Foolishness, Benedick thought as he ran a hand through his hair and grinned. Or was it? Slowly the dream came back to him, a vision from long ago in which he stood outside this family circle looking in, wishing that he could be here and hold this future in his hands.
And now he did.
He owed it all to Noel’s Christmas wish, Benedick thought, and then shook his head at such a nonsensical notion. Obviously some of Noel’s fancies had rubbed off on him over the years, he decided as he scooped up Gabby, who was lifting her arms to him impatiently. It was only natural, he told himself, for did he not indulge his wife inordinately?
“Kiss, Papa,” Gabby demanded, and he complied, giving her a loud smack on the cheek that sent her into a fit of giggles. Then again, his wife also indulged him aplenty, he thought with a grin. Had she not given him all this? And made this keep a home, filling it with life and laughter and love.
“Make a wish,” Benedick urged, his voice roughened by emotion, and he saw Noel’s swift glance, her tender smile and the still-mischievous sparkle in her eye.
“Why?” Gabby piped up.
“You aren’t going to wish for another baby, are you?” Petronella asked suspiciously.
Benedick eyed his wife’s slender body. If she knew a child was on the way, she often requested a fat, healthy infant. But her belly was as flat as a girl’s, so he didn’t think a baby was in the offing, though not for lack of bedding. His innocent Noel had developed into a lusty wench, as eager for a romp as he, and just as content to lie afterward in his arms, that certain warmth surrounding them.
“Why?” Gabby said.
“No baby this year,” Noel said. “This Christmas, I shall wish for something entirely different.” Then she paused, drawing the moment out until she had everyone’s attention. “I would ask for a happy, healthy new year for us all.”
“Aw, that’s not different,” Godard complained.
“But it’s what I want,” Noel said, reaching out to hug the twins, who stood on either side of her.
“Happy Birthday, Mama,” they all shouted then, accepting her hugs and kisses with various degrees of enthusiasm, depending up their ages. Godard, Benedick noted, was too much a man, but someday he would come to appreciate the more tender emotions, as his father had.
Over the general clamour, Gabby’s voice rose high and shrill, ringing sharply in Benedick’s ear. “Why wish?” she demanded. “Why wish?” They all looked to Noel, who smiled at Benedick, deferring the question to the head of the household as often was her wont.
“’Tis tradition,” he replied, with a grin.
Author Note
Since Christmas is my favorite time of the year, I especially enjoyed writing A Wish for Noel. Like Noel, much of my pleasure in the season comes from memories of my mother, who made the holiday so very special. Although the world seems to move faster now, I try to keep as many of her traditions as I can for my own children in the hope that they, too, will carry these memories with them always.
In transferring my love of Christmas to my characters, I was hampered by the discovery that many treasured customs were not around during the late thirteenth century, but medieval revelers still found many ways to celebrate—for a whopping twelve days. And some of our observances, such as kissing under the mistletoe, were just as popular in the time of knights and their ladies.
I am fascinated by those years, as well as the Regency, and enjoy using both periods as settings for my romances. Although the Regency lends itself more easily to romps like The Vicar’s Daughter, I have fun with all of my books, including the upcoming The de Burgh Bride, due out in February. My eleventh historical, it is a sequel to my 1995 title Taming The Wolf, which was nominated for Best Medieval in Romantic Times’ Reviewers’ Choice Awards.
Taming The Wolf introduced the seven de Burgh brothers and left one of them with the onerous duty of marrying The Fitzhugh, the daughter of their enemy and infamous in her own right. I hope those who have been waiting to find out which brother weds the notorious heiress will be pleased with The de Burgh Bride.
As always, I’m happy to hear from readers at the following address. An SASE for reply is appreciated: Deborah Simmons, P.O. Box 274, Ontario, Ohio, 44862.
ISBN : 978-1-4592-6820-3
KARA’S GIFT
Copyright © 1997 by Carol Suzanne Backus
THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
Copyright © 1997 by Margaret Wilkins
A WISH FOR NOEL
Copyright © 1997 by Deborah Siegenthal
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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