The Christmas Heiress (31 page)

"But I have need of you."

"I know. And I of you." It seemed in that instant
that the fragile remnants of Evelyn's resistance shattered. Lips thinning, she lifted her gaze to his face.
"You are the first and only man who has ever made
me feel this way."

Her cheeks flushed and after an abrupt curtsey,
she bowed her head and scurried away, leaving him
alone. The enjoyment and delight of the afternoon
vanished with her. Miss Dunaway laughed prettily,
and Lord Reginald shouted for everyone to come
and see the section of tree they had just finished
decorating, but Jonathan turned away.

Evelyn was already busy helping Harris set up for
tea. Clearly, she would be occupied for the remainder of the afternoon. With a disappointed sigh, he
left the ballroom. These brief stolen moments were
killing him!

As he climbed the stairs, Jonathan struggled not
to concern himself too much over the short time
he had with Evelyn. It was better to view this as a
momentary stall in his quest to win her acceptance.
But it was difficult wooing her when they had so few
opportunities to speak directly and privately.

Still, he thought he had made a bit of progress
with her today. Despite Evelyn's vocal resolve to be
cautious, practical, she had admitted she had feelings for him. The letters and small tokens of affection he had courted her with were clearly having an
effect.

Jonathan entered the sitting room of his bedchamber, pleased to see his valet had managed to sneak in the flower he had requested. A single, red,
thornless rose. It would be resting on Evelyn's
pillow when she went to bed tonight, an unspoken
reminder of his constant devotion.

He checked to make sure the small flower vase
had sufficient water, then went to his writing desk.
Unlocking the center drawer, he retrieved the latest
letter he had been working on for Evelyn. However,
even with the heavy drapes drawn back, there was
insufficient light to read comfortably.

Jonathan reached for several candles and lit
them, wishing his brother would consider renovating the manor in the very near future and adding
gas lighting, at least in the family quarters. Fumbling with candles all the time was a damn nuisance.

With the area now properly illuminated, Jonathan
read the carefully composed letter that had taken
him half the night to perfect. As he finished, he
heaved a sigh of relief. The note was even better in
the light of day, conveying all the sentiments of his
heart and the honor of his intentions.

He would pass the note to Charlotte after dinner
tonight and request she get it to Evelyn immediately. In three days time it would be Christmas. But
for him, the season of hope and miracles was starting early.

Amazingly, the snow that had been threatening
for days and days finally arrived. Everyone awoke
the following morning to a thick blanket of white
covering the lawn, the trees, the bushes, the
rooftops. The grounds of the estate, for as far as the eye could see, were transformed into a pristine
white fairyland of delicate and ethereal beauty.

There was much joking and boisterous laughter
as they all crowded in the breakfast parlor, talking
enthusiastically about the change in the weather
and the plans to enjoy the snow while it lasted.
They were told that several sleds were ready to be
put to good use and the carriage sleigh, with its
long shiny blades, was equipped with a cheerful
driver, sure-footed horses, hot brick foot-warmers
and several layers of lap blankets for those who
wished to explore the snowy, white wonderland
with ease.

Charlotte, feeling as ridiculously excited as a
schoolgirl, could not decide what she wanted to do
first. Most of the younger houseguests had gathered under the front portico, but a few of the older
guests were also among their numbers. Disappointingly, Grandpapa had elected to wait to take a carriage sleigh ride later in the afternoon in hopes the
weather would warm.

There was much debate about where they should
start and everyone looked to the earl for direction.

"To the sleds!" he announced, and several people
applauded.

As she stepped from beneath the shade of the
covered portico, the sun was so bright against the
snow that Charlotte had to shield her eyes from the
glare.

"Take my hand," Edward offered.

Charlotte set her hand in his outstretched one,
amazed at the sharp feeling that lanced through
her and the way her mind reacted to the contact.

Edward's touch was a bittersweet reminder that she had been alone last night. He had honored her
request and stayed out of her bedchamber, but
Charlotte admitted that as glorious as it was, she
missed far more than his lovemaking. She missed
the physical comfort he gave her, the warmth and
the touching, the feel of his strong body cuddled
against hers as he lightly stoked her back.

There was that special intimacy of feeling his
chest rise and fall against her own that somehow
miraculously translated into an emotional closeness
as they whispered together in the dark, sharing
their thoughts, revealing their dreams, their hopes,
even on one occasion, their fears.

"Are you cold?" Edward asked.

"Not really. Just excited to be outside and looking
forward to some fun." Charlotte blew out her
breath and watched it crystalize in the air, then realized one possible reason for the earl's inquiry. "Is
my nose very red?"

"Hardly noticeable," he replied gallantly, and she
knew he lied.

Still, Charlotte wondered what that said about
their relationship when she felt comfortable enough
around him to look so wretched and not overly care.

They fell in step with the others and Charlotte
noticed that Lord Haddon had unbuttoned the top
two buttons of his coat so his daughter might
burrow her head inside and escape the cold. It was
precisely the type of gesture she could imagine
Edward doing with his own child.

Their child?

Charlotte blanched and tried to shove the
thought from her mind. Regardless of the intimacy
she had shared with the earl, she was far from ready to start thinking about having his child. Especially
since she was still uncertain if she would one day be
his wife.

They sank in snow up to their ankles as they walked,
but for this outing everyone had wisely donned sturdy
boots. The mischievous group somehow managed to
hold off the unruly snowball fight until they reached
the top of the hill where they would be sledding, but
then all broke loose when Miss Dunaway tossed a
snowball at Lord Bradford, striking him directly in the
center of his back.

The older gentleman turned with an excited roar,
bent and scooped up a handful of snow. He quickly
shaped it into a ball and hurled back at her, missing
by a mile. That move sent everyone scrambling for
cover and ammunition. Soon they were all fighting
for their lives, laughing and shouting in a wild tussle
as the snowballs flew through the air, fast and furious.

A few of the older ladies stepped out of range,
but called out enthusiastic instructions to the rest
of them. Charlotte was pleased to note that she,
Miss Dunaway, Lady Anne and Lady Haddon were
holding their own against the men, and by unspoken agreement did not toss any snow at each other
but saved the wet missives for their common male
enemies.

After a few minutes, Charlotte realized that the
earl was a prime target of nearly everyone. She
wisely took herself out of his direct line of fire, enjoying the moment immensely when her snowball
miraculously landed smack in the center of the back
of his head. She could practically feel the icy drops
trickling down his neck onto the collar of his shirt.

"Truce! Truce!" Edward shouted. He was mobbed with a final barrage of snowballs as they all unloaded the last of their ammunition at him.

Amid much laughter, foot stomping and hand
clapping to keep warm, they organized into groups
for the sledding. The earl had managed to locate
four large sleds and it was decided they should go
down in pairs.

The servants brought chairs for a few of the older
guests who wanted to watch the sledding. They were
also provided with blankets for their laps and
warmed bricks for their feet. Harris had directed the
footmen to clear an area of snow down to the frozen
grass, yet Charlotte could not help but wonder what
the countess would think about having her beautiful
furniture taken out-of-doors in this weather.

Once she started, it seemed that Charlotte would
never grow tired of speeding down the hill, then
trekking up again and awaiting her turn to go back
down on one of the sleds. Her partner for each run
was Edward, which only increased her fun.

As she prepared to go down again, Charlotte set
herself gingerly in the center of the sled, then wiggled herself backward until her shoulders and back
were pressed snuggling against Edward's front. He
groaned into her ear as she came in contact with
his nether regions and she moved her bottom teasingly until he growled at her to cease at once or
suffer the consequences.

When she finally stopped fidgeting, Edward's
arms came around either side of her and he held
tightly to the steering rope. Looking to her left,
Charlotte noticed that Viscount Haddon had just
taken command of another sled. Lady Anne was perched in front of him, though they were clearly
not in as close physical contact.

"I say, Worthington. Care to wager on who can
make it to the bottom first?" the viscount asked with
a mischievous grin.

"You're on, Haddon," Edward replied, and
before Charlotte could catch her breath, they were
off, hurling down the slope at a speed that seemed
ten times faster than any other run she had thus far
taken.

They seemed to fly through the air, slightly in
front of the viscount and Lady Anne and then suddenly they truly were flying as they hit a bump near
the bottom of the hill. Charlotte shouted and threw
up her hands, knocking into Edward's arms.

He lost control and the sled overturned, dumping Edward and Charlotte into the snow. Shrieking
and laughing, Charlotte lay on her back like an upended turtle, waving her arms and struggling for
breath. Edward was soon at her side, bringing her
to her feet, vigorously brushing the snow from her
face and hair.

"Have I mentioned lately that you are an exceptionally clever girl?"

"Clever? Do you not mean clumsy? I knocked
into your arms, causing you to lose control of the
sled and lose the race. And now I am covered in
snow." She laughed. "As are you."

"Clever," he insisted, "for landing us beneath an
ancient oak tree, which, if I am not mistaken, is
sporting a beautiful cluster of mistletoe in the
upper branches."

"Really?"

Tilting her head back, Charlotte caught his eyes and lifted her lips. Edward kissed her swiftly and
warmly and openmouthed. The contrast between
chilled flesh and hot mouths was glorious and
more than a little arousing. Charlotte teased and
licked his mouth open a little wider, then sucked
gently on his tongue. To her regret, the kiss ended
all too soon.

Edward lifted his head partially and she felt his
lips tenderly brush her temples. Charlotte sighed
and relaxed against him.

Her gaze drifted lazily to the top of the hill.
Someone else had already retrieved their sled and
brought it up so the next pair could take a turn. It
was then that Charlotte noticed the normally vivacious Miss Dunaway was standing off to the side, a
wistful expression on her face.

"You should offer to take Miss Dunaway down on
your next ride," Charlotte mentioned. "I do not
think she has had a turn yet and I am sure she would
like one."

Raising his hand, Edward cradled her cheek. "I
want all my rides to be with you."

She smiled. "But you cannot neglect your duties
as host."

"Why is it that everyone likes to remind me of my
duties and obligations all the time? Am I so negligent a man?" he asked, his mouth thin with distaste.

"No, but you are rather prickly."

"I'm sorry." Edward turned his face to the top of
the hill and squinted. "You're right about Miss Dunaway. I'll ask her, and if she has not had a turn, I
shall attend to it at once."

With a final hug, Edward left and trudged up the
hill. Knowing it was ridiculous to feel any sort of jealousy when she herself had suggested it, Charlotte nevertheless experienced a pang of remorse
when she imagined Miss Dunaway taking her place
on the sled. Would she snuggle as closely to the earl
as Charlotte had dared?

The sound of the hard blades rushing over the
icy snow let Charlotte know she would soon find
out. She looked up and saw Jonathan steering the
sled, while Miss Dunaway clung to his back and
shrieked with merriment for the entire ride.

As they reached the bottom, the sled tipped to
one side, but Jonathan managed to balance it back
on its blades and it slid safely to a halt.

Edward returned to Charlotte's side, looking very
pleased with himself. "You were right about Miss
Dunaway, but I managed to solve the problem and
still keep you as my exclusive partner."

"An excellent solution," Charlotte remarked,
giving him one of her very best smiles.

"I actually performed two good deeds and got my
brother to have a little fun, too. He seemed unusually glum, standing away from the crowd as if he
were frozen to the spot. Has he spoken to you
about anything being wrong?"

"Ah, no."

It was then Charlotte realized that Miss Montgomery was not among the party. No doubt her services were required by the countess and she had
been unable to escape and participate in the morning's frivolous activities. It was a stark, sharp reminder of her true place in the household.

It was on the tip of Charlotte's tongue to confide
to Edward that Jonathan's current infatuation with
Miss Montgomery was most likely the source of his down-hearted spirits, but she hesitated. It was not
her secret to reveal. She had promised Jonathan
to guard his privacy and she would stay true to her
commitment.