Chloe smiled after them and then turned to her sister. “Well, shall we prepare for this evening?”
Andrew Wetherby walked into the parlor of Ashbury Manor, where his closest family members and family friends were making merry. Chloe and the children were already there as well. Samantha had found her cousins and now played with them on the rug before the great fire. His brothers-in-law, Steven and James Hawthorne, stood by the sidebar, which was stocked with fine scotch and brandy. And Chloe’s sister, Cassandra, clung to her side, clearly unsure, at the ripe age of twelve, whether she should be playing with the children or conversing with the adults.
He watched Chloe intently as he leaned against the doorjamb, wondering if she was all right. It wasn’t any secret that she was a bit nervous about her cousin’s return, despite the fact they’d visited them in Scotland. Still, it had been a long time since then. And Andrew would be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit nervous himself. He’d spent a long time engaged to Elizabeth, and the fact that she married his brother could make for an awkward family gathering. Could four years really make them all forget what had happened?
Voices from the front hall brought him from his thoughts and sent his nerves skittering to his extremities. They would find out soon enough just how awkward this holiday would be.
Andrew stepped out into the corridor and waited for Michael and Elizabeth to make their way towards him. As they did, one thing became very apparent. He smiled widely at his brother and sister-in-law, and they both beamed back at him. His nerves melted away as he kissed Elizabeth on her cheek and then embraced his twin. It had been far too long.
“Oh, heavens,” Elizabeth said, as she stood by watching them. “I never expected to be so emotional, but this reunion…”
“Lizzie!”
Andrew and Michael stepped aside to allow Chloe into the corridor. She ran to Elizabeth and gathered her in her arms as both women dissolved into tears.
Katherine & William
Katherine, Duchess of Weston, didn’t care how long it had been since everyone had seen one another, there wouldn’t be any tears at her party. So when she saw her sisters-in-law blubbering in the corridor outside the drawing room, she knew she must put a stop to it.
“Ladies, you’re going to make a mess for Sturgeon to clean up,” she said as she approached the little group of sappy relatives. “Come now, it’s Christmas. Let us put smiles on our faces and rejoice that we are once again together.”
“So wonderful to see you, too, sister dear.” Her little brother Michael said, though in all honesty, he wasn’t little at all. As a matter of fact, Katherine was rather dwarfed next to her brothers, blast them.
“Don’t be cross with me, Michael,” she said, moving in for a hug and a kiss from him. “I’m simply trying to be a good hostess.”
“You are the very the best, Kat. Never doubt it.”
She smiled widely at her brother. “You’ve always been my favorite, you know?”
“Pardon me?” Andrew stepped forward, looking affronted. “Isn’t that what you said to me just last week when I brought you all those fashion plates from Mother?”
Katherine gave Andrew her most placating smile and kissed him on the cheek just as Sturgeon rang the dinner bell. “Wonderful! Just wait until you see the dinner buffet—I’ve been planning it ever since I learned Michael and Lizzie were coming home for Christmas.”
Katherine relished hosting this Christmas Eve dinner, and the fact that she’d succeeded in bringing everyone home for it. It was a rare thing to have all of them in one place at one time, what with everyone being scattered all over Scotland and England.
Her heart gave a little flutter as her husband took her arm and led her the rest of the way to the dining room.
“You’ve done a magnificent job of putting this together, my darling,” William purred close to her ear. “You are one extraordinary woman.”
After four children, it was a wonder that he still made her heart beat so quickly and her palms go a little sweaty. He was quite the most incredible and handsome man she’d ever known, with his wavy blond locks and blue eyes that always seemed to know just what she was thinking.
“You’re thinking about last night, aren’t you?” he asked, a mischievous gleam in those azure eyes.
Katherine’s skin heated at the memory of their passionate evening together…and morning, if truth be told. Something about the holidays made her rather wanton, it seemed.
“You are very naughty,” she whispered, “talking of such things now.”
“My deepest apologies, but truly, I can’t think of anything I’d rather talk about.”
Katherine giggled and swatted her husband on the arm as they arrived at the door to the dining room. She took stock of her work as they passed over the threshold and smiled triumphantly. The dining room was a masterpiece. She’d had the walls repapered in red damask and hung garlands everywhere that would allow for them. Red velvet curtains framed the windows, through which they could watch the light snow that fell on the other side. All the Argand lamps that usually lit the dining room had been removed in favor of simple candlelight, and the room positively glowed with the romance of the holiday.
At her cue, the maid in charge of the small orchestra she’d hired for the evening scurried from the room. Only moments later, the sounds of Corelli’s Christmas Concerto wafted from the music room. It was just loud enough to be heard, but not so loud they couldn’t enjoy stimulating conversation around the dinner table.
“Brava, sister,” Benjamin said as he planted a kiss to her cheek. “Christmas has never been so perfect.”
“You always know just the right thing to say to me, don’t you?” she teased her elder brother.
“Woe to the man who doesn’t,” William chimed in.
Normally, Katherine might have taken offense to their jesting, but her mood was far too sunny tonight, so she laughed along with them as she strode to the far end of the table to take her seat.
Standing opposite his wife at the far end of the long table, William Hart, Duke of Weston, couldn’t help but smile. Though he hoped his mother-in-law’s demise wouldn’t be for a good many years, he knew his Katherine would be a brilliant matriarch for this burgeoning family in years to come. Not only was she beautiful with her near-black hair and olive skin, but she was regal, in a way that only someone born and bred to this life could be.
And while she could often be a bit overbearing, there wasn’t a person alive who could do what she did. The Christmas banquet was only one small aspect of what she was capable of. The bigger of her accomplishments was in bringing the entire family together for the event, including his little brother, Wesley. Though calling him a little brother was a bit out of line, wasn’t it? He was grown now, married to Faith exactly seven years tomorrow, with a family of his own. Quite a large one at that, with three already and one on the way.
Dinner, as was always the case with this family, was a lively affair. The Wetherby siblings still needled one another as if they were children, and everyone else laughed at the repartee. William’s heart swelled with gratitude as he looked up and down the long table. How far they had come from that Christmas seven years ago, trapped by the snow in their home in the Lake District. Katherine had been so very disappointed that her party had been ruined and that she wouldn’t have her family with her for the holiday. William’s heart constricted just thinking about the stricken look on her face when she realized no one could get through the snow.
Of course, orchestrating the wedding of Wesley and Faith had taken some of the sting out of the disappointing circumstances.
But now here they were, a large, lively family, all in a good health, all seemingly happy. Many often thought the accomplishments of a duke were measured in land and holdings, but William didn’t care about any of that. What he cared about were the people at this table. The people he called family.
Elizabeth & Chloe
Lizzie looked up from her spot behind the pianoforte to
find her cousin coming towards her. They’d yet to have a moment alone since her arrival, and she couldn’t wait to catch up with Chloe. Her dear cousin had aged in the past four years. Not that she looked old, but…mature. Her wild, red hair was contained in a soft chignon, and the corners of her eyes and mouth proved that she’d laughed and smiled a great deal in the last few years. That made Lizzie exceedingly happy. After all Chloe had been through, it seemed she’d finally found her happily ever after. What Chloe didn’t know—what she seemed uncertain of—was whether or not Lizzie had also found her happily ever after.
“Elizabeth,” she said as she approached, warmth and love in her tone and in her beaming smile. She reached out and Lizzie turned on the bench to take her hands.
“Do you think anyone will miss us if we steal away to the library for a few minutes?” Lizzie asked.
“The children are abed and the men…” They both turned their gazes to the sitting area on the other side of the room where the men laughed and drank before the fire. “Well, I think it will be all right.”
Lizzie followed her cousin down the corridor of Ashbury Manor. The familiar walls brought a warmth to her belly and smile to her lips. She’d spent many an afternoon having tea with her future sisters-in-law here. Of course, that was when she thought she was marrying Andrew.
They slipped into the warmth of the library, with its blazing fire, glowing sconces and cozy sitting area. Lizzie plopped onto the settee next to her cousin and they both tucked their legs up under themselves, as if they were young girls, eager for gossip.
Chloe reached out and grabbed Lizzie’s hands. “Now tell me, dear cousin. What have you been up to these four years?”
Lizzie laughed. “I’ve written you weekly, Chloe! You know everything.”
“Yes, I know the details of your life at Dunbocan…but I don’t know if you’re happy. Or if you’re still cross with Andrew and me. Please, tell me. Do you harbor ill feelings towards us?”
“The truth is,” Lizzie began, “I was furious. I tortured Michael for months. I wanted him to pay dearly for what he’d done. I wanted to make him as miserable as I was.”
“According to Michael’s letters to Andrew, I believe you succeeded.”
Lizzie couldn’t stop the sly smile that came to her lips as she thought back on her antics. “Well, I suppose I took it a tad far when I threw the candlestick at his head. I was fortunate my aim was off, and that he had the good sense to duck out of the way. I never would have forgiven myself had I caused permanent damage to that beautiful face.”
“It is magnificent, isn’t it?” Chloe added with a wink. Being married to twins with identical features was a funny thing, that.
“But the truth is, he never stopped believing in me. Or perhaps it was his own self he believed in so strongly. That we were meant to be. That our marriage could be a happy one if only he could break down the walls I’d built around myself.”
“And was he right?”
Lizzie nodded. “More right than I ever could have imagined. Oh, Chloe, I’ve changed so much. I’m not at all the gregarious, frivolous, silly girl I once was. And I feel just horrible for all that I put you through when you came to be my chaperone.”
“Nonsense!” Chloe stopped her, squeezing her hands tighter. “You were just what I needed. You got me out of those dreadful black dresses. You made me realize that there was life after Sam—that I could be happy.”
“Perhaps,” Lizzie agreed. “But I could have been gentler and more thoughtful about it.”
Chloe shrugged. “Perhaps. But let us put all past events aside, shall we?”
“Oh, Chloe, I have missed you so.” Tears sprang to Lizzie’s eyes, the emotion of the moment coming over her without notice. How could such a tiny thing inside of her cause so much commotion all the time? Lizzie was certain she had cried more in the last six months than she’d done in her entire life.
“Please don’t cry, dear cousin.” Chloe moved closer and put her arms around Lizzie. “We are together again, both exceedingly happy…and here you are, burgeoning with child.”
Silence fell over them, the only sound Lizzie’s sniffling.
Finally, Lizzie spoke. “That has been the hardest road of all.” Her heart twisted, thinking back on all the babies she’d lost over the last four years. All the pain she’d suffered, both physically and emotionally, waiting for God to grant her a healthy pregnancy.
Chloe squeezed her hands. “I wish I could have been there for you.”
“You were,” Lizzie assured her. “Your letters were such a great comfort to me.”
Chloe smiled. “I’m glad for that.”
“Chloe!”
“Beth!”
The sounds of their husband’s voices, almost as identical as their looks, resounded in the corridor outside the library. Both women jumped from their seats and rushed to meet their husbands at the door.
“What is it, Michael?” Lizzie asked.
Michael reached out a hand to his wife, as Andrew did the same to Chloe.
“Come,” Andrew said, tugging her down the corridor. “There is a surprise.”
The four of them rushed toward the foyer of the townhouse, where the rest of the family had gathered at the open door. Voices wafted in from the outside, a chorus of Here We Come a-Wassailing, lilting on the air.
Chloe nuzzled between Katherine and Benjamin to see over the heads of her nieces and nephews who stood on the porch, a light dusting of snow sprinkling onto their precious little heads.
At the front of the group of carolers stood her sister, Grace, her husband, the Duke of Somerset, beside her. The duke’s sister Hannah and her new husband Dr. Alcott, stood on the other side, with his sister and brother-in-law, Lord and Lady Wolverton. Even the curmudgeonly Dowager Duchess of Somerset sang out into the cold. Behind all of them stood at least twenty other women, all beaming with pride. They were the women of Hannah’s Home—the charitable organization Hannah had begun to help women of ill repute turn their lives around. It was still in the early stages, but Chloe could already see that it was going to make a huge difference in the lives of these women.
Standing there in the cold, surrounded by family, Chloe had never felt so warm.
Evan & Grace
“We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!” Grace, Duchess of Somerset, sang out as loudly as she could, even though she knew she had quite a horrible voice. Singing had never been her forte, and yet, she couldn’t hold back. Not tonight. Not when so much joy and happiness filled her heart.
Evan squeezed her hand, and she glanced over at him as the group began a rousing rendition of Joy to the World. He was smiling just as widely as she was, and so was his mother, for that matter. A Christmas miracle, for sure.
Hannah and Graham, who ought to have been enjoying their wedding night, sang out loudly as well. It seemed the Christmas Spirit was with them all this evening.
As the song came to a close, the Duchess of Hart pushed through the cheering children and insisted that everyone come inside for wassail and gingerbread. No one was inclined to say no to Her Grace, so they all filed into the warmth of the townhouse.
Grace sought out her sister first, enveloping her in a hug that might have said they hadn’t seen one another in years, when really, they’d just been together earlier that day. Lizzie, however…
“Oh, Lizzie,” Grace said, tears welling up in her throat. “It has been far too long.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” her cousin said as they squeezed one another tightly. “I promise not to stay away so long next time.”
“And I promise to come visit you in the Highlands. Evan will be more than glad to get away from London after the ordeal we’ve all been through with Beeston.”
“Chloe only hinted at the situation in her letters. Come, let us settle in for tea and you can tell me the rest.”
Evan watched as his wife walked away, her sister on one arm, her long-lost cousin on the other, a smile as wide as the Th
ames across her face. She was a happy little thing usually, but now, with a babe in her belly, with Hannah safe and happily wed, and with her cousin back home, well…he’d never seen her quite so content.
“You’ll create horrible wrinkles smiling like that.” His mother appeared beside him, the smile on her own face stealing any sting from her words.
“And I won’t regret a one of them,” he replied. “It is nice to see you smiling, Mother.”
“Yes, well, I figured it was about time. Seventy years is a long time to hold one’s face in a perpetual frown.”
“I’m sorry your life was not worth smiling about,” Evan said, and he meant it. He knew what it was to be unhappy, and he didn’t wish it on anyone.
But the dowager only smiled wider. “There is nothing to be sorry about, my son.” She shrugged. “So it took me a little longer to find happiness…at least I found it before I died.”
Evan gave a little chuckle. “Indeed. Come,” he said, proffering his arm for his mother, “let us get a glass of wassail.”
Hannah & Graham
In spite of the cold weather, Hannah couldn’t help but want to be outside in the falling snow. It was quite magical, and she didn’t want to miss a minute of it. Besides, it was getting rather warm in the house with so many crowded into the drawing room now. But she’d not complain—it was quite generous of the duchess to open her home to them on Christmas Eve.
Hannah wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped onto the terrace and looked up into the waning moon and falling snow. She closed her eyes and let the cold flakes trickle onto her face and all the joy and gratitude of the season wash over her.
“I thought I’d find you here,” came a deep voice as a pair of strong arms snaked about her waist.
She giggled. “I was hoping you would come looking for me. Isn’t it romantic?”
How to Care for a Lady Page 18
