something. “Oh, there you are, I was just coming to find the two of you.”

  “Not now, Susannah,” Kit grunted, shifting to move past her.

  “Urgent business,” Colin announced from behind him.

  “This will only take a moment,” she told them. She held up a small, distinctly jewelry box shaped package in one hand. “Look what I found addressed to Rosie.”

  Kit looked at the small gift, his eyes narrowing in on it. He felt his lip curl into a snarl and his neck began to heat.

  Susannah reared back. “Colin, what is he doing?”

  “He will probably pounce on that atrocious object in your hold and tear it to shreds with his bare teeth to protect the one it is intended for,” Colin recited as if the plan had already been discussed.

  It seemed like a good idea to Kit, provided Susannah moved out of the way quickly enough to avoid injury.

  “Why?” Susannah asked, looking between the two of them.

  Colin huffed impatiently. “Because that is obviously a trinket designed to give Rosie a favorable impression of a young man who wishes to pursue her, despite the fact that she is practically an infant.”

  Kit nodded with a harsh grunt, unable to vocalize his agreement to his brother’s statement.

  Susannah stared at them both for a long moment, then burst out laughing.

  The sound was jarring to Kit’s ears and he glared at his brother, wondering at this moment what had possessed him to marry a woman who would laugh at a time like this, despite the fact that they had known her for years and she was perfect for him.

  Those were minor details at this moment.

  “What is so funny, Susannah?” Colin demanded, sounding properly insulted himself.

  Susannah was still laughing too hard to respond and she waved her hand somewhat apologetically.

  “Colin,” Kit ground out, his hands forming fists at his side.

  “Susannah,” Colin chimed in quickly, now sounding as though he were pleading, “please, for your own sake, tell us why you’re laughing at that.”

  Susannah exhaled slowly, still fighting more laughter. She sniffed once, then exhaled again. “I’m sorry,” she said, laughing. She met Kit’s eyes and tried to sober. “I’m sorry, Kit.” She reached out a hand and laid it on his arm. “Truly.”

  He nodded once, but said nothing.

  Apologies were not answers.

  “But there is no possible way this came from a potential suitor for Rosie,” she explained, laughing again. “She goes to an all girls school in Kent.”

  “Girls have brothers,” Kit grunted.

  “Exactly,” Colin added.

  Susannah shook her head slowly. “Still not the case. Rosie would have limited opportunity even there to meet any of them. You’ve never spent time in a finishing school for young ladies, but I can promise you that there is no way a fourteen-year-old girl would be exposed to any young man long enough for him to form any serious designs on her. And Kit, you looked into the school yourself and it came incredibly highly recommended, if I recall.”

  “It did,” he admitted reluctantly, “and from some very trustworthy sources.”

  “So you should not jump to that conclusion simply because eager young men may send jewelry to a young lady,” Susannah said, trying not to smile, and explaining everything as though Kit and Colin were seven years old. “Besides, as you said, Rosie is far too young, and I am fairly certain she still thinks anyone of the male species to be singularly lacking in anything of interest to her.”

  He hated to admit it, but she had several valid points there.

  Besides, how would any potential suitor of Rosie’s know where they were going to spend Christmas? Yorkshire wasn’t
one of their more frequented estates, and it wasn’t something that they had spread around for the public’s information.

  And Rosie might not have had any interest in any young men as yet, but it wouldn’t be far off. She was destined to be a very handsome young lady, so there was every possibility that this could become their reality before long, however…

  “Are you certain?” Kit asked before he could finish the thought.

  Susannah nodded firmly, finally not seeming amused by the idea. “I had a long conversation with Rosie just the other night, and she confided many things. Trust me, these presents are no seduction technique.”

  “Susannah!” Kit cried, clamping his hands over his ears.

  “Why would you say something like that?” Colin practically yelled, looking as though he might fall over.

  She rolled her eyes and handed the gift to her husband. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, you two. Grow up. This gift probably came from Kate, if you want my opinion. She has far too many trinkets and would love to see them go to deserving young girls who don’t have such suspicious brothers!” She stormed off, shaking her head and muttering under her breath.

  For a long moment, there wasn’t a sound.

  It probably came from… Kate?

  Of course! Why hadn’t he considered that possibility before? Colin’s friends!

  He whirled to face Colin, new energy surging through him, and his twin had a calculating expression on his face.

  “Is it possible?” he asked, taking in the new idea with interest.

  Colin nodded at once, starting to smile. “Not only possible, but probable. Not necessarily Kate, but any of them. All of them. It would make sense not to bring all of the gifts with them when they would have limited carriage space. They would send them on ahead.”

  It was a prudent thought, and it certainly made the most sense out of anything they had considered yet.

  Except for the idea that one of them had done it.

  He hadn’t ruled that out yet, and he doubted he would.

  But he was open to other possibilities.

  “So,” he began with a sigh, the fight in him gone now, “do we let the children open these presents when the giver is apparently not here to witness it?”

  Colin shook his head quickly. “No, no, it doesn’t matter who the giver is, the sentiment still stands. This is too much, and what if we were not as generous?”

  Kit chuckled a dry laugh. “So it is a bit of a competition for you, then.”

  “Well, I couldn’t bear to be considered a miser by my own siblings and children,” Colin said without shame. “How would that reflect on me?”

  That was the most quintessentially Colin thing that Colin had ever said, and it amused Kit immensely.

  Not that he would tell Colin that, for fear it might encourage him into further idiocy. Besides, Kit had other matters that required his attention.

  Several, in fact.

  He turned from his brother and started down the corridor to his own study.

  “Where are you going?” Colin demanded, trotting after him like one of the children might have done.

  “The study, Colin. The one that actually gets used in this house.”

  “Mine is being used at this moment!” his brother protested.

  “Yes, rather the way a warehouse on a dock is.”

  “I didn’t say it was a good use.”

  Kit huffed in irritation. There really was too much to do and Colin’s interference was going to ruin that more than the children had ruined the tree. “If I am going to set the children to work on the boxes for St. Stephen’s Day,” he informed him, “I really must see to the ledgers and make some sort of determination as to what must be given and to whom. One does not wish to appear overly generous or display any kind of favoritism, but we also must not appear stingy.”

  “Oh, yes,” Colin drawled easily, “we must maintain our name and respectability with the servants, you are quite right, sir.”

  He could have done without that, but one was used to a certain level of immaturity when Colin was around. He had no idea the sort of stresses Kit was under at any given time, being the heir to the estates and title their father bore.

  And that did not take into account the stresses he felt about Christmas.

  “What about the tree, Kit?” Colin hissed as they neared the study. “What are we going to do?”

  Kit paused with a curse. He’d forgotten all about that.

  “Tell them…” he began, thinking quickly. “Tell them it was practice. We haven’t done the real decoration yet, but they got some excellent practice in. You and I will fix it later.”

  Colin nodded, grinning. “Brilliant,” he said, pointing at Kit proudly. “Genius.” He skittered away with a hint of a skip in his step.

  “I know,” Kit muttered with a roll of his eyes. “I said it.” He shook his head and pushed into the study, hoping this wouldn’t take long.

  Time was of the essence.

  The oddest sound met his ears as he entered the room. Paper was tearing, and was that… chewing?

  He looked in a corner of the room, blinked twice, then turned to call over his shoulder, “COLIN! Why is there a goat in my study?”

  Chapter Nine

  "Have you taken to collecting goats, Kit?”

  “No, Rosie, I haven’t.”

  “He’s so cute!”

  “No, Bitty, he isn’t. Colin! Stop laughing!”

  Colin said nothing, still doubled over in laughter, ignoring Kit’s order completely.

  Kit groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Will someone please explain to me how there came to be a goat in my study? Never mind that he has devoured what could be some very important documents; I will deal with those ramifications later. I just want to know why he is here and how he is here.”

  “I put the goat in here.”

  Kit removed his hand from his face and turned slightly to look at his youngest sister, who stood in the doorway of his study, staring at the goat. She didn’t seem at all perturbed by the sight, but neither was she smiling in delight at the sight of him.

  She was just as Ginny ever was; observing, calculating, and, apart from her excitement surrounding Christmas this morning, completely unruffled by anything and everything.

  “Ginny,” Kit said calmly, putting his hands on his hips, “would you care to explain the goat?”

  Colin snorted a brief laugh, then smothered it with a hand.

  Ginny shrugged her little shoulders and took three steps into the room. “I was trying to hide him until Christmas morning.”

  Rosie looked at her sister in absolute bewilderment. “Why until Christmas morning?”

  “Because he’s a gift,” Ginny explained with a roll of her eyes. “Obviously.”

  “A gift,” Kit repeated, unsure if he were supposed to be laughing or yelling at this moment. “For whom, may I ask?”

  She looked mildly surprised by that. “For you. And for Colin.”

  Kit exchanged a look with his still giggling brother. Colin shrugged and clamped down on his lips hard.

  “I was going to put him in Colin’s study,” Ginny went on, which sobered Colin sufficiently and he now threw Kit a panicked look.

  “Oh?” Kit asked carefully.

  Ginny nodded once. “But the door was locked, so I had to find someplace else.”

  Colin released a sigh that only Kit saw, but Rosie looked at him with a curious glint that could spell trouble for them later.

  “Where did you get a goat, Ginny?” Bitty asked, inching closer to the grey creature currently sniffing and nibbling along the bookcase in the corner.

  “Mr. Matthews down the lane,” she reported with a hint of a smile. “The other day when we were helping Marianne and Susannah with basket deliveries, we passed his farm and all of the little goats were out. He said he was going to sell as many as he could.”

  “And you purchased one that day?” Colin asked, sounding impressed, which was not going to
help anyone at all.

  Ginny shook her head, her dark curls swinging. “No, but I asked if he could save me one. I thought it would be fun to have a goat, and said I needed to go home and see how much money I had saved up.”

  This was without a doubt the most ridiculous story Kit had ever heard in his entire life, and he had lived through a childhood with Colin.

  “And Mr. Matthews sold him to you?” Kit inquired, wondering if the man had some sort of grudge against himself or Colin. More than likely it would have been Colin, as Kit never did anything worthy of reproach where his tenants were concerned.

  Ginny grinned and nodded very proudly. “I had just enough money, and he said he was pleased to be seeing Humphrey go to such a good home. Said he knew I would take good care of him.”

  “Humphrey?’ Kit looked at the goat in surprise, his nose wrinkling up in distaste. “He named it?”

  “No, I did,” Ginny chirped. “Right when I saw him, and Mr. Matthews said it was a good name for a goat.”

  “Is there such a thing?” Kit muttered, staring at the creature again.

  “Go on and pet him, Bitty,” Ginny told her sister. “He likes it.”

  Bitty reached out excitedly.

  “No, Bitty, don’t,” Kit scolded.

  Bitty frowned at him, pouting. “Why not, Kit? He’s ours!”

  Ginny turned to Kit with a huff. “Yes, why not, Kit? I’ve been petting him ever since I got him.”

  Kit couldn’t believe his ears, nor could he believe he was actually having this conversation. “How long have you had him, Ginny?”

  “Two days,” she replied, still frowning at him.

  Colin shifted against the far wall, no longer looking as amused as he had been. “Where have you kept him, Ginny? Kit’s been in his study since then, and the goat…”

  “Humphrey,” Ginny and Bitty said together.

  “Humphrey,” Colin corrected with an apologetic hand, “was most certainly not in here then. Kit would have noticed.” He almost smiled again, but stopped at Kit’s glare.

  “He’s been in the spare bedrooms,” Ginny told them without concern. “The servants were going through them all this morning like we were expecting guests, so I brought him down here.” She paused, looking thoughtful, then turned to Kit. “Are we expecting guests?”