she wore her hair up, but tendrils
were continually escaping to float about her face.
Leticia, known to everyone as Letty, was eight. And
unlike every other Emerson, she had bright red hair and dark blue eyes. She
was, as their mother had boasted to anyone who would listen, not the late earl’s
get. She had been conceived during a period when Colin’s parents had lived on different
continents. He believed his mother had deliberately chosen a lover so
different in looks from her husband that there would be no doubt as to the
child’s parentage. Indeed, the old earl had had little use for Letty, often
ignoring her existence all together. But their mother had neglected the girl,
as well. All she’d wanted was to use the child as a weapon against her
husband. Once that became boring, she simply moved on.
However, Colin loved Letty. Everyone did. He did
not know if she yet understood why she looked so different from her brothers
and sisters. But Colin and his siblings were resolved that she would never
know anything but love from them.
Colin had barely dismounted when Letty raced across
the drive to hug him.
“You’re finally here!” she said. “I was so afraid
you wouldn’t make it home in time for Christmas. Rose didn’t know what to do
with me because I kept running to the window searching for you. But you have
finally come and it shall be a happy Christmas because of it. Who are your
friends?”
“Dear Letty,” he said, as he bent to kiss his
sister. “You are a sight for sore eyes. But do let me greet Rose before you
ask too many questions.”
He hugged Rosemary, as Letty grinned at the
visitors.
Rosemary held on to him tightly. “I am so glad you
have come, dear brother. But let us get all of you inside before you freeze.”
Colin looked at his sister. She’d grown into a
beautiful young woman and he was gripped with guilt again because he knew she
should have a Season. But he just couldn’t afford it. He motioned to the door.
“Is there no footman to come help or groom to take our mounts?” He reached up
to help Ava dismount.
“Here are the grooms now,” said Rose, smiling at the
two servants on horseback, who must have followed Colin from the manor.
“Gordon and Miller, how nice of you to come take his lordship’s horses. Please
take them back to the main stables. I’m sure his lordship can give you
instructions on what should be done with them later.”
The two servants bowed, then took the horses from
Stemple.
“Rose?” asked Colin. “Where are the footmen? And
why did Gordon and Miller come from the manor stables and not the ones here?
For that matter, what are you doing in the dower house?”
“Let us all go inside. Then you can introduce us to
your guests.”
“Rose?”
“There are no footmen,” she said quietly. “And we
have no animals in the dower house stables.”
Colin’s heart fell. He’d left his sisters alone,
without even footmen to help them. He turned away, unable to face her. He
tried to find his luggage, only to see Stemple and the others had already taken
everything inside. He took Rose’s hand, then entered their new home.
The dower house was of Tudor design with eight
bedrooms on the upper floor and a sitting room, dining room and library on the
first floor, with the kitchen and servants’ quarters in the back. It had been
unoccupied since Colin’s grandmother had passed away when he was ten. He had
often taken refuge there after one of the earl’s beatings. It had always been
a welcome sanctuary.
As he looked around, he saw that much of the
furniture was still under Holland covers.
“Rosemary, what is going on?” asked Colin.
His sister hesitated, not knowing where to begin.
Ava broke the silence. “My lord, perhaps you would
like to introduce us to your sisters, lest they think their home has been
invaded by wrinkled travelers. I mean, it has been. But, at least they will
know what to call us.”
“Of course,” said Colin. “Forgive my
were continually escaping to float about her face.
Leticia, known to everyone as Letty, was eight. And
unlike every other Emerson, she had bright red hair and dark blue eyes. She
was, as their mother had boasted to anyone who would listen, not the late earl’s
get. She had been conceived during a period when Colin’s parents had lived on different
continents. He believed his mother had deliberately chosen a lover so
different in looks from her husband that there would be no doubt as to the
child’s parentage. Indeed, the old earl had had little use for Letty, often
ignoring her existence all together. But their mother had neglected the girl,
as well. All she’d wanted was to use the child as a weapon against her
husband. Once that became boring, she simply moved on.
However, Colin loved Letty. Everyone did. He did
not know if she yet understood why she looked so different from her brothers
and sisters. But Colin and his siblings were resolved that she would never
know anything but love from them.
Colin had barely dismounted when Letty raced across
the drive to hug him.
“You’re finally here!” she said. “I was so afraid
you wouldn’t make it home in time for Christmas. Rose didn’t know what to do
with me because I kept running to the window searching for you. But you have
finally come and it shall be a happy Christmas because of it. Who are your
friends?”
“Dear Letty,” he said, as he bent to kiss his
sister. “You are a sight for sore eyes. But do let me greet Rose before you
ask too many questions.”
He hugged Rosemary, as Letty grinned at the
visitors.
Rosemary held on to him tightly. “I am so glad you
have come, dear brother. But let us get all of you inside before you freeze.”
Colin looked at his sister. She’d grown into a
beautiful young woman and he was gripped with guilt again because he knew she
should have a Season. But he just couldn’t afford it. He motioned to the door.
“Is there no footman to come help or groom to take our mounts?” He reached up
to help Ava dismount.
“Here are the grooms now,” said Rose, smiling at the
two servants on horseback, who must have followed Colin from the manor.
“Gordon and Miller, how nice of you to come take his lordship’s horses. Please
take them back to the main stables. I’m sure his lordship can give you
instructions on what should be done with them later.”
The two servants bowed, then took the horses from
Stemple.
“Rose?” asked Colin. “Where are the footmen? And
why did Gordon and Miller come from the manor stables and not the ones here?
For that matter, what are you doing in the dower house?”
“Let us all go inside. Then you can introduce us to
your guests.”
“Rose?”
“There are no footmen,” she said quietly. “And we
have no animals in the dower house stables.”
Colin’s heart fell. He’d left his sisters alone,
without even footmen to help them. He turned away, unable to face her. He
tried to find his luggage, only to see Stemple and the others had already taken
everything inside. He took Rose’s hand, then entered their new home.
The dower house was of Tudor design with eight
bedrooms on the upper floor and a sitting room, dining room and library on the
first floor, with the kitchen and servants’ quarters in the back. It had been
unoccupied since Colin’s grandmother had passed away when he was ten. He had
often taken refuge there after one of the earl’s beatings. It had always been
a welcome sanctuary.
As he looked around, he saw that much of the
furniture was still under Holland covers.
“Rosemary, what is going on?” asked Colin.
His sister hesitated, not knowing where to begin.
Ava broke the silence. “My lord, perhaps you would
like to introduce us to your sisters, lest they think their home has been
invaded by wrinkled travelers. I mean, it has been. But, at least they will
know what to call us.”
“Of course,” said Colin. “Forgive my
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