A Viscount's Heart for Christmas (Book 5, Age of Innocence)

by Debra Elizabeth

  She sighed and moved away from the window, making her way to the pianoforte. Several sheets of music littered the top, and she looked through them. Music had been her sanctuary when she lived in the country. She never minded the long hours of practice it took to become proficient because there was little else to do. Music had the power to sweep her away and banish any problems she might be experiencing at the time. She chose a sheet and took a seat, giving her full attention to the music. What would happen when her mother returned wasn’t in her thoughts as she felt the music flow through her.

  Courtney was disappointed that neither Camden nor Lord Edgerton appeared for luncheon. When she finished her meal, she retreated to the parlor and picked up her embroidery. Her full attention wasn’t on the handkerchief, and she stabbed the needle through the delicate fabric numerous times, only to rip out the stitches moments later.

  When she heard the butler welcome her mother home, she rushed out to the foyer to greet her. “Mama, I’m so glad you’re home. So much has happened while you’ve been gone. Hannah had the baby, Lord Edgerton is here to visit, his sister will make her come-out in the spring as well, and Camden has agreed to accompany me, Lord Edgerton, and his sisters to the British Museum.”

  “Courtney, darling, calm down and let me come in,” Katherine said, divesting herself of her pelisse and gloves. “Wait? Did you say Hannah had the baby?”

  “Yes, and I helped her through the birth. No one else was home and even Gray was off. It was terrifying, but Hannah told me what to do.”

  Katherine’s hand flew to her chest. “You attended the birth? Where was the doctor or Mrs. Stanley and Cook?”

  “They were delayed by the storm, though Cook arrived by the time the child was born. Would you like me to ring for tea? It’s a little early, but you must be cold.”

  Her mother said, “A tea tray, Thomas.”

  Thomas nodded. “Right away, Your Grace,” he said, heading toward the kitchen.

  “Courtney dear, let’s move into the parlor. My goodness, I’ve only been gone for a day and a half, and it appears so much has happened.”

  Courtney sat on the sofa next to her mother. “Lord Edgerton is visiting, and he applauded my pianoforte playing last evening.”

  Her mother placed her hand on Courtney’s. “Courtney, dear, please let me catch my breath before you ramble on and on.”

  “Of course, Mama. I apologize.”

  She sat quietly and waited for the tea tray, although she was nearly bursting with excitement to tell her mother all that had happened. Although earlier, she hadn’t wanted her mother to return so she would have more time to spend with Lord Edgerton, she’d realized she had missed her and couldn’t wait to share all the news.

  Bethany soon brought in a tea tray and put it on the low table in front of the sofa.

  “That will be all,” Katherine said.

  “Yes, Your Grace,” Bethany said with a quick curtsy before exiting the room.

  “Mama, shall I pour?”

  Her mother nodded, and Courtney prepared the tea with a lump of sugar and a splash of milk, as her mother liked it. She piled a few treats on the plate before handing it to her.

  “Thank you, my dear.”

  Courtney prepared her own tea and took a sip, waiting for her mother to begin the conversation again.

  “Are Hannah and the child well? It’s rather early for the baby to be born.”

  Courtney nodded. “They are indeed. The baby is small but healthy.”

  “Is it a boy?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s wonderful news—Camden has an heir. He must be overjoyed. I shall endeavor to visit Hannah after tea and see the baby if she feels up to it. Now, when did Lord Edgerton come to visit?”

  “He came yesterday with Camden. They were snowbound the previous evening at Lord Edgerton’s townhouse, but they managed to slog through the snow yesterday afternoon. At dinner, he told us his mother and sisters are coming to London. I’m so very pleased that Miss Violet will have her come-out in the spring as well. It will be wonderful to have a friend I know there.”

  “I’m so very pleased to hear they will be coming to London. I’ve missed Lady Edgerton. She’s a dear friend, and I haven’t seen her for years.”

  Courtney nodded, pleased with her mother’s reaction thus far, although she was nervously waiting to hear her mother’s reaction to the rest of her news.

  “I’m not pleased that you’ve gone against my wishes in regards to the British Museum though,” Katherine said, a frown creasing her brow.

  “Mama, I did not go against your wishes. Lord Edgerton suggested a visit with his sisters, and Camden walked into the room while it was being discussed. Camden agreed to accompany me.”

  Her mother placed her cup and saucer back on the tray and stood. “I will discuss this with your brother, but for now, I wish to see Hannah and meet my grandson. We will talk again later.”

  “Yes, Mama.” Courtney hoped Camden wouldn’t change his mind, especially now that Lord Edgerton’s sisters were coming to town and would surely wish to attend. Excitement filled her as she looked forward to visiting the museum. She sipped her tea, thinking about spending more time in Lord Edgerton’s company.

  Chapter 6

  A SOFT KNOCK ON HER BEDCHAMBER door drew Hannah’s attention. “Enter.”

  Her mother-in-law swept into the room and rushed to her side. “Hannah my dear, I cannot tell you how sorry I am for not being here when you needed me most.”

  Hannah was sitting in one of the wing chairs in front of the fireplace and pointed to the other chair in invitation. “Please don’t fuss overmuch. Courtney was here and an absolutely wonderful help to me. She was very brave and never shied away from whatever needed to be done.”

  Katherine’s eyes widened for a brief moment. “I wouldn’t have thought Courtney had the maturity to assist in a birth,” she said. “She’s been most sheltered in the country.”

  Hannah leaned forward and grasped Katherine’s hand. “Your daughter is a mature young woman now. I would have been lost without her help, and I’m very grateful she had not gone visiting with you.”

  “Even so, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to help guide you through the birth. The first child’s birth is always the most difficult.”

  “I certainly would have preferred not to labor so early, but my son had ideas of his own, it seemed.”

  “The snowstorm seemed to hit without warning. If I’d known there was any chance of bad weather, I wouldn’t have left you alone.”

  “Katherine, you’re very kind, but no one can predict such an event. The good thing is both you and Camden are home now, and as you’ll soon see, the baby is fine.”

  Katherine squeezed Hannah’s hand before leaning back in the chair. “Are you recovering well, my dear?”

  “I am indeed. Nurse should be bringing my son to me any moment now. I know you’re anxious to see him.” No sooner had Hannah spoken than there was a knock on the door. “Enter.”

  The nurse entered carrying a small bundle wrapped up in a soft white blanket. “Your Grace, he’ll be hungry soon,” she said, handing the child to her.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Kingston.”

  The nurse nodded and let herself out.

  “Hello, my sweet boy,” Hannah said, kissing the baby’s head. “You have company today. A very important lady is here to see you, and I’m sure your grandmother is anxious to meet you.” Katherine stood and Hannah handed the child into her waiting arms. “Katherine, may I present your grandson, Finley Logan Wetherby, Marquess of Rothingburg?”

  Katherine peeled the blanket back from the baby’s face. “Oh, what a handsome boy you are.” She looked at Hannah with tears in her eyes. “Oh my dear, I’m ever so pleased that you are well and have delivered a healthy son and heir.”

  “Thank you, Katherine. The
entire time I carried the child, I had a feeling it was a boy. Did you experience feelings like that?”

  “No. I certainly prayed for a son, but I had no inkling at all. Would it be too indelicate of me to inquire if you had a difficult birth?”

  “Not indelicate at all. However, with nothing to compare it to, I’m at a loss to answer your question. I will say that I was exceedingly surprised I was that my labor progressed so quickly. My mother told me that first-born children can take hours to arrive, but that wasn’t the case with Finley. He was most anxious to come into the world and wouldn’t wait even one more day for Camden to be present.”

  Just then the door opened, and Camden strode into the room. “Good day, ladies. Mother, welcome home.”

  “Thank you, Camden. It’s good to be home. I was just admiring your son,” Katherine said.

  “We are of like minds, then. I’ve come to see him as well.”

  Camden walked to Hannah and leaned down to kiss her. “My darling, how are you feeling?”

  “Quite well. As a matter of fact, I plan to join you for dinner this evening.”

  “Is that wise?” Camden asked, holding his wife’s hand. “You should not overtax yourself.”

  “My darling, I’ve been doing nothing but resting for two days now. A change of scenery will do wonders. I promise to retire the moment I’m fatigued.”

  “I would also caution you against this. You must give yourself time to recover,” Katherine said.

  “Thank you for your concern, Katherine. I assure you I’m feeling better.”

  Katherine stood and handed the baby to Camden. “I’ll take my leave now. You have a beautiful son and heir, Camden. Congratulations.”

  Camden welcomed his son into his arms before bending and kissing his mother’s cheek. “Thank you, Mother. I’ll see you at dinner.”

  “There is another matter I wish to speak to you about when you have a free moment.”

  “Of course.”

  Hannah watched her mother-in-law leave before turning to her husband. “She was most surprised about Courtney’s help with Finley’s birth. She once again questioned her maturity, even after I told her Courtney never shied away from anything that needed to be done to help me.”

  “I’m sure she did. You must understand—she’s sheltered Courtney for most of her life. However, I believe too much sheltering isn’t a good thing for a young lady. That’s why I insisted on Mother and Courtney coming to London ahead of the Season.”

  “I was trying to impress upon her that Courtney is a mature young woman now and deserves to be treated as such.”

  “She will be the last to see it, and I’ve no doubt she will complain about Courtney going to the British Museum when next I speak to her. She adamantly refused to let her go when Courtney first mentioned it. But with Edgerton’s sisters going on the outing, I promised Courtney she could attend,” Camden said. “I’ll not change my decision. Mother will have to accept that.”

  “Perhaps that day would be a good opportunity for your mother to visit with Lady Edgerton, if she doesn’t wish to accompany the group to the museum.”

  “That’s a good idea. I’ll suggest that to her,” Camden said, nodding. “She used to be quite close with Lady Edgerton, but with her spending most of her time at our country estate, their friendship has suffered of late.”

  The baby stirred in Camden’s arms and let out a loud wail. “I believe my son is voicing his displeasure,” he said with a chuckle, giving the child to Hannah.

  “Come here, my darling boy. You must be hungry.” The baby continued to cry, and Hannah quickly put her son to her breast.

  “I’ll leave you for now, my darling. There are some matters I need to discuss with Edgerton,” Camden said with a quick peck on his wife’s lips and a kiss on his son’s head.

  “I look forward to seeing Charles at dinner,” Hannah said.

  “I’ll be sure to tell him,” Wetherby said as he left the room.

  AN HOUR AFTER HER conversation with her mother, Courtney went upstairs to see Hannah and the baby. She knocked softly on the door.

  “Enter.”

  “Is this a good time to visit?” she asked, poking her head in.

  “Yes. Please come in. I’ve just finished feeding Finley.”

  Courtney hurried into the room. “May I hold my nephew?”

  “Of course. Have a seat,” Hannah said, placing the baby in Courtney’s arms.

  “Hello, Finley. You look much more content now than the first time I saw you,” Courtney said with a chuckle.

  “I should say so,” Hannah said, nodding. “Your mother visited earlier, and I told her what a great help you were to me the day Finley was born.”

  “You did? What did she say?”

  “She was surprised to say the least, but I tried to impress upon her how maturely you handled yourself.”

  A smile lit up Courtney’s face. “Thank you, Hannah. I’m not sure if even your good opinion will change Mama’s mind, but I’m grateful for your support.”

  “Whatever I can do, please let me know.”

  “Um…may I ask you a question?”

  “Of course. Is there something wrong?”

  “No, not at all. It’s just that…well…I was wondering how you knew that Camden was the man you wanted to marry. Did you love him right away?”

  Hannah shook her head. “No. I was quite disappointed in him the first time we met. He promised me a dance but left the ballroom before he could claim it.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “Has someone caught your eye?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve not met many gentlemen since coming to London.”

  Hannah tapped her chin. “Let me guess… Lord Edgerton, by chance?”

  Courtney nodded. “Oh Hannah, he’s the most handsome man I’ve ever met, and last night, he clapped so enthusiastically and complimented me on my playing. He seemed to genuinely enjoy it.”

  “I see.”

  “Oh? What do you see? I have the most intense fluttering inside whenever I’m around him. I become tongue-tied and can hardly carry on a conversation.”

  “Has Lord Edgerton said anything in particular to you?”

  “No, not exactly. I have no experience with this. Perhaps it’s merely a young girl’s fancy at meeting her first handsome gentlemen.”

  “Courtney, dear, do not discount your feelings as a passing fancy. Time will tell if your feelings will grow or not. If Lord Edgerton is interested in furthering a relationship with you, he’ll discuss it with Camden first before he approaches you.”

  “You’re right, of course. He’s so very handsome though, don’t you think?”

  “He is indeed and a very honorable gentlemen.”

  Courtney visited with Hannah and Finley for another quarter-hour before returning to her room to change for dinner. She was looking forward to seeing Lord Edgerton again and was glad that Hannah hadn’t outright dismissed her feelings as silly.

  “You seem happy this evening,” Nell said.

  “I’m looking forward to dinner now that everyone’s home.”

  “Is it more than that, perhaps? Someone in particular you wish to see?”

  “Oh, Nell. You seem to guess my feelings before I voice them. I’m looking forward to seeing Lord Edgerton, of course.”

  “I see. The talk downstairs is that he’s very handsome. He also treats his staff well and with respect.”

  “I’ve not met a more handsome gentleman.”

  “You’ve not met many gentlemen yet, my lady.”

  “I know. Being in London is so exciting, though—so many possibilities and new people to meet.”

  Nell nodded. “Would you like the pink silk this evening?”

  Courtney nodded and tried to hold still as Nell finished with her hair, but she was anxious t
o get to the parlor before her mother arrived. She hurried along the hall and entered the room, inhaling sharply when she saw Lord Edgerton standing by the fireplace.

  “Good evening, my lord,” Courtney said with a curtsy.

  Edgerton bowed. “Good evening, Lady Courtney. You look lovely this evening,” he said, flashing her a brilliant smile of straight white teeth.

  Courtney’s knees went momentarily weak at the sheer beauty of the man. It didn’t seem fair that a gentleman should be blessed with such attractiveness. But if she wished to have a moment with the handsome viscount, she needed to pull herself together. She took a deep breath. “Would you care for a sherry, my lord?”

  “Yes. Shall I pour one for you as well?” Edgerton asked, walking to the sideboard.

  “Yes, please,” she said, taking a seat on the sofa.

  Edgerton poured two glasses of sherry and handed one to her. When their fingers touched, she trembled with delight.

  “Thank you, my lord.”

  “I’ve heard from my mother again,” he began. “They will start out for London tomorrow and should arrive in a few days.”

  “That’s wonderful. I’m looking forward to meeting them.”

  “I’ll arrange a dinner once they’re settled so you may.”

  Wetherby entered the parlor with Hannah on his arm.

  “Wetherby, I was just saying once my mother and sisters arrive and get settled, I’ll arrange a dinner,” Edgerton said, putting his sherry on the mantle and walking to Wetherby and Hannah. He reached for Hannah’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “Your Grace, you’re looking well.”

  Hannah smiled. “None of this ‘Your Grace’ nonsense, Charles. It’s wonderful to see you again,” she said, bussing his cheek.