The Christmas Heiress (32 page)

Still, it felt strangely disloyal to withhold the truth
from Edward. She had begun to trust him with her
innermost thoughts, had slowly started to reveal a
variety of her feelings. Under different circumstances she would have eagerly shared her knowledge, even asked for his opinion and advice on the
matter.

"Shall we take on a new challenger and have another race?" Charlotte suggested. "We were clearly
winning before we had the misfortune of tipping
over. I'm sure if we keep our balance we shall be
the victors in the next competition."

Edward gave her a puzzled frown, seeming to
sense that she was trying to distract him. But he did
not press her further. They continued to enjoy the
sledding, making three more runs before everyone
agreed they were cold, wet and famished.

They returned to the manor house at a far slower
pace, exhaustion from the unfamiliar physical exercise taking its toll. Cheeks and noses red with
cold, they had reached the great expanse of the
south lawn when the viscount called out.

"Now see what I can do," Lord Haddon yelled. To
the utter delight of his daughter and the shock of
his wife, he hurled himself backward into a mound
of snow, swished his arms and legs from side to side,
then carefully got up. "A perfect angel, just like my
Julia. And her mother, of course."

"It is inspired,"Jonathan said thoughtfully as he examined the viscount's creation. "But I can do better."

Instead of falling on his back, Jonathan threw
himself face forward into a fresh patch of snow. Several of the ladies screeched in astonishment, while
the gentlemen chuckled and shook their heads.
Jonathan imitated Lord Haddon's motions, then
lifted himself without marring the pattern.

They all drew closer to examine Jonathan's angel,
but no consensus could be reached as to which was
the best. That prompted two of the other gentlemen
to try, though they followed the viscount's more traditional example and landed on their backs.

Charlotte knew from experience that the earl
could rarely resist a dare, yet even she was a bit surprised to see him also dive into the competition.
Soon nearly everyone was participating and having
a remarkably fun time while doing it.

When they had finished creating their army of
angels, they slowly began the long walk back to the
manor house, where the earl promised them a
simple repast of hot tea, coffee, hot chocolate, hot
cider, hot soup, sandwiches, buttered scones and
freshly baked muffins awaited.

The food was like ambrosia and everyone agreed
such simple fare never tasted so good. It became
very quiet around the table after everyone had
eaten. Charlotte noticed a few yawns and found
herself fighting to keep her eyelids open.

One by one the guests began excusing themselves.

"I think I shall instruct Cook to serve dinner an
hour later tonight," Edward said to Charlotte as
they sat alone together in the salon. "Though it is
barely noon, I have a feeling most of the guests will
be sleeping the afternoon away."

"That sounds heavenly," Charlotte replied, resting her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes.
It was highly inappropriate for her to be taking such
liberties, but she was simply too tired to care.

"Naps are far more interesting when taken with a
partner," Edward whispered wickedly in her ear.

Despite her exhaustion, Charlotte smiled. "You
used to be such a proper, restrained, responsible
gentleman. When did you turn into such a rogue?"

"After I got a taste of you." He touched her shoulder and let his fingers slide down to her elbows.

Charlotte felt her face heat with a blush. Her
pulse began to stir, her stomach quiver. "You would
attempt to seduce a woman on the verge of exhaustion? For shame, my lord."

He nuzzled the soft curve of her neck, inhaling
her scent greedily. "You need not fear for your
virtue, Miss Aldridge. I like my partners with a bit
more life, a bit more spirit."

She turned her head and purred against his
cheek. "I shall remember that in the future."

"Ah, dearest, I shall never let you forget."

Charlotte awoke two hours later feeling refreshed
and revitalized. The afternoon light had diminished, but a good amount of brightness remained,
thanks to the reflection off the snow-covered
ground. As she came to full wakefulness, she wondered what the rest of the household was doing, especially Edward. Had he also taken to his bed for
an afternoon nap?

His indecent suggestion of them spending the afternoon in bed together made her tingle with sensual awareness and she could not help but think
what it would be like to make love with him in the
middle of the day, with the light of the sun spilling
into their chamber.

Nothing would be hidden. It was a titillating, yet
slightly wicked thought. She was still not entirely
comfortable having her naked body viewed by him,
though Edward always lavishly complimented her
form, making silly remarks about the beauty of her
toes and the delicate curves of her elbows to tease
away her embarrassment.

It never failed to fascinate her how nonchalant
the earl was about his own nudity, a trait he assured
her most men shared. What she did not believe was
that most men shared a similarly handsome
physique. Edward was loner limbed, lean and toned,
his back and shoulders well-developed with sleek,
hard muscles, his front even more appealing with a
broad chest lightly covered with hair.

It was the hair on his chest, and on the other interesting parts of his anatomy, that fascinated her
the most, and she regretted that she had not spent
nearly enough time exploring this obvious difference in their bodies.

"I brought hot chocolate, Miss Charlotte, and a
few of those lovely cream cakes. Would you like anything else?"

Charlotte's vision blurred as the image of a beautifully naked Edward faded and the sight of her
maid came into focus. She cleared her throat.
"Some hot chocolate will be fine, Jones."

Accepting a cup of the steaming beverage from
her maid, Charlotte relaxed against the pillows and
stretched out a few of her sore muscles, deciding
she should wait a few days until she tried ice skating
or else she'd be walking around bent over like an
old woman.

"The earl instructed me not to wake you, Miss Charlotte, but he did want to know once you were awake,
if you'd be interested in accompanying him on his
visits to a few of the tenant farms this afternoon."

Charlotte grinned. "Please inform the earl that I
would be delighted. I shall be down within the hour."

Edward greeted her with a smile. She wondered
again if he too had taken a short nap, for he looked
refreshed and well-rested. Jones had said they were
going to visit a few of the earl's tenants, but Edward
was groomed as if he were ready to meet the queen.

He was immaculately shaven, his hair washed and
combed, his body clad in dark trousers and a coat
made of fine black cashmere. After confirming that
she was wearing her warmest cloak, hat and scarf,
Edward escorted her outside.

Charlotte let out a gasp of surprised pleasure
when she saw he had instructed the carriage sleigh
to be harnessed. Two sturdy black horses were
stamping their hooves anxiously on the snow-covered drive, steam coming from their nostrils as they
waited to begin the journey.

"We do not have too far to travel. Do you mind
the open coach?" Edward asked.

"It's perfect," Charlotte exclaimed, eagerly climbing inside. She waited until the earl was seated
beside her before arranging the large woolen lap
blanket over their knees.

"I was planning on going alone this afternoon,
but it is always nice to have company," he said as he
picked up the leather reins.

"The countess was unavailable?" Charlotte asked
sweetly.

"What a devilishly wicked girl you are, Miss
Aldridge," he said with an affectionate grin. "Though
I'll have you know that my mother and I have
reached an understanding of sorts. She is trying to be
more tolerant of me and I am pretending to be
pleased with her efforts."

"Edward, you must try to have more forbearance or else things between you and your mother will
never improve."

The earl sighed. "Forgive my sarcasm. I suppose
I am overly cautious and do not wish to build false
hopes."

"But you have made progress," Charlotte insisted.

"Yes."

"I'm glad, Edward, for your sake. And hers."

Impulsively, Charlotte pitched forward in her
seat to kiss his cheek, which felt cold and smooth
against her lips, then put her arm through his and
snuggled closer. They traveled in comfortable silence, with only the noise of a lively pair of squirrels
chasing each other from tree limb to tree limb to
accompany them.

Thanks to the sharp blades of the carriage sleigh
they did not have to stay on the roads, but instead
glided over the miles of dormant farm land. Charlotte sighed with delight as she took in the pristine
view of white-covered ground, the twinkling brilliance of the glistening ice-covered tree branches,
the quiet calm of the wintery afternoon.

The wind kicked up, providing an excellent
excuse for cuddling closer. Though as Charlotte
pressed her legs against Edward's muscular thighs, it
was not warmth that invaded her body, but a shivery
burst of desire.

When they stopped at the first farm, Charlotte finally noticed the baskets packed into the back of
the sleigh, lined up in a neat row, each covered with
a bright-colored cloth and tied with a handsome
bow. A broad-shouldered young man with a head of
shockingly red hair and a cheerful grin came out to
greet them.

"Good day to you, my lord. Miss." He tipped his
cap and gave a quick bow. "Had a fine bit of snowfall today, didn't we?"

"We did indeed, Jack," the earl replied. "The cold
is a bit of a bother, but the snow is good for the soil
and makes everything look pretty."

"Aye, that just what the missus says. Will you come
inside and have a cup of something warm?"

"We'd be honored," the earl answered. He assisted Charlotte from the sleigh, then reached in
and pulled out one of the baskets. He wisely lowered his head before crossing the threshold of the
small house.

The cottage consisted of three rooms, the largest
being the kitchen where a large oak table stood in
the center, several mismatched chairs set around it.
The roughly plastered walls reached up to a low
ceiling, which was supported by thick age-blackened beams. The earl had to duck his head each
time he moved, but he seemed aware of that fact
and had no mishaps.

The rest of the cottage was sparsely furnished, yet
spotlessly clean, the flagstone floor gleaming. Jack's
wife, Glinda, was a tiny girl, half his size in height and
width. She smiled shyly when introduced to the earl
and Charlotte and insisted that Charlotte sit on her
best chair, a sturdy armchair with faded upholstery.

With the pride of a duchess, she served them all
mulled cider and freshly baked cookies. The men
drifted off to a corner of the kitchen and began talking about the fall harvest and the upcoming spring
planting. Charlotte tried to engage Glinda in conversation, but the poor girl was so tongue-tied she had
difficulty stringing more than a few words together.

As they said their good-byes, Edward handed Jack
the basket. "Happy Christmas to you both," he said.
"Let's hope for a healthy year and a fruitful harvest."

"Amen to that, my lord. And a happy and blessed
Christmas to you and your family."

With a final wave, Charlotte and the earl departed. They were greeted with similar good cheer
and hospitality at the next farm. This time they
were served ale and oatcakes drizzled with honey,
on blue-and-white dishware bearing the cracks and
chips of age.

The old woman at the third farm could not stop
grinning and chuckling and exclaiming her delight
that the earl was at last home, in his proper place,
where he belonged. Edward accepted her endless
praise with surprisingly good grace, though it was
clear to Charlotte that he felt embarrassed.

Before they left, he brought in an armload of
fresh wood from the shed to add to the pile of kindling by the hearth and was thanked repeatedly for
his kindness.

Their final stop was at the largest farm, maintained by the Ross family. The sprawling cottage on
this picturesque spread of land was made of stone
and boasted a second floor. As with all the other
places they had visited, Charlotte could see that the
property was prosperous and well-maintained.

The woman who had answered their knock wore
a lace cap and a white apron smudged with flour.
She held a young toddler on her hip who was
pulling at her hair and she shushed him nervously
when he began to whimper. Her eyes widened
when she recognized the earl, and looking slightly
flustered, she curtsied, then called for her husband.